CHUCK IN A BOX

I also work at the Mansfield startek. I almost didn’t get holiday pay for Christmas day. The whole restroom policy. Take your restroom breaks off of your breaks and if you don’t have breaks left then you have to clock out. Well I’m a female and sometimes females have female issues and I had to clock out twice on Christmas day to use the restroom. They were not going to give me holiday pay because I had to use the restroom. I fought it and got the holiday pay. It’s just crazy. My fiance works there and had to turn in a few doctors notes because he missed a few days. Well his friend found the doctors notes on the floor beside a supervisors trashcan. He picked them up. We are turning them into HR. I think they were going to try and fire him for missing so many days in a row without a doctors note. We are going to make copies of them and keep the originals. I’m glad his friend found the dr notes and they were not lost. IF we screw someones acct up we get coached or whatever I think a supervisor should be coached because of this. That is unacceptable. I don’t see them staying open very long. Some of the supervisors shouldn’t be there. I’m not going to mention any names but there is one who drinks on the job, another who really should get walked out due to sexual harrassment and MOST Of them should get a first and final for job avoidance. You tell them you got a sup call and they say ok and walk off and stay gone for 30-45 mins so they dont have to take the call or some of them just refuse. The OM’s wonder why our AHT is high. Ya know get on the sups. They need to do their job too. My sup is very good about taking sup calls. You tell her and she will be there in a few mins. I used to love this job. I love to talk on the phone and I love computers. I used to work a lot of overtime as well but now its hard to go to work. Somethings gotta give here.

I to was a victim of startek mansfield. I recently had to free myself of the nonsence that had taken over my life. It is really not worth the money. People keep hold of your dignity

I love StarTek mansfield. If you show up for work every day, work your scheduled shift, you have no problems. I started out as a CSR in April of 2008, and by showing up to work every day and doing my job with the resources provided, I quickly got promoted.

The people who like to complain about StarTek, are also the ones who are consistently late, the ones who refuse to do their job correctly, and the ones who really do not want to work there.

I have no sympathy for these people. Sorry.

And what about the QA Charles Clark (Jason)? He was released from prison after doing 8 years for rape and sexual battery,came directly to StarTek.Why wasn’t he fired for his criminal background when the conducted the sweep? This guy makes my skin crawl,I wanna spit in his face everytime I see him.He is a RAPIST for god’s sake !!! Part of his Probation states he is not to associate with known sex offenders,well is working with a few everyday.Come on StarTek why is this guy still there?

StarTek – Capitalism
Without Conscience
By Lea MacDonald

After several people provided dismal reviews about their employment at Canadian StarTek call centers I decided to become an employee to investigate.

At the time of my employment StarTek was handling calls from AT&T wireless customers. StarTek makes money based on the spread between what providing such a service costs AT&T and what StarTek says they can provide the service for. By any other name StarTek is an out-sourcing company used by AT&T to thin costs associated with their wireless operation before Singular eventually bought them out.

An initial impression of being employed by a corporation harboring deep concern for its employees was short-lived. It took less than two months to conclude that StarTek personifies capitalism without conscience. Despite being staggered by the indignities people were subjected to in order to collect a paycheck I decided to walk lockstep with the StarTek training program in an intrepid effort to understand the dysfunction that contributes to a 137% attrition rate every five months.

The first week of training consisted of classroom learning continuously interrupted by impromptu visits and introductions by Human Resources personnel, Local Resource Procurement staff (LRP), and others who in relentless Stepford style perpetually pontificated about the opportunities StarTek held for them if they’d “just hang in there.” Incessant talk of “team” and “the StarTek family” took on an ominous, cult-like pretense leaving one with the impression something was wrong. That uneasy suspicion was justified in week two.

During week one trainees were told by an LRP representative they would be working for thirty-seven and one half hours each week of their one-month training period, but they would be paid for forty hours. That promise held true for less than eight days when it was summarily withdrawn without satisfactory explanation in the middle of week two. The arbitrary withdrawal of that promise did not coincide with a StarTek handout: Corporate Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, effective January 1, 2004, wherein integrity and accountability are two of seven words used to define StarTek’s corporate values. Evidently, like beauty, StarTek corporate values run only skin deep.

