The Cry Babies Club
The call center and telephone answering business is for the most part in the hands of private family businesses. In some cases, these companies have second and third generations running these successful operations. This industry is perhaps not known for being the highest paying in the business world, and for the most part, call center staff have no post-secondary education. However, it is a business where growth opportunities within the business, as well as personal growth, can occur at a very rapid rate. It comes from the level of care, the desire to improve and make our clients feel good. I call it the “School of Common Sense”.
I have learned that the reason people stay in this business is because of the strong sense of community. To belong. To fit in. It is also a place for them to grow as people. Many of us in senior positions in this business have seen countless new hires enter our world as meek and quiet people, often fearful of their own shadow. Countless times we see them blossom into happy, amazing and productive individuals.
Why did this happened. I think it’s the cry baby club. Yes, the owners of this industry work hard. They take huge financial risks to build their businesses. It is your leadership style that trumps everything else. They care at the deepest level about their employees. This kind of care is not regularly seen in the “we’ll measure you to death” corporate world. The great owners in this industry understand that it is the staff that makes this business the amazing business that it is. Without their talented staff they would be nothing. It is not about the latest technology that embraces us. Our clients really don’t care what’s in our server rooms. They just want us to make their customers happy and to do it profitably. It’s that easy.
The level of respect goes beyond the employer-staff relationship. The level of respect between the owners and top management of the competitors is truly amazing. I feel that sharing knowledge and wanting our competitors to grow so we can all grow is unparalleled in any industry. This year’s convention, like others in the past, sees various awards presented to industry leaders for outstanding mentorship, leadership and giving back to their staff and in their communities. It is during these performances that “The Cry Babies Club” takes hold. I have seen CEOs of large companies with hundreds of employees to supervisors with a team of 10 crying their eyes out to be recognized for their docks. Each and every one feeling totally humbled. There is no greater honor.
I ask my readers outside of this industry to look at our industry with a different eye before we are judged unfavorably. Leaders are born in our ranks every day. Yes, right here in North America and not in a distant land.