Do call centres deserve their reputation as dark satanic mills?
As they proliferate in Brighton, Matt Chittock investigates life at the end of the line. Mark sits back in his chair and adjusts his headset. In a second he will log into the box in front of him and take his first call of the day. “Hello, you’re through to Mark, how can I help you?” He will repeat this phrase to different customers over 100 times today. Around him, arranged in teams, 200 people are also plugged into their own shiny boxes. A digital wallboard constantly flashes up the number of customers waiting, and how many operatives are available. If Mark meets his quota of calls his team will be in the running to win some book vouchers. Mark is 22, a recent graduate and this is his first job after University. Welcome to the modern day call centre. Call centres sit backstage in Britain’s shiny new 24-hour work culture, the part you hear but don’t normally see. From banks to utilities to communication companies to the council, the need to provide 24-hour service means the explosion i
