In the course of my days some are extraordinarily great, some are extraordinarily bad, while some are just extraordinary. However, on occasion, my days are normal. What does a normal day consist of, however? Let me enlighten you into my wonderful world.
Typically my work shift runs from about 11:30 am to 8:30 pm. However, I typically arrive around 11:15 am and do not leave until 9 pm. Throughout my day I will typically field an average of about 30 calls—either advice calls on any number of issues from representatives or escalated calls from customers in hopes of resolving an issue that the customer has regarding any number of issues regarding payment of their account. Between calls I typically am working on two to five projects by my own initiative or assigned by my immediate supervisor. My colleagues and I are also asked for advice or account analysis by any member of the supervisory or management teams. I am consistently relied upon by all levels of the organization to provide timely and accurate advice and guidance on any number of subjects drawing on any number of disciplines.
Examples of projects that I have initiated are front-end/GUI, some back-end work, and algorithm development for any number of “trackers:” applications that quantify various metrics of job performance throughout a representative’s work day. So far our trackers have been made to measure and allow the user to evaluate agent performance metrics at both the agent and supervisor/team lead levels; also, to monitor compliance—how closely a representative adheres to their schedule (agents not adhering to their schedules is one of the biggest losses of income for a call center, if not the biggest) and generate account notations.
I say “we” and “our” because these are, by no means, individual efforts. It just takes one to be able to pull a group of people together towards a common purpose. The real way many of these things started is my primary partner in these creations getting an idea from someone and creating a proof-of-concept for that idea or developing the idea more. Between us we develop the back-end and the front-end of the code, test the alpha version amongst ourselves, work out the kinks, and send the beta version out to a team of dedicated beta testers. Over the course of our pre-established beta run any glitches are remedied, user feedback is used to add requested features to the applications, and we finally go gold.
Aside from this I am responsible for site-level and team-level reports for collections metrics for one line of business at the site, encompassing nearly 200 actively collecting agents on a weekly basis. I have also been on teams reporting on attrition and retention opportunities, sent to other call centers to teach receivables management and system use, and developing a more user-friendly database produced from the larger knowledge base that not only encompasses departmental methods and procedures, but also attempts to limit the number of transfers to another department by increasing representative’s capabilities of assisting with customer care-style issues. With this I have been able to gain the assistance of 4 additional people. I would not be able to accomplish this project on time without their critical assistance and input.
Recently, my team underwent a transformation: Many interim positions were eliminated and made permanent, with some permanent positions added. Some people in the "old guard" were replaced, some stayed, and the general feel and mix of personalities changed to create, essentially, a "new guard." WIth this new guard, there are less than a handful of people that, it seems, have been setting the standards for the rest of the team. My good friends S.J. and Cliff are two of them. I didn't realize that I was one until today when another good friend of mine, Joy confided in me that she felt that she should offer to take on maintenance of the primary application that we use in Resolutions to keep track of the calls that we take. When she, mostly in jest, scolded me for this after I implied that it might be my fault, it hit me. I had been an impetus for the standards of this new guard.
This work often encompasses much of my break time and also ensures that my lunches typically aren’t full ones.
Don’t think, however, for a moment that I am complaining. I love every minute of it. Why? This is what I’ve prepared myself for several years and my theory that my application of them in an actual cube land-style workplace is getting me far. One day while I was trying to find business insurance for the CEO of the company I was working for at the time, the lady I was speaking with said that she was extremely impressed with my business acumen and stated that I should “give [myself] a chance and try to get a job in a bigger city.” They say that the harder you work, the luckier you get.
I don’t care who you are, all it takes is adherence to a finite number of principles and you, too, can get far in the workplace.
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