I hate my customer service job, not the company

Hello readers,

I have a question: AM I CRAZY TO QUIT MY JOB , in this economy?

I can't see myself investing another 5 years working in a thankless, boring, soul-killing, tedious repetitive job that has no room for advancement.......(unless I was passionate about anserwing phones, talking about electronics,......) i WAS HOPING TO GROW INTO BETTER AND BIGGER RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT ALSO A BIGGER POSITION, HIERARCHY AND SALARY!!!

I AM SICK OF this micro-managed CUBELAND!!!

First of all:

Our salary and benefits are decent, nice facilities, casual dresscode, good managers...........JOB itself is awful! Nothing wrong with the company per se.

For the last 5 long excruciating years I have been...........

1. Taking stressful phone calls 40 hours a week, without a pause to catch my breath.
   
2. Repeating and looking up over and over and over and over again the same stuff...
   
3. Dealing with authentic rude, brainless retards (co-workers and customers alike) who will ask the most incredibly stupid questions ( like calling 5 minutes after they placed an order to find the "status" of their order!! Damn, where can a f.... order go in 5 minutes? This is not Mc Donald's! )
   
4. "Earning" additional heavy workloads by virtue of my speed, efficiency and increasingly deeper knowledge of the company. (But nor earning officially the status of a Senior CS rep or the matching salary, just the additional tasks).
   
5. I just figured that they are determined to use me as a mule until my back breaks. The weekly productivity charts show that I do 60% of the workload of a group of CS reps..... (What do the other slackers do????)
   

AND THEY EXPECT ME TO STILL FULFILL THE BASIC FUNCTIONS, WITHOUT INTERRUPTION!!!! Like I did not have special duties to perform!

I cannot take one more additional duty.......let alone FAKE technical knowledge!!!

Am I crazy to quit with this economy, after 5 years with a company?

I can't see myself investing another 5 years working in a thankless, boring, soul-killing, tedious repetitive job that has no room for advancement

So there! ADIOS MORONS, ADIOS ABUSIVE CALLERS, ADIOS BORING CUBELAND, ADIOS CO-SLAVES!

(ADIOS PAYCHECK TOO,......)

I am so glad I have 8 month's worth of salary put aside in the bank, .without having to take ONE MORE abusive call, or being exploited to the point of exhaustion.........

Now I am going to have the freedom I have been longing for all these years, more than enough time to take care of my neglected body, release my stress, take care of my house and my family......I will take my chances and let my "job security" go away....

Do you think I will regret this decision later?????..........but then again I am confident that I can make the most of my free time and deepen my computer skills, sign up for more administrative assistant courses and develop a new great resume .....I might want to start another job search later...........I need a sabbatic productive year!

Thank you readers

One thing, before you give notice get another offer and then let the two employers bid for your services, three employers would be even better.

I'd stick it out.

I've talked to people recently who left their jobs because they felt unhappy there, but they actually miss those jobs now when compared to not being able to find one at all.

Its always a good idea to have another job offer in the pipeline before quitting the current job.

that being said, i left my job i absolutely hated and i had only been there less than 2 months. I dreaded it. I didn't have another one. I found one less than a month later (only looking for ones i really wanted) and ive only been there a short time, but its totally different.

I was stressed, dreaded going into this place and was making myself sick with worry. Id never met so many rude people (staff and customers!).......

If you can cope money wise after quitting your job, thats a good start. Keep in mind that it might take you a while to find a job.....

I dont mean this to sound mean, but where you live, how do they seem to employ older workers? Im 24 and found one fairly easily, but i ask because there was a recent article on a current affairs show here about mature age workers and how much harder they have it as they are competing with young people. Many employers will take an 18 year old over a 48 year old - even tho the 48 year old will be more stable , they want to pay the cheaper hourly rate with an 18 y/o.

That being said, good idea to have a job offer before, but keep in mind what this is doing to your health. If its making you abo * * * * ely misserable, is your husband finding anything different with you? moods/happiness/depressed feeling? if yes, think is it really worth it. probably not.

good luck

I would stick it out - there just isn't any stability in employment right now. It sounds like a tough job, but the bottom line is that it pays well, you get benefits, and it sounds like you have good job secuirty due to your performance.

Have you spoken to your bosses at all? abotu the stress?

is there any way you can go part time and then concentrate on doing what you want, build up other skills, find a new job and then quit?

I am not concerned about the age issue, because here in Washington the multi-lingual positions are readily available, and of course the teaching jobs will take anybody of any age, as long as they are good teachers.........

I don't care about the benefits and all either, because I do have a successful on-line translation business, but I need more time to grow it......

But I am still afraid of thinking I made the wrong decision.,,,,,,,

Yes, I have spoken to them about the stress and the many responsibilities and so on, but they only focus on getting their own job done and of course delegating as much as possible, and it very often comes to me.

