Extremely long days - eleven hours if you're doing the standard four day week. Some shifts you don't finish until 22:00. You are required to work alternate weekend days (Saturday one week, Sunday the next). The training program could do with some tweaking, doesn't focus enough on what different departments are capable of and technical details of the online system. Once you've passed the "academy" phase you're encouraged to try and not ask for help when needed from team leaders/supervisors. While this is understandable in theory, sometimes you do need a supervisor's help - I had a team leader point blank refuse to hear my query once, and another told me the wrong information to get rid of me so she could carry on talking with one of her friends. I should add this is not representative of all team leaders - some were extremely helpful and informative - the concern is more with the policy itself. Just before I left, the company had decided to enroll the vast majority of team leaders on my floor on a training program at the same time, leaving a handful of supervisors to oversee scores of advisors. Amazingly short-sighted to leave them so overworked. The sheer breadth of product and package information, deals, discounts, eligibility for these is staggering, impossible to know completely. You're supposed to be acting as an expert advisor for customers, but how that is possible when information and deals change all the time is beyond me. My final gripe is not specific to Firstsource, more with call centres in general. I knew deep down this sort of role was not for me, but it was the first application that I got anywhere with, so I took it with both hands. My advice to anyone who feels like call centre work is not for them before applying, is that you're probably right. I have never been so miserable on such a consistent basis.
