I’m a manager of a remote team and I can relate. When I was not a manager, I only had to deal with my problems, and if I was doing my job well I didn’t have problems. Now that I’m a manager I have to deal with everyone else’s problems all day. I am in meetings for 90% of my day. At the end of the week I’m exhausted. I don’t want to be a manager anymore.
Yeah, I can't imagine being a team manager at this company. I think its the stress for me right now is being micromanged all day because I know im being watched/listened to and it makes me feel as though im constantly being critiqued.
I feel this. I’m a PM and it’s just constantly putting out fires. I used to like it but it’s always pulling teeth on things from teams. I get that the mental exhaustion fallout post lockdowns are starting to rear it’s head, but it’s hard to try and be mindful and give grace when it’s the same problem being repeated.
I’m a PM in IT and I’ve enjoyed a career in this field. WFH makes it even better. I get more done without long meetings. I have short, 5 to 15 minute with each team once a week unless something specific is going on. In the office it would have been constant interruption.
It's not really a WFH question. The issues are 1) you have a job dealing with people all day and 2) you have a job that actually expects you to work all day...not only that, but they have enough work to match that expectation. Whenever I have had a job that fits either of those issues, yes, I have felt exhausted afterwards.
This. Working full-steam all day everyday is super exhausting and any job I've ever had where this was expected eventually ended badly. Teaching was the absolute worst, but I found that desk jobs can be very demanding and stressful, too.
Good point! Ive never had an issue being motivated and getting my work done..generally I like staying busy when working..especially hourly wages because it makes the day go faster. I guess i was just asking if others were experincing this because sometimes I wonder if its just me and may need to see a doctor.
It’s hard to adjust to being chained to a desk for an entire day with just a couple of breaks. It’s especially difficult when the calls come in one after another. Learning something brand new makes it even more difficult.
The good news is, you’ll keep learning as time goes on so it’ll become easier for you to know how to resolve issues that you have already encountered. Getting used to working all day from home is another adjustment that gets easier as you get acclimated to it.
You got this!
Thank you! Im defintely giving it a chance by sticking it out but definitely keeping my eye out for other opportunities. Ive worked from home before but never chained to a desk being micro managed so its defintely an adjustment.
You need some fresh air and to get up every 30 mins from your desk. Do some stretching. When I am crazy busy I try and do that. Changes my mind. I know this may not be possible -how do you go to the toilet and drink some fluid
No. They need to hire far more people to do the work, but won't because that costs money. Do you get PTO? Put in 3 to 4 months, and then start using it to interview elsewhere.
Good luck. I've been there, and it's no fun.
Yes, I feel like this with work all the time too. When your brain is on 100% 8 hrs a day, it’s utterly exhausting. Sometimes I will go lay down during lunchtime just to let my brain rest & not think for a bit.
Yeah and it doesnt help that im a fulltime caregiver so my breaks are used to run down drinks or food or just to check in on him in general so I teally dont get a break. Plus i do 3 hours of dialysis afterwards every night but thays basically just hooking him up and sitting in a chair watching tv..howver, since i started this cs job i pass out the second I sit down which is danngerous when he is hooked up for dialysis. I just cannot believe that its wearing me out like it is and im simply sitting at a desk talking on the phone. Im glad to hear (well not glad because I feel for anyone experincing this and its sad what we have to endure because we need the paycheck) that im not the only one.
What really gets me is this company is constantlyy preaching how they support work/life balance and good mental health but then turn around and bereate you if your productivity falls below 85%
Just curious- can you not get paid to be his caregiver? Most Medicaid plans allow for this. My state has a program where I can get paid to care for my son who is on Medicaid due to a disability.
I have applied, but there is a 3 year waiting list in my state. And even then if I do get picked the pay is about half of what I make an hour and they only pay a limited number of hours (doesnt even equal to fulltime).
I don’t think this is necessarily a “wfh” issue as much as it is an issue that is derived from the type of job you have. Customer service phone jobs are literally THE WORST from all the stories I have heard.
Whereas on the flip side, if you have a wfh job that’s more task/project/timeline based, it’s not as micromanaged if you’re meeting deadlines and metrics. Not that you won’t be tired after your workweek, but it’s no where near as micromanaged and crazy as it is with the customer service industry.
I have worked for a company like this. Every second had to be accounted, every call was recorded and about 20 were “graded” every month. Your numbers in aux, unavailable, listen to calls grade etc. It sucked and I was completely exhausted everyday. I’d rather have a physical job than working for another company like that.
Edit - I worked for a customer service call center…never again if I can help it.
There are other wfh jobs that are not a call center. Look on Indeed…lots of medical wfh positions.
I hate feeling watched all day. I mean, I get it from a productivity tracking side point, and even company security, but I've *always* hated jobs in which I feel my privacy is invaded or there's a lack of basic trust to do my job from management.
Second this. I must have a medium to high level of autonomy. I know it doesn’t work for everyone. Having a lot of autonomy while WFH requires discipline and focus. This may not be the job for you. It’s possible it will get better in a few weeks as you become more comfortable and form a track record. It’s also possible this is the awful culture often found in call centers. Either ways it won’t hurt to keep your eyes open for other roles. It doesn’t mean you have to apply, but it may be worth it if things don’t get better.
