When I was in college, I've always thought that the call center is for people who aren't competent enough to get a decent job. When I sought for a job at a call center, I had this thinking that I'm capable of doing other things for a living, it's just that this job pays more. Moreover, my being an academic achiever would not only get me a job, but also get me promoted to the highest position possible the soonest.
You know what I found out? ...that my assumptions are not true.
I worked for 2 other call centers, each for about a year, before working for my current company. Was I promoted in the previous call centers? No! But there's always this reasoning that my tenure wasn't long enough, or there's politics in the process, etc.
And then I moved to this company.
At first, my pride took the best of me. I never focused on my calls. I never gave a damn about scores. I never made an effort to know processes by heart. And I did all of these because I thought success would come naturally. Especially when the shortlist comes out with my name on it. Then I'd go through a race to promotion only to be left out by most people that are about the same tenure as I am. I blamed it to politics, AGAIN... and the fact that I can't kiss people's asses like some do.
And then I didn't get shortlisted anymore.
I believed that I was doing the best that I can in the most legitimate way possible. Those people who got incredibly high stats got them by disconnecting calls and manipulating data. At least I can boast about my intergrity.
But then Drew got promoted.
What could've been thought of as a family milestone became one of the biggest blows to my ego. Drew wasn't an academic achiever...but he also didn't kiss people's asses...and he doesn't illegally manipulate his calls to get better stats.
So what does that say about me? Does it mean that the honors I got in school is not reflective of my intelligence? I thought I'd still get away by telling everyone "Masungit ksi ako e. I was raised this way. I don't get around people too much. Kaya dissatisfied ang rating nila sakin."or "Kaya ako may markdown sa QA." If you were someone who actually heard me saying these, were you convinced? I wasn't...Drew wasn't!
Drew drilled a hole in me that I wasn't able to fill that easy. He told me "So ganyan ka nalang? Dahil ganyan ka lumaki, hanggang jan ka nalang? Ok!" But I knew in my heart that I'm not just that...I started finding out what's wrong.
So I never really tried to understand how I am being measured? I studied the technicalities of all the measures. I never really tried to feel for our customers' concerns? I treated them as real people. I thought of developmental tasks as non-beneficial extra work? I considered them learning experience. And it wasn't very easy! There were times when I just wanted to give it up. The fact that my daughter was growing up fine was one consolation that I could be doing a good job somewhere else, and maybe I shouldn't be career woman.
Then I got shortlisted again! ...for two positions!
However, all the extra tasks plus the fact that I'm not a natural achiever on call center measures must've taken it's toll on me when after managing 3 months of being a performer, my stats suddenly flunked. Meaning, if I don't get any of the two higher posts, I'd have to maintain another 3 months of high stats before I can dream of another shortlist.
Too bad the first promotion process didn't go as smooth as I wanted it to be. I ended up not making the cut and I knew that it was mostly because I wasn't very confident.
I doubted myself all the more after not getting the first promotion. I knew that the other one could make or break me. There were a lot of what ifs. But because it was my only and best chance, I can either decide to accept my fate, or do something.
...And I did.
I proactively studied, not just the requirements of the job, but the correct and efficient behavior expected of someone in the position. I created initiatives to improve my confidence and people skills. I created an inspiration board that acknowledges everything that's important to me:
