Working
at a call center is not for the faint-hearted. I found that out firsthand
during my time there. If you know someone who has been working at a call center
for more than a year, give them a hearty congratulations from me.
Call
centers may differ in structure and operations, but one thing remains constant:
the experience can be gruelling. I believe call centers could be much better if
only one thing changed—the Average Handling Time (AHT). I remember working with
only three minutes per call.
For those
unfamiliar with call centers, they are essentially large rooms filled with
computers and headsets, where agents receive calls from various organizations,
such as hypermarkets, hospitals, and schools. These calls range from inquiries
to complaints, though, let’s be honest, complaints were the most common.
One of
the most unsettling aspects of the job was the automated call system. Calls
would come through without warning—one moment, you’d be in silence, and the
next, a customer would be speaking directly into your headset. There was no
time to prepare, no chance to catch a breath.
Moreover,
every single detail from a call had to be documented, no matter how absurd.
Once, a caller requested that I send a short video of myself wishing their
partner a happy birthday. Some requests were so bizarre that I can’t even write
them here. Thankfully, all calls were recorded, and supervisors would
occasionally listen in, often commending me for my patience and asking for tips
on how to maintain such composure.
Patience
and empathy were essential for survival. By the time my tenure ended, I had
become the calmest person in any situation. I had also gained confidence and
mastered the art of multitasking. Picture this: a customer calls to demand a
refund, which takes 24 hours to process. Despite informing them of the
timeline, they refuse to end the call until the refund is completed. And since
the call was toll-free, they could theoretically stay on the line indefinitely,
as long as their phone had battery life.
One of
the strictest rules was that agents were not allowed to end calls—only the
caller could do that once satisfied. Now, imagine juggling over ten such calls
a day, each demanding more patience than the last, all while racing against the
ticking clock of AHT.
When my
friends ask me to describe my time at the call center, I tell them it was an
opportunity to learn. Some of the most valuable skills I use in life
today—patience, problem-solving, and communication—stem from that experience.
And if
there’s one achievement, I’m particularly proud of, it’s this: by the time I
left, I held the record for answering the most calls in a single day—186. Yes,
186 calls. Impressive, right?