Vantaggi
Requirements were to have customer service experience and a preference for past call center employees so it wasn't too difficult to get in the door. They care a lot about the well being of their employees and management would actively listen and attempt to assist with any issues that arose. The work was contracted by the state, so any federal/state holidays were paid days off by the employer as well. Full benefit package, dental, vision, health, 401k, etc... There is a great culture and values that place the employees at the top and demand accountability from management if issues begin to arise. It was a refreshing change from what I've seen with most other companies.
Svantaggi
Call center environments are never nice. Always expect to be badmouthed over the phone by customers. You are required to stay even after hours if you have a phone call that's taking a long time. You are not allowed to disconnect under any circumstances. Contracted work means someone else sets the rules, so when something you feel isn't working out the way it should there will be no resolution because the company cannot change those rules. We were at the mercy of programs and processes handed down by the state, not the company. It was difficult to get work done at the pace we were required to because of the limitations of the software and websites we had to use. Because it was a contract, wages did not go up for most people in over a two year period. This was very unfortunate and caused a lot of people to leave. Benefits increased even though wages stagnated. Because of the nature of a call center, it was hard to move into any other positions outside of phones. Getting a promotion was nearly impossible.