Telepleasure

Photo: Christina B. Winge

In spite of high noise levels, stress, a high rate of staff turnover and payment by results, call-centre staff are happy in their work.
"Good afternoon, I'm calling from....". You have probably heard the professional phrase from a telephone salesperson and thought to yourself: "What a job!" Well, there's no need to worry. No less than 67 % of the people who work in telephone sales and support would take the job again without hesitation, according to a SINTEF study of three randomly selected Norwegian call-centres.
The possibility of good earnings if you are willing to work hard, plus the facts that the job does not require a high level of education and that it can be combined with studying or other work, are all significant advantages when employees choose this type of job. Many people also prefer a job that they do not have to "take home" with them.

These results surprised the research team, because previous European studies have evaluated the piece-work payment, monotony, short-term conditions of employment, and evening and night work as negative factors for employees.

The fact that turnover in this sector is high does not worry employees. They are prepared for this aspect when they take the job, and many regard short-term employment as an advantage. Another aspect brought out by the study was that the interviewees typically regarded jobs at other call-centres as more "robot-like", and thus worse than their own.
For some people, a job of this sort is also a step in their careers. Marketing students and people who wish to work in sales believe that experience in a call-centre will look good on their CVs.

By Christina B. Winge