I worked in a call center and it was soul-wrenching. Those of us who have gotten out refer to our days there as 'in the trenches.' We have the same shared trauma experience.
The first 9 months were OK--great training and several weeks of support from more tenured reps-- but there is only so much of the exact same motions, words, and phone calls that one can take. It's a constant barrage of insults and seeing the worst in people (the customers) Instead of understanding how hard it is to be on the Front Lines, upper management just makes it harder. For example, you are only allowed to use the bathroom during very specific allotments of time during the day. Same with lunch. If you have to sign off the phones when it's not your scheduled break then your adherence is docked. While this may be a common practice among call centers, VZW takes it very far. When I was pregnant with my son I had to complete FMLA paperwork with my OB indicating that it was a necessary workplace arrangement to allow me to use the bathroom at will. I'm completely serious.
Another Con to working there is that there is a firm ceiling in regards to employee growth. There are some reps who have been on the phones for 10+years and there is no hope for them to be promoted or to even just do something different. If you want to try to move to another department then you lose your seniority--which controls what kind of schedule you have. It seemed to me that those in management and/or Training were there from the beginning and were not planning to move on. Why would they? They don't have to deal with customers, they can use the bathroom whenever they want, they get paid more than CSR reps, AND they get those amazing benefits.
Corporate Propaganda:
The higher-ups in the company will occasionally come visit the call centers and host 'kick-offs' where we are all so excited to get some time off the phones. There is loud music, catchy videos, and even t-shirt guns! They give a very high/vague overview of upcoming plans and products. But if you try to meet with them, or ask any type of serious question you are immediately shut down. Even the managers cannot break though to them.
At some point you have to either become a robot, or you have to leave.