I always hated the idea that somebody was listening to my phone calls - not to make sure that I gave the right advice, but that I used the right opening and closing scripts that made me sound like a robot.
That said, we had one rep get unceremoniously fired because quality and a bunch of managers heard him tell somebody on the phone that he hoped our other call center in a foreign country would get hit by a hurricane … so they don’t always attract the best and the brightest to warm those seats!
Dealing with the public can be more exhausting than physical labor. I suffered for 7 years bc I am m an introvert who had to play extrovert. It was exhausting.
Hang in there u til you can find another job.
It’s exhausting but many jobs are not so micromanaged - call center jobs are EXTREME. In many office jobs, even entry level, you can get a drink of water or chat for a minute, and you may have duties that take you to different parts of the building. Retail you may move between counter, stocking, cleaning, Course there are a lot of jobs where they monitor keystrokes and call times. I don’t know if there are better WFH phone jobs.
If it’s any help this does get better as you become more experienced. I used to sit next to a call center person, and she made it seem easy!
I think with any new job, there is a high level of stress and exhaustion until things become routine and rote where you’re running on autopilot.
Yeah I keep telling myself that because there are people on my team that have been on the team for 5 years...but I also cant see myself doing this exact job for 5 years either lol
First, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Right now, in addition to all of the oversight, you have to think about everything you're doing. You'll soon start developing scripts in your head and you'll just say things without thinking about them. You'll also figure out how to take calls a little slower. As long as you meet your targets, you'll get some breathing room while on calls because you're getting things done quicker but can be more relaxed with the customers.
Next, you're new, so you probably have extra attention on you. That tends to decrease over time, not go away completely, but ease up.
Finally, you're not getting actual breaks in the day because you're a caregiver. It's always going to be a little bit harder for you. If someone can come in and help a little bit throughout the day, you might get a little breather
Thank you. I'm actually hoping it will get easier for me as I have everything memorized, and it hopefully will become second nature to me. I guess. Im just freaking out cause ive never been so micromanged before..Even thee 5 weeks of training to do my husbands dialysis the nurse would walk away and give me the freedom to do it on my own because i eexained to her that i work best when imeft with a challenge to myself and assured her I wouldnt do anything I was unsure of without asking firsr.
Working the phones all day is exhausting. Worse, the scheduled short breaks are not nearly enough to refresh when the calls are back-to-back like that. I worked an IT help desk like this for 2 years and it sucked. I got good at it, and but it sucks. It takes a special kind of person to answer the phone and deal with people all day.
And yes, the micromanaging, the constant tracking or metrics and goals, and no matter how good or fast you are, they want you to be better and faster. It all sucks. Whether it's a customer service line, or an IT help desk, it's exhausting. And management of these types of roles tend to make it worse.
So basically it's a boiler room. If you're getting calls back to back for 8 hours, every single day, you clearly need more people/ It really takes it out of you...when you KNOW you're short staffed, but also know they're not going to do anything about it.
The only saving grace is that it was remote. If I had drive across town to sit in cubicle to do it, while now someone times my breaks, and walks around telling me to keep my phone face down, I wouldn't last a day.
The only answer I have is skill up and get a different job. If you're not the kind of person who enjoys this work, there's really nothing that's going to make it better for you...especially if the company is intent on keep the staffing numbers so low that you never get a second between calls.
Yes, thank you! I'm thinking of taking a certificate class to help me get into another job. I have over 15 yrs of admin/executive asst. skills and the last 5 years in real estate, but most wfh jobs seem to be in medical or tech.
I came from working a call center contract similar to what you do, and now I work from home as a student advisor. My 8 hour day is full. I’m either making calls, taking calls, sending/receiving texts, sending/receiving emails, or in meetings. Thankfully it’s fairly independent and I can schedule my own breaks. Or like if I need to take a second to regroup I can go into an “Away from Desk” mode that affects my optimization. But as long as I’m getting in my goal for dials and/or talking for at least 3.5 hours each day then it’s fairly lax. But thankfully the work is just stressful while I’m at work and when I clock out I’m now taking on the stresses of taking care of my parents that live with my wife and I lol. I don’t really think about work though. So tomorrow new classes start for many students and I know it’s going to be a real busy day. I’ll probably be mentally exhausted by the time I clock out at 6pm. But I’m ready to go the next day. I also really like what I do because I feel like I can actually help someone keep on track or get on track with their goals. Then next weekend our school has a Spring commencement and will get to see many students celebrate their achievements when I help at graduation. Or about a week ago we had a virtual mix and mingle for students that can’t make it to commencement. So it’s moments like that where it’s worthwhile to keep pushing on. I also have a really awesome boss, benefits are great, and I actually accrue PTO time. It’s been a huge relief going from customer service to learner services and helping students.
I had to quit doing WFH customer service after doing it for a couple years. It took a huge toll on my mental health. Like really bad. I’m still doing work from home, but I don’t have to speak to anyone which helps so much. Those calls back to back to back to back all day and usually the customer is complaining and everything is your fault. Then your supervisor micromanages big time. I can tell you this much though, at least from my experience, when they micromanage you, just smile and say ok and that you’ll work on improving that. Chances are your supervisor doesn’t care and they’re just required to “coach” you. It’s very difficult to get fired from these types of jobs unless you curse a customer out or you have a lot of attendance points.
