Tagged !

Have you ever wanted something so bad in your life and worked so hard to get it only to be frustrated because no matter how much work you put into it, still nothing happens? Things doesn't always happen the way we want them nor the way we planned them to be, a fact that each of us must be willing and ready to accept. We can dream and set our goals, do our fair share of making them work and become real. But we can only do as much. There will be times when the rope must be pulled by someone else to reveal the finish product.

Working in a call center has taught me a lot of lessons with regards to being patient, hard work and persistence. I've always been fascinated by the blooming industry of Call Center and the media hype is making me wonder all the time on what its like to be an "agent"? So I decided to take the plunge and see the battlefield-- with my own eyes.

Well, why not? It pays good than a normal job here. I'm even earning twice the wage of my mom who's holding a supervisory position in a local health department. I have health insurance, life insurance, hazard pay and different kinds of performance bonus (thanks to those people who signed up with me,hehe!), gets to work in a nice, air conditioned, posh office cubicle that i made to look like HOME by bringing in family pictures to remind me that i still have a normal life after the 9 hours whirlwind working atmosphere. Mirrors to remind myself not to frown too much when its been 2 hours without a sale. Book, when I'm privileged and blessed enough not to have a call on my line for a good 15 minutes. Pillow to hug and play its edges, design and pattern while customer on the other line is yelling at me for a bad service that can be technical issues. Last but not the least, is my ever reliable blanket to wrap myself around when i feel cold, threatened by too much non sale calls, its something i can just pull over my head or cover the PC with whenever I feel a deep, long, broad explanation and undivided attention is being required of me to catch the sale i desperately need. You think its an easy job? Think twice! We will not be given much and compensated that much either if the load of the job is close to being a comfortable task to do. Remember a passage from the scriptures "to whom much is given, much is expected?" oh boy! everyday I can see that loud and clear.

But no work can be a dream one that's why we are being paid by doing it. It can be something we might not like to do if given the choice. So i just try to find something good about being a call center agent. Be thankful that i have a job to support me and my family. Find a way to enjoy every call and conversation by the person on the other line who sounded so much like George Clooney though half of the time he's just cursing me and giving me loads of "F" words to last me 8 jobs! Remind myself that I once called my internet provider just to let them know how much their service sucks! So a little bit of understanding and patience are also needed to survive this battle. Hard work to make your eyes and mind open by 1 a.m. (while most of the people are snoring the night away) and keep them open until your shift ends. Perseverance to hit your goals and target instead of your supervisor hitting you with insulting remarks to get that precious sale you both longing for and desire. And just when you thought you have that "golden sale" sitting on the palm of your hand after extracting payment informations will the customer's mobile phone went down...down and gone along with your dream sauna massage you're thinking of getting with your commission on that call. After painting the most beautiful picture of the product, talk to him for a couple of hours until you get the sweet "YES" only to find out that he left his credit card somewhere or the call will drop from some technical problems! You think its a bad day? Wait until you find out you need to render overtime because one of your team mate is absent just on the same day your child will be performing on a school program.

I don't like the job at all...but its not a job to me. Its a place where i get to meet my friends who enjoy complaining as much as I do, free flowing coffee until you break down, see how a person smile and talk while reading her payslip, new friends we meet everyday in those calls in the absence of a physical picture. Some are irate while others can be too sweet and nice enough for me to consider a passage in US.

Being a call center agent have its own pressures and stress along with any other kind of jobs. Here we eat and chew them but try not to digest it and let it inside. Its a fast-paced, fun and rewarding place to earn money. If you know how to play your cards. When you've learn to discern and accept what are the things or the calls that can be a sale or non sale will you know your limits. The product may be perfect, price reasonable and you are the company's Top Agent, but if the customer is not qualified nor willing to do his share for some unknown, unimaginable reasons...there's nothing else that you can do. Just like in life.

We dream, work hard for it, if its not meant to be then it will never be yours. Let go and keep moving. As a call center agent you need to learn when is the time to push to when is the time to really let go and just proceed to your next call, make the closing spiel and thank the customer. When all of your efforts fall short and everything else fails, just TAG it! "customer hang up, NO SALE!"