As trainees moved closer to their first day of call-taking on the production floor, they were trained in’ at best, obfuscation’ at worst, lying. For instance, should a Customer Care Agent be unable to assist a client they are instructed to tell the hapless caller: “Our system is currently updating and it will take a few moments to access your information. May I put you on hold?” The actual situation is one of poorly trained Customer Care Agents being unable to address the customer’s request. Such a circumstance requires the agent to place a red cup on their cubical wall to signal a Red-Hat thereby eliciting instruction for resolving the issue at hand. During my tenure not only were Red Hats, in very short supply they were only marginally better trained than the lost and frustrated agents seeking their help. It was common to count as many as twenty-five cups signaling help from one of only two Red Hats assigned to our group. Customers often found themselves on hold for hours rather than risk hanging up to be once again incarcerated in Muzak jail.

It is not the employee’s fault. Training consists of little more than a cursory overview of several wildly complex software programs with several more sub-programs housing hundreds of information pages and tools to help, define, instruct, and resolve customer issues. One system, called CCNET, is non-intuitive leaving employees discouraged, confused, and in may cases, defeated.

Julie, my training partner, was a cheerful hard-working woman possessing an eclectic professional background. She lasted two days on the production floor. Julie, in a courageous effort to serve customers better did the unthinkable, she asked for more training after realizing she could not help customers in any way. Further training was refused. Her supervisor simply told Julie, “You’ll catch on.” Apparently, Julie did catch on and headed out the door.

Agents are instructed to take ownership of their calls by resolving all customer issues, but then there is compliance – a seemingly innocuous term used to grade employees as they perform their job. Spend too much time handling a call and the agent falls out of compliance. Spend too much time wrapping up a call by documenting call issues in the customer’s account notes, you fall out of compliance. Log onto your system late and you fall out of compliance. Stay on your system a little long and you fall out of compliance. Don’t take your scheduled break at the prescribed time, you fall out of compliance. Fail to address or ask if you addressed all the customers, issues, you fall out of compliance. Fall out of compliance and you can be warned, written up or terminated. “It’s hell and purgatory rolled into one.” Commented an astute LA reporter.

Employees who made it through their first 90-days with StarTek were promised a fifty-cent raise – a raise which never materialized for the group I trained with. One employee wrote: “The newcomers that joined this prisoner camp a year ago September were told that once they reached their 3-month probation they’d receive a 50-cent raise with their performance review. Now, when the time has come, they are being told, No, not until after a year,. Unfortunately, nowhere in their agreement does it state this, but I have proof that they did state it because my hire group and everyone up to this hire, did get a raise. A friend of mine has had meetings with Laurie Hutchinson’ the HR Manager, who frankly said they are not going to give it to him. They said that there will be an internal investigation and, no doubt, as with all internal investigations conducted on my behalf they will sweep it under the carpet. They made a verbal promise to these people and they are not following through with this. I was hired then received my 3-month raise of 50-cents, and at a year I received 26-cents with another performance review – now I am making a whopping 10.76! So, if they don’t get raises, I don’t understand why I did and everyone after me did not.” It is appropriate to note that my hire group was made the very same promise last August but StarTek did not follow through and went mute on the subject.

If accountability is the thorn in StarTek’s side integrity is its Achilles heal. In a written evaluation of StarTek’s business principals weighted against current practice a former StarTek management employee gave them a score of ten out of one-hundred. He wrote”Integrity– This is where I feel the management team is struggling the most. Decisions on a site level, get made without, what appears to be, taking constructive input from the other departments possessing a make-it-happen’ attitude. Preparation for change needs to be a focus. Input from those that are affected by the change needs to be taken into deeper consideration as opposed to putting out fires after the fact. False promises get thrown around, the things will change, cliché has become a standard – some form of stability should be in place. People are given promotions, based on unknown criteria, without the benefit of a proper, ethical job bid to determine if there are other suitable candidates available. Information is distributed one way, and changed on a whim. Again’ structure is needed in order to achieve goals. Knee-jerk reactions to situations should be minimal, and stronger preparations for what if, should be taken into consideration.”

