Professional ID
Contact Center(s): Sol Meliá, Ericsson, Teleperformance, Arvato
Project(s): Sol Meliá, Ericsson, BlackBerry, Renault
Function/Functions: CSR, Supervisor, Selection and Appointment Planner, Recruiter
Duration: 13 years
Currently: Arvato – Recruiter
Professional website: linkedin.com/in/pedrohomero
Social ID
Birthplace: Mozambique
Hobby: Music
Team: St. Pauli (Hamburg)
Music: Threads, Portishead
Movie/TV Series: The Wire
Food: Seitan roasted in the oven with potatoes
Brings a Smile: My kids playing
Social website: facebook.com/pedrohomero
What did you thought a contact center would be like?
I thought there would be a middle age lady, deprived of an intimate life, screaming on my right ear, while on the left one I would hear a client on the line, complaining about a product or service. Very far away from reality, therefore 🙂
Typical day in the project?
Each project has its own characteristics but because I was always working in customer support, the common elements are there: camaraderie, jokes, a seemingly infinite level of patient to explain the same thing for the 10th time to a customer, etc.
Work environment?
Despite what people may think, a contact center is made of people from all types of background, be them professional or personal. You end up knowing completely different realities, usually very interesting ones. It is the ideal environment to establish lifelong friendships.
So how is it, then, to work at a contact center?
It’s at the same time simpler and more complex that one might think. Simple because once you get the hang of it you realize that it is not the boogeyman you thought; complex because it ask for a level of dedication, both to the team and customers, higher than you would expect. This makes the position much more stimulating than you’d imagine.
Career progression?
At the company where I worked before – Teleperformance – I rose to the role of Supervisor but eventually was invited to help out at the Recruitment Department. I ended up finding out that I had a call – fed by the department’s management – for human resources, which made me what I am today, a recruiter.
Future plans?
One step at a time; my personal life, lately, has shown me that’s the best thing to do, really 🙂