Need some Christian advice.

[Susan2001]

I have been at my job for 15 years with a very good reputation among supervisors and peers alike.  I give my all, am loyal and try to do what is expected and then some.   My appraisals every year tell that.


I work customer service.  I handle my customers in a professional manner treat them the way I want to be treated with first call resolution. I have never had any complaints from staff or customers until Friday.  Up until now, the length  of the call never mattered.   My company is very  big and is facing challenges due the economy and a alot of agents were laid off in October. The Executives make millions. Talk time was introduced last year as a performance measurement .  The longer we are on the phone with one customer, it costs the company more money.   I can appreciate that.  In 2010 I very barely made the goal.   As always, it was okay if you had a bad month or so,  the stats all worked out at the end of they year. I was "excellent" in all my other performance measurements.  I have never "socially" talked to my customers.  I dont lollygap around, I am just very thorough with my customers. Some reps are faster than others.  We are all different.  


However, starting in 2011, I got a call from my newer supervisor Friday  stating that if I did not get my Talk time (length of time I talk to customers) in the "meets" category by the end of Janurary I would be made to come into work in the office that is 50 miles away from my home. I am 3 minutes over the limit..    Currently I am 12 miles from my job.  I was very hurt and have never been talked to that way by a supervisor.   Its only been 5 days.  I told her my calls have been long and problematic .   She appeared not to care and just said "well.....it has to be met.   The company is changing,  and I few of us think they are trying to find ways to let us go.  They are already trying to outsource alot of our calls to contractors.


My thing is, after that phone call, I tried to speed up my calls. I was banging them out.  However, I was rushing and talked fast.  That is NOT me.   I have to change myself  to meet this new expectation.    God didn't make me that way.   The company still expects first call resolution/quality  at the same time.  It didn't seem normal.   It is  against my principles.  I sound cold and uncaring  now.    What would you do? Would you change yourself to please the company or stay true to yourself continue to treat customers like you would want to be treated.           I am going to try speed things up , but I feel like I am going against God by changing my character to try to meet a unreasonable expectation.   Or maybe God understands?


Thanks for any Sisterly or Brotherly advice and bless each and everyone of you.

[larry2]

Colossians 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

If you have an exacting or even a wicked boss, work for them as doing it unto the Lord.

Romans 13:1.  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
 
Romans 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good.

Now if they would ask you to do something evil you might think as the apostles did in Acts 5:29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

But even in those things there can be consequence as with what God allowed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to go through. One thing about it is that God did shut the mouths of the lions and stood with them while they were in the fire. You ready to spend a night in the Lion's den?

God bless you in Jesus' name.

[vonny]

Hi there,

sorry you're having a bit of a rough time. I have to agree with Larry that the only thing to do is to go with their demands and ask God to give you wisdom in dealing with people in the time they (your employers) are demanding, and favour with those people. Peace to you.

[Susan2001]

But even in those things there can be consequence as with what God allowed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to go through. One thing about it is that God did shut the mouths of the lions and stood with them while they were in the fire. You ready to spend a night in the Lion's den?

God bless you in Jesus' name.

Hi Larry thanks for your reply.  Can  you clarify what the above statement means?   Also e verynight I pray for the leaders of my company, supervisors to the top.  I ask for favor, I ask for softening of hearts, salvation for those who don't know Jesus.

[HRoberson]

I have been at my job for 15 years with a very good reputation among supervisors and peers alike.  I give my all, am loyal and try to do what is expected and then some.   My appraisals every year tell that.


I work customer service.  I handle my customers in a professional manner treat them the way I want to be treated with first call resolution. I have never had any complaints from staff or customers until Friday.  Up until now, the length  of the call never mattered.    My company is very  big and is facing challenges due the economy and a alot of agents were laid off in October. The Executives make millions. Talk time was introduced last year as a performance measurement .  The longer we are on the phone with one customer, it costs the company more money.   I can appreciate that.  In 2010 I very barely made the goal.   As always, it was okay if you had a bad month or so,  the stats all worked out at the end of they year. I was "excellent" in all my other performance measurements.  I have never "socially" talked to my customers.  I dont lollygap around, I am just very thorough with my customers. Some reps are faster than others.  We are all different. 


