Everything inside of me wants to tell you the name of the company I worked for, and to steer you away from them so that you will not experience anything close to what I experienced with them. The fact is, however, if I do that, any future employer may think I will do the same to them if we separate on a less-than-amicable basis, and I don't want them to fear me in any way. I am a professional. I will be, I have been, I am now.
What I will tell you is that I was recently recruited by a foreign-based company (first clue) to be a Claims Adjuster (first lie) for a client company which the host company ran "campaigns" for. What that means is that the host company has the personnel, they train them, and they sublet them to the client company to be used as either a service provider or information giver; a CSR in most cases. I did not sign up to be a CSR, but that is what happened to me. (another clue)
During the recruiting process, I was asked questions, and given answers, and we agreed I would work Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. CST to 4:30 p.m. CST, and I would be paid X-amount...(another lie when I got my first paycheck) When I was onboarded, the process was horrific. I dealt with people from the Philippines who tried to assist in most cases, but I could not understand them. Sometimes they simply hung up on me, and I would have to call back and start the process all over again. This was for equipment check and verification processes.
Once I was actually onboarded, I was unable to link into the links provided, again, tech was the issue. (another red flag) It never got better, literally every single day, and often more than five times in one day, I would be booted off the system, the power would simply shut down at times, and other times my screens appeared to be remotely controlled. When I mentioned it to people in the company they denied it and said it couldn't happen. Well, my mouse was moving and I wasn't touching it, and screens were changing. Let's just leave it there.
During the training, which finally took place the 2nd day I was able to link into TEAMS, we were instructed to follow along while the "trainer" (using the word very loosely) had us follow her directions. OF COURSE, she was all over the place and gave us the wrong information. We were confused, we were befuddled, we were dismayed, and this sort of thing never stopped. I was there for three weeks. We started with 48, and by the end of the 3rd week, we had 24 left. RED FLAGS FLYING!!!
The trainers, there were several, all had different ways of doing things, and when we would ask for help we would often be put on "hold" or in another team's room and left there unattended, ignored, and forgotten for hours. We'd mention it and another trainer would come in and assist and tell us something completely different from the last. It was miserable. We'd mention it, and the trainer helping would say something like "You asked for help, I'm helping you." This was their idea of training.
We had modules to do. There were about 12 I think, and each one had about 4-8 subcategories or events you had to do, watch, interact with, and so forth. We were told we had several days, but with all the tech issues, the ignoring, and the discombobulated instructions, several (most) of us were lagging on the last day. We were threatened with our jobs, and we shook our heads. I asked for further assistance as I am a visual learner. Several said they wanted the same. We were told it is a "Learner Lead" program. "You read the instructions, and if you need help you ask." We asked. We were ignored.
The first deadline for the modules came and I was woefully behind due to tech issues. When I finally got help, the man who helped me had been with the company 10 years and said he's still shaking his head; it's normal he said, for all the people who get frustrated to just drop off without even asking for help. He commended me for sticking with it - - another red flag, but I appreciated his honesty. He fixed my computer remotely, saying it had bugs and other issues. He told me it was a 7-year-old CPU and couldn't handle Windows 11. He installed Windows 10 I think (remotely) and I was able to finish my course. CRAZY.
Every last person they hired had tech issues. They sent us equipment from a place called 2ndGear, which I'm told (and researched) is a refurbishment station for all things computer. Most of my equipment was either overly used and outdated, or it wasn't compatible with the new updates for various programs. The VPN went out all the time, for everyone, and every other minute someone was commenting "Sorry, I was booted". I had my fair share of it too. To put it in perspective, they sent me two monitors with VGA cables and my headset and keyboard were part of a marketing program back in 2013; yes, 2013. I looked it up. Tiny keyboard, and a flimsy headset. Of course, I used my own.
I decided to resign, but let me give you a few reasons that are literally rattling off my tongue (fingertips). They expected us, in 2023, not to have cell phones or devices near our computers or in our workspace, but they weren't going to "check". It was on the honor system. Stupidity runs rampant with these people. They expected us to not use pen, pencil, paper, or anything else to keep track of numbers, assignments, etc...again, they aren't checking, and again, stupid is as stupid does. Of course, we had our phones. I used mine to take over 600 photos of complaints and the proof that we were being misled, lied to, ignored, and so forth.
