One said a caller told her, “I really like the way you type.” Their work belongs to a grim history of women in outsourced roles stretching back to the piecework manufacturing era. A Department of Labor investigator concluded that one contractor, Arise Virtual Solutions, exerted an “extraordinary degree of control” over agents.

But many agents discovered the roles came with limited hours, close monitoring and strict performance measurements that put them in constant fear of losing their jobs. Recruitment ads touted flexibility and the chance to be your own boss. They included people with disabilities, caretaking obligations or limited opportunities in rural towns. The reps we spoke to needed these jobs, which allowed them to work from home even before the pandemic. Abusive callers are such a concern that, a few years ago in Canada, a union for telecommunications workers launched a campaign called “ Hang Up on Abuse.” Airbnb, recognizing the emotional strain of taking such calls, offered their in-house customer service agents free therapy sessions. We’ve also found echoes of these complaints in lawsuits and arbitration claims. The agents, including some who told us they love their setups, laid out common themes, describing problems that people at various levels of the industry, including managers, have told us are endemic. These seven are highly representative of the 100-plus agents we heard from, as well as the agents we interviewed in our first article. So we’re providing accounts from seven agents, many of whom describe the experience of being caught between abusive callers and corporate directives to appease.

Customers talk to them all the time but know little about their work conditions. These accounts captured how agents are simultaneously ubiquitous and invisible. Fact-based, independent journalism is needed now more than ever.

Parallels customer support telephone