Howard, an oriental engineering student who had recently graduated from Queens University, was unable to immediately find work in his chosen vocation applied at StarTek to start paying back money borrowed for his education. As he put it: “I learn. Now I pay back.” Howard, an affable fellow, possessed a charming sense of humor and an enormously strong work ethic that elevated him to a Red Hat at 3-months tenure. Shortly after, Howard quit. I met him that day for lunch to ask why he,d quit StarTek. “They wanted me to lie,” he blurted, “to my agents and the customer. I won’t lie. There is not enough money to make me tell lies. I was not raised that way. They tell me just to do it. I won’t. I quit. They said I could get another promotion. I apply and they do not give me promotion. Yet I am most qualified. They didn’t even look at it. They don’t care about people in that place. No wonder they don’t want union in that place. Union makes them stick to rules.”

The union has made overtures to rank and file StarTek employees from the periphery of StarTek property after discovering that conditions outlined in the StarTek employment contract were not binding on the company and were subject to change from moment to moment. The union further contends that StarTek’s annual review process is less than fair and just. They discovered that some employees found themselves being discriminated against by losing points because they had been disabled from working due to a provable, legitimate illness, which the union believes, may be a violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

In a January 19, 2005-StarTek memorandum circulated to clarify StarTek’s position regarding the implementation of a union’ the StarTek Management Team stated, “Our strong preference is to remain union free . . . that it is not necessary, nor do we believe it will ever be necessary, for you to be represented by a third party.”

The memorandum comes dangerously close to the use of scare tactics in order to get employees to support StarTek’s position. The memorandum asks: “Did you know that the Canadian National Federation of Independent Unions, is actually an affiliate of the Laborer’s International Union of North America, based out of Washington’ D.C.?” Apparently the StarTek Management Team has forgotten it’s own south-of-the-boarder affiliation with its parent company. What’s good for the goose, evidently, is not good for the gander.

The dubious memorandum goes on to state that signing a union card is “evidence of supporting the union.” Such a statement spawns question: “Evidence? What type of evidence? How does StarTek intend to use this evidence? In a court of law? To browbeat employees? To bring action for dismissal?” While StarTek’s use of the word evidence might be considered an unfortunate choice of words, they move on to caution employees about being “tricked into signing a union card as a means of obtaining more information.” Clearly, such a statement assails the integrity and motivation of union proponents. My personal experience with StarTek compels me to urge them not to throw stones while living in a glass house.

I work at Mansfield Startek and it is getting so bad in that place, there is something big about to happen. It really isn’t a good place to work, it doesn’t matter what you do, you are set up to fail, they are not fair with employee’s and actually lie to get themselves out of the lies they have told. I’ve worked for many years in my life and I am reading things here that I would never have imagined unless I’d seen them myself and I’ve seen them. Startek actually makes money on the number of people they graduate from training, something like $1500.00 a head. Well, when you go out on the floor you are freakin totally lost, callers are allowed to call you any name they want to, cuss you out, call you bitches, stupid, dumb, you name it and we have to sit there and listen to this. I was logged off my phone several times due to the fact I had to use the restroom due to illness. I advised that it is illegal to log me off the phone, if something was to happen to me from the time I went in to aux code and they log me off I could be laying somewhere injured, passed out, whatever, it may take hours for someone to even look for me since Im logged off they probably figured I went home without even checking for me….LAWSUIT!!!! I have been shorted several times on pay due to the fact that I was told I would get incentive pay, well I worked the hours but I’m still waiting for the pay! I show up everyday unless I’m sick and the Dr. has me off work and a doctor’s excuse..I’m pretty sure my Dr.s excuse will override startek…I really thought I would like this job, was excited to have a job, but the way they treat people its horrible. You have four chances to pass Vendor Score Card, if not your gone, they give you a paper bag and walk you out the door…I can show myself out, thank you! I found the way in I will find the way out! Then you put in for vacation that you advised them of the first day of orientation and I was told to let my trainer and supervisor know… I did inform them of my vacation plans, competed the paperwork and also put vacation in computer for confirmation. After weeks of getting this straightened up with all my supervisors cause I’d already had two since starting, when I ask my Supervisor if he had heard anything about my vacation time and he looked in my eyes and said yes it has been approved….well then I moved to a new section with a new supervisor and had to start all over again. I had to explain everything over again, and when my current supervisor asked my first supervisor about it he said ” I don’t recall” come on dude you looked right at me, and told me it was approved. This same supervisor wrote me up for going to bathroom alot, I got excuse from Dr. stating my diagnosis, he stated if I get excuse he will tear up write up, he did. There is so much more to say, the fact that Makati grades all of our calls, well who grades Makati’s calls. It is so ridiculous the stuff you have to actually read line by line to our customers and we get alot of calls in a day. Could be pages and pages of stuff the customer doesn’t want to hear, they want the problem fixed and get off the phone, but you can’t do that. I just wonder if AT&T knows half the stuff that is going on in that place, Startek blames it on AT&T but honestly I think its startek crap…..Verizon doesnt go through that kind of expectations and crap when you call them, as long as you are working, taking care of the customer and being professional thats what matters. I really wasn’t aware of all the rapists and such at mansfield startek, but I don’t think the place is going to last long, I think they will get out of tax abatement by stating they are running out of employee resources like they’ve done in their past.

