Harshaw

This has been building up inside me for about two months now. Gotta get it out.

I'm not sure if my problem with my job is bad enough to say that I am "morally against it". But I am definatly developing some problems working there. When I first started at Verizon Wireless I hated it just because I didn't want to work in another call center and I'm not really a people person. But now, with all the changes they have made... I don't know if I can stay there on the grounds that I think they are evil. Just about everyone I know with our service has had a $200+ bill at some point. Sure... ok... I used to say "well we let them check their minutes, they know where they are roaming" etc... But I don't think that is cutting it anymore for me. I can't justify charging a customer $500 dollars just because they may or may not have known to check their cell phone for the roaming light (I really don't think we disclose that information to every customer). We used to let them backdate plans to cover minute overages... but those days are long gone. And how can we justify charging .45 cents for minute overages? Every thing the company does anymore is set to charge the customer cut throat rates. We have always been expensive and for as long as I have been there we have had our tricks to "pad" the bill. But now our bills have more padding than the sports bras of an entire cheerleading squad. As much as I really don't like people I can't sit by and watch as we rob them blind. It would be better if they could jump their contracts... but they can't even do that without getting a huge early termination fee. I can't even do anything about it. All I can do is provide a little bit of bill relief (I am capped at $150)... and if I do that too much they will come down on me.

I mean, its not a life or death service (in most cases) so I don't really mind that it is expensive. But it is the fact that we have gotten so good at screwing them we get them coming, going, and while they are with us. And I am getting good at screwing the customer also. I know every loop hole and know how to make them hemorage money. I know how to get out of giving them any money back unless it is written in stone that it is our fault. I am probably the worlds greatest lover at this point I have become so adept at screwing customers it is almost second nature.

I need this job (or something that pays close to it) but I don't know how much longer I can do it before I go crazy or just become evil... and I don't want to do either (well a little crazy, but not on this scale).

Am I alone, am I the only person doing a job they feel is wrong? Has anyone else experienced this?!

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This too shall pass.

lurkette

I provide support to researchers who do animal research. I think in the end our aim is admirable - curing mental illness - but it does make me cringe a bit to be supporting something I don't, well, support.

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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France

Rodney

Yeah, early in my career I had a public relations job at an insurance company. They were bastards; they screwed their employees _and_ their customers. And I had to say nice things about them all day. I didn't last a year.

It's normal to feel like you're feeling in this situation. They are screwing the customers in the cause of maximizing profit and getting the stock price up. Everything they're doing is legal, but it's wrong and sleazy and they're shaking down the customers for everything they can.

Since that bothers you -- and congratulations, by the way -- get out now, or risk sinking into self-loathing or twisting your world-view to match the company's. Either way, you'll be a miserable shit. At that insurance company, nearly everybody in my department who'd been there over 10 years was a heavy drinker or full-fledged alcoholic. That was the only way they could stand it.

I repeat. Get out, or the job will change you, and not in a good way. You might consider a change of location (hint, hint).

Rodney

Oh yeah, let me introduce the concept of FYM --
"f*ck-you money." It's a stash of money set aside specifically to allow you to live for several months without a job. So that if you just can't take the sleaze at work anymore, you're free to say "f*ck you" to the boss and stalk on out the door. There are a whole lot of people in terrible jobs who can't afford to leave. Don't be one of them.

Rodney (proud owner of a substantial "f*ck you" fund since 1978. And used it, too.)

raeanna74

I wonder if you could give a full report to the Better Business Bureau about the practices you are seeing first hand. Have a backup job ready though before you do that. You could provide them with all the ammo they need to shut down those particular practices.

I have been asked to do certain things that I knew were "risky" back when I worked in gun sales. I know the feeling. Ours though was done for people we knew we could trust. Long term customers with a good reputation. Otherwise I would have bauked more at it.

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"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

skier

Brilliant! I'm going to start my own FYM stash right now.

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"Asking a bomb squad if an old bomb is still "real" is not the best thing to do if you want to save it." - denim

Harshaw

Yeah, I am working on the getting out. I bought a car (a cheap one that seems to run ok) and as soon as I have paid it off (3 months max!) I should be able to save up a pile of FYM (great term by the way).

FYM is some of the best advice I have ever heard. I have a few friends at work who feel the same way I do. In fact, they were the ones who opened my eyes to the whole shake down operation. I think I might pass the information along.

As far as reporting to the BBB; as much as I would like to... they simply aren't doing anything wrong. And I'm not a big enough cog, nor is it really enough of a suprise that cell phone companies bleed customers dry to really get the story out.

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This too shall pass.

onetime2

I worked for a trade association which decided to use its impartial reputation to gather strategic and financial information about specific companies in the industry and share it with one of their competitors because they gave us lots of money to run programs. I was absolutely disgusted in the meeting where the President and VP discussed it with us and I let them know it.

