Would call centre work be suitable for a deaf Aspie?

[Mr Allen]

Topic.

I attended a "Job Fair" at Sheffield Town Hall yesterday, and most of the jobs available were for some of the City's big call centres such as Voice.

I did enquire about working there part time but they said they only have full time positions available at this time.

So anyway, if I could get a call centre position for around 10-12 hours a week, would it be suitable? I do have a strong Yorkshire accent which could be a good thing, as I gather that according to a survey a few years ago, a lot of people like a good Yorkshire accent on the Business end of a call centre.

 

[xudo]

Ultimately, nobody but you can answer the question of whether a particular career/job would be suitable for you. For me, I am terrible on the phone and I hate using the phone and speaking to people in general, so call centre work is never going to be a good fit.

In terms of the title, you mention being deaf. This is something that again only you could answer really. It would depend on how much hearing you have, and whether it affects your ability to be able to hear people over the phone and how much.

 

[Judge]

So anyway, if I could get a call centre position for around 10-12 hours a week, would it be suitable? I do have a strong Yorkshire accent which could be a good thing, as I gather that according to a survey a few years ago, a lot of people like a good Yorkshire accent on the Business end of a call centre.

As I recall it was you who have previously and bitterly complained about the accents of customer service contacts by phone. So much so that you avoid them altogether. Not so?

Based on your past complaints, I can only surmise that you would not have the patience to function as a customer service representative any more than you are as a customer. So whether or not your hearing condition factors into this equation becomes a moot point.

 

[Mr Allen]

As I recall it was you who have previously and bitterly complained about the accents of customer service contacts by phone. So much so that you avoid them altogether. Not so?

Based on your past complaints, I can only surmise that you would not have the patience to function as a customer service representative any more than you are as a customer. So whether or not your hearing condition factors into this equation becomes a moot point.

Meh, it's not my fault or problem that most of the big UK companies such as mobile phone providers etc have outsourced their call centres to India, where the pay and hours are terrible!

 

[Bolletje]

I didn't hate working at a call center. The work itself was pretty rewarding at times, but I couldn't cope with the noisy surroundings, being packed into a room with many people talking. I needed so much time to recharge from work that I literally did nothing but work and sleep.

Doesn't mean that'll happen to you though. I don't know how prone you are to being overwhelmed by noise. Depending on the size of the office, and the hours you are working, it can be quite a cacophony in there. To make it easier on yourself you could see if it's possible to get a small office to make your call from, or work during the least busy hours, or only a few hours a day.

I think it's worth giving it a shot, as long as you're kind to yourself. Give it a try and see if it works for you. If it does, that's great. If it doesn't, that's a bummer, but not the end of the world. Not every job works for everyone. I've worked 6 different jobs in one year last year, which taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses in the workplace.

Oh and what @xudo said, only you can judge whether your hearing problem will be an issue. If you can talk on the phone, I'd say you can work in a callcenter.

 

[Judge]

Meh, it's not my fault or problem that most of the big UK companies such as mobile phone providers etc have outsourced their call centres to India, where the pay and hours are terrible!

No, it's not your fault. But if you are unable or unwilling to deal with them, why do you think the reciprocal of this same scenario would be any better?

For your first real paying job, you don't want to risk taking on something that you're likely to have issues over. No matter what work you might find, you want it to reflect stable employment as a successful job reference for the future.

Keep looking, Rich.

 

[Bolletje]

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will absolutely be yelled at. People will unleash all kinds of profanity and sometimes threats at you, and you have to remain calm and professional. Company policy decides whether or not you're allowed to hang up on someone. Most call centers will offer you little to virtually no training before they put you to work, so it's definitely a plus if you're able to remain calm when at the receiving end of verbal abuse.

 

[Judge]

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will absolutely be yelled at. People will unleash all kinds of profanity and sometimes threats at you, and you have to remain calm and professional. Company policy decides whether or not you're allowed to hang up on someone. Most call centers will offer you little to virtually no training before they put you to work, so it's definitely a plus if you're able to remain calm when at the receiving end of verbal abuse.

Probably the one dynamic that saved me as an insurance underwriter was a profound one in terms of customer service. While I had to be polite and professional in communicating with independent insurance agencies, my fundamental job was to enforce policy.

I always had the upper hand in all matters and most everyone I dealt with knew it. Except for calls from policyholders, who were usually screened elsewhere. As long as I could retain the content of any phone call in terms of underwriting rules and policy, I could control the circumstances.

But doing "raw" customer service...you have no "upper hand" no matter what the issue is. You are the company's first contact and must be the ultimate diplomat, both in having the ability to perpetually comprehend customers and being able to successfully handle their abuse. Involving a very broad number of social interactions compared to being across a store checkout counter in a particular place with a particular clientele.

