technical support

customer service representative

bilingual retail salesperson

technician

stocker

SP Data Digital

In late 2023, I was hired to troubleshoot the new line of OC Series ADT home security cameras. Unfortunately, the training experience was abysmal. Instead of focusing on developing essential skills, the training relied heavily on re-reading slides, taking notes, and role-playing exercises that did little to prepare us for the actual job. On top of that, new hires were prematurely thrown onto the phones—quite literally “thrown to the wolves.” If not for my prior background in customer service, I would have struggled immensely.

There was no soft skills training to equip us for dealing with customers effectively. Many of the people hired internally lacked basic customer service experience, leading to chaotic interactions and heightened stress levels. This brings me to a broader issue: I firmly believe the company is violating ethical workplace standards by placing employees in roles they are neither suited for nor properly trained to handle. However, I want to acknowledge that my immediate management team was always supportive and helpful throughout my time in the role. They did their best to provide guidance and assistance, but were ultimately constrained by the larger issues within the company.

When I inquired about better hours and pay, I was offered a position in inbound sales. I was assured this role would include superior training and more rewarding opportunities. However, the reality was quite different. The "training" for inbound sales primarily consisted of upper management showcasing their own sales prowess while offering little practical guidance. We were expected to set up and navigate a complex array of programs and tools with minimal instruction. The expectation to learn these systems on the fly, all while dealing with impatient customers, was overwhelming and entirely unprofessional.

The lone HR representative added another layer of frustration. Despite sending multiple emails explaining that the sales role was not a good fit and requesting to return to my previous position, I was completely ignored. I even resorted to emailing from a different account because it seemed like my emails were marked as spam. This blatant disregard for employee concerns shattered my trust in the organization and workplace culture.

Since leaving that position, I’ve spent nearly eight months grappling with depression. The work I initially did for the company was something I genuinely enjoyed and excelled at. I was a strong agent who occasionally made mistakes but always demonstrated potential and dedication. The experience of being disregarded and mismanaged by this company has left me disillusioned with the workforce as a whole.

Unless you thrive in a cliquey environment and can tolerate working with insincere individuals, I strongly advise against working for this company. Their lack of professionalism and ethical leadership makes it an unhealthy and unproductive place to grow.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I worked at SPData and wanted to share an honest, professional perspective for anyone considering employment there.

During my time with the company, I experienced several challenges that made the work environment difficult. Communication from management was often unclear or inconsistent, which created confusion around expectations and responsibilities. Training and support felt limited, making it harder to succeed in the role without additional guidance.

Workload and performance expectations did not always feel balanced with the level of support provided. At times, this led to unnecessary stress and a lack of confidence in meeting goals. Additionally, there seemed to be a disconnect between employee feedback and meaningful changes within the organization.

While I appreciate the opportunity to gain experience, I believe there are significant areas for improvement, particularly in communication, employee support, and management practices.

I would encourage anyone considering this company to ask detailed questions about training, expectations, and support systems to ensure it aligns with what you're looking for in a workplace.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
What added to the stress was the lack of consistent guidance or feedback. Instead of constructive support, there was often pressure to perform without clear direction on how to improve. Over time, this led to frustration and burnout.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
SPData felt unhealthy and, at times, toxic. This was largely due to inconsistent communication, high-pressure expectations, and a lack of supportive management practices.


What is a typical day like for you at the company?
In my experience, the work environment at SPData felt unhealthy and, at times, toxic. This was largely due to inconsistent communication, high-pressure expectations, and a lack of supportive management practices.

On a day-to-day basis, the stress became difficult to manage. I often felt a sense of dread going into work, and the ongoing pressure started to affect my overall well-being. It was not uncommon to feel physically uneasy due to the level of stress associated with the role.

There were situations where employees felt discouraged from speaking up or asking questions, which created tension and uncertainty. Feedback was not always constructive, and at times it came across as critical without offering clear guidance for improvement.

The overall atmosphere felt more stressful than collaborative, which made it difficult to stay motivated or feel valued as an employee. Over time, this environment can take a real toll on both performance and personal well-being.

I believe the company would benefit from focusing more on respectful communication, transparency, and creating a more supportive workplace culture.

When I landed this job I was ecstatic, as I was in desperate need of cash and a stable job.

