A recently published study by Austrian researcher, Wolfie Christl, examines the reality of surveillance in call centers and comparable workplaces. Christl argues that the reality is approaching the bleak scenarios presented in the science fiction series, “Black Mirror”. The study reveals that today’s call center systems offer a wide range of mechanisms for structuring, directing, monitoring, and controlling work. Some of the most common mechanisms used include dashboards, reports, and alerts to help identify “outliers” and schedule coaching sessions. Additionally, real-time feedback on performance reviews and monetary “incentives” can be used to intensify work.
The study also reveals that complete surveillance and comprehensive behavior control are a reality in many call centers. Calls and other communication content can be fully monitored and recorded in the name of training, quality assurance, customer satisfaction, and compliance. Modern contact center software automatically analyzes and evaluates “what employees say, what phrases they use, and whether the mood in a call or conversation was ‘positive’ or ‘negative'”. The recording of screen content is also part of the program. Furthermore, some manufacturers claimed to be able to detect “friendliness” and “empathy” by assessing intonation and then providing relevant real-time automatic instructions to employees.
The author also notes that some providers were selling more fundamental rights-penetrating surveillance technologies that were specifically aimed at workers working from home. The functions of these technologies ranged “from recording keystrokes and mouse clicks to using webcams for surveillance”. In general, the working environment created in call centers has expanded to many areas – from sales to back office work, from technical advice to remote patient care.
Outsourcing giants with hundreds of thousands of employees, like Teleperformance in France, have been born from the expansion of the working environment in call centers. Many of the features detailed in the study are used in Europe. However, it remains unclear “how employers actually use them”. The manufacturers claimed that the technology is compatible with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, the author questions this and has not yet been able to get to the bottom of the matter as part of the ongoing digital work control project.
