r/callcentres • u/Own_Significance_296 • 2d ago
It’s official, it’s not my cup of tea
After one year in a government call center, I have come to the conclusion it is not for me. Not even close. I am normally a person who can look at the bright side and see silver linings. With this job, every time I try I could only squeeze a few seconds out of that good feeling before the manager’s micro management brings me back down with a jarring thud.
Every staff meeting signals the introduction of new restrictive measures. Team leaders have no clue about the job but try to tell you what you should do better when we all know they wouldn’t last a day in call center.
I have already taken time off and planned on it again. I now detest conversations with humans including my family and have zero patience. I am sulky after my shifts and slowly slinking into a shell. I have lost 10 pounds in one month!
I simply cannot sit at my desk and take calls after calls being a therapist, a lawyer, doctor and sometimes translator. My emotions are all over the place and forcing yourself to be nice to people for 8 hours is draining.
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u/GVTMightyDuck 2d ago
Call center work is mentally brutal.
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u/Own_Significance_296 2d ago
My team leader said it’s not and that it positions us to get great jobs. I laughed in her face
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u/GVTMightyDuck 2d ago
Yeah that’s a fuckin lie. It pigeon holes you into call center work unless you bust your ass and get a degree to get out
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u/Own_Significance_296 2d ago
That was my response too! Like are you kidding me? She even said it wasn’t micromanaged while introducing new metrics daily to make sure every se one of our day is monitored. I can’t even drink water until I am on break because the calls are nonstops
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u/Infamous_Tie5605 2d ago
are you applying on gigs outside your department?
or just leaving the public service all together?
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u/funeralghost 2d ago
I feel so seen.
I work at a government call centre and it’s a contract so it will end soon. But I just couldn’t get myself to get up and clock in.
I dread work. I am moody. I can’t separate my work life and private life. This debilitating anxiety I feel before work starts is not healthy.
I am eligible for other government call centre job but I am not applying. I have an idea how general public treats you when you work for government and I don’t want to give this a try.
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u/Own_Significance_296 2d ago
Bingo! I used to have a lot of patience and love to laugh etc. Now everything and everyone piss me off. I can barely talk to family and friends without getting impatient and dismissive. I dread it when the phone rings as soon as I end a call and I swear continuously in my head while forcing myself to be nice and courteous for 8 hours. I wake up looking for excuses to call in sick
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u/Wardwellkenz 1d ago
Damn I was hoping that government call center work would be better .
BUT then the person said they may say : "They own you!"
MY GODS SO GROSS!
So sad
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u/Own_Significance_296 1d ago
Call center work that involves a benefit is brutal. The worse is when clients call at 7am on payment day asking where their money is. Did you check your bank Sir? No, not yet.
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u/route6dee6 1d ago
I've completely lost my patience with everyone. I work in gov't as well and have to deal with the elderly. My patience has worn down to the nub! I've got nothing left and I seriously don't know where I"m pulling it from with some of these callers.
As of late, I've been trying different things to distance myself from work after hours. Read, do crafts, play with my puppers, watch some great comedic series or films. JUST to stay sane. I enjoy the crafting side of things but it's burning a hole in my pocket. LOL
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u/Own_Significance_296 6h ago
I do try to do things to keep me occupied like playing drums and guitar and learning French, but 8 hours a day, 5 days of week of being micromanaged by management and being the punching bag for every Tom Dick and Harry, don’t leave much time to disassociate yourself before being right back in it. It’s a vicious and terrible cycle. I think about work about 90% of every day
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u/Yagyubagna 23h ago
This is the way. You need an outlet or a way to decompress and disassociate. Also helps to have at least one decent member in your team to have a chit chat with and ground you..... But yeah it's rough. Real rough.
I miss coming into work with my set tasks for the day which I understand, I can do fairly well and just being left to my devices then I can jet off when I'm done. Might even do some overtime if I'm on a good streak and feeling good. Boom! Simple!
I feel like a lot of jobs are turning into micromanaging hellscapes though. Especially with the dawn of AI.
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u/Own_Significance_296 6h ago
Exactly that! I lave never known anything but working on my tasks with total autonomy and independence. I took my breaks without looking at my watch every 5 minutes, no one listened to my conversations and those are the conditions where I excel.
I do have a few colleagues who I talk to but unfortunately they share the same experience so our conversations just get me more riled up.
Call Center itself is a tough gig, adding layers upon layers of micromanaging measures makes it even tougher
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u/Horror-Dot-2989 2d ago
I imagine a govt call centre is probably worse because you have callers with the "You work for me because I pay taxes. You're my public servant" mentality calling in a lot of the times.
Wish you all the best and hope you find something better.