Comfort Zone

03-16-2010 Tuesday

'Comfort Zone'. My manager somehow overused that word when she was telling us about her decision of letting us go as a team. She said that the reason why we're not performing is because we're working in our comfort zone, there's no drive no matter how hard she pushes us to sell. We were always quiet whenever she would say that not because we don't have anything to say, but because we're still trying to find the right definition of those words; comfort zone.

From what I understand, it means working with the people that you're comfortable with and working in a happy environment that makes you feel satisfied and excited to go to work. Am I wrong in my definition? Because whenever she would say that to us, she makes it sound so negative as if it's a sin or a curse or something that's bad for the business. Is it? Or do managers have a different definition for it?

Our team, the family that I've been with for more than a year, has been dissolved. It has been announced while our manager was away at Thailand for a trip. Most of us were dismayed due to the fact that she was not the one who personally broke the news to us. We sort of expected a proper goodbye, a more professional way of telling us that she's dropping the team. Good thing I wasn't there personally when the news was announced (I was sick, remember?), but I can feel the disappointment from the messages that they sent me when they told me what happened.

They didn't know who'll be my new manager, but they told me that all of us are scattered to a different manager. One thing is certain, no two agents under our team will stay in one new team. The feeling is like being dumped, and somewhat betrayed. Where did all the friendship go? The family ties?

I can accept the reason like, other teams need us, or we will be getting better calls when we got transferred but no, the reason we always hear is that we are already working in a comfort zone. I don't have any personal anger with my manager, she has always been there, she has been a confidante, a best friend, a shopping buddy, and everything in between, I love her as a person, but as a manager, sometimes I feel like I don't know what she really wanted for the team.

They all want us to sell, of course. They need to see the numbers, the sales, the goals being hit. Comfort zone, eh? Well, comfort zone my ass, you bitches. Since when did you really care about the employees? Never. All they care about is the sales we make so they can make more money out of us. I will definitely accept being transferred to a different team, under a different management if they can guarantee that my calls will no longer stink. If they can say to my face that, 'hey since you'll be in my team, you'll get good calls, you can close sales without bleeding through every hole in your body'. But no, there's nothing like that.

I have the skills. Me and the rest of my team have the skills because if we don't, we wouldn't have 2-3 years experience under our belt, we wouldn't be earning commissions which is something they also scam from us by the way. They kept on saying, if you have the skills, then you can sell. Sure thing honey, but when will they ever listen to each and every call we're getting? The ghost calls? The disconnected, no callback number at all customers? The endless fucking inquiries that can come up with gazillion of reasons not to buy?

Ok, I'm not that narrow minded, I'll try to look it from their point of view, if they have any that will be beneficial for the employees. They are thinking that maybe, we need a new style of management, we need to uhmm, uhh, get 'out' of that so-called comfort zone which means, taking away the only thing that's making us stay.

They say that we're working to make money, not to make friends, ok given that is a fact but what they don't realize is that if money is our only concern, then we could've packed up our asses and resigned a long time ago. Call center is a known industry, continuously expanding, hiring constantly, and paying a good amount of money three or probably four times more than what we're getting paid now. It seemed to me that this management here feels like we need them as much as they need us. Bullshit. They need us. They need the employees, the tenured and experienced ones. What will be the use of the new people they're hiring if those new people has a goddamn attitude, has a knack for closing scammed sales and God-knows-what else? With those types of new hires, the business is doomed to end anytime.

The company is good. The team is a picture perfect family. The account sucked so bad. Sucked so bad. Sucked badly, suckers. Give us more money, give us the commission we deserve and maybe we can all work in harmony just like before, during our Outbound days.

My plan right now is to stay until May for my anniversary bonus and to be qualified for a salary loan. After all that, I'm also gonna be gone for good. All my teammates are resigning, and there could be 3 or 4 of us tenured reps that will stay for the coming months. The rest has given up; Raymond, Belle, Kuya Carlo, brother Jeff, Shine, Reggie, Elaine and Lorraine. All of them, gone. All of them nothing but pieces of memory to be treasured forever.

Is that what the management wants? For everyone to resign 'till there's no one left? Hah. Pathetic suckers,.

Labels: calls, management, pink crimson, sprint, team, work

posted by Monica-Lynne @ 7:05 PM