I don't claim to be an expert, but I have worked in 9 call centers either as a Telecom professional or a call center/customer service agent. What's my beef with Call Centers? Why do the companies that contract with call centers pay more to train agents than to retain them? AT&T pays Teleperformance $15,000 A PIECE to train agents, but nominal or no fees to retain those agents. Do the math: Ten agents=$150,000. So what do you think Teleperformance is going to do with those agents? If your answer was "treat them like pond scum and throw them out faster than yesterday's trash" you win the $49.99 prize. Logically those companies paying so dearly for training would maybe do some overseeing, such as, I don't know, maybe analyzing the number of people being trained vs. the number of people who have actually stayed on the job for longer than 6 months. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when a company pays more to train employees than to retain employees, that call center is going to install a high-speed electronic revolving door on their building. Paying for training is simply a money maker, a "cash cow" if you will.
Because it's a money maker, getting rid of agents quickly is the main goal, so call centers have collectively devised childish and cruel methods of beating down agents' self-esteem and confidence while maintaining the pseudo-professional statistic-collecting mumbo-jumbo needed for management and HR to justify their positions. Pitting employees against each other is one more tactic of getting rid of employees - they'll rat each other out faster than you can say hostile work environment. A crummy job market is obviously an employer's dream, because they not only can pick and choose but they always have a fresh supply of warm bodies to fill positions and keep that cash flow going.
It sure makes me proud when I see all the corruption, depravity, hostility and ruthlessness that the combination of lousy employers and high unemployment fosters. All of this ties into my previous rantings about a common thread among companies and businesses who are more concerned with their bottom line than with people or quality or investing in the future. The "grab what you can" attitude is probably the main reason that humans will eventually destroy one another and of course the planet in the process. Yey for us!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Common Thread
I hate to use cliches and buzzwords, but looking at the "big picture" I find it so very interesting that so many companies seem to use the same business model over and over and over again. It didn't work the first time, so why not do it again (and again, and again)? And when that business or company stumbles, they go right back to the drawing board with the same old dog and pony show. Perfect examples are AIG, GM and Chrysler, as well as SPS and Citicorp, and all those other companies who also took stimulus money but are still playing the same old games (if they're still in business).
I was listening to a commercial this morning about Ram Trucks, talking about what a great "value" they are. Guess what GM and Chrysler? You've taken enough of my money over the years, you've lied to me, you've ripped me off, you've sold me automobiles that were barely better than driving a sardine can, and you now expect me to come crawling back and invest my money in your shitty-ass company with the same slimy, corrupt management and executives and shareholders only concerned with the bottom line and their own huge bonuses? With all due respect, please go fuck yourself.
SPS had a Vice President in charge of their I.T. Infrastructure who had the mental agility of a small soap dish and was fired ONLY because he had been assuring the other executives that backups sent off-site were being encrypted; however, when a technician who worked for the off-site backup storage company had his vehicle broken into, it was discovered that the backups were not encrypted as promised; consequently, a large number of accounts, and personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers, were compromised. Did SPS bother to find a replacement who was able to dress him or herself and didn't require a drool bucket to be taped to their head at all times? Oh Hell no. They replaced him with an equally arrogant and lackadaisical jackass because he had a degree and the ability to bullshit his way through just about anything.
Citigroup recently had their systems hacked (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43421143), and announced that the initial number they threw out about how many accounts were hacked when the news first broke was significantly lower than the number of accounts that were actually hacked. Oopsie! A hundred thousand here, a million there, it's so hard to keep track, especially, you know, with our current lack of technology. Honestly, the bottom line is that Citigroup has (1) very shitty I.T. people and (2) a boatload of excuses and news releases queued and ready for any situation, which means that instead of fixing the problem, they're more concerned with damage control and covering up. And like a bad penny, there are the same slimy, corrupt management and executives and shareholders who couldn't care less about this company doing the right thing; they're only concerned with the bottom line and their huge bonuses. These companies perpetuate ridiculous myths such as: only college-educated people can and should be in positions of authority, subordinates need to be micromanaged, and by God, do everything you can to keep your job even if that means intimidating and crushing the heads of anyone who gets in the way or who questions anything management or executives or the company does.
By all means, please do everything you can to run your company or business into the toilet - it makes socialism so much more attractive. But maybe that's just my paranoia talking.
I was listening to a commercial this morning about Ram Trucks, talking about what a great "value" they are. Guess what GM and Chrysler? You've taken enough of my money over the years, you've lied to me, you've ripped me off, you've sold me automobiles that were barely better than driving a sardine can, and you now expect me to come crawling back and invest my money in your shitty-ass company with the same slimy, corrupt management and executives and shareholders only concerned with the bottom line and their own huge bonuses? With all due respect, please go fuck yourself.
SPS had a Vice President in charge of their I.T. Infrastructure who had the mental agility of a small soap dish and was fired ONLY because he had been assuring the other executives that backups sent off-site were being encrypted; however, when a technician who worked for the off-site backup storage company had his vehicle broken into, it was discovered that the backups were not encrypted as promised; consequently, a large number of accounts, and personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers, were compromised. Did SPS bother to find a replacement who was able to dress him or herself and didn't require a drool bucket to be taped to their head at all times? Oh Hell no. They replaced him with an equally arrogant and lackadaisical jackass because he had a degree and the ability to bullshit his way through just about anything.
Citigroup recently had their systems hacked (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43421143), and announced that the initial number they threw out about how many accounts were hacked when the news first broke was significantly lower than the number of accounts that were actually hacked. Oopsie! A hundred thousand here, a million there, it's so hard to keep track, especially, you know, with our current lack of technology. Honestly, the bottom line is that Citigroup has (1) very shitty I.T. people and (2) a boatload of excuses and news releases queued and ready for any situation, which means that instead of fixing the problem, they're more concerned with damage control and covering up. And like a bad penny, there are the same slimy, corrupt management and executives and shareholders who couldn't care less about this company doing the right thing; they're only concerned with the bottom line and their huge bonuses. These companies perpetuate ridiculous myths such as: only college-educated people can and should be in positions of authority, subordinates need to be micromanaged, and by God, do everything you can to keep your job even if that means intimidating and crushing the heads of anyone who gets in the way or who questions anything management or executives or the company does.
By all means, please do everything you can to run your company or business into the toilet - it makes socialism so much more attractive. But maybe that's just my paranoia talking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)