They expected us to keep our calls down to a timed limit whether we helped people completely or not, but if it went over we could "hope for calls that would even it out, because at the end of the day, if you have more than 406 seconds on the calls you're not only not going to earn your monthly bonus, you're going to be pulled and we're having that conversation." This is the type of every minute, every hour, every day, every week sort of "training" we endured. Oh, and it's so much worse; they also gave us scripts that are so cringe-worthy, that if you as a customer called you'd either laugh or cry. I'm not sure.
When they had decided that we were ready to take live calls they decided it. It wasn't in the plan. It wasn't a discussion. We were not prepared, and we had no true guidance. We were told we would either get on and try "swim with the alligators" which was the term used, or we were to resign because "you can't handle it". This was the training. Keep in mind, we had not had a single day of live call training, we had not role-played, we had only fuddled through modules and most of us were literally unable to do so. Our other trainers told us (literally on the recording) to just skip the videos, go to the questions, "If you don't get them right, we don't really care, just get through it."
I had enough. I refused to go on calls because I am a professional, and I didn't sign up to be a CSR for taking payments, I was recruited as a Claims Adjuster. That's when I was told that as a "claims adjuster" at this particular company, it only meant that I would be a CSR taking first-notice calls, transferring them up the line, and my metrics were the same, except instead of 406 seconds for each call I had 312 seconds. The color ran right out of my cheeks, and I expressed myself. I decided to resign as politely as possible, but not before filling out tickets for HR listing 3 separate incidents causing a hostile work environment on the part of the trainers. I was 100% ignored until the very last day. I put the tickets in a week beforehand.
When I expressed that I needed visual learning I was told to go to the doctor and have my "disability" documented. Hello, being a visual learner is not a disability, it is a mode of learning. Stupid is not the word that I would use, the word "ignorant" is going to have to replace "stupid" at this point. When I tried to educate them, I was shunned. I was ridiculed. I was told I was "under" them, and that I needed to keep my opinions to myself. When I expressed that it wasn't an opinion, but a general fact and that it was common knowledge, I was told to go back to work and keep my mouth shut.
When I resigned I did so with a professional email. They didn't deserve that treatment, but it was my choice to be the best person I could be. I laughed when I received an email today telling me that they were considering my "disability" for future training. I wrote back to say I had resigned. I really wanted to say so much more. I will get the last laugh - - I have decided to write a new novel titled "Fidelity" and in it, I will be so so so very clear on the treatment we received, and no doubt the treatment countless others received with the company. I will have fun changing their names to reflect their "abilities" and lack thereof.
Did I mention they didn't pay us for Christmas? No? Well, you see, it's an Indian-based firm. They don't pay for holidays I'm told. They do "observe" them, but they don't pay employees for them. I made the right decision, it's just so sad that a great company like Liberty Mutual Insurance is using this third-party host for CSRs...it's not "slave" labor by any stretch of the imagination, but it is so oppressive, and so restrictive, so micro-managed, and mistreated; they should consider pulling their client-hood from the host....in my opinion.
Last evening, just seconds after I had emailed my resignation, one of my classmates phoned me. I was happy to hear from her, she was one of the people I would have missed. I was happy she took me up on my offer when I sent her a private message. She was furious. She had gone on the phones, and with 0% preparation, found herself sinking on every call. She literally transferred every call almost, and she was upset with the way she felt about one because she didn't know she couldn't call someone back; no one had told her she couldn't follow up with a customer who had trusted her and had asked her for help. Nope. Customers don't matter to these people, it's all about the $$$ and that's it.
When I explained to my friend that she would be going uphill from that point, learning more programs, and having more windows to fuddle through, but without the extra monitors needed, she became convinced that she may not be with them much longer. She too, like me, is a licensed Claims Adjuster in many states. She was lied to, she was told she would be working as a claims adjuster, not a CSR. Well, we live we learn. We need to keep our heads on a swivel, but for the most part, it makes me never want to work with another foreign-based company ever again - - they just don't have the wherewithal the Americans have. Sorry, it's again, my opinion. MINE.
Photo Credit: (oh my...did I just let that slip?) Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment