Aug 03, 2016 06:23 PM
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In hindsight the decision to join this organization Convergys was perilious & more like driving down a one way street! However at the time of joining, there weren't many options & alternatives either. The ITES/BPPO industry is a fledgling one but never push the envelope on age/fitment when balancing talent
Having worked in Gurgaon with IBM Daksh in 2004-05 & having heard a lot of heartfelt praises from the home belt, I'd felt that it must be professional, cultured, sophisticated, suave & lot more! These are just the platitudes but now only expletives remain or the only words that abound. They say that "old habits die hard" which is the rule that this company ever so religiously follows. Just to highlight some of the major intricacies out here;
Location: Delhi Gurgaon Jaipur Highway or expressway is very well maintained as it runs through 2 States & 1 UT. You will hardly feel the commute as the ride is good, t's a breeze at most times. However Convergys Thane, is in a very skewed kind of location only close to Borivali which is a cool 30 minutes away on a less traffic laden day. Any other route will take you at least 2-3 hours to reach this location. I know that this company once had an office in Malad, Western Mumbai in 2004, so why would they shift to such a remote, desolate location some years later when most BPO's are either in Malad, Powai or Navi Mumbai. A lot of IT cos hog the G Corp building in Thane & the only BPO there besides Convergys is Sterling Backcheck. Hence there are a lot of logistical constraints!
Work Hours: It's very obvious that surrogate industries or demand driven industries like this punch below the belt but here things have reached a new low! Unlike normal BPO's/Contact Centres which have 9 hours with a 1 hour break(2x15m; 1x30m), here the basic shift is 9.5hrs which is ludicrous! Calls are back to back with no respite either plus you are told not to be on Wrap/Idle; have any ACW/Not Ready Status either! I mean they will monitor your actual production, off time & tell you where you are found wanting! Then to add insult to injury, there is a 15m briefing before shift & an operational huddle or debrief for 45 mins post shift which is very lame. All this translates to a record 10.5hrs & if you add the commute for those of us who don't reside in Borivili areas, you work for posterio off for close to 15 hours a day. And yes, no overtime pay, this is part of your KRA
Facilities: You'd think that this Thane site which has been operational for over a decade would have some better facilities! I mean with each passing year, things have to get better for the BPO Staffers right! But lessons haven't been learnt or selection of the premises was just an eyewash. Convergys has taken the 14th/15th floors which means the lift has to pass through 13/14 floors for you to move up & down. For smokers, it's a nightmare as they have to come out of the SEZ which is over 2km away! God help them. The Facility Management vendors CB Richhard Ellis, Inhouse Staff do a very poor job of maintaining vending machines, toilet sanitation standards. The cafetaria in Thane smacks of disinterest in employee welfare it would seem. No food courts, only 2 vendors interchange for snacks & meals besides chaat counters. Transport Drivers here don't have any idea of navigation/geography save for Thane or Central suburbs, the cabs have some modern vehicles but the cabs are never airconditioned. A special service of pIck & drop during the moonsoon season(Mid July~Mid September is a bonus)
Overall Mood/Sentiment: A noteworthy feature here is those who have the propensity for cozying up to their bosses will do very well, I'm often told. There is a latent or sinister belief that as long as you don't question lapses, deficits, misplaced expectations & soldier on diligently, things will work out but how many of us will cushion these blows, one can never tell. Quite a few have strutted or gutsed it out in other LOB's. asked for their due & been pushed into newer LOB's/Processes. Growth here is very slow unlike what some earlier reviews mentioned, of course one can always take a chance but it won't make you qualified! However, that doesn't mean that all those who have grown have the requisite powers to go with it! Most recruitments are mostly number & target crunching. Hardly any efforts to ensure quality, capable, eminent personnel either mostly you have those college dropouts, others with nothing, hand me downs with nothing else to do being hired often. Most of these reside in the near vicinity
To conclude, all I will say is that this is a company that has lost a lot of its sheen, glamour & promise. Even industry opinion is divided & it's a got a bad reputation amongst BFSI sector meaning banks are least likely to service loans in case you need one. Employee Engagement is at an all time low throughout the year. There aren't any tournaments organized, events for participation either. All in all this company seems to be a misfit in this space