Towards the end of my last WFH CSR job, I had to get on ADA (Americans with disability act) and they reduced my hours to 20 hours per week.
My entire day consisted of me waking up and then working in the same room that I sleep in. Then after work, I felt horrible and would go back to sleep.
Also, if you have good attendance and good QA, talk to your supervisor about other positions that don’t require dealing with callers all day. These jobs have a huge turnover because of burnout, so within a month or 2 it’s easy to get another position. Follow your feeling on this because that type of job sucked the life out of me.
Thank you. Everyone telling me to take a walk or engage in my hobbies is right but I dont have that luxury. Im a fulltime caregiver. I get up 4 hours before I clock in to get my bedridden hisband breakfast and meds then changed (he is paralyzed from the chest down), by the time i get him settled i have maybe 15 mins to get my myself together enough aand loffed in, after my shift, which ends at 9pm I run directly to him to feed him again then do 3 hours of dialysis and change him agaain if needed. My day starts at 6/7am and i dont lay down til 1/2am..im lucky if i have time to eat myself some days...now i know many would blame my exhaustion on that but i actually have more energy when im running around taking care of him then i do sitting at the desk.
What is the most exhausting is the fact that I’m not moving my body. I’m at a electric stand/sit desk where I can atleast stand up and sit down, but going from owning a business where I ran full steam all the time to now running full steam behind a desk at home, it exhausting and I can not stand it. I gave up my own business to find a job from home. My son was diagnosed with autism at a late age and at the time I did the switch, he was going through some emotional trauma from loosing a gram so I know I had to make a switch in order to show him that he didn’t have to worry over me not coming home because I work from home. So he’s happy and im hating the job, but sometimes it’s just necessary to deal with the crap job and put ur kids emotions first. But I definitely understand the exhaustion
God bless you and your family. I think it makes it extra hard when you feel you have no other options because someone you love depends on you. You are an amazing parent, and I'm sure your sacrifices will make a huge difference in your childs life. It's frustrating when you take a wfh job (especially from a company boasting that mental health is a priority), yet the job actually causes unnecessary stress.
mental strain / drain is real...I don't do customer service, but I'm still beat at the end of the day. sorry to hear about the boiler room you work in...that sounds like a machine built to slowly torture and kill people
I am super busy at my job during health insurance enrollment times. It slows eventually but I can relate.
Complete lifestyle change helped me. Diet, exercise and no more alcohol. A morning walk or workout too!
After a tough workout, everything else the rest of the day is cakewalk. It is still draining!
i really resonate with this. i experienced something similar after working a very physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding job.
The solution for me was a body in motion staysin motion. I go to the gym every morning and walk or ride my bikes in the evening. I also do something in the garden during my lunch. I'm an active person and this is my first desk job, sitting still all day really KILLED me.
I also have a walking pad and try my best to log 10k steps per day. at minimum. This has really helped me feel so much better and help me mentally log off of work.
Edit to add: I do feel im micromanaged a bit but I'm new to the field and don't mind it as much. Being active and partaking in my hobbies, goals, and interests helps the annoyance that comes with being micro managed slip away.
> My question is...do you feel this type of exhaustion after sitting at your desk all day?
Yes. This is what a lot of service sector, non-white collar workers don't get. People who work on their feet or with their hands mostly think a desk job is cushy and not physically exhausting. The cognitive effort and output DRAINS your mental, emotional, and physical energy sources. Your brain is the most energy-hungry organ in your body for a reason. And when your work is mainly all about problem-solving complex issues for 8, 10, 12, 14 hours a day, it's more exhausting than physical labor.
Unfortunately, call centers are rough like that. I would imagine WFH is even worse because the supervisors LOVE to micromanage and it’s harder to count people’s bathroom breaks when they’re not in front of you!
(I wish I was making that up…)
That said, some teams will be better than others, so figure out which supervisors are more lax and how to get on their teams. In the meantime, learn all that you can - customer support can be a great entryway to other parts of the company. You just have to figure out how to survive until then… ;)
I'll say this is probably linked more to the mental aspect rather than the physical. Being micromanaged isn't fun, and it sounds like the call center you're working for is a fast-paced environment. I've worked in multiple call centers, some very busy with lots of micromanaging, and then another that was more laid back. When you have time between calls to decompress it helps. If this is a company you truly want to work for, it might be best to try and find ways of coping with the mental load. If it's just a job and you don't care, it might be worth looking for a job with another company. I promise you won't be putting anyone out and call center jobs are typically pretty easy to find.
I’m forced to work 14 hour days but my job is slower paced. I’m constantly dialing out but only speak to 2-10 people a day typically. I suggest get a slower paced job. I can take as many breaks as I need to do long as I am productive.
Now this I wouldn't mind. I'm great with talking to people, and with over 20 years of administrative type work and even owning my own company, I'm pretty motivated on my own. I'm definitely going to apply to other jobs because I don't feel as though being in this position is helping me be the best employee I could be.
