Complaint Review: West At Home

I've worked for West since October 2007. I'm an at home employee. I actually love the line I work. We schedule service appointments for appliances.

I exceed every number they want an employee to exceed as far as my statistics are concerned.

I've read on message boards that they will accuse someone of doing something wrong, and even if they're wrong they will leave it permanently on your record, and that has finally happened to me.

Their phone system messed up while I was working on 8/5/08. I answered the phone and instead of a consumer, I got a recording. It was a recording by the company of the line I work. For example. all big companies have those recordings that answer the phone..."This is XYZ, if you want such & such department, press 1"...etc. It was a familiar recording I had heard before. I couldn't pinpoint which department it came from though.

Unfortunately for me, my priority isn't covering my a$$. My priority is taking care of the customers. This line has been busy. It is back to back calls all the time. So when I heard that recording, I simply disconnected and waited for the next call which came almost immediately.

To my surprise, 2 days later, I was locked out. This means I couldn't log on and work. I had a step 3 PIN. This means I had done something really bad and I was on probation for 90 days. If I keep up this behavior I will be terminated.

All of the calls we take are recorded and they will pull a couple calls about once a week or so and give you feedback.

This call got pulled for feedback and it was interpreted that I had a recording answer my phone with the name of the company that I take calls for.

WHAT???? I called, spoke with a supervisor and explained the situtation. She said that she took that call to her supervisor and her supervisor said it didn't sound like a voice they hear on this line, so they decided that it was a recording I made. She then said she would unlock my account so I can work and if this happens again to call a supervisor so someone else can hear it.

Meanwhile, I'm on a 90 day probation and wondering how I'm supposed to get back into my usual customer service attitude when apparently my priority is supposed to be covering my tush.

I'm just so disappointed that with this company doing a good job means absolutely nothing. Any other company I've worked for my reputation mattered. If something like this would have happened I would have been given the benefit of the doubt before being threatened and put on probation.

So while I haven't been ripped off monetarily, my reputation has been stolen and I've been accused of doing something I didn't do.

Lois
Glendale, Arizona
U.S.A.