OK, I told myself I would stop with these long posts, but hey - I like to write (sometimes) and I need to write out all the details of this moment in my life.
I worked as a telemarketer, qualifying potential clients for a credit card interest rate negotiation service. If the client had a FICO on 630+, was current on $4,000+ in credit card debt at 10% or higher and was willing to make payments on that debt for at least one year, the company wanted that person's business. However, from the start, there were little things that I should have heeded before accepting the position.
First, the Craigslist ad said INCOMING calls. When I interviewed for the position, I was told the call was an OUTBOUND position. That alone should have sent me for the hills past the Air Force base, because that "correction" spoke directly to the integrity of the company - I was attracted to the job because I thrive with inbound calls, but suffer with outbound calls.
However, I needed a job - ANY job - so I gave it a try, hoping things would be different this time.
Each time I called a potential client, I had to read a script, and I was not to deviate from it. In that script, I had to say:
"Hello Mr. Client, my name is Pete Blow from Financial Services and I'm calling in regards to your current VISA and MasterCard accounts. I'm not calling about any problems with your accounts. I'm calling to see if you received the letter we sent in regards to lowering the interest rates on your credit card accounts. Do you remember seeing that?"
The script has more information and takes a few moments to read. If I don't get an answering machine or get hung up on, I make it to the letter. However, the company never sent a letter. That part of the script is a lie, and I basically lied 300 - 450 times a day. On top of that, I felt like a robot.
The name of the company that paid my check was different, and the website we referred potential clients to had yet another name. Using "Financial Services" with no indication of LLC or INC as the company name is about as vague as it gets. Since the parent company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, why not use that name in all communication? All the misdirection on the name of the company concerned me.
My ultimate responsibility was to obtain the 16 digit credit card account number, the last four digits of the potential clients' social security number and confirm the billing ZIP code. Then, I was to call the toll-free number of the issuing bank to confirm the total credit, available credit, last payment and next payment. Once I confirmed that the client qualified for the service, I would turn over the call to a closer would secure a $995 - $1595 sale.
Out of 300 phone calls, I had to "pull" the information on at least one credit card a day to keep the job. However, because I was new, I was given four days to pull four credit cards. I was regularly reminded that if I did not achieve 5 credit card pulls a week, I would not have a job.
Much easier said than done.
My working hours were 9:45 AM to 6 PM. Lunch was from 2 PM to 3 PM. These were great hours because I was able to travel from College Park to Marietta via MATRA and CCT for three hours if necessary. During my short time with the job, I was fortunate to get a ride in the morning to the Arts Center Station where I took CCT 10 to the job, and I received a ride home with a coworker who lived in College Park.
There are 20 employees in the office and the company has 5 office suites - 100 employees total. In one day, the company makes 30,000 telephone calls.
In each office there are 5 closers, and those closers earn EACH office around $17,000 A DAY. Using these numbers (provided by the company to motivate us), I did the math:
The company makes:
$85,000 a day
$425,000 a week
$1,700,000 a month
$20,400,000 a year.
Very nice, especially considering that those 100 people are paid $7.25 an hour, work 35 hours a week, work mandatory alternating Saturdays on a commission-only basis and have no health or dental benefits.
I understand the costs of running a business and I'm not hating on that. What rubbed me the wrong way: I'm at work in business attire, speaking to a client with a 700 FICO and $50,000 in credit card debt while explicit versions of songs like "Birthday Sex," "Put You To Bed" and "In The Club" are playing through a speaker pointed in my direction. When some employees advised that the music was too loud or unprofessional, the comments were ignored because we managed to work through those "issues" anyway.
But the final straw was when we were ordered to stand because the "energy level was low" and we were not pulling enough credit cards. We were not allowed to sit back down until we pulled a credit card. In essence, I had to hunch over and operate a computer at desk level while remaining professional on the phone with clients. Having worked for government agencies, I saw that order as a workplace abuse.
When lunch came, I took a LONG walk in 90 degree heat. In fact, I tried looking for the employment agency office a friend pointed out in the area, but I couldn't find it. I would have quit the job on the spot, but I didn't have CCT bus fare (I have funds on my MARTA BreezeCard), so I had to work through the day and wait for my ride home.
Also, one of my classmates told me that the friend who recommended she get a job there was fired because she took a day off to arrange emergency child care for her son. A shameful decision from a company that makes $85,000 a day.
Needless to say, I did not go in the next day.
One thing I will say - EVERY closer was genuinely interested with my success as a cold calling telemarketer. All of the closers LOVED their jobs and truly believed in the product they were offering to the clients they served. Every closer treated me with the highest level of respect and everyone I worked with was just plain nice.
Yesterday, I signed an agreement to sell CLEAR Wireless Internet Service as an independent contractor. I report for sales training on Tuesday and product training on Thursday. I absolutely love technology, I enjoy helping others understand technology and I know how to sell. It's a commissioned position, and the first check won't come until October, so I still plan to get a basic job. However, should I not be able to get an hourly job in a couple of months, my efforts from CLEAR will pay off and getting a regular job will be a nonissue.
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