When school returns this week after the long summer break a jolly great sigh of relief will be heard up and down the country. But for many mums and dads the realisation will strike that pushing the bills to the end of the bench as they grab the car keys and take the kids to the beach is no longer an option. Those hours between 9am and 3pm must now be filled with gainful employment.

So what is the contact centre profession doing to attract the willing workers in an ever decreasing labour market? A look at the job site www.seek.co.nz and the employment pages of the NZ Herald turned up a dazzling array of come-on lines that would make the proverbial used car salesman blush.
 
Amidst a rash of hyperbole and (surely) unrealistic promises (eg “loads of laughs all day long”), these examples are taken from 85 adverts that were posted on the Seek website on Friday February 2.

For an airline reservations contact centre:
“Do you dream of cocktails in Fiji, the sun in Maldives, shopping in New York or walking the Great Wall of China? Help make dreams a reality.”

For a bank:
“One thing’s for sure there won’t be a dull moment as you will be actioning various customer requests whilst all the while looking for ways to make their banking better for them.”

For a finance company that specializes in HP deals:
“Staff worldwide are dedicated to turning innovative ideas into essential products and services that make the world a better place.”

For the telco sector:
“This switched on Guru in the telecommunications arena is seeking stars with personality plus to talk the talk in their fast passed (sic) call centre!”