Georgette has been a customer service advisor for Lloyds Banking Group since April 2018.

Why did you want to go for a job in a call centre?

I wanted a new and exciting experience and the opportunity to meet new people.

What does a normal day look like?

It is pretty fast paced, it can be quite full on when we have busy days, but we do get time off to hang out in between calls, and we do spend time every day working on new initiatives. 

How did you find the application process? 

There was quite a lot of paperwork and the background checks were pretty intense but if you are organised and listen to what they need to see it is not a difficult process. When I went for my assessment there was an accident on route which meant most of the people didn’t turn up, so I was taken straight onto the phone to do a test call which fast tracked my application process a bit.

What is the best part about working in a call centre?

It has to be the customers, they are all so lovely it’s really nice. 

What is the worst part about working in a call centre?

You do get some people who are not so lovely every now and then, but you just need patience and empathy and the call is usually resolved quite quickly. 

What surprised you most when you started working there? 

I was surprised that there was not a more intensive training requirement. I did some classroom training and then on the phone training a couple of times, but I was kind of thrown in at the deep end. You learn the most when you are doing the job, so it wasn’t a problem I was just surprised. 

What were you most worried about?

Not getting it right, you need to know a little about quite a lot of things, so I was concerned I would keep getting it wrong until I learned everything.

What were you most excited for?

The development aspect, we were told about all of the cross department opportunities and so I was excited to be able to progress in my work. 

What is your team like to work with?

The team is fab, I have made some really good friends. 

What kind of supervisory support do you receive? 

We get lots of ongoing support, we have a classroom refresh every few months and in between if there is anything you are not sure about the managers will always explain everything to you.

What skills do you think you have gained?

I have gained the most skills in tech, I have learned a lot about internet banking and credit cards, much more than I knew before. 

What is your working environment like?

It is a nice friendly place to work, when we have low call volumes we have the opportunity to chat between ourselves.

Are social activities organised outside of work?

Yeah, as a team we go out together twice a month.

What is the best call you remember taking?

Only the other week, I had a call from a lady who had power of attorney, she needed to resolve the financial affairs, but she was confused by the whole process. I spent over an hour on the call with her helping her to get everything sorted out. Once we had finished she asked to speak to my manager and said how grateful she was for all of my help, she even offered to provide a reference for me if I ever needed one. I didn’t really do much, I just did my job and helped her out, but it is really nice to know that I made such an impact on someone’s day. 

What is the worst call you have taken?

I can honestly say I don’t remember taking a worst call, you don’t take anything home with you at the end of the day, even if you need to help a customer who is frustrated once you are done you are moving on to the next call and they quickly disappear out of your head.

What would you tell someone who was thinking about applying for a job like yours?

Lots of people expect the job to be different, if you can persevere through the application process it will be worth it, just stick with it.

Would you recommend your job to a friend? 

Yes I think I would.