It should be noted that it's pretty silly to take a call center job and complain about taking calls; that the LEAST of my issues. It’s the TYPE of calls you get and at times what you’re forced to do. Also DirecTV is RV’s bread and butter. All the other companies are just vessels to push you to sell it even more. As a result you get paid more for selling it than the products your business actually sells i.e. internet.
Calls: DirecTV over everything short of them flat out saying “if you mention anything about TV I'm going to hang up the phone!” you better be trying to sell DTV on your calls. You have to perform a credit check on your caller before you can even tell them how much whatever it is costs. And the pricing on the marketing websites is only for bundling the services so you’ll likely be telling them a more expensive cost than they intended to pay. If they qualify with no money down you have to sell them, keep pressing until they hang up on you. If they have a deposit you’re supposed to tell them to basically beg, borrow or steal to get a card on file. It plays with your ethics but the logic management uses is; the customer was going to call anyway so if you don’t sell them someone else would’ve. If the call is unserviceable for internet you’re again expected to sell TV anyway.
“The more calls you take the more opportunities you have to sell”
Let's play this out without even looking into pay out per product
Jane and Joe both sell 15 products – Jane took 20 calls, Joe took 35 calls. Janes conversion is 75%, Joes is 42.85% both had good days. But Janes was way better. This means her calls into credit; dollars per call and dollar per day are much higher than Joes resulting in her having better metrics to have a better multiplier. Joe would’ve needed 26 products to have a conversion like Janes.
Management: The Performance Coaches don't really help on your calls because they haven't taken calls in forever and always in meetings. I'll say some do take the job seriously and want to see you succeed but it feels like there's a lack of understanding. Sometimes it'd be nice to feel you're actually being heard instead of just given a blanket response. Floor leads understand more because they take calls as well. The Senior PC are completely out of touch. You can't go to them for advice on anything related to taking calls.
System issues: They’re a regular thing, you can’t make sales during them but you’re expected to continue to take calls. You have to submit tickets about the issues and IF enough people submit them and the issues lasts long enough they MIGHT remove those calls from your metrics.
Unproductive time: You're expected to keep your unproductive time under 7%. In an 8 hour shift has you get your standard 30 min break and 1 hour lunch. If we’re busy they’ll cut your lunch or take it all together.
Compliance: There a lot of rules as to what you can and cannot say on your calls. This would be fine IF everyone was held to same standard. The people in charge of listening to your calls kind of pick and choose when they want you to follow the rules. For example; you could be saying something on your calls every day since your first call but suddenly months later you’re given “points” for it. And too many points results in not having a job.
Optimization: The better your sales, the faster you get calls and the better calls you get.
Commission: Its capped. There are certain metrics you have to meet in order to get a multiplier. Without a multiplier all the products you sell you actually don’t get paid out for. The metrics required to get a multiplier are sometimes unrealistic because of the quality of calls. you have a rolling 28 day look back (rolling meaning the 28th day back falls off every day you add a new day of sales) that determines your multiplier as well. Off days/time off affect this.
Comp plans: Change every month. And sometimes in the middle of the month as well if everyone is selling too well and the business you’re on will end up over budget. Your payout per product will vary. On the first of every month your 28 day look back in converted over to what that months comp plan metrics. This, more often than not, brings your multiplier down.
Attendance policy: You can accrue 20 points total before being fired for attendance. For each hour you’re late or leave early you get 1 point. PLUS a point simply for getting points. You're given 2 personal allowances Each one can cover an entire shift or up to 5 sick days with a doctor’s note (it automatically pulls from your PTO so you’re still payed for those hours you didn’t work). Over 5 points makes you ineligible for promotions, 10 points for 3 months in a row and you’re fired as well.
Turnover is incredibly high. There is no job security. Nothing changes because they can just hire another you.
