Jose Castellanos works two telemarketing jobs to save for college. He spends
six hours during the day working for an automotive solutions and vehicle financing
company. He calls people to sell cars, follows up on sales leads and does
credit checks.
In the evenings, he clocks another five-and-a-half hours doing market research
surveys at a different call center. He has been doing market research surveys
for two years. He says it's a great job to build skills for your future career
-- especially if you're interested in business or sales. He's constantly dealing
with people, talking to people and building communication skills. Calling
strangers also builds confidence.
"I have to do presentations at school, and it makes it a lot easier," says
Castellanos.
He likes talking to people from all over North America. He enjoys the window
into the differences in people's daily lives. He says it's important to have
good telephone etiquette.
"You have to make the respondent feel comfortable and that their opinion
did matter. You want them to feel their time was worthwhile."
Dealing with angry people is a daily challenge for telemarketers. "You
have to remember that you don't know this person and they don't know you.
They may have had a bad day and now they want to take it out on you -- but
they might be a nice person. It's not personal," says Castellanos.
"If you know how to do your job, it gets a lot easier. You gain experience
dealing with angry customers," he adds.
Some call centers require their telemarketers to make quotas. What the
quotas are for depends on the specialty of the company. For example, it could
mean getting a minimum amount of people to answer survey questions. Or, it
could mean selling a certain amount of subscriptions to a magazine. Or, it
could mean getting a certain number of people to agree to a free consultation
with a new doctor.
"Some call centers are lenient, but some require quotas to keep your job.
So there can be a lot of competition," says Castellanos. His call center is
more relaxed, but they do calculate "flow rate." That tells the boss how much
time callers are on the phone and how much time they are idle between calls.
"You always have to be on the phone. If you spend too much time between
calls, you're in big trouble," he says.
He can take a break whenever he wants, just not for too long. There is
usually a limit of 15 to 30 minutes for breaks for a six-hour shift.
Telemarketing jobs are known for their high turnover of workers. Some workers
don't like the structured schedules or repetitive tasks. Others enjoy those
features. The work environment often makes or breaks telemarketers.
Telemarketing has some image problems, since many people don't like being
contacted at home. In an effort to attract more new workers, some call centers
have changed the job title from telemarketer to customer contact professional,
call center representative or telephone sales representative.
Despite any negative images of the job, Castellanos says he works in a
great place, and there's always a new face to get to know. He has made a lot
of friends at work.
"It's a great starter job. It's not as busy as retail and not as dull as
fast food. I've worked retail and food. In the long run, I don't mind telemarketing.
Most people don't stay there for their whole lives -- they don't make it a
career," says Castellanos.
He adds that if you stay, you can work your way up in the company to a
management, programming or human resources position.
Sarah Lideen is a fundraiser for a communications company in St. Cloud,
Minnesota. She spends most of her workday on the phone. She balances her work
schedule with college studies.
At work, she helps to collect donations for nonprofit and other charitable
organizations. She says a passion for helping others is a necessary skill
for the job. It's important to stay on top of her training so that she can
become familiar with the latest fundraising campaigns.
"I get a great sense of accomplishment from my job. At the end of the day,
I know I have made a difference in someone else's life and helped them in
some way or another. The environment I work in is professional, but also laid
back. So, going to work tends to be my most stress-free part of my day, making
it the most enjoyable," says Lideen.
Her job is to call donors to talk to them about the latest campaigns. The
goal is to collect donations.
"I feel that just sending out a general letter asking for support is impersonal,
whereas with a phone call you actually get to know who the donors are and
can meet their needs better that can benefit both the donor and the organization,"
says Lideen.
She loves hearing feedback from donors and helping them to learn more about
the campaigns. But sometimes she calls people who are mean to her.
"The hardest part is still having to say 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry' to
them after they have been disrespectful to me. But it's knowing that the majority
of people that I do contact -- that are so grateful and happy that they have
been called -- that makes it cancel out those bad calls," says Lideen.
Lideen says this career has done a lot for her. "Just knowing that every
day I am helping to raise money to further services, such as public radio,
scholarship programs and religious organizations, gives me pride in my job
and makes me very glad that I have chosen it," she says.
Meghan Zugibe works as a telemarketer in Rockland County, New York when
she's on breaks from college. She is assigned to call people in a certain
area to offer free chiropractic evaluations. The idea is to promote the business
of a chiropractor, or to give back to the community.
"People always think we're trying to make them buy something, but we're
giving them something for free. It's so important how you talk to people in
this business," says Zugibe. S
She loves doing the job. The flexible schedule is convenient for her. But
it's her co-workers who really make the difference.
"There were people from age 17 to age 80 there, and it was such a diverse
group of amazing, nice, funny people. I got along with everyone and made a
lot of friends," she says.
Telemarketing helped her to develop her people skills and get over being
shy. "I'm not afraid to talk on the phone, and I handle rejection a lot better
now," says Zugibe.
She has had to deal with a woman who was blasting music and wouldn't listen
to a word she said. "It was obvious she was messing with me," she says. Another
woman tried to put a hex on her.
"It's kind of funny how people try to be really rude or really witty on
the phone to us. Some people get so mad though, it's kind of ridiculous. All
we're doing is calling you. If you don't want to talk, or don't have time,
that's all you have to say," says Zugibe.