However, starting in 2011, I got a call from my newer supervisor Friday  stating that if I did not get my Talk time (length of time I talk to customers) in the "meets" category by the end of Janurary I would be made to come into work in the office that is 50 miles away from my home. I am 3 minutes over the limit..    Currently I am 12 miles from my job.  I was very hurt and have never been talked to that way by a supervisor.   Its only been 5 days.  I told her my calls have been long and problematic .   She appeared not to care and just said "well.....it has to be met.   The company is changing,  and I few of us think they are trying to find ways to let us go.  They are already trying to outsource alot of our calls to contractors.


My thing is, after that phone call, I tried to speed up my calls. I was banging them out.  However, I was rushing and talked fast.  That is NOT me.   I have to change myself  to meet this new expectation.    God didn't make me that way.   The company still expects first call resolution/quality  at the same time.  It didn't seem normal.   It is  against my principles.  I sound cold and uncaring  now.    What would you do? Would you change yourself to please the company or stay true to yourself continue to treat customers like you would want to be treated.           I am going to try speed things up , but I feel like I am going against God by changing my character to try to meet a unreasonable expectation.   Or maybe God understands?


Thanks for any Sisterly or Brotherly advice and bless each and everyone of you.

Unless you're an artist, or the owner of the company, work isn't about "being yourself." It is about making revenue for the company in the way the company wants you to do it. Call centers have always had call limits, and quality requirements; what you are being expected to do is not unique.

You have a choice to either adjust to the requirements or find another job.

[larry2]

But even in those things there can be consequence as with what God allowed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to go through. One thing about it is that God did shut the mouths of the lions and stood with them while they were in the fire. You ready to spend a night in the Lion's den?

God bless you in Jesus' name.

Hi Larry thanks for your reply.  Can  you clarify what the above statement means?   Also e verynight I pray for the leaders of my company, supervisors to the top.  I ask for favor, I ask for softening of hearts, salvation for those who don't know Jesus.

Hi sis, and basically God does not excuse from His instructions to adhere to the instructions of those over us even if we are doing it because of conscience; we can still suffer the consequence of our action, but though God stood with those who went through the fire for not worshiping the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, He did not keep them from the punishment.
 
Normally we just have to modify how we would like to be with others to the new instructions given us unless it is evil and we're willing to stand up and take the wrath of those over us for principle's sake. I'm still not sure this is clear.

[pureinheart]

((((((((((hugs))))))))))), I am so sorry your faced with this, it is a difficult desicion to make. Well this makes sense as to why more and more customer service reps seem hurried.

Three min is over the top IMO for reprimanding you, that is absolutely ridiculous and greedy. The god of money will bit them in the long run.

My advice would be to ask God what to do...I'll be praying

[comfy]

You seem like a beautiful person who knows how to love.

Pray so you first get resolution about this with God . . .

on your first call to Him or more than one call;

and it is fine for Him to take as long as He pleases to resolve your case (c:

[LetTheRiverFlow]

Is it possible for you to get a different postion?

[Seva]

I can relate. They came down hard on us last year. It made me feel unappreciated. It was really rough, blame was flying, one person quit. I was looking around for another job. The answer I got from God, i believe, was to stay put and go through the trial. It has gotten a whole lot better. Transitions are never fun. No one likes change.

The good is that it keeps you sharp. I saw some areas where I need to change.

Pray about it. See if God is leading you somewhere else or if He wants you to stay. Either way He will provide.

[John T]

Above all, know this:
GOD HAS HIS HAND IN THIS, OR ELSE YOU WOULD NOT BE GOING THROUGH IT.

That settled, have you prayed for your supervisor?

Imagine the place that he/she is in, and what the people above him are saying to cause him/her to focus on your stats instead of you as a person. Pray about that, asking the Lord to bless him, and Holy Spirit to guide you.

Send him a pleasant email, and ask what you can do to make this difficult-for-all transition, and it may not hurt to tell him that you are praying for him. That is because it it not against the rules of any company for one person to mention that you are praying for him/her. HOWEVER when you do that, for your own safety, I highly recommend that you bcc to your home email.

As to your relocation possibilities if your boss wants to move you it is a work around terminating you. If they offer you a job,albeit far away, they have not fired you; you simply quit. That MAY save them from having to pay you Unemployment Compensation. Read the laws in your state. My wife worked for an overtly Christian company, the President was once an evangelist, and they had the worst personnel record in the county. They knew how to manipulate the laws to their advantage, and they did so, making a disgrace of the name of Christ. that is a different situation from yours.

Simply put, I close by saying, "Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst.  A failure to plan for contingencies is a plan to guarantee failure."