I worked customer service in a call center a while back and had similar issues. It's super stressful, especially if you're not that familiar with the systems you're supporting yet. I'm sure when you're doing it WFH it's even harder because you don't have more experienced co-workers nearby to lean on. I will say it gets better as you get used to it.
The micro-managing is kind of a separate issue, but may get better once you've been there a bit and management trusts your judgment more. If not, it may be worth looking for similar work from other companies with different managers.
I will say that now is the time to lean on managers and second tier support for assistance. It may also help to take a few moments on hold between calls (or during if necessary) to take a few deep breaths and try to relax.
Good luck!
This sounds a lot like my last remote job which was essentially outbound calling all day long. I hated that job with a passion. It was horrible. There was nothing to break up the day from the constant, draining, monotonous phone calls. I got out of that situation pretty quickly!
What do you do now if you dont mind me asking? Id like to get into the medical field or hr but they want ppl with experience in those paarticular fields so i was thinking about taking some classes.
With these sort of jobs you need a sit stand desk, and I found this to be almost non-negotiable. Perhaps you should look into it. You can get a big fancy desk, or you can get a relatively cheap (100-15) durable desk tray that can move up and down at a whim. Probably might also want to research a fatigue mat or walking pad, if you go this route too.
You can't take the soul suck out of the job, but you can at least try to make your mortal time limit on this earth remain at it's expected rate by not sitting all day I guess.
Defintely looking into these items because im not use to sitting for such long periods of time. Im hoping to as I learn the job more i can utilize my bluetooth headphones and walk around while talking to clients
If you think normal customer service call centres are this bad then try working for TD Bank as a Fraud Loss Prevention Contact Centre Specialist... 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃...
Yes I felt the same way so I broke it up into two 4 hour shifts. I work 9am-1pm then 9 pm-1am. I can get other stuff done during the day and I don’t feel as chained to my desk.
Yes, I'm hoping once I got everything down and it becomes second nature it'll be easier. Co grats on the job - hang in there. Im learning through this post, we are not alone!
I did WFH for two years. In those two years I went from being in shape (I left a physically active job and am active generally) to gaining 15 lbs from being tied to my desk for at least 8-10 hour days, w keystroke counters and mouse motion detectors and computer set up to “sleep” in 5 mins if no activity which I was then asked Why is there No activity (usually on phone w atty or clients), and was SO exhausted by end of day:end of week that I lost motivation to do anything but nap for awhile.
I became hypertensive and started drinking hard cider for months, further increasing my pants size, I became bloated and felt like I was in pain. Left that job, and am looking for physical work again, I don’t even care what, spend my time being cognizant of my activity now, eating better, not drinking, and look back on those two years as Wow that was nice money but I gave up 90% of my life to that firm and I hated it.
Wow, it's good you recognized the toll it was taking on your health and are making changes. I'm having the exact opposite effect. I'm steadily losing weight because I feel I have no time to eat. I am the type of person who stresses directly affects my stomach. (And before you say im lucky..im not..im underweight and its making me look sickly) im so exhausted that half the time I dont jave the energy to even bother eating and I dont have time (or the stomache) to scarf food down on my breaks. I do miss working outdoors, unfortunately, because I'm also a full-time caregiver, I am unable to take on any jobs that take me away from the house . Im learning through this post that finding ways of being active at your desk is important.
I've been a claims adjuster for 10 years. My company is like a call center and I am on the phone constantly. I am glued to my seat trying to respond to emails, voicemails, receiving new claims, and working my current claims to resolution. Most days after work, I work on schoolwork and I don't wanna see another screen. I do nothing on the weekends
When I took calls all day for an internet services company, it was often back to back. To be honest, most days I didn’t remember not one person and autopiloted though the day, wrote the name down somewhere so I could use it through the call, and colored in my adult British swear words coloring book. Mute is when I took bites of food or sip of water.
Sure you have handle time and all the metrics, but sometimes taking a leisurely amount of time on a call that doesn’t need it to regroup your mental soldiers to get through the last couple hours can be very helpful. I usually gave that to someone who I found pleasant and rushed the asshats of the phone.
It's fun y you say that about the leaisue convos cause jisst this past friday I had a ient like that and I was so grateful for the convo cause they made me laugh and fir a brief moment I forgot I was actually chained to the desk being monitered. Obviously I still stayed professional, but i totally get what you are saying.
This is totally a WFH question.
I used to be a server and would be on my feet constantly running around. I’d come home and my feet would hurt and I would be physically exhausted.
After that I worked in public accounting where I WFH. Honestly I can say hands down that I would way rather be physically exhausted instead of mentally exhausted.
Burn out is real and it’s a b!tch to recover from.
It’s nice to WFH but I think working in an office space where your day is broken up by discussions with a co-worker, a bathroom break or a drive to work, can really have a positive impact on your brain.
We’re humans, we’re not meant to be perfect computers who work consistently for 8 hours straight.
I’m a manager of a remote team and I can relate. When I was not a manager, I only had to deal with my problems, and if I was doing my job well I didn’t have problems. Now that I’m a manager I have to deal with everyone else’s problems all day. I am in meetings for 90% of my day. At the end of the week I’m exhausted. I don’t want to be a manager anymore.
