What brought you to the contact centre?
I used to help run a phone shop and I also did some part-time work in another, smaller, call centre but neither of them gave me the security I was after. Like a lot of people, I knew someone who worked here and they’d always said that they really looked after their staff. And because of the size of the brand I figured they’d be able to offer me plenty of security.
What’s your role?
I’m part of the credit card servicing team, which helps customers with all kinds of queries on their accounts. These range from helping a customer change the address on their credit card to organising a balance transfer from a customers existing card to a Halifax card.
I also look out for opportunities to sell in some of our other products. To help with this I get prompts from the computer system. For example, a prompt may come up and tell me that the customer I’m talking to doesn’t have a bank account with us. So I’ll then ask them if they’d like to hear about the benefits of having their bank account with us as well as their credit card. If a customer shows an interest, I’ll then pass them on to a member of the applications team.
What training did you receive?
The training I had was really good. Quite intense though! It came in two parts. First I spent six weeks in training, where I learnt about all the products Halifax offer. In my case it was all the different credit cards we have. You’re also taught the application process customers have to go through and the systems you’ll be using.
I then spent a further two weeks’ in the development centre, a training ground for new recruits where you start taking live calls under close supervision. You get loads of help and support with the calls you take, which helps you quickly build up confidence. Then it was time to meet my team manager and some of the people in my team. This quickly put a stop to any anxiety I had about who I was going to be working with.
Describe the culture
It’s quite a lively place and certainly not boring. There’s always something going on – talent contests, dress down days, charity events etc. It makes it fun coming to work. Plus there are loads of competitions set up between teams. They’re not taken too seriously, but they help to create friendly rivalries and encourage teams to work closer together in order to try and win.
What type of person succeeds here?
You need to be friendly, outgoing and a good team player. As a company we’re quite ambitious and want to be the best so you also need to be quite self-motivated and the sort of person who wants to succeed.
What sort of benefits do you get?
The pay is good and bonuses aren’t bad either. There’s a number of chill out rooms to help you relax away from the phones. They have Playstations, table football tables and sofas where you can sit back and have a chat when you’re on your break.
For me, the one benefit that really stands out is the free shares. Everyone gets a minumum of £500 or 5% of your salary in free shares every year, which you then have to leave for a minimum of three years. After that, if you’re lucky, the shares will be worth even more. It’s like a savings account you don’t have to save for.
Another good benefit of the Flextra reward package is that people who work flexible hours can get their shift patterns eight weeks in advance. It doesn’t affect me personally as I work a core nine to five shift but for those whose shifts change from week to week it’s invaluable. It gives you plenty of time to organise your life around your work.
"If you want to develop your career you get plenty of support to help you along the way."
Where can your ambition take you?
If you want to develop your career you get plenty of support to help you along the way. Each month you have a review meeting with your team manager, where you can talk about any ambitions you have.
Personally, I’d like to move into a more training based role and perhaps help out new recruits in the development centre. To try and help me achieve this I’ll sit down with my team manager and work out a development plan that will help me gain the skills and experience I need to apply for such a role. I might be given the chance to lead the team ‘huddles’ we have every morning or perhaps help organise training activities for the team.
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