Skill vs. Will

One of the hidden metrics in a call center is the skill and will. However, sometimes, it is referred to as category of an agent. There are actually four of these:

• High skill with High Will
• High Skill with Low Will
• Low Skill with High Will
• Low Skill with Low Skill

High Skill with High Will

In a technical support environment, you are forced to learn all the jargons most of all if you are not really tech savvy. As a result of this. some can easily follow because it is really their field of expertise and others cant. Because surprisingly, there are a lot of call center agents who became agents eventhough their skill does not match / suit what they are trying to support.

And when an agent who has a high will and still continues to improve his/her capabilities by adapting the new information that aught to him, they are now categorized as the first category: high skill agents with high will

These agents are the most likely to stay around for long in a call center industry

Lateral Transfer

You can’t say that a lateral transfer is a promotion. Why?

- Different post but same salary

- Additional workload but same salary

- Maybe a new center site, same post and still the same salary

- They will set your expectation that there will a salary increase but on a week before your much awaited day, they will say that there won’t be

- New learning experience but same salary

- A lot of wisdom words for you not to be demotivated but same salary

- Additional set of gimmicks [a.k.a expenses] but same salary

- Additional developmental trainings but same salary

- Longer hours of devoted working but still same salary

Salary Talk 1

To all the people who are just new in the call center industry!

You need to be reminded that not all job promotions would mean salary increase. Take my experience for example [well, it's just not me but a lot of us actually in our company]

The word is “lateral transfer” — related to being parallel. Same length, same width but different location of lines.

That’s us!

We got a new job in the company. Same company, same employment, different post but no salary increase. To take it bluntly, it’ just like they’ve transferred you to a different post and you should say to the management “thank you”.

But I find it hard to say “thank you”. That’s money we are talking about!

Before The Restday

Before the rest day is the day that we are so alive. Why not?!? When I was still an agent, that is the last day for me to be taking irate calls, minding other’s problem which does not really concerns me, and most of all a good day of sleep afterwards.

In call center, no matter what your plans to spend your rest day, sleeping will still be your number one choice. I think we all love it because that is the time we are not getting irate ourselves, the time our ears will be rested for shouting customers and the day that our mind will stop thinking on how we can solve all of our customer’s issue.

It’s all about just being with yourself. Or with your friends not talking about your work, just sharing a good laugh or indulging in a good / hearty conversation over Starbucks frappucino with cheesecake on the side.

Here is what usually goes in my mind before my rest days [which is by the way is a 3- day rest days]. This is not in a chronological order:

- sleep

- watch a movie in a mall

- eat out with my friends

- blast up my portable dvd’s by watching some reruns

- watching my favorite shows [like AI, House, etc ...]

- update my blog

- join my friends online in our favorite forum site

- a date with my bf

- update my friendster and facebook account

- spending my time with my biological family including my nieces

- listening to some nice tunes over the radio

- downloading songs and movies

- SLEEP again !!!

Recession: More To Come

I just came from a 4 days rest and as soon as I opened my emails, there I have seen it — a new batch of employees that was kicked out from our company. What is really so surprising is the fact that these persons are the “performers” [welll-except for one i hate her!) but they were still kicked out.

So, now, everyone is asking — what is really the reason behind the company’s decision to terminate an employee? Because we can’t see any pattern on these employees why they should be released. They don’t have an reliability issue or no any serious issue that was done to the company, etc …

And from what I’ve heard — there will be another wave of employees that will be ditched!!

Ohhhh recession !!!!

Salary Raise We Never Had

When you are promoted to a new position, you are always expecting to get a higher salary. And that’s what I thought. When I got promoted to my new post, I am already excited because there will be some additional money every second week of the month. But it did not happen.

So, I just thought again, look at the brighter sides. You are learning so many new things and you get to land a very exciting job!

After almost 9 months, the performance review happened and so we thought this is it! At last!! However, after a week of waiting for it — the tragic news came!! We won’t be having our much awaited salary increase!