Training – Your Best Foot Forward Doesn’t Step On Any Toes
You’ve got the job! Your very own desk (or cubicle) sits like a clean slate, ready and waiting for you to tackle your assignments and prove that absolutely no one else can perform as flawlessly as you. It’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. But that’s okay. You’ve got your coffee mug (with the snap-on top so it won’t accidentally spill on your keyboard and papers). You’ve got your water bottle. A pack of mints is tucked away in your bag. This is going to be fine. This is your time to shine. Keep repeating that in the back of your mind as your own personal business mantra. As soon as you ace the training you’ll be able to settle in and change the world.
Now, let’s get down to the basics. It would be wonderful if every office environment were as funny as a sit-com or as perfect as an employment agency advertisement. But the truth is, real people work in real offices. There are all different types of personalities and opinions. It helps to remember that, first and foremost, you are all there to accomplish the goals of the company. Using that as a common denominator goes a long way to evening the playing field. Truly try to think of it as a team. When you are working together to make things run smoothly it gives everyone something to agree on and from there you’ll develop good relationships with your supervisor and co-workers. It shows an impressive level of professionalism and you will undoubtedly make some new friends in the process.
Contrary to what some eager go-getters believe, work is not primarily a popularity contest to be won by being the class clown or by being a bottomless fount of information. You’ll most likely be in a training class for a while. In that close environment it is best to be in the middle of the road. You don’t need to be in the spotlight every day nor do you need to be a wallflower who tries to become one with your chair. The trainer knows who you are and is very aware that you have had past experiences that may, for you, relate to what you are learning. It is considered bad form to constantly refer to what your previous company or school’s policies may have been. You are starting fresh and are expected to adopt and assimilate the rules and procedures you are now being taught.
If you have a question, by all means ask it. Just try to make sure it is relevant to the subject being discussed and not something that may come up a little later. Jumping ahead or trying to second-guess the instructor is confusing and it appears you are not really paying attention. Take notes of important points. Write down names and contact numbers of trainers, supervisors, and management. Try to read, at least once, the volumes of information you will be given concerning policies. It will stay in the back of your mind to ring a bell when needed. You’ll catch on to what is needed on a day-to-day basis as time goes by and you become more familiar with your job and the company.
If you have a mobile phone, program in the important contact numbers. But please do it during a break or when you go home, not in class when the trainer is teaching. Your phone should be off in the training class. Some instructors will even go so far as to make you sing or dance if you forget. Do not be surprised if you encounter a fair amount of good-natured humiliation in training, especially if you are new to a call center.
A good rule of thumb is to make this your own personal policy: It’s okay to make a mistake once. That’s understandable. Making the same mistake twice can possibly be seen as an oversight. But three times means you just don’t care. Hold yourself to that standard and you’ll do just fine.
Also, keep in mind with a large dose of humor that, the longer you work for a company the smaller and less confusing the building becomes. You will learn where all the bathrooms and water fountains are and where the free coffee is and what to avoid in the cafeteria. Before you know it, your new workplace will be like a second home.
© Janet L. Burgar, November 2008