Pros
* Strong Department Manager; * Well monitored and guided training from experienced and competent colleagues. * Critical performance feedback on a fairly regular basis; * Opportunities to lead; * A can-do / will-do attitude; * More than enough training and skill-base in the office to handle nearly every eventuality, which in turn builds personal confidence and competence; * Open and extensive guidance from Management to expedite customer resolution; * A genuine and healthy mentality towards helping; * A largely strong union between the team members and Management; * Open and clear goals and targets for each section of the Customer Care department; * Requirement to give each and every response the personal touch - we ARE human after all; * Virtually no templates; * No scripts! * A capable Social Media team; * I can't say too much on this other than a 'correspondence vetting process'. * No visual guides (other than for the Change of Mind policy and The Consumer Rights Act 2015); * No agent-controlled selective recording of "calls for training purposes" - every agent is accountable for their actions at all times! * An often supportive and like-minded environment and within other departments; * A deep seated belief that although we work at Head Office, we're on the same side as the stores - there's no real sense of "we're better than you" - but this can be tough to communicate sometimes, which we were aware can add to the age-old idea of "the ivory tower" - not intentional, and not a reality; * Multiple food vans! * Clean toilets and kitchens; * Reasonably comfortable chairs, with openness from Management to review each person's individual needs to aid in creating a better, more comfortable environment; * A state of the art content management system to make it quick and easy to help a customer on the fly - so much good tech investment there! * Close integration between both parts of the company: web and store. Makes it easier to solve issues and speed stuff up; * Birthdays are brilliantly celebrated at the offices. Senior Management did a lot to keep the morale up; * You aren't a number! Management WILL, at your request, set up meetings with you so as to cover ground on any relevant topic; * Yearly pay review.
Cons
If Senior Management had its way, none of these cons would exist to the degree that they do. But because there are other factors at play it isn't always possible to eliminate these issues. Still: * Rapidly reducing feedback opportunities; * Long periods of revolving doors for new staff; * Being screamed and shouted at for 8 hours a day (on and off of course); * Questionable safety standards within the premises; * Absolutely pedestrian back-end computer systems and databases, desperate for a major upgrade, despite investment elsewhere; * An unbelievable amount of work, even for experienced advisors! * General gripes and moans about things beyond one's control; * A steadily deteriorating Middle Management, and an over encumbered Senior Management; * An iron fist at the top which inhibits Management's ability to increase the pay.