Spiffo Idea?

[David Johnson]

THere are some stories that you read in the newspaper which have you checking that it isn't April 1st.

Take this spiffo idea from the Ministry of Justice - setting up call centres inside prisons.

The blurb reads prisoners could offer "lower costs and overheads" to businesses who signed up. "Flexible resources that can deal with overflow calls and specific projects, all dedicated to growing and supporting your business". The flyer added that the prison-run call centres could offer trained operators "with British regional accents as an effective alternative to offshoring operations". A marketing email sent with the flyer confirmed that the government backed the initiative.

Now don't get me wrong, I am all in favour of trying to give prisoners' skills and getting them working, but working in call centres? WTF.

Also maybe I have missed something but don't we have quite a few unemployed people? How are they going to compete with prisoners who typically get paid between ?10 and ?40 a week? Apparently prisoners in open prisons are currently working in call centres in Wales for ?3 per day which has resulted in a significant number of existing workers getting the push.

If you take this and add in the huge expansion planned in the work experience scheme where long-term unemployed work for free for private employers for 6 months at a time, it makes you wonder if unemployment will ever come down.

[David Johnson]

For forumites of various political persuasions!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/ ... ired-staff

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml

[Jonone]

Call centre operatives are often expected to cross sell and upsell etc. How comfortable would you be giving them your credit card details, or how comfortable would you be about them having access to your personal details on a customer database ?

[planeterotica]

Jonone wrote:

> Call centre operatives are often expected to cross sell and
> upsell etc. How comfortable would you be giving them your
> credit card details, or how comfortable would you be about them
> having access to your personal details on a customer database ?

planeterotica wrote:

Exactly, you would be getting a visit from Billy the Burglar in no time at all !sherlock!

[Sam Slater]

So, basically a bunch of rich crooks using a bunch of poor crooks to make yet more profit.

[Snappy]

"Welcome to Crooks-R-Us, you now have three options...

If you want to hand your bank details over to a convicted criminal, press 1.

If you want to take out holiday insurance, giving us the dates that your house will be empty, press 2.

Finally, if you want to make a complaint, remember that we know where you live and we will send the boys round."

beep

"Allo, you're frew ta Fingers, 'ow can I 'elp ya?"