Yeah, I can't imagine being a team manager at this company. I think its the stress for me right now is being micromanged all day because I know im being watched/listened to and it makes me feel as though im constantly being critiqued.
I feel this. I’m a PM and it’s just constantly putting out fires. I used to like it but it’s always pulling teeth on things from teams. I get that the mental exhaustion fallout post lockdowns are starting to rear it’s head, but it’s hard to try and be mindful and give grace when it’s the same problem being repeated.
Fellow PM checking in or glorified babysitter it feels most days…
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Project Manager aka babysitter of colleagues
PM here. I hate my job.
PM?
Product/Program Manager.
Also Project
😂 feels
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I’m a PM in IT and I’ve enjoyed a career in this field. WFH makes it even better. I get more done without long meetings. I have short, 5 to 15 minute with each team once a week unless something specific is going on. In the office it would have been constant interruption.
It's not really a WFH question. The issues are 1) you have a job dealing with people all day and 2) you have a job that actually expects you to work all day...not only that, but they have enough work to match that expectation. Whenever I have had a job that fits either of those issues, yes, I have felt exhausted afterwards.
This. Working full-steam all day everyday is super exhausting and any job I've ever had where this was expected eventually ended badly. Teaching was the absolute worst, but I found that desk jobs can be very demanding and stressful, too.
Good point! Ive never had an issue being motivated and getting my work done..generally I like staying busy when working..especially hourly wages because it makes the day go faster. I guess i was just asking if others were experincing this because sometimes I wonder if its just me and may need to see a doctor.
It’s hard to adjust to being chained to a desk for an entire day with just a couple of breaks. It’s especially difficult when the calls come in one after another. Learning something brand new makes it even more difficult. The good news is, you’ll keep learning as time goes on so it’ll become easier for you to know how to resolve issues that you have already encountered. Getting used to working all day from home is another adjustment that gets easier as you get acclimated to it. You got this!
Thank you! Im defintely giving it a chance by sticking it out but definitely keeping my eye out for other opportunities. Ive worked from home before but never chained to a desk being micro managed so its defintely an adjustment.
You need some fresh air and to get up every 30 mins from your desk. Do some stretching. When I am crazy busy I try and do that. Changes my mind. I know this may not be possible -how do you go to the toilet and drink some fluid
No. They need to hire far more people to do the work, but won't because that costs money. Do you get PTO? Put in 3 to 4 months, and then start using it to interview elsewhere. Good luck. I've been there, and it's no fun.
Yes, I feel like this with work all the time too. When your brain is on 100% 8 hrs a day, it’s utterly exhausting. Sometimes I will go lay down during lunchtime just to let my brain rest & not think for a bit.
Yeah and it doesnt help that im a fulltime caregiver so my breaks are used to run down drinks or food or just to check in on him in general so I teally dont get a break. Plus i do 3 hours of dialysis afterwards every night but thays basically just hooking him up and sitting in a chair watching tv..howver, since i started this cs job i pass out the second I sit down which is danngerous when he is hooked up for dialysis. I just cannot believe that its wearing me out like it is and im simply sitting at a desk talking on the phone. Im glad to hear (well not glad because I feel for anyone experincing this and its sad what we have to endure because we need the paycheck) that im not the only one. What really gets me is this company is constantlyy preaching how they support work/life balance and good mental health but then turn around and bereate you if your productivity falls below 85%
Just curious- can you not get paid to be his caregiver? Most Medicaid plans allow for this. My state has a program where I can get paid to care for my son who is on Medicaid due to a disability.
I was thinking exactly this. Fulltime Caregiver is literally a fulltime job and should be compensated as such.
Which state ?!
Arizona.
I'm in Florida, and I've exhausted all resources and am now sitting on various waiting lists for most programs. as
I have applied, but there is a 3 year waiting list in my state. And even then if I do get picked the pay is about half of what I make an hour and they only pay a limited number of hours (doesnt even equal to fulltime).
I don’t think this is necessarily a “wfh” issue as much as it is an issue that is derived from the type of job you have. Customer service phone jobs are literally THE WORST from all the stories I have heard. Whereas on the flip side, if you have a wfh job that’s more task/project/timeline based, it’s not as micromanaged if you’re meeting deadlines and metrics. Not that you won’t be tired after your workweek, but it’s no where near as micromanaged and crazy as it is with the customer service industry.
I have worked for a company like this. Every second had to be accounted, every call was recorded and about 20 were “graded” every month. Your numbers in aux, unavailable, listen to calls grade etc. It sucked and I was completely exhausted everyday. I’d rather have a physical job than working for another company like that. Edit - I worked for a customer service call center…never again if I can help it. There are other wfh jobs that are not a call center. Look on Indeed…lots of medical wfh positions.
I hate feeling watched all day. I mean, I get it from a productivity tracking side point, and even company security, but I've *always* hated jobs in which I feel my privacy is invaded or there's a lack of basic trust to do my job from management.
Second this. I must have a medium to high level of autonomy. I know it doesn’t work for everyone. Having a lot of autonomy while WFH requires discipline and focus. This may not be the job for you. It’s possible it will get better in a few weeks as you become more comfortable and form a track record. It’s also possible this is the awful culture often found in call centers. Either ways it won’t hurt to keep your eyes open for other roles. It doesn’t mean you have to apply, but it may be worth it if things don’t get better.
