Insult 2 Respect: Memoirs of a call centre employee

Shikta Chaturvedi

Things were a lot different when I started working a few years ago. While, I was among the first within my friends circle to work in call centers, my elder sister was the first one in the family.

Call centers were never the first option then, they were what we call as the last resort, the last respectable resort. The night shifts were pretty tough and there was always someone looking at you awkwardly when boarding the company's Tata Sumo at 2.30 a.m. There were also the silly and insensitive jokes and puns on call centers and call girls, etc.

The initial response especially from the middle class families (like mine) was one of hesitation. A friend once told me that her family stopped interacting with her for many days when they realized that she had joined a call center.

Things are in stark contrast nowadays. A lot of girls, particularly college going teenagers have started working in call centers for extra pocket money. Many companies have brought this option for the college going crowd to join part time work force at the call centers.

Speaking from a women's perspective, I personally feel that, call centers have liberated Indian women in more ways than one. In the past, it was tough for us to find jobs, now there is a good job opportunity coming up every week. It has also given me immense financial independence. The wages and perks are quite good compared to other industries.

One can find so many married women working in these call centers, spending their waking hours with their near and dear ones and then taking calls in the night. Call centers also exhibit a spirit of impartiality as there are many women heading the operations in different departments. The promotion policy is not gender based and is only performance oriented. Women get equal opportunity to grow in this way and prove their mettle for any higher posts. Some call centers have started a program for women who are unable to work on night shifts. They have the option to join the data processing department and do a typical office-hour work.

But, there is sad angle to this story. The recent incident where a woman working for a BPO company was brutally raped and killed by a night shift driver caused greater uproar amongst women and was an eye-opener for many. Suddenly one feels vulnerable. And many companies are in the process of framing guidelines and policies aligned to bring about greater sense of security.

(The author is a senior customer response executive working with Intelenet Global in Mumbai)

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