A little kindness
I’ve got a cousin who works for a UK-based telecom network through a contact centre, and after hearing her experience, I genuinely feel most customers have no idea how stressful these jobs really are.
She told me that customers usually call when something has already gone wrong — network issues, Wi-Fi not working, fraud on the account, billing problems, TV services down, forgotten emails, all sorts. By the time the call reaches the advisor, the customer is already frustrated, and the advisor becomes the person taking all the anger, even though they didn’t cause the issue.
What shocked me most was learning how the feedback surveys work. Apparently, at many contact centres, anything less than a perfect score is treated as failure. Even a 9/10 or 4/5 can negatively affect the advisor’s incentives or salary. Meanwhile, the company still earns money from the sales and work the advisor has done.
She also said surveys barely even get triggered. An advisor can handle hundreds of calls in a month and receive only a handful of surveys. Most happy customers don’t bother filling them in because their issue is sorted and they move on with life. But angry customers are far more likely to leave negative feedback because they’re upset with the company or the situation.
The sad part is that the advisor often has no control over the actual issue. They’re just trying their best with the systems and permissions they’re given, while still expected to stay calm, polite, and helpful no matter how the call goes.
So please, next time you call any customer support line and the person on the phone genuinely tries to help you, leaves you feeling heard, or treats you kindly, do leave them a good survey or positive feedback if you receive one afterwards. It may seem small to you, but for many advisors, that feedback can literally affect whether they receive their full incentive or lose a big part of that month’s pay.
Behind every call is just another human being trying to earn a living. A little kindness and understanding can genuinely make someone’s month easier.