Bell says allegations are ‘completely unfounded and untrue’
By Erica Johnson, CBC News Nov 19, 2017 9:00 PM ET
Bell call centre employee Andrea Rizzo says she had to take a stress leave because of the constant pressure to meet sales targets or face possible termination. (Tina Mackenzie/CBC)
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A longtime Bell Canada employee describes working in the company’s Scarborough, Ont., call centre as “a non-stop nightmare,” where she says she is forced to sell customers products they don’t need, don’t want, and may not understand, to hit sales targets and keep her job.
Andrea Rizzo, 50, has worked for Bell — Canada’s largest telecom service provider — for 20 years, and says the pressure to upsell customers who call in has become relentless.
She says employees are expected to make a sale on every call.
Rizzo is currently on stress leave, and worries about the repercussions of making her concerns public, but says the status quo has to change.
“I feel bad,” says Rizzo. “I’m not really listening to what the customer called about. All I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Oh wow, this customer just said they didn’t want the service, it’s too expensive. And I’ve sold a service to them that they will not know how to use, or really need.'”
Andrea Rizzo, seen here in a photo taken in 2001, around the time she was switched from Bell’s billing department to sales. (Andrea Rizzo)
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Every customer a target
Rizzo says many of the customers who call in are on a limited income, and clearly can’t use the products she is pressured to sell.
“We have a lot of seniors who call,” says Rizzo. “They tell me they’re blind, and I still have to sell them internet.”
“I’ve sold a service to them that they will not know how to use, or really need.”– Andrea Rizzo, Bell client representative
She says she talked a 90-year-old into signing up for internet service knowing the woman was blind and couldn’t use it.
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I will add my own observation regarding Shaw. When I phoned to switch from a full-featured TV package to the absolute minimum “skinny” package, priced at the mandated $25, there was absolutely no pressure and no attempt to upsell. I was quite impressed and surprised.
Bell is a despicable company. These are the people who have created a “Let’s Talk” day to support mental health awareness. A very clever way to get people using data and hash tagging their name. And yet, the way they treat their employees, has created one horror story after another all in the name of a better share price. A disgusting, deplorable company. I was so happy to cancel all my services with them.
I even had to signup for the Jelly of the Month Club!
We have had Telus for the last three years (before that it was Shaw), and have had no problems when calling to a customer center. The individuals that we have spoken to have been friendly and did not try to up sell aggressively. We were asked if we would like to add a service,when we said no thanks that ended the pitch. So for us whether adding to or subtracting from our TV, internet or phone package thee was no problem with Telus.
My cell phone is with Rogers and they have actually lowered my bill the last 3 times I have called while adding new loyalty plans that give better data and I switched from local to long distance calling and my additional lines on the account all dropped in price
Bell for home services are snakes. My install wasn’t done right so I had to call them back and they tried to make me pay 200 for the service call and the installer added services I didn’t subscribe to but he said it would be free for 3 months. Well they weren’t.