I apologize in advance for the length and "depth" of this post, but my intention is to assist job-seekers in their decision-making process. I will therefore provide as much information as possible, but I refer you to the many other fine reviews of USAA on this site that will tell you essentially the same things as I am about to:
Avoid this "Association" if you have any other opportunities. If you don't, take the job, but remember, you were warned by me and about 100 others. . . .
1) Make no mistake, (despite what you will be told when offered a position) this is an EXTREMELY sales-focused call-center job, like any other, worse than most, and here are some of the many reasons why:
Your "performance metrics" are NOT adjusted to account for any "downtime" like IT issues, meeting overages, required or unexpected after-call work, etc. At other call centers, managers will proactively "back out" such factors from your stats, to protect your numbers and performance metrics - not at USAA. This will result in your being "coached" for factors entirely beyond your control. (See the many other fine reviews regarding the weekly "coaching" sessions you will endure).
2) No commission or individual performance-based bonus.
Despite the meager salary and mediocre benefits (remember to only count the "benefits" you actually use and receive, not those that are merely "available"). There is an annual "discretionary" bonus that "may" be paid to ALL employees, at the same rate as any other employee. What does this mean? Quite simply, you could "sell" three times as many "referrals" as the gal in the cube next to you, but you will both "bonus" exactly the same.
3) The broken and dysfunctional compensation model.
As in point (2) above, the extremely heavy focus on "cross-selling" and "deepening" of "member relationships" means that any high-speed, top-performers will quickly learn that there is zero incentive to be so, especially since those who perform just barely over the "peer average" will earn just as much as they do.
This hurts the members and the mission, because skilled representatives will quickly leave to pursue better opportunities, while low speed/low skilled drones will stay until they are fired for incompetence and performance issues.
This broken compensation model is leading to a "culture of mediocrity," whereby the high-speed producers quickly quit and move on, and the low-speed non-producers are eventually fired, which leaves only those monosyllabic, monotone drones in the middle, soullessly reading from their tired scripts about "understanding your needs better," as their rears grow wider and their dreams wax dimmer.
I actually sat in a team meeting with a manager who replayed what she said was an "exceeds expectations" call to us, where a member had called in about their auto insurance policy. (See other reviews regarding this performance metric).
The representative who took the call did not even mention the coverage limits of the policy, which borders on an "omissions" infraction for a licensed agent, yet because the rep got a "referral" on the call, it was an "EE" call, or exceeds expectations?
Our whole team sat and listened incredulously to the rep, who was clearly only focused on the ever-elusive "referral," as he did an abysmal job of actually doing the work of an insurance agent who was concerned with "protecting the member's security."
After the meeting, a teammate told me "there wasn't one of us in that room, besides the manager, who believed that was an EE call."
4) Mid-game rule changes regarding promotion, salary increases, and advancement.
One example of this:
Listening to a manager and a director tell your team, with straight faces nonetheless. . ."Good news everyone!" (*Professor Farnsworth voice*)
"Promotions and salary increases will no longer be based on training/skills completed, but strictly on six months of exceptional performance once you have acquired those skills!"
"Yaaaaaay!"
"So Mr. Director, you mean that instead of us getting a raise and promotion NOW, after completing our level 2 certifications and training (as the expectation was set for us as new employees, months ago) we get to wait another six months and "possibly" get the promotion/raise?" (In fairness, we were told, and this is a direct quote) "it could be as early as three months, if the stars align for you!"
"So you mean, Ms. Manager, that employees who are hired today have exactly the same potential to get raises and promotions as those of us hired over six months ago?"
"Yaaaaaay!"
Forgive the sarcasm and lack of seriousness, but I am making a very strong point to you. This is exactly the kind of Orwellian thinking propounded by management at USAA. Something that is clearly and obviously a major setback for you, the front-line employee, will be presented as a "positive," somehow. It may indeed be a positive for "brand-new" employees, but it certainly was not for us.
Mr. Director, just because it is brown, and you serve it to us in a bowl. . . does not make it taste like chocolate ice cream.
5) The broken and dysfunctional "mission statement."
See (3) above. The focus on obtaining "referrals" to the exclusion of all else has led to the loss of focus on the mission. Ask the members if they think their "financial security" was protected as they were "referred" for a checking account, while absolutely no mention was made of increasing the limits of their "minimum liability" insurance policy. Ask them "after" the occurrence that leaves them "exposed" for 50k in liability, whether or not they would have rather had "the conversation" about their liability exposure, or the free checking account?
