- starts at $15/hour and stays at $15/hour
- no raises
- constant calls, back to back, with about 9 seconds between calls
- not allowed to complain/toxic positivity/good vibes only culture
- reprimanded for even mild swearing
- the way metrics are calculated is not reflective of actual work done
- constantly changing supervisors
- repetitive and monotonous and boring
- required to stick to the script word for word, every call, all 200-300 calls a day
- treats employees like they are machines
- not allowed to have private chats with coworkers
- not allowed to work 3 minutes overtime - seriously - reprimanded for 3 minutes
- micromanagement to a ridiculous extent
- doesn't communicate policy changes
- not allowed to take time to do anything that's not making calls other than staff meetings
- benefits are awful
- does the absolute minimum allowed by law
- not unionized
- expects you to pay for things needed to do the job
- expects you to work without pay - to do things off the clock for the job
- hires Zionists
- CSRs are paid $15/hr - average executive pay is $75/hr - CEO is paid $335/hr
- CSRs often left with no supervisor to answer questions
- CSRs often left with no supervisors that are the only people that can help in certain situations
- not paid for earned time off if let go
- not paid for earned commission once you leave, be it voluntary or involuntary
- commission schedule constantly changing
- scammy business practices - they offer "free" wellness checks - but insist that they are called "free to you" - meaning they charge medicare for the visits
- nurses often don't show up to appts
- are told to be polite to people that are clearly being abusive rather than immediately ending the call
- call people over and over again after they have clearly denied the service
- which causes people to be abusive to CSRs
- not allowed to tell people that they have to say the magic words "put me on the do not call list" in order to stop getting calls
- absolutely the worst employer I’ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with
- ask far, FAR too much of their CSRs considering how little they pay
- takes advantage of employees at every turn
- expects CSRs to be “on” every single second of every day
- ridiculously strict about taking exactly 15 minutes for breaks - will reprimand people for taking 3 extra minutes
- if a CSR take a literal minute - 60 entire seconds - to recover and regroup from yet another abusive call they’re accused of call avoidance which is considered non-productive time - in other words - UnCaringNet believes that time is only productive if a CSR is on a call - they don’t believe that a CSR taking a moment to regroup so that they are at their best for the next call is productive time - they’d rather have the CSR continue to take calls even when it’s detrimental to their mental health
- it’s not encouraged to take some time after an emotionally disturbing call, however one is, if they explicitly ask for it, allowed to take a few minutes, but I was specifically told that it shouldn’t be an every day thing - when it quite definitely needs to be a multiple times a day thing
- the volume control is inconsistent - I constantly had VERY loud calls where I had to scramble to turn the volume down before I blew out my eardrum
- wrong numbers are counted against the CSR
- I was given $20 entire dollars after being there a year - and had to tell HR what I wanted that spent on - and they had to buy if for me - and it had to only be a website that took Amex (who uses exclusively Amex??) - and it had to be exactly $20 - so - you’re given less than $20 because who is going to find something that’s $20 on the nose - so even your “bonus” is micromanaged
- you receive commission only if the appt you book is not cancelled - and it could be cancelled for weather, or the nurse can not showing up, or for any reason that is completely out of your control - and then sometimes you ARE paid even if the appt is cancelled
- even if you are one of the top performers - booked more calls than the majority of your coworkers - if you take the SECONDS that you need to maintain a sound and healthy and productive frame of mind in order to be one of the top performers - you’re fired - because of the almighty and erroneously named non-productive time
- summary of the problems associated with the job according to experts - and NONE of these were EVER addressed by management - not even discussed - not once
1. Constant emotional labor
You’re expected to sound calm, polite, and upbeat no matter what — even when callers are angry, rude, or insulting.
That’s called emotional labor — managing your emotions to maintain a “customer service” tone.
Doing that for hours every day without genuine emotional release is exhausting and can lead to emotional burnout or feeling “numb.”
📞 2. High repetition + no autonomy
Every call follows a script. Every minute is tracked. You can’t step away or take a break when you need one.
That combination — high control on you, but no control for you — is psychologically brutal. Humans handle stress better when we have choice or flexibility, but in a call center, that’s often missing.
😔 3. Constant negativity exposure
You rarely get calls from happy people. You’re dealing with complaints, frustration, confusion — and absorbing that negativity all day. Even if you stay polite, your nervous system still registers that stress.
⏰ 4. Relentless pace and metrics
Every second is measured — average handle time, hold time, resolution rate, customer satisfaction.
That turns your day into a performance treadmill — never-ending, with little recognition. You can feel like a machine instead of a person.
📵 5. Social isolation
Even though you talk all day, it’s not real connection — it’s scripted, one-sided communication. That can leave you oddly lonely and drained by the end of the day.
🪫 6. Sensory and cognitive overload
Headsets, constant talking, multiple screens, scripted lines — all create sensory fatigue. Your brain never truly rests, even though the work seems “simple.”
❤️🔥 7. Lack of appreciation
People rarely thank you for helping them — they just move on. That lack of positive feedback makes it hard to feel that your work matters, even when it really does.
💡 In short:
Working in a call center is hard because it mixes high emotional strain, low autonomy, constant monitoring, and limited recognition — the perfect storm for burnout.
