I’ve been a redditor for 8 years, and figured I’d give my opinion of working there on the appropriate subreddit, of course!
I worked for a place called….well…We’ll call them Datachoice. Think of two good words that come together that are smilies to the words data and choice.
This is my first post about the story on the CC subreddit
This is my second post about the story on the CC subreddit
This is more of a response to what I posted in this sub, or, my tale.
Let’s just start from the beginning:
I started working for datachoice last Wednesday for training. It was basic training: watching clock-and-go videos that lightly and animatedly addressed their issues. I really didn’t even see a script that day.
The next day, my dog ran away. I had to go find her, and one thing I appreciated was the fact that datachoice let me go for the day.
However, that meant rescheduling my training.
Here is my email regarding my SECOND training experience to HR:
My name is Puffpuffpolo, and today was what I am going to forever call my first “Inaugural” day working at home for datachoice. I am working from the ************ “server” location (you could call it)?
I started training OFFICIALLY last Wednesday. I had an African American lady as a trainer, and for the amount of time that we met I did the basic tasks that are assigned that day: paperwork and some online course training. This was a basic first day, nothing to complain about that has not been said to you a thousand times already.
The next day, unfortunately, I had a family emergency (yes, sigh, I consider my family my dog)and could not attend training, which forced me to take my training the next week. This is where the trouble began: I met my trainer. Upon arriving into the Google Meet conference there were no issues at all: in fact she was very kind and professional with how she first handled the training seminar. While in the group, I had the pleasure of making my acquaintance with another trainee, D. D has worked for Datachoice AND other call center companies before: and knew exactly what was going on for the entirety of the training seminar.
However, even she can verify the true ethical culprit of this complaint is my trainer.
At first, I was going to send this message and inform you that the way she was training us was the “Laissez Faire” approach by only telling us what online courses to take; helping us with one of the courses to ensure that we passed.
As odd as it sounds, It seemed as if understanding our job at Datachoice was what she did not intend to teach us while in fact training us to work at Datachoice. We did watch the required videos, listened to the required short irrotic call clips together and witnessed the required template being used (aka only read to us by someone else slide for slide). While in the Google Meet, we very (and i use this word broadly) seldom discussed the main point of our business: communicating with THE PEOPLE who call us. Each hour that passed these past few days I feared the underlying fate:
“What is going to happen when I speak to a real human being”
This is coming from someone who is accustomed to serving in an ultra-fast-paced restaurant, with additional working background following Forbes 5-star resort standards: I do not usually fear these things unless I know I am not well prepared. My evidence for this are the first calls I took when I entered the call system. You will hear me actively pass every single caller that was forwarded to me because I was frantic. Additional evidence of this is the phone call I took with Mrs.N, an employee on Slack that holds the title of “Learning Engagement Supervisor”, who was responding to other employee’s issues with their calls (I did learn in training that this was the way to figure out some problems, but was NOT given instruction on how to correctly insert my name OR, simply, use the app.) I also have messages with Mrs.N and Mr.A who both helped (N more so than A) me not only calm down and assess what was really going on at Datachoice, but practically trained me properly within 20 minutes, a task my trainer failed to do with (in her own words) EXTRA days to work with.
The ethical dilemma that I wanted to address was what was told to me by an employee that so happened to be on the Google Meet the moment I was booted from the meeting (which I had asked her to stay on the line for, I wanted quality assurance my first time around, another issue that I originally wanted to address to you before even more drastic news came to me that did bring up cause of concern). Once she omitted me from the meeting, she made remarks to D about me that no higher-standing employee should ever tell another training employee.
Apparently, the phrase “I can’t stand around and hold puff’s hand all day, he needs to learn on his own” was uttered. I find this kind of behavior among my superiors to be uppauling, especially having to endure seeing this person AGAIN only moments later inside of a randomly-made Google Meet meeting (which people started to FINALLY get what working at Datachoice is truly about)
There is a lot more to the story, and I can just as easily provide proof that my training did not go well due to an exposed judgemental superior training Datachoice employee from comparing my first calls taken to my last wave of work starting at 1:10 as well as messages that are on my Slack.
