A 33-year-old call center worker discusses the mental impact of working with rude or belligerent customers all day, saying prospective employees should “find another job if you’re soft” in the now-viral TikTok.
In the video posted by TikToker Sunny Giovanni (@sunnygiovanni) on Sept. 21, she shows a screenshot of a viral video by TikToker and call center worker Keyarah Elliot (@keyarahelliot) crying while helping a customer.
“My advice for the people who have never worked in call centers and you feel like this is something you want to do, let me let you know now that call center work is not for the meek,” Giovanni says in the clip.
She continues that, despite Elliot crying while working with a customer, they would have “passed” because they “not once denied that customer a proper fucking service,” encouraging customers to be kind to call center workers.
“To me, that video is just what customers don’t get to see. And even though you are going through something in your life, and you call customer service, it does not give you the right to be a fucking monster,” Giovanni says. “We know that you’re frustrated. But call center representatives are not supposed to be your fucking punching bag.”
At the end of the video, Giovanni cautions others who are getting “roped in by recruiters” to apply for a call center job, saying that “there’s a catch” to the high pay.
@sunnygiovanni #greenscreen #letstalkaboutit #callcenterlife #callcentersecrets #workfromhome #csr #customerservice #mentalhealthmatters ♬ original sound – Sunny Giovanni
The video has reached 50,000 views as of Oct. 4, with other call center workers sharing how tough customer calls have impacted their mental health.
“Disassociation is the best way of survival,” one user wrote.
“I was tech support for 3 weeks at Comcast, on a call and had a panic attack. I thought I was having a damn heart attack,” another said.
“I sit at my desk and cry, it’s stressful been in 6 years,” a third added.
However, others pointed to the benefits of a call center career, citing minimum experience requirements.
“You forgot we’re still here because it’s room for advancement without having a degree and it pays well!” a commenter said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Giovanni and Elliot via TikTok comment.
