Pros
The workload on the desk was generally very light, with long periods of downtime throughout the day. The role included a long lunch break alongside two scheduled breaks during the day, although timekeeping around these was monitored quite closely. The desk is fairly entry-level and low-level tech-friendly, so it could provide a basic introduction to service desk work for someone starting in Customer Service. Compared to many other service desks, the technical workload and ticket volume were significantly lighter.
Cons
I was placed on this desk while awaiting clearance for a different service desk role, and ultimately felt I could not remain on the desk long term while waiting for those clearances. The role operated on two fixed office days per week. Despite being described as flexible working, there was no flexibility around changing office days, even though the office space itself was permanently available. The training provided was limited, and the knowledge base available to agents was lacking in some areas. Asking colleagues for assistance while learning the role was raised by management as a distraction issue, which made starting and settling in the role more difficult than it needed to be. Management concerns appeared to be prominent before my time on the desk, which may explain the high turnover within the team. I found it frustrating to be questioned over the use of annual leave and TOIL, despite these being available benefits. I was also uncomfortable being asked for details regarding medical appointments that were not necessary to disclose to management. There also seemed to be inconsistencies around hybrid working and sickness. Staff were previously encouraged to work from home where possible whilst unwell due to the small office space, but when I attempted to do this, I was instead instructed to take sick leave despite being capable of working remotely. Recommendations from Occupational Health did not feel fully supported, and concerns were raised about patterns of absence relating to office days; management does not need to be notified of illness on non-office days unless you are too sick to work. Otherwise, why would I need to inform them? As someone with medical conditions, aspects of the management approach around timekeeping and bathroom breaks were overly monitored. On one occasion, I was questioned publicly for arriving a few minutes late due to a medical issue, which I found uncomfortable and unnecessary. In the few months I spent on the desk, three employees (including myself) left after relatively short periods of employment.