* Now
* Archives
* Disclaimer
* Bio
* Cast
* AIM
*
Guestbook
* E-mail
* Notes
* Survey
* Profile
* Reviews
* Quizzes
* Rings
* Reads
* Fanclub
* Clix Me!
All Content and Code �2000-2006 by Red
Hosted by DiaryLand.
Two Weeks as a Telemarketer
25 September 2004 @ 12:53 a.m.
How much a girl can learn in two weeks about herself? Well, hire her on as a telemarketer and watch.
My two weeks as a telemarketer� oh what an experience.
Of all the advertisements for work that I responded to, only one contacted me back. A company with a slightly misleading ad called me saying to come in for an interview. I show up to a somewhat small office building to a lobby with about twenty other people. We fill out our applications in silence, then one by one they all head back outside for a quick smoke. I found this to be odd considering it was a job interview � who takes a smoke break right before a job interview?
Two large boisterous men come out and conduct a group interview first, then individual. Say they�ll call back within 24 hours of whether or not you�re hired.
My call comes four hours later. They want me. Since I have no other possible income, I agree. Start in two days. Fine. A crap job that will pay me to train. It�s night work so I can still search for other work during the daytime.
Show up for the training and there are thirteen others with me in a variety of ages. I�m obviously over dressed in a nice blouse, slacks, and plain pumps with the hair pulled back. Everyone else there, including the regular workers, look as though they are out shopping at Sears on a Saturday afternoon. Fine, whatever. �Bob� introduces himself as he is the company�s trainer. He shuffles us into the break room where there is barely enough room for all 15 of us to sit and only half are able to see �Bob�s� face as he speaks. He�s a short guy in his early 30�s with pressed linen pants, fake alligator shoes, and starched polo shirt. His hair hasn�t moved since the �90s and he�s got this whiny voice with an indistinguishable accent. The man jumps right past an orientation to the company into the sales pitches/scripts we are to read. No introductions are done � in fact he seems to be against learning who we are or us learning who he is. I was there for two weeks and he never told me his last name even after asking several times. Sketchy? Oh yes.
After an hour of �training�, Bob tells everyone to head out to the floor of the call center. We�re given headsets and sent to the last row of stations. Then the entire floor is breaked � and every single person in the entire place gets up, walks outside, and lights up a cigarette. Over thirty people working in one office and everyone smokes. I was appalled and honestly felt a bit left out. That was until I took a moment to meet some of the co-workers� and I discovered a few things that I think I�ll keep to myself. Needless to say, it was the first time I�d been in a situation that I honestly couldn�t find anything in common with those around me.
Anyway, after the ten minute break, everyone heads back into the large room and straps their headsets back on. �Bob� shows us the computer system, though I wind up showing the folks near me how to log in to the simple Windows-based dialer. There was a lot of just sitting around at first as he tried to show the system. Again, no orientation to the company, the staff, etc. Then he just throws us on the phone with live calls. No role-playing, no question and answer, nothing. Just cold calls at 8pm to families with landlines.
Two days later, I�m put on my full-time shift though �Bob� had basically ignored me since the first day. I�m untrained with a phone and a quota to meet making my $10/hour. I�m still the only non-smoker and non-candy eater (I swear, these people shove sweets into their mouths for six hours straight every day of the week) and have only had a real conversation with one of the other callers.
After six days, I�m still there and hating every minute of it. I started thinking about ways that I could find another job quickly to get out of this one. Chewba and I talked things over and he started mentioning how he could support me for a while if the mental anguish was too much.
Honestly, I�d never been so miserable at a workplace. There were no good points to the day, unlike other jobs I�ve had where I wasn�t truly happy but there were enough high times to keep me going. So like I said, Chewba and I talked it over, we agreed that I would look for something else quickly and plan on leaving the job after two weeks. That would be enough pay to cover the rent for October here in the new place.
I started to slack at work even more, though was still pulling in my quota (don�t know how that was happening honestly). Discovered easy, nice ways to avoid all telemarketing calls. It�s simple and not rude to any party involved � simply say that you�ve received another call about the same charity/business/whatever the other night and you�d turned them down (your account may be deleted as a duplicate) or thank the telemarketer for their time but ask nicely to be removed from their company�s database (as US laws now state that they must delete it within 72 hours or something like that after a request). Simple enough. So see, I learned something there.
Anyway, I did get another job to replace the crap job. I was hired on by a non-profit here in the cities that focuses on empowering women and girls as a part-time worker. It suits me SOOOOOO much better, so Wednesday night I quit the crap job. An amazing weight lifted off me that night � my mood immediately improved. Then tonight I worked my first shift at the new job. What a change! I was happy the entire time. I was appreciated by the other staff. The building supervisor noticed a new staff member and came and introduced himself and immediately learned my name and always referred to me by it (this isn�t a small facility � many staff both full and part time).
The entire experience has once again improved my thoughts on how a supervisor/trainer/manager should act and react towards their staff. It�s also reinforced my ideal that money isn�t everything, you have to be happy where you work. While the crap job paid very well, I was miserable � didn�t even make the two weeks that Chewba and I had discussed together. But he�s been supportive the whole time of me changing jobs frequently and somewhat randomly. Well that and he still wants to help out with my bills � silly boy has decided that he wants to start supporting me (a thought that I don�t think I�ll let happen).
But I�ve written enough for one night. It�s late, I�m tired, and I have so much more to say about the past two weeks. Just let�s me know that I really do need to write more often again � to fill you in as well as allow me to document my life.
currently listening: Indigo Girls � Closer to Fine
currently reading: Trading Up by Candace Bushnell
