This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
You’re not good enough
To my TL ( Team Leader = “supervisor”) that thinks that a coaching session is to rip ppl up. For all those that know what its like to work in a call center, its bad enough you get flack from the customers not happy with the service, but to have a TL sit
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If your team who is under this guy doesn’t become pro active, and right his wrong, your situation will only get worse at work, and who needs that. Get together with your colleagues, start keeping notes on different things he does, and when you have a case, take it to the powers that be, presumably HR, and address the situation. Your environment can be fun, but will never be with someone like him that is on a constant power trip. “Right the Wrong”.
Call centres are work hells to begin with. Team leaders are just a bunch of ego-inflated jackasses trying to pump up your production to increase profits. They want you to parrot all the right phrases to extract money from customers or potential customers. In fact, TL’s job depends on it. In other words, your feelings aren’t worth a bucket of rancid fish heads so either suck it up or find another line of work. I think I’d rather shovel sheep shit than work at a call centre.
I bet a million dollars its because you work @ MINACS! that place is shit. Everyone there is shit. get a new job. i did, and im much happier.
I worked for a very short while at two popular call centers in HRM over the last several years, and couldn’t tolerate the work itself on a daily basis, much less if a TL was coming down on me like that. It can be a fun environment, it can be a horrible environment, but who you have to deal with on a regular basis has a great impact on that, with any job or industry. I agree with Jasen though…get together with some co-workers, write down some notes, and go speak to HR, who will have to deal with the matter. It can be kept totally confidential at first if you want. Then further incidents that get reported by the group will peak management’s attention. Eventually the TL may just need a “talking to”…or if he/she’s a true asshole, will be looking for a new job. 😛
Your TL is treating you this way because you are letting him. If you take away his belief that this is acceptable then you will eliminate that type of behaviour.If you have been there less than 3 months don’t get HR involved like someone else suggested. Under 3 months they can turf you without an explanation and probably will because they have invested much more in the TL than they have in you. Contrary to popular belief HR departments are there to help the company. If the employee benefits in the process it’s a bonus.After 3 months it might not hurt to get HR involed. You might want to insist that a co-worker or HR worker sit in on the next coaching session. I’m sure your TL’s delivery would change. Even if you don’t personally benefit from this, it will go into your TL’s file. Remember, your TL is accountable to someone and your TL will be looking for a raise/promotion down the road … EVERYTHING COUNTS!And if things totally fall apart why don’t you just bail? There are plenty of jobs out there that aren’t call centre jobs. It does involve some hard work and pounding the pavement but it has to be better than coming home in tears … doesn’t it?
Im the author of this bitch, and to let you know all know that the situation was taken up with my MO, she is the TL’s boss, and she has dealt with the situation how she is suppose too. I will be getting a New TL on Monday.
k my grammer is super bad in this one…sorry guys.
Glad it got straightened out. Hope your old TL gets to scrub out the call centre’s toilets with a toothbrush.
Congrats Sarbis, hope it works out.
I know what you are going through. I have a boss with arseholian qualities too. He thinks he can belittle us all and it makes him feel like a big man. He’s not. He’s a BIG FUCKING ASSHOLE.