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Message |
    
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1561
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 06, 2012 - 9:02 am: | 
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Recently I applied for a training position at work, and did not even get an interview. I used to teach Basic Electronics both in the militrayand at a Community Colloge Yesterday I was called for a meeting that was to explain why I was not considered for the position.
It seems that according to the powers to be, I am too technically orientated, and they don't want to teach the technical stuff to our new employees.
OK, I could accept that EXCEPT for the fact we are a Call center that take calls from customer who are having issues with their cable, internet or phone services.
Although I am supposed to be on the phones, I spend a lot of my week, coaching people on who to troubleshoot issues that they have not seen before.
Can some one PLEASE explain the logic behind this?
Tech237
N7AUS
God made me an athiest, who are you to question his wisdom?
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 2146
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 06, 2012 - 11:38 am: |
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I'll try.
What they want is someone who knows basic modules of a system, not someone who is capable of going to the component level.
They only want someone who can follow a script, who can think their way through a problem, with limited knowledge so as to not go "over the head" of those whom they are attempting to guide through a problem over the phone.
You are a liability. Example- If you have a call from someone getting CB interference on their TV, you may tell them to build a coax notch filter by purchasing some coax, a type "F" T, etc, then trim for resonance, or whatever. That is a liability as the customer could be injured cutting the coax cable, or damage equipment owned by the cable company installing the homebrew filter, etc. Even if you promise not to go "off script", they still assume that because you CAN that you WILL. It is flawed paranoid mentality by those whom do not know better, but it is prolific in corporations of all size these days.
They want someone who is below the fold on this level that they can bring right up to the fold, and no higher. That shields them from the liability of someone who can safely color outside the lines.
It's the same mentality that is abundant these days, like the way some people think that just because you own a gun, that you WILL murder someone or rob someone with it. Totally backwards thinking, but it is the norm.
So, in short, it isn't you that is the problem, it truly is the corporation that is at fault for you being overlooked.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
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Ironmike
Member
Username: Ironmike
Post Number: 54
Registered: 6-2007
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2012 - 4:28 am: |
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What he said- plus "call time" is their driving metric. They really couldn't care less whether anything ever gets solved on a call- they probably have no idea about the subject matter themselves. If you have ten calls an hour, they cost $10 each, if you have one call it costs $100. They want eleven. Reboot, unplug your phones, clear your cache, thank you for calling. |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1562
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2012 - 8:32 am: |
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Yeah, the problem - a lot of our new hires, cannot even do that. For example, I took an Escalated call on Monday (4th time customer called in 24 hours for this issue)- no reception on Set Top Box. 3 previous reps, had sent commands to not only reset the box, but to re-activate it, and still no recpetioon. They also didn't stay on the phone long enoug to see if it worked or not. (Yep keep under that magic number).
I took one look at the account, and added the missing code for the STB - yep it was listing as disabled in the equipment screen. Lo and behold the STB suddenly sprang into life.
This is the sort of thing I have to take time out to explain, yet to me should have taught BEFORE they hit the floor.
Tech237
N7AUS
God made me an athiest, who are you to question his wisdom?
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 2147
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 - 11:15 am: |
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You just said that you took an "Escalated call". So, in a way, you are above the unskilled masses on the phone front lines? If that is so, why would you want to join them?
I am assuming that the first level phone support is not compensated as well as those above them. If that is not the case, then my previous statement is moot.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
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Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1566
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 - 8:43 am: |
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833 _ don't want to join, them, I was trying to get into a situation where I could teach them proper troublshooting BEFORE they hit the phones and cause more issues.
I guess I am my own worst enemy, in that I am doing part of a Supervisors job without the benefits, so why would they want to move me to somewhere else.
Tech237
N7AUS
God made me an athiest, who are you to question his wisdom?
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Scooterman
Junior Member
Username: Scooterman
Post Number: 10
Registered: 3-2012
| | Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012 - 1:21 pm: |
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I can relate to doing your supervisors job and not even getting the recognition for it. Somewhere there is a lame, ignorant, and or lazy individual that is truly thankful they have your skills on tap. I use to teach High Power R.F. and weapons specification soldering and assembly processes. My boss, a foreign national who basically purchased his EE degree from a major college knew very little about electronics. I saved his bacon on so many occasions I couldn't begin to count. He tried to teach a class and was removed from the roster as a teacher, the trainees knew more than he did. They complained and they had to add his class to mine. Crowded to say the least, but that class graduated with the highest GPA they have had in years. The reason they want to move you elsewhere is to allow your boss to save face. Your good and you know it, so does your boss. |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1570
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 - 8:33 am: |
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Further to this I have just applied for an opening as Supervisor for one of our Head Ends. Let's see what happens.
Tech237
N7AUS
God made me an athiest, who are you to question his wisdom?
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Press_man
Intermediate Member
Username: Press_man
Post Number: 493
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Friday, April 27, 2012 - 9:39 am: |
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While in general aviation for 25+ years I often stood in for supervisors and lead personnel. Even headed up special projects without title.
Not to say they never offered me one, instead, I took a technical position. Got better $$ than most foreman, only had to attend meetings weekly instead of daily. Couldn't hire or fire but could transfer people. Always got those under me off written warnings-helped moral.
Pressman/KC4ZWM
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Scooterman
Junior Member
Username: Scooterman
Post Number: 16
Registered: 3-2012
| | Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2012 - 11:17 am: |
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Press Man wrote: "While in general aviation for 25+ years I often stood in for supervisors and lead personnel. Even headed up special projects without title."End of quote.
I did that too. Did you ever hear of Marathon Battery in Waco, Texas? I was the Quality Control Engineer for the Flite-Tronics group. The Waco firm had never built anything high tech before. Just the ni-cad aircraft batteries and temperature monitors for those batteries. Then they purchased Flite-Tronics out of Burbank, Ca and could not get the stuff to work. The test technicians would cover the Static Inverters with a fire blanket and power them up remotely. If it did not explode they went to work calibrating and testing the unit. After I was there for only six weeks they quit using the fire blankets. No longer needed. Just changing one process on the assembly line fixed that. I quit and found another job. After that the F.A.A. locked the plant down. Too many flight safety failures on the items that were built after I left. |
Press_man
Intermediate Member
Username: Press_man
Post Number: 497
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Monday, April 30, 2012 - 9:07 am: |
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When I did swimming pools, I was the only one that could clean one, work on the equipment, drain one and acid wash it, find and repair leaks and I wasn't worth a raise, so, I opened a pool supply store.
Pressman/KC4ZWM
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