I have no idea why it's not showing up in your news groups, Richy. It's there in mine and I've gotten emails about all of them, even the mid-training one on Tuesday. I was told that the brick and mortar call center has been taking calls for them for years - it's just the wah agent part that is new for them. They've never opened this particular skill up to us before. I received an email that after only around 8 hours of actual call taking (for me - others, I'm sure have less) that come Monday, they will be paying attention to schedule adherence. Since I spent most of Friday trying to get their applications to work, this might be fun. They've been trying to tell me that my problem is my DSL but I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with my ISP provider Saturday and after several diagnostic tests, not one thing is wrong on my end. I guess I'll see come tomorrow. I wish more people would find this forum. I would love to find out if what I'm going through is just me.
OK, here's my update. I'm waiting for log ons so I can start working, supposed to be within a few days. Got an e-mail today stating they were having so many problems with log ons, they want everyone to check with PALS to make sure all is ok. They say they will be paying more attention to schedule adherence to also make sure no one is having issues with log ons, this way you don't get pin'd for the wrong reason. Once everyone is up and running, all glitches solved, they promise more hours. Right now the schedule looks pretty bare, so I'm hoping they keep their word on more hours!
Thanks for that updtd callie_d, I too finally got in touch with a pal regarding "my don getting emails on training" she indicated that some of the agents were not getting the messages and some were. I finally got my training schdled for Wed pm. I q'd her about the hours also but didn't get an acceptable answer either. Let's keep each other informed. Richy
A word of advice, guys. Keep a log of which p*l you talk to, when (including time) and what about. Also make sure you write down what time you start holding and how long it took them to answer. Tech support as well. I had to call tech support Monday and when I finally got things working, one of the p*ls asked if I had been given an "incident" or something number. I had not, but I had written down who I talked to and what time. The upshot if it is - I missed an hour's pay Monday because I was dealing with problems caused by something one of the p*ls told me to do. It took an hour and a half to get in touch with a p*l, explain what was going on, get tech support and do what they told me to do. After all that, I was told I'd only be paid for 30 minutes of that time. I held for 30 minutes before a p*l ever answered the phone. They don't seem to communicate with each other so you have to go over everything every time you talk to them. Oh, and I was told today that we have to call a p*l to ask permission to call tech support - we're not supposed to just call them on our own. Apparently we're supposed to let the p*ls try to figure out what is wrong first. If this is a rule, I have to wonder why I'm just now being told. Seems like they're making it up as they go. The one today actually told me that they're not supposed to tell us they don't know what the problem is - even if they don't. I don't think she meant to tell me that. It kind of just slipped out. When I called tech support Monday, I had already told one of the p*ls I wanted to and she said OK, probably because she was already trying to hand me off to the person who screwed me up in the first place.
That's a good suggestion Carri, I always believe in documenting who you talk to, I just didn't think of it with the P*ls. Thanks for the heads up.
You should also keep records of when you work. The first day we were all supposed to try logging in for the first time was fubarred. Nothing worked and nobody could get in. They called an emergency webinar and told us all to pick up hours for it. Later that afternoon, I was authorized by P*ls to pick up a couple more shifts to try to resolve the issues. That day is completely missing in my pay schedule. The only thing the p*ls will tell me is to email payroll. I did but I have no hope of it showing up in time for this paycheck. Oh, and if you ARE scheduled for more than 30 minutes but you're having technical difficulties, you won't get paid for anything but 30 minutes. I was also attributed a call this morning in my "coaching" that I never took. I was only on for a couple hours and only took 6 or 8 calls. I remember them. They swear it was me on the call but I did not talk to anyone this morning with that issue. Be careful.
I had my first shift this morning and the A*E system was down, or, as I found out later, they were doing an "upgrade". Apparently it was a system wide problem, according to other agents on other lines, but every P*l I talked to gave me a different answer. I'm talking about 4 different P*ls here. FUBAR is correct! I'm still holding out hope it will get better. By the way, what type of calls are you getting the most of? Just curious, I'm going over my training a little to refresh my memory. Thanks.
I don't think the p*ls know what's going on. I think they make it up as they go along. I got the message that they changed A*E, too, and that made sense since it was so messed up this morning. It took forever to get an answer in chat and hardly anybody was answering calls from us agents. On the other hand, they found time to listen in on calls that we supposedly got. Go figure. Chat was filled with messages from people with tech problems. Some of my messages didn't get answered for over 30 minutes. I did end up losing my last caller when A*E froze up on me. The p*ls knew it. Why do they tell us to get call back #s if nobody is going to call them back? Let me just say that you should review p*ym*nt pl*ns and s*rv*ce or*ers. The first is relatively easy because S*M is pretty clear on them. The second is hard and S*M is confusing as all get out on them. When I got home this evening and saw the message that they'd been messing with A*E today, I knew that p*l was wrong this morning. She swore there was no way she could have been listening to anyone else but me but I KNOW I didn't take a call with the issue she described this morning. And even better, it is a common one that I'm used to by now and I don't HAVE to put anyone on hold to handle it any more. I am so not impressed with the p*ls.
