Chapter 1: The Unexpected Job

After months of job hunting with no success in my field, I found myself unemployed and restless. In a moment of desperation, I decided to explore entry-level positions, curious about the experience.

Among these roles, the most challenging was working as a customer service representative for a home insurance company. However, that’s not the focus of this story…

I landed a position at a bank as a call center collection agent, intrigued by the promise of a two-week paid training program. The training included standard HR procedures, company history, and script reviews.

Then, a manager entered the room to explain the secret to retaining long-term customers. "We prefer that people don’t fully pay off their credit card balances," he stated. "Our goal is for them to pay only the minimum monthly payment indefinitely. This formula illustrates our approach."

He elaborated, "When clients miss payments, they incur late fees and over-limit charges, which subsequently increases their interest rates according to the member agreement."

He pointed to a chart, explaining how balances could grow indefinitely. "Soon, they might be paying off that dinner for decades!" Ah, the wonders of capitalism!

As we began to shadow experienced agents in our second week, half of my training class chose to leave. The emotional toll of handling real people and their financial struggles proved overwhelming for many.

"To work in collections, you need a tough exterior," the seasoned representatives advised. Some were harsh and commanding, while others maintained a more professional demeanor. Regardless, they were all collecting overdue payments from individuals who often felt embarrassed about their situations.

Days later, I found myself on the call floor, equipped with my own computer and headset. I refrained from personalizing my workspace, knowing the high turnover rate meant I wouldn’t be around long enough to justify it.

I despised my job, and the anticipation of each new call was agonizing.

"Leave me alone!"

"@%$*&!!!"

"I wish you would just die!"

We had no control over the process; once a call ended, we were immediately queued for the next. Each new caller was typically either justifiably upset or disheartened by the reality of their financial situation.

One older woman, distraught, explained how her early payment had resulted in a non-payment fee. The bank penalized her for being proactive, raising her interest rate from 3.9% to 29.9%. Ah yes, another loyal customer for life… Management must have been thrilled!

The injustices I witnessed were rampant. I spoke with individuals across the nation who had recently lost their jobs due to company closures or systemic industry downturns.

I found myself empathizing with them, learning about the shared hardships we all faced. But I still had to ask for some payment, despite feeling more like a social worker than a collections agent. The reality was grim, with late fees and over-limit charges compounding their struggles.

The Fun Begins

I was given the authority to waive late fees and over-limit charges if it meant securing a payment. There were no guidelines provided, so I sought advice from a few senior agents. Most shrugged it off, dismissing the idea of waiving fees as unnecessary.

Each account I handled came with a detailed history of payments and fees, revealing some customers had accrued thousands in fees. If a customer had a significant amount, I could waive their fees.

Curiosity drove me to experiment with the waiving process. While speaking with a kind woman facing challenges—laid off, single, with three children—I tried inputting a waiver amount higher than the standard $20 late fee.

I entered $100 and wasn’t rejected.

Then $1000… and still no issues!

Laughing to myself, I decided to take action. I informed her that she qualified for a special program, and if she made a payment today, I’d match it by canceling an equal amount. She paid $150, and I waived an additional $150!

I discovered a loophole in their system, and I was determined to exploit it. Each caller received the same pitch, "Make a payment today, and I’ll waive a matching amount from your balance!"

"Get the checkbook, honey!"

"$500 paid… $500 waived. Yes, sir, you’ll see a $1000 reduction on your next statement!"

I was empowering these customers!

I set up auto-pay options for clients, ensuring they enjoyed 12 months of corresponding fee waivers.

By my second month, I was the top collector, but as luck would have it, management altered the bonus structure to require three months of employment for eligibility.

By that time, I had already given away a substantial portion of their balances, rendering their $50 monthly bonus insignificant.

Two managers began observing my calls more closely, intrigued by my performance. Their presence became suffocating, and one day, after feeling insulted, I simply punched out and never returned.

I achieved far more than I initially aimed for—I gained invaluable insight into the inner workings of the banking industry.

And my ultimate reward? Giving people a glimmer of hope amidst their struggles.

Chapter 2: A New Perspective

In this video, titled "How to Rob a Bank | Official Trailer | Netflix," viewers get a glimpse into the world of bank heists and the complexities behind them.

The second video, "How to rob a bank (And get away with it)," offers insights into the strategic thinking involved in planning a bank robbery, paralleling the themes of deception and strategy in the banking industry.