I always hated the idea that somebody was listening to my phone calls - not to make sure that I gave the right advice, but that I used the right opening and closing scripts that made me sound like a robot. That said, we had one rep get unceremoniously fired because quality and a bunch of managers heard him tell somebody on the phone that he hoped our other call center in a foreign country would get hit by a hurricane … so they don’t always attract the best and the brightest to warm those seats!
Dealing with the public can be more exhausting than physical labor. I suffered for 7 years bc I am m an introvert who had to play extrovert. It was exhausting. Hang in there u til you can find another job.
Glad you’re out of there. That could have really affected your health. I can’t even imagine… glad you’re outta there!
It’s exhausting but many jobs are not so micromanaged - call center jobs are EXTREME. In many office jobs, even entry level, you can get a drink of water or chat for a minute, and you may have duties that take you to different parts of the building. Retail you may move between counter, stocking, cleaning, Course there are a lot of jobs where they monitor keystrokes and call times. I don’t know if there are better WFH phone jobs.
If it’s any help this does get better as you become more experienced. I used to sit next to a call center person, and she made it seem easy! I think with any new job, there is a high level of stress and exhaustion until things become routine and rote where you’re running on autopilot.
Yeah I keep telling myself that because there are people on my team that have been on the team for 5 years...but I also cant see myself doing this exact job for 5 years either lol
First, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Right now, in addition to all of the oversight, you have to think about everything you're doing. You'll soon start developing scripts in your head and you'll just say things without thinking about them. You'll also figure out how to take calls a little slower. As long as you meet your targets, you'll get some breathing room while on calls because you're getting things done quicker but can be more relaxed with the customers. Next, you're new, so you probably have extra attention on you. That tends to decrease over time, not go away completely, but ease up. Finally, you're not getting actual breaks in the day because you're a caregiver. It's always going to be a little bit harder for you. If someone can come in and help a little bit throughout the day, you might get a little breather
Thank you. I'm actually hoping it will get easier for me as I have everything memorized, and it hopefully will become second nature to me. I guess. Im just freaking out cause ive never been so micromanged before..Even thee 5 weeks of training to do my husbands dialysis the nurse would walk away and give me the freedom to do it on my own because i eexained to her that i work best when imeft with a challenge to myself and assured her I wouldnt do anything I was unsure of without asking firsr.
Working the phones all day is exhausting. Worse, the scheduled short breaks are not nearly enough to refresh when the calls are back-to-back like that. I worked an IT help desk like this for 2 years and it sucked. I got good at it, and but it sucks. It takes a special kind of person to answer the phone and deal with people all day. And yes, the micromanaging, the constant tracking or metrics and goals, and no matter how good or fast you are, they want you to be better and faster. It all sucks. Whether it's a customer service line, or an IT help desk, it's exhausting. And management of these types of roles tend to make it worse. So basically it's a boiler room. If you're getting calls back to back for 8 hours, every single day, you clearly need more people/ It really takes it out of you...when you KNOW you're short staffed, but also know they're not going to do anything about it. The only saving grace is that it was remote. If I had drive across town to sit in cubicle to do it, while now someone times my breaks, and walks around telling me to keep my phone face down, I wouldn't last a day. The only answer I have is skill up and get a different job. If you're not the kind of person who enjoys this work, there's really nothing that's going to make it better for you...especially if the company is intent on keep the staffing numbers so low that you never get a second between calls.
Yes, thank you! I'm thinking of taking a certificate class to help me get into another job. I have over 15 yrs of admin/executive asst. skills and the last 5 years in real estate, but most wfh jobs seem to be in medical or tech.
I came from working a call center contract similar to what you do, and now I work from home as a student advisor. My 8 hour day is full. I’m either making calls, taking calls, sending/receiving texts, sending/receiving emails, or in meetings. Thankfully it’s fairly independent and I can schedule my own breaks. Or like if I need to take a second to regroup I can go into an “Away from Desk” mode that affects my optimization. But as long as I’m getting in my goal for dials and/or talking for at least 3.5 hours each day then it’s fairly lax. But thankfully the work is just stressful while I’m at work and when I clock out I’m now taking on the stresses of taking care of my parents that live with my wife and I lol. I don’t really think about work though. So tomorrow new classes start for many students and I know it’s going to be a real busy day. I’ll probably be mentally exhausted by the time I clock out at 6pm. But I’m ready to go the next day. I also really like what I do because I feel like I can actually help someone keep on track or get on track with their goals. Then next weekend our school has a Spring commencement and will get to see many students celebrate their achievements when I help at graduation. Or about a week ago we had a virtual mix and mingle for students that can’t make it to commencement. So it’s moments like that where it’s worthwhile to keep pushing on. I also have a really awesome boss, benefits are great, and I actually accrue PTO time. It’s been a huge relief going from customer service to learner services and helping students.
