AAA CONTACT Center, good or bad?

[AAArt From Phoenix]

As my sign on implies, I am currently in Phoenix, AZ working in the Glendale, AZ Contact Center for AAA. In the past I have worked for myself and have started and owned some small businesses. Due to the economy and ironically a dishonest call center owner I had to close my last business and go to work for someone else.

Initially I viewed going to work for AAA as temporary; a stable income until I can get back on my feet and nothing more. However, once I started working for AAA I can honestly say I enjoy my work and have actually considered continuing up the ladder and working towards retiring with them. I found your web site while looking into the possibility of transferring to the new contact center to help get it up and running. I say contact center and not call center for one very important distinction; Yes, there are sales departments that you call for AAA Membership, AAA auto and home insurance, and for booking vacations, but there is so much more.

I work in the ERS department dispatching the trucks to the members that need our help. It is stressful but very rewarding work. Over half the floorspace of our building is occupied by the IT department. Sales departments maybe 20%.

Overall I find the company is a pleasure to work for and the company's values (which are ethics, morals and honesty based) are so important that they make up half of any review for a raise an employee gets. There are call centers all over the Phoenix area and considering how they grind through employees and have to run ads and signs constantly for new hires I can see some people's reluctance to one coming to a neighborhood nearby.

With what I have told you about our contact center here in AZ do you view this new CONTACT center opening soon to be a benefit or detriment to OKC? I'd like to know.

[bretthexum]

That's great to hear about AAA. OKC is always called the call center capital of the world - even though most people don't know the difference between a call center and contact center.

I can say that the opinion here at first wasn't very positive. There's an old thread you can dig up that shows the negative comments. Most people were saying "Ya, great - more $10 an hr jobs".

I hope AAA proves them wrong when they open up. I've also heard good things about working there.

[OU Adonis]

Any idea on when they open?

[AAArt From Phoenix]

Part of the reason I posted this thread was because of an earlier thread I'd fond from last year. I am thinking of coming to OKC to help with the opening and was curious if the sentiments had changed. I know that the first group of personnel from here will be heading that way in the coming weeks to get the doors open. As for when the center will be up and running I'm not certain of the time table but I will check on it and post what I find here.

[Kerry]

Part of the reason I posted this thread was because of an earlier thread I'd fond from last year.

Be careful about forming opinions based on the participants on this site - many of them are self-loathing defeatist. There are much worse places to live than Oklahoma City and there are a lot worse places to work the AAA. If you have the option of getting out of Phoenix now, I would jump at it.

[soonerguru]

Be careful about forming opinions based on the participants on this site - many of them are self-loathing defeatist. There are much worse places to live than Oklahoma City and there are a lot worse places to work the AAA. If you have the option of getting out of Phoenix now, I would jump at it.

Wow. This seems very harsh and judgmental, and frankly, somewhat self defeating, when you write, "There are much worse places to live than Oklahoma City..."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

From what I've observed, most of the people on this site like living in OKC and would gladly recommend it to outsiders.

[BDP]

Not to mention that some people confuse an active desire to improve Oklahoma as characteristics of a self loathing defeatist. Just because some want the best for Oklahoma City does not mean that they hate themselves or think there is no hope for the city to get better. If anything, the city's main draw back culturally is complacency and lack of involvement in the community's development. Caring about the quality of businesses and developments in the community is actually the opposite of being a defeatist.

[mugofbeer]

Not to mention that some people confuse an active desire to improve Oklahoma as characteristics of a self loathing defeatist. Just because some want the best for Oklahoma City does not mean that they hate themselves or think there is no hope for the city to get better. If anything, the city's main draw back culturally is complacency and lack of involvement in the community's development. Caring about the quality of businesses and developments in the community is actually the opposite of being a defeatist.

BDP - it all has to do with how the thoughts are presented. Its pretty easy to tell the difference between the folks that just want to stir up trouble and the ones who are truly presenting thoughtful ideas and comments.

[Spartan]

AAA's building in the Quail Springs Office Park is going to be LEED-certified.

[soonervegas]

I am always amazed at the "call center" bashing. I bet in most call centers 40% of the jobs fall into back office or management. Which pay pretty well for this part of the country.

[soonerguru]

I am always amazed at the "call center" bashing. I bet in most call centers 40% of the jobs fall into back office or management. Which pay pretty well for this part of the country.

I agree. They are certainly better than fast-food jobs and most retail jobs.

They can be fairly dead end, however, and with a family member who worked in many of them, they are often poorly managed places and, also often, seriously dysfunctional environments.

Still, they pay better than fast food.

[mugofbeer]

I agree. They are certainly better than fast-food jobs and most retail jobs.

They can be fairly dead end, however, and with a family member who worked in many of them, they are often poorly managed places and, also often, seriously dysfunctional environments.

Still, they pay better than fast food.

I can second a lot of what was said above. Professional call centers are one thing but the type of call center that pervades OKC are simply jobs that pay a living. They serve a purpose but aren't for everyone. They are great for college students needing to work around class hours. They are great for a spouse when one spouse has a higher paying, more demanding job and they are great for a 2nd job.

The problem with a lot of call centers is their owners and management take them to be a lot more than they are. As said above, those with dysfunctional work environments can border on "sweat-shop" with 200+ calls being demanded per day. The more calls you take/day, the less personnel they need and the more profitable they are for the owners. A person can do this for a while at 150+ calls per day, but after a few weeks/months it can drive you crazy.

Once you have seen one in operation, the Dilbert cartoons become more and more true to life.

[mugofbeer]

You know, any jobs are good jobs in this economy. All power to AAA.

[gmwise]

I am still shock that so many people get telemarketing call centers and contact call centers confused with each other.
They assume that its those folks who called them. Selling them pots and pans, or fuzzy animals for grandma.
Not the customer service people who helped them read their phone/cell bill, or hear their endless reasons why they cant pay on time, or why their texting "kids" ranned up their bills.

[AAArt From Phoenix]

For those of you who asked about when they are opening the doors, the answer is this month. Interviews should be starting soon if not already taking place now. The initial hires appear to be for the membership and possibly insurance departments. The first training classes are set to start around the 21st of this month with the first calls to be taken in late October. The ERS dispatch department is scheduled to follow later this year or early next year. I am not sure of time tables for other departments but have been told that the IT department is already up and running. Pay is comparable to other positions in the area but AAA is a very good company to work for, the benifits are good, the supervisors and company support I have found to be outstanding and it is the ONLY company I have ever worked for in 27 years that I have ever recomended to friends and family to work for. As someone has already mentioned the new center will be located in the Quail springs Business center complex, I don't know the address-sorry. I hope this helps.