Why so little? Call Center Life

Often I am embarrassed to claim I work for a call center for the ff reasons;

1.People think I speak really good English - assume I have tons of money
2.People ask why - As if I sold my soul to the devil
3.Worse some elitist wannabes would respond with that look - u know the kind - As if their jobs help restore the Ozone layer - The better than thou look.

I often hear people say that being a call center agent is 'nakakabobo', well believe you me, having taken part in recruiting for my used to be Big Co, I may just have seen it all - So why have been people from all walks of life weather this endeavor?

-Provincial - Travelling from the not too far Laguna's and Bulacan's to the are you kidding me Pangasinan's and headed off home the same day.
-The Experienced - Twang dipped so called tenured agents from other Call Centers
-The Richly Educated - Doctors, Lawyers from different schools and backgrounds.
-Quinquagenarians - Those who remind us of our parents that you feel sorry for when you know you have to give out you 'We will call you + Don't call us' spiel.
-Fresh off the kitchen - Wide eyed innocence, flawed grammar.
-Couples - Romantic, Buddies - Referrals
-Groups - Graduates of the misunderstood call center training courses.
-Come back Divas - Those whom sought for Greener Pastures only to find themselves caught in a marketing haze.

It's all about the money - save those precious Freshies off the Kitchen' I'm really here for the experience, Be part of the boom!'
And with the dire need for manpower - Almost every Company is willing to hire just about anyone with a pulse - So we find either them lost in this sea of Metrics and Culture and Schedule - or us in confusion - We're being outnumbered by the fad.
And for those who can't take the heat - You find - multiple reasons for their attrition and only 1 reason from the company - Non Performance.


Embittered they leave, and not without a fight of words, swords and serious legal disputes. Swearing among all their friends how pathetic, easy or some minorly thought of reason for leaving - it was and how it is 'nakakabobo'

The only way to succeed is to get better at it. I have seen reps remain idle for 5 years whereas, some would rise up to team handling posts in a matter of months after getting hired.

I know of this friend whom I dearly love, for 5 years hadn't a movement, and this other one who in a span of 10 months got promoted 3 times, the last being an appointment for handling her own team.

The difference? Paris (Idle Beauty) didn't aspire to be better -perhaps content with her position and disposition while
Nicole (Sandara Park-like Career) had gazillions of books about self improvement and even asked for my assistance before her TL assessment..

More evident than in any industry - Performance speaks loudest here, knowing the right people maybe, but tell me an industry where a little bit a pseudo Nepotism did not exist? Not that I support it - it would be fallacious to claim it is not happening.

So why so little?

I remember an episode of Friends - the one with stripper I think - Joeys the best man and he lost Ross' ring and immediately putting the blame on the stripper - During confrontation stripper says something like 'I make 1800/week, do any of you earn that?' Turns out Joey's goose had a taste for the fancy and shiny.

We don't go chasing after a stripper career after finding that out - But as the economy continues to betray our wild hopes of success - We just might think about it, Maybe.

I'm not saying we are the new whores of this town, but just clearing one point.
We did not steal your diamond rings, so don't gimme that look.