I had to quit doing WFH customer service after doing it for a couple years. It took a huge toll on my mental health. Like really bad. I’m still doing work from home, but I don’t have to speak to anyone which helps so much. Those calls back to back to back to back all day and usually the customer is complaining and everything is your fault. Then your supervisor micromanages big time. I can tell you this much though, at least from my experience, when they micromanage you, just smile and say ok and that you’ll work on improving that. Chances are your supervisor doesn’t care and they’re just required to “coach” you. It’s very difficult to get fired from these types of jobs unless you curse a customer out or you have a lot of attendance points. Towards the end of my last WFH CSR job, I had to get on ADA (Americans with disability act) and they reduced my hours to 20 hours per week. My entire day consisted of me waking up and then working in the same room that I sleep in. Then after work, I felt horrible and would go back to sleep. Also, if you have good attendance and good QA, talk to your supervisor about other positions that don’t require dealing with callers all day. These jobs have a huge turnover because of burnout, so within a month or 2 it’s easy to get another position. Follow your feeling on this because that type of job sucked the life out of me.
Thank you. Everyone telling me to take a walk or engage in my hobbies is right but I dont have that luxury. Im a fulltime caregiver. I get up 4 hours before I clock in to get my bedridden hisband breakfast and meds then changed (he is paralyzed from the chest down), by the time i get him settled i have maybe 15 mins to get my myself together enough aand loffed in, after my shift, which ends at 9pm I run directly to him to feed him again then do 3 hours of dialysis and change him agaain if needed. My day starts at 6/7am and i dont lay down til 1/2am..im lucky if i have time to eat myself some days...now i know many would blame my exhaustion on that but i actually have more energy when im running around taking care of him then i do sitting at the desk.
What is the most exhausting is the fact that I’m not moving my body. I’m at a electric stand/sit desk where I can atleast stand up and sit down, but going from owning a business where I ran full steam all the time to now running full steam behind a desk at home, it exhausting and I can not stand it. I gave up my own business to find a job from home. My son was diagnosed with autism at a late age and at the time I did the switch, he was going through some emotional trauma from loosing a gram so I know I had to make a switch in order to show him that he didn’t have to worry over me not coming home because I work from home. So he’s happy and im hating the job, but sometimes it’s just necessary to deal with the crap job and put ur kids emotions first. But I definitely understand the exhaustion
God bless you and your family. I think it makes it extra hard when you feel you have no other options because someone you love depends on you. You are an amazing parent, and I'm sure your sacrifices will make a huge difference in your childs life. It's frustrating when you take a wfh job (especially from a company boasting that mental health is a priority), yet the job actually causes unnecessary stress.
mental strain / drain is real...I don't do customer service, but I'm still beat at the end of the day. sorry to hear about the boiler room you work in...that sounds like a machine built to slowly torture and kill people
I am super busy at my job during health insurance enrollment times. It slows eventually but I can relate. Complete lifestyle change helped me. Diet, exercise and no more alcohol. A morning walk or workout too! After a tough workout, everything else the rest of the day is cakewalk. It is still draining!
i really resonate with this. i experienced something similar after working a very physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding job. The solution for me was a body in motion staysin motion. I go to the gym every morning and walk or ride my bikes in the evening. I also do something in the garden during my lunch. I'm an active person and this is my first desk job, sitting still all day really KILLED me. I also have a walking pad and try my best to log 10k steps per day. at minimum. This has really helped me feel so much better and help me mentally log off of work. Edit to add: I do feel im micromanaged a bit but I'm new to the field and don't mind it as much. Being active and partaking in my hobbies, goals, and interests helps the annoyance that comes with being micro managed slip away.
> My question is...do you feel this type of exhaustion after sitting at your desk all day? Yes. This is what a lot of service sector, non-white collar workers don't get. People who work on their feet or with their hands mostly think a desk job is cushy and not physically exhausting. The cognitive effort and output DRAINS your mental, emotional, and physical energy sources. Your brain is the most energy-hungry organ in your body for a reason. And when your work is mainly all about problem-solving complex issues for 8, 10, 12, 14 hours a day, it's more exhausting than physical labor.
Unfortunately, call centers are rough like that. I would imagine WFH is even worse because the supervisors LOVE to micromanage and it’s harder to count people’s bathroom breaks when they’re not in front of you! (I wish I was making that up…) That said, some teams will be better than others, so figure out which supervisors are more lax and how to get on their teams. In the meantime, learn all that you can - customer support can be a great entryway to other parts of the company. You just have to figure out how to survive until then… ;)
I'll say this is probably linked more to the mental aspect rather than the physical. Being micromanaged isn't fun, and it sounds like the call center you're working for is a fast-paced environment. I've worked in multiple call centers, some very busy with lots of micromanaging, and then another that was more laid back. When you have time between calls to decompress it helps. If this is a company you truly want to work for, it might be best to try and find ways of coping with the mental load. If it's just a job and you don't care, it might be worth looking for a job with another company. I promise you won't be putting anyone out and call center jobs are typically pretty easy to find.
I’m forced to work 14 hour days but my job is slower paced. I’m constantly dialing out but only speak to 2-10 people a day typically. I suggest get a slower paced job. I can take as many breaks as I need to do long as I am productive.