However, I came to soon realize that this job had some really nasty surprises.   To start; one of the managers while I was being hired promised 2-3 weeks of training/nesting, this was quickly changed by one of the trainers who claimed only a week of training/nesting and they kick you right into the calls.  To top that off the trainer was really spaced out a lot of the time, they did and said things that were contradictory of what was actually asked of us.

Out of thirty or so people, I got lucky and only ten of us made the cut.  The rest were removed or left knowing this job wasn't for them.   For my first few weeks all was good, the calls were steady meaning that I wasn't swamped with them and I had some downtime to take it all in.  However that changed a week or two later.  When I was pulled aside and offered a new TL.  They were fun to work with but they would constantly pull me aside and say "How could we do this better?" or micromanage me in order to GET THAT SALE.  To top this off this is when I would get nothing but back to back, to back, to back calls.  No time to rest or just take it in, just the next caller, pray they buy this product or get pulled in for micromanagement on why you didn't make that sale.  God forbid if you didn't land sales, they would hound you about it.

This isn't to say there it is all bad.  Some TL's were a joy to work with and sit down and have a conversation with, and the TL I had was actually nice.  I actually wanted to stay further, see if I couldn't get a transfer to a different department where it's more calm...but everytime I asked, I was quickly denied or pushed aside.

In short, job isn't bad.  But Micromanagement and anxiety will send you into an early grave.

There is a noticeable disconnect between the training program and the realities of the production environment. While initial training presents a simplified overview of the role, employees quickly discover that the actual demands and expectations differ significantly. This gap leaves many new hires underprepared and struggling to navigate conflicting guidance from various managers once they transition into production.

Equally concerning is the management culture surrounding performance coaching. Rather than focusing on constructive development, coaching interactions often feel adversarial or punitive. In addition, workplace dynamics appear to be influenced by internal cliques and inconsistent interpretations of “integrity” policies, which can undermine trust in leadership and fairness across teams.

Recruitment practices also raise concerns. Many employees report that the role they encounter differs from the expectations presented during the hiring process. This lack of alignment likely contributes to the organization’s unusually high turnover rate and the steady cycle of new hires entering an environment they were not fully prepared to face.

Finally, there appears to be a perception among employees that raising concerns or speaking openly about workplace challenges may place them at risk of being closely scrutinized or targeted for disciplinary action. A healthier organizational culture would encourage transparency, provide supportive coaching, and ensure employees feel safe offering feedback without fear of retaliation. Addressing these issues could significantly improve morale, retention, and overall organizational effectiveness.

The company is a mess. 

First off of you’re hired email HR IMMEDIATELY and ask they apply for a state ID number for taxes otherwise they won’t and you’ll get stuck in a tax loop when filing. Also check that you have the right state’s taxes being pulled out. 

 They promise quick advancement which on all fairness it is quick.. IF you kiss up and do all of your work and then the work of others on top of that.

Forget work/life balance. You can’t take a day off without a good reason, without having to work doubles or more to make up the hours missed. As a TL you’re accountable for the attendance of your team even though they’re adults and you can’t make them come to work. They also blame you if team members quit due to the company’s culture when the upper levels push things downward, going back on things they said, never being consistent, not able to find out answers, etc.

During busy season kiss your breaks goodbye, you’ll be expected to stagger with the other teams which means you may be an hour off of your assigned schedule and sometimes may miss one all together.

Don’t expect to always be paid on time or the correct amount, payroll is always shuffling out staff and so things don’t get input or get missed. Instead of issuing your pay if they mess up you get sent a ridiculous pay card that will take about 3-4 weeks or more to get to you if you’re unlucky even longer.

Most TLs as they sit in the management zoom will make fun of or ridicule the phone agents.

The entire company culture, feel, and structure feels like a very poorly managed high school ran by the teenagers.

Firstly, DO NOT tell them ANY personal information, they’re heartless and it means absolutely nothing! If you’re struggling, you’ll still end up struggling here. They are NOT flexible and if they tell you they are, be prepared to get fired behind your back. They make you feel on edge in regard to your employment (your job is NOT secure). They hire in the states and Canada on projects and the comprehension levels are NOT up to par with one another. Listen, THEY WILL CHARGE YOU FOR YOUR BACKGROUND CHECK AND NOT TELL YOU on your last pay check. The leaders are more than comfortable being disrespectful and you’ll end up working elsewhere unless you’re really desperate. The only great thing about working here is that you don’t have to face this atrocity in person, you can work from home. Other than that, don’t clock in 1 minute before your time, apparently that is frowned upon too. You will spend time setting up their workspace each day, they just don’t want to pay you for it. If you stay at home and just want experience as a young adult fresh out of school, go for it. This is equivalent to a truck stop, not meant for smart people looking for a career. They’ll hound you and constantly change up everything they say as well as I hope you enjoy NO ONE being on one accord. Lastly, be prepared to still need training after training. It’s that bad. 

