Been there, done that so I can attest this short is quite accurate in many ways. With its mix between documentary and a short comedy, the film
discuss the problematics faced by telemarketers at work, which goes from dealing with pressure at all times, from all sides (on and out of the phone), countless and endless
stressing calls while trying to reach pre-established goals (wheter it's sales calls, collection calls or costumer services), and also the physical and mental damage done
in those jobs - (vocal and hearing issues, or burn-out syndrome and depression). However, as mentioned before, there's a comical side to it which the movie explores in a
quite unusual way.
The film follows a young man who's applying to one of those jobs and initially he enters a telemarketing course on how to deal with customers, learning everything possible about such interactions. Those weird courses exist but it's more destined to sales people; everything outside of those you have the company's basic training. But it was really weird seeing the pompous host teaching everything and also trying to sell his guidance book, or following each participant during calls rehearsal or making everybody yell with motivational yells of which the leading man becomes an expert.
Then it changes to the downer part with a young woman who's absent from th job since she some vocal problems, and she's the one who describes the war scenario in that line of work since she's a veteran of many years. If I'm not mistaken there was a lawsuit involved, if not by her maybe colleague. All very accurate though hard to find about the reality presented in the movie since there's a whole mixture between fictional characters with real ones. But trust me, those things happen.
If we sound bitter about this, one might ask: then why do it? Why keep with such lousy job with lousy pays and lousy conditions? And the movie answers right away but without going to an extreme with such. Sure, it's one of the most accessible ways to enter the job market, not only as first-timer in getting a register, but also to many people who are stuck in dire situations and need money to support themselves and their family, and this goes for all ages and backgrounds. The movie was made some years ago when it's way eay to get in and there were countless of opportunities and fields to get in; during the pandemic it got to a catastrophic scenario that college degrees were considered a requirement against people who had the experience in the field. Tough break. But someone needs to do that job.
It doesn't pay all that much (as mentioned right on its title that the worker gets a meal voucher too) but one certainly find ways to have some fun, some laughs and might have bonds for life - it's amazing the great people you meet in such places. But even though many people stay in the business and eventualy grow to become leadership or more background work rather than dealing with customers, it's never one of those things one creates as an instant desire to stay and grow. It's only a small ladder to something else out of there.
Back to the film, I think it was a nice idea to be presented since telemarketers are so undervalued and underappreciated that you barely have them as movie characters or some script scenario revolving around them or their work (remember Jamal in "Slumdog Millionaire"? After seeing this short, you'll probably that movie's ending because life in no way ends in a such high triumph note of love conquers all). And it was interesting to see that working reality back in a time where I wasn't in the field, so it's easy to spot some accuracies, some changes (for the better, I must say) and even a little nostalgia feels since with AI's taking over most functions, this is one that's about to disappear in the near future - yet I've been hearing this a decade ago, about this extinction but nothing came from it.
To the ones on the other side of the line, it's a fine way to see what the workers go through, and if possible to make one change views on those kinds of services and generate some empathy or care the moment you need one of those or when getting a call (unwanted or not). Some will miss the human element when the robots take over. 8/10.
The film follows a young man who's applying to one of those jobs and initially he enters a telemarketing course on how to deal with customers, learning everything possible about such interactions. Those weird courses exist but it's more destined to sales people; everything outside of those you have the company's basic training. But it was really weird seeing the pompous host teaching everything and also trying to sell his guidance book, or following each participant during calls rehearsal or making everybody yell with motivational yells of which the leading man becomes an expert.
Then it changes to the downer part with a young woman who's absent from th job since she some vocal problems, and she's the one who describes the war scenario in that line of work since she's a veteran of many years. If I'm not mistaken there was a lawsuit involved, if not by her maybe colleague. All very accurate though hard to find about the reality presented in the movie since there's a whole mixture between fictional characters with real ones. But trust me, those things happen.
If we sound bitter about this, one might ask: then why do it? Why keep with such lousy job with lousy pays and lousy conditions? And the movie answers right away but without going to an extreme with such. Sure, it's one of the most accessible ways to enter the job market, not only as first-timer in getting a register, but also to many people who are stuck in dire situations and need money to support themselves and their family, and this goes for all ages and backgrounds. The movie was made some years ago when it's way eay to get in and there were countless of opportunities and fields to get in; during the pandemic it got to a catastrophic scenario that college degrees were considered a requirement against people who had the experience in the field. Tough break. But someone needs to do that job.
It doesn't pay all that much (as mentioned right on its title that the worker gets a meal voucher too) but one certainly find ways to have some fun, some laughs and might have bonds for life - it's amazing the great people you meet in such places. But even though many people stay in the business and eventualy grow to become leadership or more background work rather than dealing with customers, it's never one of those things one creates as an instant desire to stay and grow. It's only a small ladder to something else out of there.
Back to the film, I think it was a nice idea to be presented since telemarketers are so undervalued and underappreciated that you barely have them as movie characters or some script scenario revolving around them or their work (remember Jamal in "Slumdog Millionaire"? After seeing this short, you'll probably that movie's ending because life in no way ends in a such high triumph note of love conquers all). And it was interesting to see that working reality back in a time where I wasn't in the field, so it's easy to spot some accuracies, some changes (for the better, I must say) and even a little nostalgia feels since with AI's taking over most functions, this is one that's about to disappear in the near future - yet I've been hearing this a decade ago, about this extinction but nothing came from it.
To the ones on the other side of the line, it's a fine way to see what the workers go through, and if possible to make one change views on those kinds of services and generate some empathy or care the moment you need one of those or when getting a call (unwanted or not). Some will miss the human element when the robots take over. 8/10.