 

[xudo]

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will absolutely be yelled at. People will unleash all kinds of profanity and sometimes threats at you, and you have to remain calm and professional. Company policy decides whether or not you're allowed to hang up on someone. Most call centers will offer you little to virtually no training before they put you to work, so it's definitely a plus if you're able to remain calm when at the receiving end of verbal abuse.

But doing "raw" customer service...you have no "upper hand" no matter what the issue is. You are the company's first contact and must be the ultimate diplomat, both in having the ability to perpetually comprehend customers and being able to successfully handle their abuse.

This is another reason I would never be able to work in a call centre. The things that people say wouldn't upset me, but I have a very hard time holding my tongue

 

[Bolletje]

I used to do customer service for a healthcare insurance company. It got pretty brutal. I'm fairly sure I got yelled at every day, although luckily I could usually resolve the client's problems and end the call on a friendly note. Still, I took a lot of verbal abuse at ****** hours for minimum wage.
And my boss made a point of reminding us how utterly expendable we were by refusing to learn our names and firing people willy-nilly in between smoke breaks. In the time I worked there I've literally never seen her do anything other than smoking and terrorizing people

 

[Judge]

This is another reason I would never be able to work in a call centre. The things that people say wouldn't upset me, but I have a very hard time holding my tongue

Excellent point. One thing discovering my own autism has taught me is how precarious communication can potentially be for me given one consideration.

Real-Time!

In real-time my thought process usually exceeds the pace of whatever came from my mouth. Forcing me in the most tense of situations to respond slower than usual. Sometimes with success, and sometimes not.

If you're paid to deal with customers in such a verbal manner, you have to have some control over what you say when you need to say it. Something that sadly can be a potential challenge for those of us on the spectrum.

I should also probably point out that my coveted underwriting job evolved over two decades, from one of policy enforcement to one of marketing. Where my autism caught up with me and the job became one of negotiation rather than enforcement. A very different business dynamic. I eventually quit after nearly twenty years of service. I just couldn't handle the social demands of my evolved job. Just too stressful even while I more often than not succeeded.

I still recall a co-worker who faced similar stress. Seeing him one day with his face on his desktop, sobbing in frustration. He was so burned out he took an early retirement. He was also the very first person that in hindsight I realized was likely every bit on the spectrum of autism as I was. That isn't a place for any of my fellow Aspies/Auties to be unless you truly do have the social skills to master so much potential verbal abuse by others.

 

[orphan]

Hi! Good on you for identifying a strength and trying to utilize it. Big step towards success.

I'm fairly deaf myself. 20% left in my left ear.+/-
I use ear buds and can turn up the volume, so it's actually easier then speaking face to face.
Reading lips is exhausting.

I've been working since very young. Many jobs are not a good fit for me. Hard to "fit" myself in.
I just keep trying like a pitbull.

I have learned to "exploit" my talents to create a business. Then I'm not just the special guy in the room... I'm the specialist in the room.

Good luck! Work is hard but good for the world.
It can be fun too.

 

[Full Steam]

Call centres have very high staff turn over, and I would imagine they are a stepping stone to another call centre only.

I've worked in tech support, but third line not front line. The work was ok, but felt futile in the end, and the environments can be bad -200 other people in the same room as you.

 

[s3_gunzel]

where the pay and hours are terrible!

Hate to break it to you, it's not just call centres that have crap pay and hours, I work for myself and I'm technically working now - at 3:30pm on a Sunday!

Call centres have very high staff turn over

That would be because most entry-level call centre staff are students trying to make ends meet. One of the many advantages of call centres are that they are able to work around a wide range of shifts.

 

[Diagnosed2015]

Call centers are extremely stressful.

Not only are you dealing with hundreds (or at least dozens) of individuals calls each day, you are often dealing with upset people. I'm not sure what type of business you'll be working for, but it will either be trying to convince people to pay a bill, collecting on a bill, looking up medical records or information, etc.

You'll have to be extremely patient and able to find answers quickly. The longer it takes, the less calls you can answer and address. There is often no more than seconds (or very few minutes) to locate information and relay it back quickly.

If you are socially confident and don't mind using the phone; or you enjoy solving problems, it could be an ideal situation. In most cases, however, even the toughest people have trouble with the limited amount of time and broad number of customers expected.

Also, most call centers work on commission-based bonuses, so unless you are really good at your job, it might not be worth the stress.

No one can tell if you'd like it (or even if you can do it) but you and possibly your employer. If you interview (or before) ask if you could view the center on a typical day, to hear the amount of calls, the way people answer, how quickly they process, how politely they speak.

Also, there are a lot of sensory issues to keep in mind, such as NOISE (from dozens of phones and other equipment), neon or flourecent lights, etc.