Pros
There is a great atmosphere between colleagues and even managers. For me, the best and worst part of my job was the callers. Each call is a surprise which can either be that call you will forever remember or can leave you wishing you could drink during work. I began as a seasonal representative where I was able to choose my own hours each week. While a horrible position to be in at September, by November there were more hours than you could choose from. Definitely it was easy to make great money, especially with the night shift differential bonus. It was a great job for experience. I met some wonderful people and learned quite a bit from
Cons
Call handling times!!!! Good lord, you want us to connect with a customer, make sure they are completely satisfied and oh throw in some ridiculous compliment about the item they were ordering, all within 90 seconds?? I understand they want efficient reps to keep the lines moving. On the other hand you have to remember most of the women calling tend to lean toward elderly and on top of that a good deal of these women buy ALL their clothes over the phone. So being able to detail the inseam, the flare, the bust size and material of the item so they are more informed over the item they might be purchasing is time consuming. The call reps are put into the stressful position of being personal shopper/best friend. Therefore having a supervisor stand over your cubical telling you to wrap it up is offensive. 2 more minutes spent making the customer happy is more important then having a perfect handling time at the end of the month. Add in the fact that you will randomly be monitored and then coached on your call is unsettling. I understand if the rep was rude or unprofessional but when you are going to tsk at the fact they didn't compliment the color of those shoes, it becomes obnoxious. Fake flattery is quite clear to these callers. Simply saying "I hope you enjoy your new shoes" if much more sincere than saying "What a fabulous color those shoes are!". Compliment the caller, not insult. Oh the the stories I have of dirty, vulgar things said by prank men will keep me laughing for years. Also, the point system used for punctuality/attendance is archaic. Your 15 minute break is a joke when you have to spend that amount of time to walk anywhere. You honestly have enough time to make it to the bathroom and back. Same thing for 30 minute lunches, and seeing as how you cannot each at your desk you have to walk to the cafeteria. The whole thing became a pain. There is no where to move up in the company. You will quickly find out the person sitting next to you has been in her same position for 10 years with no pay increase or promotion. You are hired into your position and you stay there. Also, the divide between customer service and the call center reps is petty.