leaflet on standard phrases at quelle/essen

text in german
(06.11.00) This leaflet was distributed outside and inside Quelle-call centers in several cities in Germany:

Welcome to Quelle, my name is Firstname Surname. What can I do for you?

Standard-phrases, everybody who works for Quelle knows about them. Another example? "Mr, Mrs... We currently make a customer survey. Are you interested in advertising material on the subject ‘dogs'?"... It all started this summer. Up till then it was our choice how to talk to the customers. Then the standard-phrases appeared and the nightmare started. First we got a friendly order but when the management realized that we were still talking the way we liked, they started testing us and putting us under pressure. Now we get daily checkup calls and the bosses threatened us with written warnings for ignoring orders. They promised a bonus for the "best" team in order to play us off against each other. They published statistics and try to stir up "competition" between the different Quelle-call centers (Essen, Berlin, Cologne, Nuremberg-Fuerth, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Mainz, Cottbus, Padborg). In that context the rumour came up again that call center were going to be closed.
Why all that? The management claims, that standard phrases would raise the quality. But look at the phrases and you will realize, that it is bullshit! For Quelle, the standard phrases are one way of producing an atmosphere of control and competition among us. They want us to put pressure on each other to use the phrases. And some of us do right that and spy on the others. Sometimes you feel surrounded by listening ears!
Quelle also wants our work performance to be comparable. When everybody talks the same, they can compare the call times and put pressure on us if we do not sell more stuff to the customers. The imposition of the standard phrases is part of the strategy to make us compliant and to force us to work more: more calls, shorter calls, less breaks. We already are asked to do 22 calls an hour. Like in a factory where everybody performs the same movements and gets a piece-amount as a target. We are asked to work productively, because the time we talk to cutomers too long, are not on the telephone or chat with other workers is unproductive and Quelle does not make profit then.
In summer we were still discussing the standard phrases during team meetings. Today we get presented the results of the the test calls - together with praise or criticism - and just accept that. We allow the quality manager to ask us about the problems with the standard phrases and receive the brain washing about the sense or the standard phrases.
The bonus has produced a tense atmosphere. We hear that the other team would be better, would reach 100%, so we could do that too. Because we accept that they can blackmail us. Whoever will get the bonus: after that the standard phrases will continue, but without more money and with the same mindlessness day by day.
What bullshit is that anyway, to tell us how to talk?! It is already enough that we are being woken up by alarm clocks everyday and having to go to work. On top of that we now feel like living robots who are having a competition repeating standard phases 100 times a day.
Some just leave Quelle now. But is it really better elsewhere? Or are the conditions just shitty in a different way? We have to take on the conflict here and now. Do not get scared off by the management because it is us who talk to the customers. We have to deal with that everyday. Even if the management tries to make us talk their way: We do not have to put up with that! Let us talk our way! Get in contact with workers in other Quelle-call centers!

No standard phrases!
No mutual control!
No blackmail!

[box] We work in call centers and elsewhere and produce a series of leaflets. That way we want to support and bring forward the discussion among workers. We do not have to put up with everything and can stand up together against work stress and the contraint to work. We can only do that by self-organizing and by finding ways - together with other workers - to react against management measures and to push through our own interests. Our strength lies in the fact that we can quickly agree with other workers on - for instance - refusing overtime, ignore boss's orders or reducing the call-rythm. Without the boss being prepared and without the mediation or control of representing bodies (german: Betriebsrat = works council) or unions. If we develope that strength and use it, that can be a step towards the overcoming of wage slavery altogether.
All leaflets are published - together with more information and contributions on the website: www.free.de/prol-position
Take part in the discussion and send us your ideas, critique and reports: Emails: hotlines@free.de
Letters: hotlines c/o Fabrik, Grabenstrasse 20, 47057 Duisburg


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