Being a call center rep yet I don't like people

Page 1 of 1 [ 4 posts ] 

Yakuzamonroe
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 26 Aug 2017
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 292
Location: Edmonton

30 Aug 2017, 8:46 pm

So, right off the bat, I'm not a social guy. It would be a safe bet to say I don't like people. I avoid contact with people as much as possible, in fact. I HATE having to deal with people if I can help it. BUT I know I can't really be choosy about the jobs I get right after college. So, I took the first job I couldn't that was absolutely abysmal. That ended up being a call center position at a non-profit organization.

There were many and tasks and functions associated with this position. It required somebody to help write a training manual, prepare a script, help develop a system to monitor calls and train new agents. As the selected candidate for these tasks, I finished the manual, developed a tracking excel sheet for call monitoring, prepared an ... adequate script to follow and helped train two new associates. That was the fun, part of the job.

Then came the call taking.

And this gets me rundown more than anything else. I have to start and listen to small talk, direct calls and listen to complaints. I can do that all well and good for about 3 hours or so. After than I start getting queasy. There soon after I feel physically ill. I needed to take some OTC stuff just to settle my stomach down.

Now, again, I know I can't be picky about the kind of job I get just after college. What can I do to help here? Should I grit my teeth and bear until I can find something better? Anyone else in this situation or has been?



BTDT
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,123

30 Aug 2017, 9:13 pm

If possible, take a break before you start to feel terrible. This is just a job.



DinoMongoosePenguin
Pileated woodpecker
Pileated woodpecker

Joined: 21 Aug 2015
Gender: Male
Posts: 176
Location: The NSA Knows

07 Sep 2017, 6:14 pm

I tried it but sadly, the company we served, not the one that hired me, but the one that they do the calls for, only allowed 5 days for training and I wasn't quite ready to do the calls (I could do all the other stuff great, perhaps even exceptionally) but since I was still nervous on the calls after the end of the fifth day, they were forced to let me go. (They didn't want to, but their hands were tied.) However, they did offer me a possible job (I think I'm likely to get it as I was already recommended directly to the head of that new department by the head supervisor of the whole place) for a job that doesn't start till late October or early November that involves online chat and things like that. It's also possibly less demanding. So I'm waiting on that right now.

Perhaps you could aim for something like that if the interacting with people part is too difficult. It would be similar except it would be online help and IM style chatting.



Darkrose50
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jul 2015
Age: 49
Posts: 58
Location: Chicago

08 Sep 2017, 1:11 pm

I do call center jobs myself. Currently I am an insurance agent. I am liking it.