Mama don't let your babies grow up to work at west telemarketing... Where does one begin when describing one of the most corrupt and silly companies around san antonio, TX? Easy! Just spell W.E.S.T. I have worked at this company off and on over the years. They have been good and they have been BAD.
In the past they were OKAY. I worked like a zombie around the clock and was never shorted hours. Extra time was easy to find and plentiful. The staff was nice and friendly.
I worked 12 hours (seriously) from 11PM untill 10AM the next day and I loved it. I was making good money and since it was graveyard there was hardly anyone around. Besides, all the corrupt teen crowd that were screwing each other worked during the day leaving me and all the old night owls to ourselves.
I got all the money I could (I worked ANOTHER job during the day by the way... No I'm not kidding) and put in my two weeks notice. I was happy how easy it was. People told me bye and wished me luck. I took my savings and went on a 5 week backpacking trip across europe and it was all because of me and my tenacity and motivation. It was also thanks to West. Then fast forward 4 years later.
I was hired back again and worked during the day. There was a "lead" that basically fired me for using the bathroom because I stopped in the breakroom on the way TO the bathroom. I used the damn bathroom, okay? West apparently has no policy for retaliation. The lead had a problem with me and reported me. That's fine.
A year or two went by and I got hired back again. This time I worked again as a graveyard inbound rep. Should be easy, right? I did it before. Well, west really sold their souls to a whole new type of devil and that devils name is: Homeworks Plus. Also known as MWI.
The devil has many names and so does this useless RIP OFF of a program. This made mine and everyones job there almost unbearable. What am I talking about you say? Well its like this... You call to order an onion chopper you saw on TV, right? Well I would bring up the order screen, place your order... Maybe offer you a second onion chopper or an extension.
THEN we HAD to try to sell you a "membership" to homeworks plus... People would say NO. We would have to convince them otherwise. They would say NO again. We would go to the next screen thinking we were DONE with the call... Only to have ANOTHER membership program that we had to slap over their heads.
Back when I was saving up for europe those would show up every ONCE in a while on a call here or there. But this last time it was ridiculous. It was on EVERY SINGLE CALL.
People would practically be begging me to stop. Old women were reduced to tears (I kid you not) because all they wanted was that contraption they saw on TV. But we were FORBIDDEN to skip over the screens. I swear to god... We had to call over floor people to take our headsets and ASK the customer whether or not they wanted to hear about the other great offers. Its beyond me as to why West would do such things to potential customers.
After working there they moved me to EDR which stands for enhanced directed response or something like that. I was working from 12midnite untill 7AM. I never met my supervisor. I never met ANYONE that I had to answer to. Seriously, I would just walk in and log on. This call group was dangerous. I thought working general inbound was bad. This was a WHOLE new world of insanity. We had to basically grind people up into pieces with upsells and add-ons that they did'nt need or want. Carleton sheets was the main culprit. Think you will call that toll-free number and get your basic package? Forget it buddy... You are calling West and you will STAY on that phone soldier! Don't like it? West does'nt care.
Well, this place had this policy stating that you could'nt leave at the end of your shift until they said so... The limit was 30 min. When the call volume was high. Fair enough... At least you will get paid. It was 7AM... I was tired as hell. They WROTE on the board that the 7 shift was released. I logged out and left the building.
This weinie supervisor type opens the door as I'm walking away and says "um... Excuse me? Are you aware of the policy that states that you cannot leave untill you are released?". I spun around and apologized and told him It said 7 on the board. He looks up into the sky and says "oh, okay" and disappears back into the building. I stand there and wait. He never comes out again. I get into my car and drive off.
I'm not scheduled for another week. I show up a week later... Work my shift. Then 10 min. Before my shift is over they pull me into the back office and tell me I'm fired. Just like that. They say I am being terminated for "job abandonment". I tell him the shift was released and point to the wimpy supervisor that was there. He gives me this hurtfull look. The guy whos firing me is just a lackey... A no body that has to do the dirty work. I ask him whos decision it was. He gives me a name and says shes out on vacation. I tell him that's really convienient and how unfortunate that he's the sucker that has to do the dirty deeds for her. I tell him this is all "semantics" and he blows up. He KNOWS I'm being fired for no good reason. I left. Screw that place. Honestly... Do NOT work at West. We as san antonians need to break the cycle. They need to leave this STATE and send their call centers to jamaica or india. Hell, every other company is doing it, why not west? At least they can pay those people 3 dollars an hour and get a hell of a deal out of it. I called them the next monday (it was after all... 7AM on a saturday morning) and was given the run-around and my calls never returned. I've gone to better things in the past 2 years and can honestly say I'm done with this sad silly company called West. They have sold out as inbound and warped themselves into an inbound TRAP for the elderly and feeble minded.
All the stories are true. You are a nobody when you work there. Management is a joke. Thank GOD toyota is opening shop so that high schoolers can get a real job that pays 14-15 bucks an hour with a high school diploma and you can feel confident you'll have a job the next week. I was witness to so many things that its like a bad dream. And in a way it is. Don't work there. You'll thank me!
E
san antonio, Texas
U.S.A.
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