BT

[moose and Lindsay]

Hi what is it like to work at BT??

I have heard all the bad and stressful things about bt but nothing good about it

Is there any good points about it??

Job vacancies still in the paper and i was thinking of applying for a job there :)

Lindsay

[porshiepoo]

My mum worked for BT for years and I think she liked it.
What paper is the job offer in cos according to BT website there aren't any vacancies at the mo.

[dragonfly]

I worked at BT for over 6 years and overall, my experience was good, though a couple of my ex workmates who use this forum would probably disagree with me ;)

You are expected to be on calls from your sign on time (meaning that if you are rota'd on for an 8am start you have to come in early enough to set up your pc and be ready for pushing the sign on button for that time) until sign off and obviously if you are on a call at that time, you are expected to stay on until you are finished. You get breaks morning and afternoon, most departments work their break systems differently so can't comment on them, and you also get your lunch break. You're being paid to take calls, not to surf the net or text your mates

Most complaints I hear from workers at Manpower/BT is grumpy customers shouting at analysts and them getting stressed out about it. If a customer is irrate/upset, then you have to remember that its not personal, they are not irrate/upset at you, but at the circumstances they have found themselves in and a little acknowledgement of this can diffuse these situations. I like a lot, did not like the "Welcome Back" meetings you had to have with the Manpower Rep, after a period of absence, but can appreciate that they have to assess that you are fit to return to work. Also being tied to a phone line for 7.5 hours a day is restrictive and seems to be a copmplaint of many.

Manpower gave me PC skills that I did not have before joining them and I was lucky enough to gain promotions etc. My reason for leaving was work insecurity at the time, which was unfounded.

I'm not saying that they were the best to work for but I found it ok, though must admit that a little more flexibility from Manpower would do a lot for workers morale and extra holidays (4 weeks at present) would be most beneficial, even if it was incremented to how long you had worked there.

I would say that if you are looking for work and are prepared for sitting at a desk taking calls for 7.5 hours a day, then apply. You'll have an assessment from Manpower first if you haven;t had one already and then they will forward your name to the department recruiting and depending on your qualifications, abilities, you may or may not get an interview, but if you do, ask if its possible to see the the environment you will be working in.

Its not for everyone, some are there who hate it and other like it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! and good luck if you do go for it

[moose and Lindsay]

Thanx for that, i might apply, but they always seem to have ads in the paper looking for staff so there's no hurry, but i think i probably will go for it, if they'll have me :lol:

It is in todays courier and it was in the groat on fri to

[champagnebaby]

I worked for BT/Manpower and to be honest i quite liked it but i did get bored of doing the same job after a couple of years. The department i worked in had quite a good atmosphere and like Dragonfly i learned a lot of pc skills and other things i wouldn't have learned in any other job, also the training we got was very good although i hear now that in some departments the training is pretty poor. It was also very good for teambuilding events and nights out n that and holding charity days and things at xmas.

Out of all the bad things i've heard about them they were pretty fair to me on quite a few occassions where they could've just fired me. Although i do know of a couple of cases where they were way out of line in dismissing staff. A bad thing with them was when you were off ill you had to phone in everyday and when you came back you got a meeting with the Manpower rep and had to explain your reasons for being off, this was one thing i didn't like; they said their reasons for doing this was so they were able to be sure you were well enough to return and it was simply procedure.

Maybe my opinion has mellowed though, since i no longer work there cos before i finished work i was feeling quite fed up with it.

[EDDIE]

My opinion is whether its bt or any other company has its good and bad points for me it all depends on the boss your working for he or she is a nice easy going boss to work for you like it but on the other hand if that person hasnt a nice personality to work for you wont like working there because the bad working atmosphere.And i most certanily wouldnt listen to much to anyone at the place your applying for because everyone moans about there job to a certain point

[William]

Basically if you could sit and answer the phone to customers some not so nice and try to sort out there problems, clamly and politly and, you don't mind sitting doing nothing in a chair for ages if there are no calls then hay go for it.

I thought it was well boring though, even them firing me took to long :( i could have missed rush hour traffic if she has just told me instead of going on about this and that.