I hope we can at least discuss this matter professionally as soon as possible so that future employees may not have to endure the same process I went through: at least for my own sake going forward with Datachoice (which i do plan on doing)
Thank you,
Puffpuffpolo
Hereeeeeee Weeeeeeee GO:
In regards to why I left: well, I didn’t want someone who I reported to HR listening to my calls and judging me for my bonus. If you can get along with your coworkers in this work environment you CAN achieve success.
To take it a step further, I was making a couple of calls to Comcast about my cable bill and service (I’m moving in a few days). I used the line that I ordinarily used on their app…and received two different people, one of which transferred me to a ‘sales agent’. Their names were Mark and Hellen (sadly I do not remember the sales agents name).
I just decided to tell them my story: what the hell happened to me. They were shocked, but told them I would give them props on the xfinity app.
I feel as if some of the calls I made to cable company were that of people that are EXACTLY like me: ill-equipped ordinary people that have no true knowledge of the company: they’re just given a script, and you read it AS TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
If you do: Horray!
If not: expect to hear from it at some point.
Question: While working for a WAH CC, have you ever felt like you’re being watched? Do ya know how they required you to have a webcam to work for them? Sometimes a company will actively make you sit there in front of it, and you will be punished if you move.
Luckily for me and this job, I don’t think that occurred.
But know that shiny new computer they gave you? I guarantee you if you put it in front of someone who knows computers, it’d be scary to find the hardware that’s inside that the employee may be unaware of.
Again, I used my computer, and their software: which was mainly just one window on your computer that you can even detach and allow you access to your computer while using their software. I’ll give it to tech: they did a GREAT job on getting the software in front of their employees as quick and as user-friendly accessible as possible. I could log on anytime 24/7 365. I just didn’t know if they had access to everything else on my computer, or if they simply just sent me access to their server and they could see everything on my window.
HR:
Oh boy. Here we go. Let me explain post 2.
The initial call that I picked up I was asked to hold as the other 2 datchoice HR employees were added to the line by the companies Corporate HR Manager. I was joyful that I was on the call, but a little nervous and 100% going to loose and not get additional training.
What I didn’t know is that they’re about to tell me I cannot receive additional training REGARDLESS of the fact that an investigation was being taken place.
To make matters worse, even if the trainer was suspended, she would still come back and have to do her job: which includes:
- Helping out all employees whom she trained (I could really only have access to her as my official trainer in the end, that could not change)
- Helping out in the chat rooms answering questions (her and the other upper management were the ones who would help me….or not help me as fast as possible. If you were in upper management of a company, want to help an employee who is on the phones with a problem, who reported you (or your friend) to HR, possibly putting their job in jeopardy? IMO the answer is no, ESPECIALLY if that person is brand ‘spankin new. -Help rate people’s calls (Listening to employees calls ANOTHER PROBLEM I have with someone reported to HR), which determine bonuses for people (“Hey…that sounds like puffpuffpolo!” Just the fact that she recognizes my voice: due to the fact that she does WILL impact the score that I receive which IN THE END DETERMINES MY TOTAL PAY. She works at a call center, dealing with different voices every day: she knows what her trainees sound like.) -Be a superior (just…I think she’s a fantastic person, but IMO shouldn’t be a trainer for datchoice. But as a human I am well aware, nothing I can do about it)
Those were the opinions I have about what their department told me. In the end, I climbed to the top and was told there wasn’t much they could do.
I feel as if they think I left because of the training situation. No, I left because they told me even if they tried, she’d be put back on staff…and that’s not fair. I know there are lots of managers who do the same thing she does, but I don’t want to risk that with my family: even if she has a good heart.
It’s simply: unjustified
TL;DR: It’s TALES from call centers, not questions, comments, or concerns. Read it and ask me a question: Let’s talk about Call Centers!
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