Call center experience anyone?
Hi all,
I have 10+ year experience in retail and food service, and then have 3 years experience as a business systems analyst in the fintech industry. I left my BSA job in 2019 due to burnout and other reasons. I was in bad shape (mentally) and took a few months to “recover” from the burnout before beginning my job search again. Then, the pandemic began and job searching became even more difficult.
I have gotten a few phone screenings and one interview but it has all gone nowhere. Though I had a BSA title, I don’t have data analytics skills or working knowledge of different coding languages like a lot of job postings ask for. So, I’m not that surprised that I am having such bad luck :/
I am really getting desperate. Initially, I planned to return to the service industry but I suffered a back injury that has made it so I can no longer meet the weight lifting requirement that most service jobs have. Now I am desperate for health care because of this injury (I have been paying out of pocket for the doctor and physical therapy and…. yeah it has been expensive).
Because I have so much experience in customer service, however, I am thinking about applying to work in call centers for IT companies in hopes that I could eventually move up to an analyst position or something similar over time.
Has anyone here worked in a call center before? Would you share your experience?
Outside of your past experience and what you think you should apply for based on that, are there any "dream" industries you would love to learn more about?
Definitely coffee, I was recently rejected for a customer support position for a coffee roaster. That is also why I am leaning this call center route, I keep wondering if I had call center experience if I would have gotten the job. (I did ask for feedback on the rejection but never heard from them again). Thank you for taking the time to reply!
User deleted comment on 04/25/21 at 10:42PM UTC
Have you thought of looking for a general Business Analyst position instead of BSA? Most BA jobs don’t require technical skills. They may be more aligned with your skills. I’ve been in that field for many years and would not consider myself technical and am not a coder.
Hey Deborah! Thank you for taking the time to reply. I am definitely applying to BA positions as well. It has just been tough. A few times I have heard back from recruiters but most have said I don't have enough experience. I'm just not sure how to get more experience when I don't seem to have enough experience -_- Wish me luck, I will keep trying!
You could consider working with a staffing agency. That might give you the ability to get in the door with a company at a low level and increase your skills. That is how I started doing BA work.
If you don't mind getting yelled at frequently from customers on things that have nothing to do with you, it can be a good job. Call Center jobs all have metrics you must meet. Average talk time(AHT), some companies give you a few minutes after each call to complete follow up notes on accounts, some do not. Micromanaging at every one I have ever worked at. 2 breaks and a lunch with them watching you like a hawk if you should have to go to the bathroom not during break time. Very few companies pay their call center agents a decent wage. Customer surveys are expected to be perfect. If the company has a 5 star survey and the customer gives you anything less than a 4 or 5, doesn't matter if they rave in the notes how awesome you are, the same with 10 star surveys, anything less than a 9 or 10 is considered a fail. People are even more rude over the phone than in person. Call center agents, the majority deserve hazard pay. And alot of companies do not like to promote you out of call center environments. I am job hunting and because I have call center experience, lots of it, I keep getting recruiters contacting me with "awesome" positions that pay crap. Have you thought about taking some classes to pad your resume in more of the field you want? I am currently taking classes on Coursera and SkillSuccess to pad my resume with things NOT call center related lol Good luck on your pursuit.
Thank you for replying. You offered a lot of great insight into what the job will really be like. I will check out Coursera and SkillSuccess. I took some classes through "Skillcrush" (html/css/git, entry level tech stuff) - but this hasn't really helped me as far as I can tell. Good luck to you too!!
I worked in a call center as a representative for a health insurance company. I also worked as a coaching specialist and a trainer. There are a couple of things to consider. First, customers can be challenging. You mentioned you have customer service experience so you know some customers can be a handful. If you can handle difficult customers in person you can handle them on the phone. Second, there may be quality and/or quantity standards you have to meet. For example, the representative where I worked were expected to answer 8 calls per hour and handle the call with 98% accuracy. Finally, companies have matrices they have to achieve. Some companies are very aggressive when it comes to meeting them which means if you take too long in the restroom people may come looking for you. On a positive note, there is usually overtime available as well as bonuses. I hope this helps.
Juli, thank you so much and that is helpful. In your experience, has it been possible for call center employees to move on to other positions within the same company? Thank you again for replying!
Yes, it is possible. The positions are usually connected to the call center such as training, coaching, and quality. There are also supervisory positions.