Call centers are arguably to hell that humanity has ever been. The moment you walk onto the “floor” – even if it is for the first time – you will notice its ungodly vibe; the distant, constant humming sound of agents’ chattering, the inexplicably cold atmosphere (both figuratively and literally), the small cubicles where some agents try to add a little spark of life by putting little toys and/or pictures of their loved ones, all to no avail. Here are 10 things you’ll learn working in an Egyptian call center.
You do Need Sleep
We jokingly say “sleep is for the week”, but this couldn’t be further from the truth; sleep, in fact, is for the human. And since we are all human beings working in call centers, we end up a dead-eyed hot mess due to the lack of sleep. The long working hours make it difficult to get proper sleep and have a social life. Call center agents need to sacrifice either their human contact, or their sleep.
You are not in the Army
If you come back from your break 30 seconds late; you will get reprimanded. Why that’s the case is beyond us. After all, the 911 doesn’t have call centers in Egypt and no one will die if their DVD player is fixed 30 seconds later.
You will be Forced to be Bilingual
When you spend at least eight hours speaking in another language, you are bound to start using it more frequently than your first. Your friends and family will start making fun of you, so get used to it.
You can’t Eat, Relax and Socialize in 30 Minutes
Have we mentioned that the one to one and a half hour break are divided so that they never exceed half an hour? Yes, you are asked to have a proper lunch – which you need if you’re spending over 12 hours at work – in half an hour. Good luck!
Phones will be the Bane of your Existence
You will hate talking on the phone. And you may or may not end up having nightmares when a phone is ringing and you don’t know how to get to it. Welcome to hell.
Lying is a Virtue
You will be required to lie more frequently than you normally do. You might lie about your location, about the customer’s problem and how it will be solved, and most importantly about how you feel. “I completely understand your frustration” is the biggest lie a call center agent ever tells.
You will be Forced to Make Friends
Even if you dislike everyone working with you, you will have to befriend someone. After all, you spend every waking hour with them.
Your Boss will Lie even more than You Do
You might be working for a corporate so huge, it has enough employees to populate a small country, but your boss will continue to try to tell you it has a “family spirit”. They will tell you that “ownership” is important, and your corporate’s image is part of yours. It’s hard to believe the corporate is your family when you are being overworked, underpaid and pushed to your limit.