I’ve been through several Call Centers and this one tops one of the worst I have been with. You’re taught to manipulate people as long as you can push a sale through, no matter the cost. 

Bonus structure is easily taken away from you or they take a big chunk if you can’t meet their attendance requirements even if it’s an emergency.

I switched departments from Sales into Customer Service and did not even get one full day to learn the new systems and requirements. It was trained on the fly while taking live calls.

The training for my sales (first) department was terrible. It was nearly a month that was extended and it was the most ineffective training that doesn’t seem to pertain to the duties at hand.

Systems never worked as several employees, myself included, kept having trouble staying in the systems. Constant crashing, bad connection from the company to the campaign, bad connection with the phone system. They even know it’s bad but have taken several months “fixing” it and it is still just as bad from what I’ve heard from tenured agents.

Even though I felt they would rather replace their employees as fast as possible instead of retaining them. I have never left so quickly out of a job. One of their upper managements gave me a hard time despite my supervisor not wanting me to leave.

Over a month of training and nesting and we really still were not prepared to do the job the way they actually wanted it done. We were fed a bunch of cheer leading about how customer service is the most important thing. Actually, call metrics are all they care about. They do not give you the real time documentation you need to do the job; all that we had which was of any use came from other techs who took their own time to make guides for us. Aside from that, and a huge but mostly useless database because the information didn't apply to resolving actual customer issues, we were literally told to "Google it." There was a constant barrage of complaints from team leaders about call metrics, but it was common to wait five or more minutes to get an answer to a simple question. They also told me to do things a certain way, then turned around and told me that was wrong - then fired me due to having done things that way. If you really need the work, go for it, but do NOT stop looking for other, better work if you get hired. The management and supervisors of this company do not give a darn about any of the front line people. They will throw you overboard in a heartbeat.

After five years as a Customer Service Team Lead at SP Data Digital, I was abruptly let go for being “not a good fit” shortly after being promised a promotion to Operations Manager. For the last three years, I felt used, as I was tasked with upskilling three Operations Managers and creating several processes still in use today, only to be misled about my own promotion. This experience left me deeply disillusioned and undervalued.

The workplace culture is chaotic and demoralizing, with management practices that prioritize personal connections over merit. This fostered an unfair environment where dedication and hard work were consistently overlooked. The remote work setup, while initially appealing, became isolating due to inconsistent support and poor communication from leadership, leaving employees feeling insecure and unappreciated.

SP Data Digital must prioritize transparency, merit-based promotions, and a culture that genuinely values its employees’ contributions. My experience was profoundly disappointing, and I strongly urge the company to address these systemic issues to create a fairer, more supportive workplace.

This job has an extremely high turn over rate. You are under a great deal of pressure to sell along with a supervisor that sneaks around constantly looking for reasons to fire you. Most of the supervisors and coaches need an attitude adjustment for sure and do not be surprised if you hear plenty of co-worker gossip among them. Unprofessional is what you can call it. If you start out with a training class of 30 expect that more than likely only 5-10 will make it onto the floor and within a matter of months that will dwindle down to 1 or 2 if they last that long. They will try to lure you with the "great location" or "bonus" but be very aware that you are not appreciated at all with this company. They are not above getting you to outright lie to make the sales and don't believe the "open door" policy spiel they give you either. Nothing is confidential. Some of the top sellers have either been fired on have moved on. This company needs a makeover from the top. They have not yet figured out that keeping you on the edge and in fear of losing your job is not a good thing when it comes to longevity.This sales position was one of the leaders in cable tv. They also said new accounts were coming in for other companies...........as of yet they still only have the cable contract. Buyer beware!!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Technical support 16 salaries reported	$12.00 per hour
Customer service representative 1 salary reported	$40,000 per year
Bilingual retail salesperson 2 salaries reported	$15.50 per hour
Technician 1 salary reported	$75.00 per hour
Stocker 1 salary reported	$34.50 per hour

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