I went to my boss and told him that it was not only unethical, but quite possibly illegal and that I would have no part in it. He agreed and told them the same. Luckily my boss and our department (which consisted of my boss and me) had a reputation in the industry which greatly benefited our company, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to say no quite so easily.

If it bothers you that much, get out. IMO, a job is not worth your self respect.

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Strive to be more curious than ignorant.

mystmarimatt

For near on 20 years, my father worked selling computer connectors for an Eastern Seaboard-based company, and he loved what did. In 1999, that company was bought out by a much larger corporation, which made a bit of a shakedown, so for the last 5 years, everything is in a constant state of choas and disarray, with company policies and setups lasting no longer than about 6 months.

My dad, a sales manager by this time, watched as his sales group was slowly take away from him, and his whole region changed. He used to be in charge of just Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Then he was in charge of Oregon, Washington and Colorado.

About a year ago, there was a MAJOR corporate shakedown, and his whole group was destroyed, and either fired, or moved around. My father is well-liked and very respected within the company, so the higher-ups always protect him when shit like this happens.

The new assignment he was given was given the inconspicuous tiitle of "Aerospace Sales." His major clients were Boeing, and Lockheed-Martin. A few months ago, Boeing opted not to renew their contract with the company, so my father was left with Lockheed-Martin.

For those of you who don't know, Lockheed-Martin produces pretty much all of the missiles for the military. Essentially, my father was selling 75% of the parts that go into the missiles, to L-M.

My father wasn't happy at all. Before, he knew he at least dealt with Boeing, but, I come from a family of complete pacifists. He was morally appalled by this assignment. He tried to take it lightly, and his good friends within the company would call him, say "Babykiller!!" into the phone, and hang up. (Not surprisingly, my brother and I were highly amused by this, and adopted it. Pissed him off to no great end. It was funny).

So, he just tried to deal with it, because he figured, after awhile, there would be another shakedown, and they'd move him again, and he figured the best way to go about things was to just sell this shit out of his products, and do well enough that he was offered another promotion (15 years as a sales manager, he was offered about 7 promotions, none off which he took).

Well, months passed, and nothing happened, band to make things worse, his immediate superior was an incompetent asswipe nobody liked, and things really heated up between them, and there was still no change, so about 2 months ago, my dad was on the phone listening to his Boss give a nice conservative sermon about what's going on in the world, how great what Bush is doing, and my dad finally goes off on him, about how morally offensive he finds this assignment, and how he was completely against the war in Iraq, and how he can't wait to be transferred.

After that conversation, he came out of his office in our home, looked at all of us and said
"Well, we might be short on money for a few months."

The next day, his Boss's Boss, a really good friend of my father called up laughing, congratulated him on talking back to his boss (like i said, nobody really liked him) and told my dad, he doesn't have any other positions open he could transfer my father to, but as soon as one opens up, he'll let him know.

Sometimes, it pays to speak up.

By the way, the company that he works for is Tyco Intl. They were folks whose CEO, Dennis Koslowski, was indicted for tax fraud.

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Words of Wisdom:

If you could really get to know someone and know that they weren't lying to you, then you would know the world was real. Because you could agree on things, you could compare notes. That must be why people get married or make Art. So they'll be able to really know something and not go insane.

Mephex

You know, that seems so f'ing obvious. But I'll be damned if I've ever thought of saving that way. What a great solution. I learn so much from this board and you people, thank you!!!!

I too am in a situation where I despise the people I work with, I hate the person I work for, and no one gives a fuck either way. It's got to change quickly, but I'm now in a %20 pay cut and cannot afford to make any life changes. I feel for you, but I'm sure you'll work it out, as you seem to have a level head.

I would get more into my situation, but I find it just makes me really angry, and that's not good for anybody.

Cynthetiq

I have the same fund. 3 months of expenses in rolling 3 month CD's.

I've never had to say FU to the boss, but I know that he cannot push me to do something that I don't to do.

he says Jump! I say.. Do I really want to jump?

he says Jump this high! I say... do I really feel like jumping that high?

as for the job.. well it's called job. it's called work. it's a means to an end. it's what you do, trading time for money, and that's the way that most people do it. if you find something you love and get paid for it, you're ahead of the game.

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Harshaw

I would love to have a job that I love to do; But I am realistic. At this point I would settle for a job I do not dispise.

As to leaving this job. I've decided that I am gone May 24. I don't care if my car isn't paid off, I don't care if I'm not sure if I have money for 3 months of food. If I have enough cash to buy gas to get to whereever I am going... I am gone!

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This too shall pass.

Bill O'Rights

While that's probably not the brightest thing to do...sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith.

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

denim

Yeah, I wouldn't do it either, but he might find a better answer if he does it.

Or not. :9

shakran

i'm curious as to what verizon's tricks are to pad the bill. I'm sure they're not the only company out there doing it, and it'd be interesting to look for those tricks on my cell bill.