Firstly, this wasn't a call center, it is an email-based tech-support.
Where do you think the email went? I've interviewed at a local small call center, er technical support center. They do the support call for their clients by phone, email, web based chat, IM, IRC, etc. for their various clients. They use this monstrously large database system. Sort of like Windows Help. Input a question, it searches, you choose most relevant problem matchin the question. They input your responce and read you the computers answer. Basically a flowchart script. It a position that can mostly be filled off the street. The higher up you can get in the heirarchy the more knowledgeable they techs get. Now these frontline "Support Specialists" also have to watch the "call" time and call queue. The place I way had digital displays for both, of which the supervisor drew their attention to when they got too high. Yeah, "efficiency" over quality.
Really, these people are just stuck in the middle. You want your problem solved to your satifaction and the company wants high "efficiency".