I am currently stuck at startek Mansfield…because I have a family to provide for and nobody else is hiring. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT EVER CONSIDER APPLYING TO THIS JOKE OF AN EMPLOYER!!!!! Everything that people are saying on here is true…STARTEK has got to be the most corrupt and sickening employer I have ever heard of in my life…Even people who have worked at Wal-Mart (who is known for mistreating its employees) would rather go back to work there. There is a 130% turnover rate for a reason people…They LIE to people and Cheat people EVERDAY….and SETH, why have you not figured out that everybody talks about you because you act like an arrogant fool!! Your job isnt crap, so you have no reason to walk around like you are some sort of big wig. I am definately calling AT&T about the Sex Offenders, And the Corrupt people at Startek. The only thing I have to look Forward to is my last call, on my very last day. If the person that calls is nice…they will get $250.00 in credits and 5,000 free rollover minutes. If the person that calls happens to be a JERK…well then, they will get an earfull of my screaming and cussing back…and their service suspended along with every feature removed from their plan anddd I may just fry their sim card BECAUSE I CAN!!! ohhhh how I look forward to that moment…it will be the best day of my life!!! I will never have to shudder when I walk into the building and be greeted by the smell of dirty clothes and sweaty feet again! oh happy day!!!

I started at Startek on March 10, 2008 at the Mansfield Site. I was in the first Wave, here it is June 2011 and I am still @ Startek surprisingly. I agree with a lot of what people are saying about Startek especially the Mansfield Site. Ok, the day I started I was excited! You know starting a job that pays $9.00 an hour for the 1st 90 days then it jumps up to $9.25 an hour. That’s something you don’t see in Mansfield. We had our training class over at the old E-City building and had some trainers From the Collinsville Site come and train us. Well in April we moved to the new building to begin ABAY and finish our training. We were put out on to the phones and pretty much LOST! Even in production we were lost! My supervisor was horrible.. it was always check Mycsp constantly when we had a ? after we have searched for 20 minutes! She refused to take Sup calls so it was always left up to the floor walkers. Not too mention LARRY omg the old site director… thank god we have Patrick now! Larry was just… Wow… a very strange and crooked man.. Along with a lot of others! Things are a little better now, and I am glad they did away with the showrate thing on June 1st. The 12 point system was so much nicer! The vendor score card on the other hand is BS,…. I got 1 bad vendor scorecard so far.. and its because my AHT was extremely high.. But they found out why. I was on the phone with a very irate customer for 5 1/2 hours who refused to hang up, who refused to speak to anyone else but me but expected me to fix everything on their account. Finally the call ended for me to get yet another IRATE customer. So between those 2 calls I had a very screwed up AHT. But to make a long story short… Startek is not what its cracked up to be…. but if you do your job, come to work things can be ok.. I am still a rep.. i refuse to go above that! I am not being labled as a kiss ass. Thats what alot of people who work for Startek who have been promoted are… its not based on QA, its not based on anything other than who you know, and how much ass you kiss.. (SETH) whether or not your promoted. I am now on a better Team and actually get the help I deserve from my Sup… I have been there 3 years and yes occasionally i still need help.. but your going to need it with all the shit that keeps changing constantly from the greeting to the resolution to shit in mycsp.