I agree, I don't think the p*ls really know what they're doing. I have a LOT of computer experience, and when I got to about the 4th p*l today, I was getting fed up. They try to make it sound like the problem is on your end of things, and I stopped her and said, "listen, the problem is not my computer, it has to be coming from your servers or your system" Well, then she had to put me on hold because she got flustered! Then she comes back with, "oh, we're having issues with A*E. The thing that really annoys me is, why don't they just be up front about what's going on? I'm not too impressed either. Anyway, thanks for the heads up on the study guides, those are the ones I have been looking at, so I feel fairly confident about handling the calls, if the computer systems would just work right!
To be honest, sometimes I get the feeling that the p*ls aren't being told a whole lot, either. I have also come to the conclusion that the systems they're using are NOT the same ones we are and never have been. They have no clue what we're looking at on our screens. I had one tell me today that their A*E is different from mine. And these are the people we're supposed to be looking to for help? I also get the feeling that they tapped a few people and told them they would be in charge of us - people who have never had any kind of supervisory experience at all. Some of them are really nice but a couple of them need an attitude adjustment. I talked to one yesterday who was most definitely on a little power trip. She told me three times that she was my supervisor. Give me a break. Have you read any other threads in this topic? I don't think we're alone. I also have a lot of computer experience and have had to tell a couple that I have changed nothing in my settings - it's their programs that are being tweaked and changed. But what ticks me off the most is when they dock us for problems that are most certainly theirs. Once I learn enough that I don't have to ask them questions all the time and they get the bugs worked out of the system, I'll be a lot happier. Minimal contact with p*ls is my goal.
Callie, did you get a message that working on Mondays is a requirement of this sk*ll? If it is, WHY are we just being told this NOW? What I said before about them just making it up as they go along must be the case. Whatever. I already have 8 hours scheduled for that day. I'm not scheduling anymore. That's about as long as I can stand to deal with those people. I'm not talking about the customers, but I'm sure you knew that.
Yes, a lot of the other threads contain some of the same issues that we're looking at. There are maybe 2 or 3 p*ls on this line group that are OK to deal with, but the rest of them either have no clue what they're doing, or they have very big attitudes. One of them yesterday (friday) could not get what I was saying. I think I made it very clear, " I can log in to the system just fine, it's A*E that won't launch". She kept telling me how to log on! I agree, minimal contact with them is the best way to go. What was the deal with that phone call they tried to say was yours? I;m wondering if we should log every call on the A*e screen. Are we supposed to do that or is it optional? Because I'm thinking about doing it to every call I get, then they can't try to nail you with something that was not yours. Although I'll probably get in trouble for that too!
Carri, no I didn't get any messages that working Mondays was a requirement. All I was told was that they required 10 hours a week, but they would prefer it to be 15. They most definitely are making this stuff up as they go. I have 6 hours scheduled for Monday, I don't want to deal with them either. I just hope the system runs well, I don't think I'll need too much help from them otherwise. Me and S*m will get along just fine, lol. At least he doesn't have a superior attitude! I'm wondering what other rules are yet to be revealed......
Carri-UPDATE- I just got the e-mail for the Mondays thing. "Let's show DOM the power of WAH and pick up those hours" I almost fell off my chair laughing! Most would be willing to pick up more hours if their computer systems would work.
You're supposed to log every phone call as soon as you've finished it. That's not an option. The phone call I was gigged for was one I never took, although she (the p*l) swore up and down I talked to the woman. She swears that they have to put our ID# in their phone system so they can listen in on our calls and that there is NO WAY she could have been listening to someone else after putting in my ID. She could not give me the name of the person I supposedly put on hold until they hung up but she did tell me what her issue was. Like I said, I didn't handle one single call that day (Thurs) with that issue. I'm not crazy nor am I so old that I'm senile enough to forget within a couple of hours what I did. I only took 6 or 8 calls that day. None of them dealt with that particular issue. However, I do remember A*E telling me there was an incoming call at one point but my phone never rang. Then it showed a hold time for some reason when I had never answered a call. I'm wondering, with all the screwing with the system they were doing, if somehow the lines got mixed up and someone else answered that call. I have also had a fleeting thought that maybe she (the p*l - one of the hostile ones) had intercepted it. It makes me wonder, you know? But the p*l would not even consider that there was a problem with the system. I guess it's that old "never admit there's a problem" thing again. She did tell me, though that right now, that wouldn't be held against me. Mighty big of them, if you ask me. Not holding something I didn't do against me. HA! Have you read through some of the FAQ's? They contradict each other. One of them tells you to call the Help Desk and gives you the number. Another one tells you you're supposed to call a p*l first and let THEM troubleshoot it before calling the Hep Desk. It's silly. I get the feeling that you and I know a lot more about computers than any of the p*ls do. Calling them on most technical issues is a waste of time - time we don't get paid for, either. So by the time they've messed around and finally figured out they don't have a clue, you've either missed your entire shift or at least enough of it that you've lost significant hours. It's not right.
I agree, I'm not getting paid for my 1.5 hour shift on Friday because I was not able to take any calls. Of course, that would be their fault, but I guess it's too bad on my part. I know WE know a lot more about computers than they do, which makes it so frustrating. There are usually simple answers to problems but they are not forthcoming with the answers. There are still some agents waiting for e-mails for logins, webinars, etc. I never even got the email for logins, found out about it thru a conference call, then they said they were not releasing logins via e-mail. It makes you shake your head and wonder why all the insanity. They do not make it comfortable or easy for the agents, that's for sure.