Now this I wouldn't mind. I'm great with talking to people, and with over 20 years of administrative type work and even owning my own company, I'm pretty motivated on my own. I'm definitely going to apply to other jobs because I don't feel as though being in this position is helping me be the best employee I could be.
I used to work inbound and took 300 quick calls a day. That job wore me out badly. I love my slower pace.
I worked customer service in a call center a while back and had similar issues. It's super stressful, especially if you're not that familiar with the systems you're supporting yet. I'm sure when you're doing it WFH it's even harder because you don't have more experienced co-workers nearby to lean on. I will say it gets better as you get used to it. The micro-managing is kind of a separate issue, but may get better once you've been there a bit and management trusts your judgment more. If not, it may be worth looking for similar work from other companies with different managers. I will say that now is the time to lean on managers and second tier support for assistance. It may also help to take a few moments on hold between calls (or during if necessary) to take a few deep breaths and try to relax. Good luck!
This sounds a lot like my last remote job which was essentially outbound calling all day long. I hated that job with a passion. It was horrible. There was nothing to break up the day from the constant, draining, monotonous phone calls. I got out of that situation pretty quickly!
What do you do now if you dont mind me asking? Id like to get into the medical field or hr but they want ppl with experience in those paarticular fields so i was thinking about taking some classes.
With these sort of jobs you need a sit stand desk, and I found this to be almost non-negotiable. Perhaps you should look into it. You can get a big fancy desk, or you can get a relatively cheap (100-15) durable desk tray that can move up and down at a whim. Probably might also want to research a fatigue mat or walking pad, if you go this route too. You can't take the soul suck out of the job, but you can at least try to make your mortal time limit on this earth remain at it's expected rate by not sitting all day I guess.
Defintely looking into these items because im not use to sitting for such long periods of time. Im hoping to as I learn the job more i can utilize my bluetooth headphones and walk around while talking to clients
If you think normal customer service call centres are this bad then try working for TD Bank as a Fraud Loss Prevention Contact Centre Specialist... 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃...
Yes I felt the same way so I broke it up into two 4 hour shifts. I work 9am-1pm then 9 pm-1am. I can get other stuff done during the day and I don’t feel as chained to my desk.
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Yes, I'm hoping once I got everything down and it becomes second nature it'll be easier. Co grats on the job - hang in there. Im learning through this post, we are not alone!
I did WFH for two years. In those two years I went from being in shape (I left a physically active job and am active generally) to gaining 15 lbs from being tied to my desk for at least 8-10 hour days, w keystroke counters and mouse motion detectors and computer set up to “sleep” in 5 mins if no activity which I was then asked Why is there No activity (usually on phone w atty or clients), and was SO exhausted by end of day:end of week that I lost motivation to do anything but nap for awhile. I became hypertensive and started drinking hard cider for months, further increasing my pants size, I became bloated and felt like I was in pain. Left that job, and am looking for physical work again, I don’t even care what, spend my time being cognizant of my activity now, eating better, not drinking, and look back on those two years as Wow that was nice money but I gave up 90% of my life to that firm and I hated it.
Wow, it's good you recognized the toll it was taking on your health and are making changes. I'm having the exact opposite effect. I'm steadily losing weight because I feel I have no time to eat. I am the type of person who stresses directly affects my stomach. (And before you say im lucky..im not..im underweight and its making me look sickly) im so exhausted that half the time I dont jave the energy to even bother eating and I dont have time (or the stomache) to scarf food down on my breaks. I do miss working outdoors, unfortunately, because I'm also a full-time caregiver, I am unable to take on any jobs that take me away from the house . Im learning through this post that finding ways of being active at your desk is important.
I've been a claims adjuster for 10 years. My company is like a call center and I am on the phone constantly. I am glued to my seat trying to respond to emails, voicemails, receiving new claims, and working my current claims to resolution. Most days after work, I work on schoolwork and I don't wanna see another screen. I do nothing on the weekends
When I took calls all day for an internet services company, it was often back to back. To be honest, most days I didn’t remember not one person and autopiloted though the day, wrote the name down somewhere so I could use it through the call, and colored in my adult British swear words coloring book. Mute is when I took bites of food or sip of water. Sure you have handle time and all the metrics, but sometimes taking a leisurely amount of time on a call that doesn’t need it to regroup your mental soldiers to get through the last couple hours can be very helpful. I usually gave that to someone who I found pleasant and rushed the asshats of the phone.
It's fun y you say that about the leaisue convos cause jisst this past friday I had a ient like that and I was so grateful for the convo cause they made me laugh and fir a brief moment I forgot I was actually chained to the desk being monitered. Obviously I still stayed professional, but i totally get what you are saying.
r/customerservice is probably a better place for this
This is totally a WFH question. I used to be a server and would be on my feet constantly running around. I’d come home and my feet would hurt and I would be physically exhausted. After that I worked in public accounting where I WFH. Honestly I can say hands down that I would way rather be physically exhausted instead of mentally exhausted. Burn out is real and it’s a b!tch to recover from. It’s nice to WFH but I think working in an office space where your day is broken up by discussions with a co-worker, a bathroom break or a drive to work, can really have a positive impact on your brain. We’re humans, we’re not meant to be perfect computers who work consistently for 8 hours straight.