[Susan2001]

Do I ever pray!!  Oh yes I pray for my supvervisor.  I have to love her soul.    Pray for softening of hearts, salvation.  For many months I have been  praying everynight  for the coworkers , to the supvervisors to the top of leadership.   I have left tracts anonymously.    The lord has already shiften "a numbers" person out of that department.   I have been  praying for faster calls without sacrificing quality.   I lean on God's word Psalm 37 so much.

I was hurt when my supervisor talked to me like that.  I was meek about it, but deep down I was hurt.  Threatening an employee to me is not effective leadership.   I have kept quiet about the situation, but if my quality suffers then I will have to advise my monitor that I am being pressured by my supervisor with threats.   I have wrestled with that.   I have excellent quality of my calls.

I actually was able to talk to other co-workers, without me saying a word.  I think God wanted me to know I wasn't the only one. Many people in the same boat. People coming up to me venting.   One person even went as far to tell me that my supervisor must have gotten reprimanded cuz one of the people she was "badgering" sent that co-worker an email stating that she was "only trying to help".    I never had to say a word and didn't say too much but just empathied with them. .  I never mentioned to them how I was treated, as best to keep quiet.  

I will never quit that job without having another one in place.  But to arbatrarily walk out, that will not happen.   I am a fighter.  God is my vindicator.   Have to remember that.

I will say miracously, the Lord has given me the ability to speed up my calls so I am able to meet my numbers  to her satisfaction this week.  Praise God.   I pray that the calls listened to are the good calls.   I give the Lord the credit for that.  

[canuck]

I have been at my job for 15 years with a very good reputation among supervisors and peers alike.  I give my all, am loyal and try to do what is expected and then some.   My appraisals every year tell that.


I work customer service.  I handle my customers in a professional manner treat them the way I want to be treated with first call resolution. I have never had any complaints from staff or customers until Friday.  Up until now, the length  of the call never mattered.    My company is very  big and is facing challenges due the economy and a alot of agents were laid off in October. The Executives make millions. Talk time was introduced last year as a performance measurement .  The longer we are on the phone with one customer, it costs the company more money.   I can appreciate that.  In 2010 I very barely made the goal.   As always, it was okay if you had a bad month or so,  the stats all worked out at the end of they year. I was "excellent" in all my other performance measurements.  I have never "socially" talked to my customers.  I dont lollygap around, I am just very thorough with my customers. Some reps are faster than others.  We are all different. 


However, starting in 2011, I got a call from my newer supervisor Friday  stating that if I did not get my Talk time (length of time I talk to customers) in the "meets" category by the end of Janurary I would be made to come into work in the office that is 50 miles away from my home. I am 3 minutes over the limit..    Currently I am 12 miles from my job.  I was very hurt and have never been talked to that way by a supervisor.   Its only been 5 days.  I told her my calls have been long and problematic .   She appeared not to care and just said "well.....it has to be met.   The company is changing,  and I few of us think they are trying to find ways to let us go.  They are already trying to outsource alot of our calls to contractors.


My thing is, after that phone call, I tried to speed up my calls. I was banging them out.  However, I was rushing and talked fast.  That is NOT me.   I have to change myself  to meet this new expectation.    God didn't make me that way.   The company still expects first call resolution/quality  at the same time.  It didn't seem normal.   It is  against my principles.  I sound cold and uncaring  now.    What would you do? Would you change yourself to please the company or stay true to yourself continue to treat customers like you would want to be treated.           I am going to try speed things up , but I feel like I am going against God by changing my character to try to meet a unreasonable expectation.   Or maybe God understands?


Thanks for any Sisterly or Brotherly advice and bless each and everyone of you.

Unless you're an artist, or the owner of the company, work isn't about "being yourself." It is about making revenue for the company in the way the company wants you to do it. Call centers have always had call limits, and quality requirements; what you are being expected to do is not unique.

You have a choice to either adjust to the requirements or find another job.

Companies that are geared to giving succinct customer service explanations/recommendations etc. tend to satisfy more customers over 8 hours through the use of fewer phone reps. There are some customers who are ticked off by this approach -- but they will have to put up with it because that is the industry standard in this present generation.
As H Roberson remarks, you have a choice before you: to either adapt your conversation style to the company's expectations or leave. If you won't adapt (most people can adapt if they determine to do so), then you risk being fired.
You appear unwilling to make the requested change because you just don't fit that mould. It seems clear then, that you don't belong in this line of employment. 75 years ago your approach would have been commended by the boss -- but not today.

canuck