At this time, because of the economy and the layoffs, they don't care how much we are willing to take more responsibilities or not, they are confident that everybody needs a job and will do anything to keep it........not me.... I am quitting on Monday, giving my 2-week notice and then accept the part-time teaching job nearby....they really want me...........and of course take care of my website and on-line translation services.............I have a good deal going on in Mexico with an employment company........we will see what happens.... If it doesn't work for me, well, I will have to do some job-hunting, but my ultimate goal is to be able to grow my business to the point that I can make at least twice my current salary..........

My 58 year old husband got laid off back in December, and did get a new job 4 months ago...........so far so good........he is not very happy about me wanting to quit, but you know...... my health is suffering greatly...........back pain and tension headache pain being the worst. This job is actually killing me, I prefer less money and some happiness............after all, life is very short!!!!!

Thank you very much for your input, it means a lot to me

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It sounds like you have already decided to 'take the plunge', but are looking for some reassurance. I think the fact that you already have a successful online translation business is a very good thing. It sounds like you need time to build it up, but you already have your 'foot in the door'. Have you thought of teaching language? I have a friend who teaches Mexican Immigrants English, as well as English speakers Spanish. It's taken awhile and he has had to live 'hand to mouth', but he has survived.

Maybe there is a possibility of setting up classes to teach one of your 3 languages, to keep 'food on the table'. Also, teaching at the community college might be a way to get some cash flow going. Also, I know they have transcription/translation type work, which might be what you are already doing.

Just some thoughts.

I think you should pursue your dreams, but use wisdom. Make sure you have some time to 'cool down' and then decide. I'm not trying to talk you out of your decision at all, but having some time to 'cool down', will help you decide about the 'timing' of your resignation. After you cool down and you still feel good about 'hitting the road', that might be confirmation to go.

Just knowing that you will be leaving would be kind of a 'relief'. Since, it sounds like you've pretty much decided to go, it might be possible to stay a little longer to make a little more money, knowing that your 'redemption draws nigh' as they say. It sounds like you really like the company, but don't like your position. If you do decide to give your resignation, make sure to accentuate the postive and EMPHASIZE that you love the company, you just don't like the position. Who knows, that might stir up a dialogue about your future at the company. Sometimes when they realize you are serious about leaving and realize they are losing a valuable employee they start getting 'creative' about offering you something else. Anyway, my point is that you communicate to them, that you like the company, but aren't satisfied in your current position and are looking for a new position. That way, it keeps the door open for them to offer you something. Hey, you never know. If anything, you'll go out 'blessed' and keep the door open if something better comes up and not burn a bridge, based on anger and grief about 'the position'.

Definantly distinguish to them your heading of this forum that "I hate my customer service job, not the company "..

Anyway, just some thoughts.

Customer service is rugged work and I understand your desire to move to a new horizon. You sound like a smart, savvy, organized, hard-working person. I think you should try to leverage it to the hilt and get the best possible return you can get - whether it be a miraculous better position at the company or moving on to a new horizon as an entrepreneur or with some other other company...

There is a cool website called: link removed that I think would 'speak' to where you are at...

As the old adage goes: "Be shrewd as a serpent and harmless as a dove.."

Don't give up your dreams, but be shrewd in the process.. If you decide to leave, take the high road and seek to leave on a positive note.

God bless...

I would quit.

Hey if you have a husband that can provide you with medical benefits and you have money saved up, I would quit. CS service work can be hellish (from what I read on here), and if you are stressing out the day before going to work, and stressing out about the job, I would just quit and cultivate your online business. You have savings and your husband's health insurance to fall back on, so you are ahead of the game compared to a lot of people who just quit and have no money or health insurance to fall back on.

You are crazy to quit unless you have another job.

Hello renaissancewoman101 ,

I really appreciate your thoughts, I already have made up my mind, because I got a part-time offer from a language school that is nearby, it pays more per hour than my current job. I will be teaching English, Spanish and French.

This wonderful opportunity will allow me to make almost as much as I am making my current position (minus the health insurance that my husband provides), and many free hours to cultivate my business like you say.

Thank you all for your kind and insightful responses!

Gabriela

Congratulations! That's great! It's amazing how these work out. Unexpected, but positive, turn of events. I contratulate you on your new beginning.

I don't blame you for quitting. I recently got fired in a job very similar to yours. It's not like I was gonna last anyways. Even if I had, I would have freaked out any second...

I was in customer service too. I quit earlier this year. DO NOT QUIT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT DO IT. Finding a job in this economy with just customer service skills is very very difficult. i have been looking since June.

If you *have* to do something, try to get a position somewhere else in the company. Oh wait, looks like you already did it.

Well...

Good luck.

Customer service can suck the life out of a person. I have been with my current employer for almost 20 years. The first 8 years were in customer service and I swore to myself that I would never deal with the public again. I now work in a completely different area of the company and couldn't be happier.

If you are ok financially and not lacking in health insurance, then I say quit. Your mental health will thank you later.

Best of luck to you.