Channel 4 is running a Cutting Edge piece this Thursday 06 March called 'Phone Rage', about "a nation at war with the call centre". Here's the synopsis:


Britain has become a nation at war with the call centre: phoning them drives most people to boiling point. The push-button menus, endless music, automated-voices advising: 'Your call is important to us ' – and then being put on hold. It all compounds into a sense of helplessness.

Little wonder, then, that call centres have become so vilified.


http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/cutting_edge/

Thurs 6 March 9pm

"At war with the call centre" - umm.... ??

CR.

My hopes for a more balanced piece have been raised by the synopsis in this weeks Sunday Times -

"...fury at call centres is the stuff of Grumpy Old Men and a short step away from tutting at women drivers....most telling however is the story of the South African single mother Mandisa, pinning her hopes of a better life on a job in a call centre....her story could encourage you to stay civil next time you are put on hold."

Or will I be hoping in vain?

Ah the balanced media animal a rare and shy breed not often found in these parts.

There does seem to be a new found, refreshed and envigorated focus on the call centre (or as BBC Breakfast reported last week "Contact Centre's as they're calling themselves now because we deal with faxes and other things..." I do love quality journalism and editing).

(Devil's advocate comment!) However is there some blame to be levelled at the industry with more professional, responsible individuals needing to make pro-active public comment about our regulated, consciencious approach to dialling now? Discuss...

Your quote.....

"...fury at call centres is the stuff of Grumpy Old Men and a short step away from tutting at women drivers....most telling however is the story of the South African single mother Mandisa, pinning her hopes of a better life on a job in a call centre....her story could encourage you to stay civil next time you are put on hold."

This is not about the individual, they are just the facelees representative of a business, what the perception is about is poor service. If everyone caller had their calls dealt with at the first time of asking, answered quickly and dealt with courteously there would be no issue. Anyone who works in, or in support of, a contact centre immediately jumps to their defence, unfortunately most are indefensible.
Personally I hate the IVR message that says 'you have called at a busy time please call later', this is suicide. If these callers were physically queuing in your shop you would soon do something about it but somehow a call in a queue is not a human being it is a statistic.
It is a fine balance between satisfying customers, providing an efficient service and doing it at a reasonable cost but it is very much achievable.

Regardless of where the contact centre is located the challenges are exactly the same, India for eg get a bad press because we are told by the press that they aren't good, this is just wrong. Unless a customer gets what they want from a call then it does not matter where it was answered as you will have a dissatisfied caller.
If you are going to offer a contact centre service then do it properly, if you don't be surprised when your customers start disappearing.

I think that we are a much maligned industry in the UK despite the best efforts of our (Stephens description)"more professional,responsible individuals" with the media.

Perhaps public perception of call centres is a little like how we feel about the National Health Service (so surveys tell us);

*We know that billions of pounds have been spent in the last ten years improving the service.

*We know that when,as an individual,we need to see a Doctor or go to a Hospital we are treated efficiently and well.

Yet,as a nation,we seem to believe that the NHS is in terminal decline and that the Health Service in the UK has the lowest standards in the developed world.

Fascinating how we are able to hold apparently conflicting views simultaneously and yet appear to believe both.

I don't think your comparison is appropriate.

When you are ill you do not have a choice where to go to be treated it will be either your Doctor or the Hospital. For this reason you will put up with whatever comes your way. You are entiltled to complain as you actually pay for the service, or better still you could vote for the opposition and their manifesto which invariably will include improving the NHS.
With call centres you do have a choice, if you do not like the way you are treated you can take your business elsewhere.