Call Center in the Philippines » For your everyday call center needs!

Call center in the Philippines offer Filipinos a promising career, professional growth, and most importantly, a high compensation with benefits and incentives that are far more attractive than that of any other non-call center jobs. However, behind all these pros are a handful of downsides that have befallen right in front of call center employees. Working on a graveyard shift to match U.S. time has been the primary factor of some health risks a call center agent can be vulnerable to. It is therefore very important to delineate some of these health risks and to suggest practical ways on how to prevent them. This article lists only at least three but there can always be other health risks out there (it pays to be vigilant). Let’s talk about them one by one.

Hypertension or high blood pressure. Medically-speaking, this is the condition when the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. This can be triggered by unhealthy lifestyle including the lack of sleep and exercise. Some call center agents complain of their irregular sleeping patterns due to their varied shifts. One best way to resolve this is to take vitamins and/or food supplements in order to strengthen the immune system. Getting enough sleep (at least for eight hours) paired with regular exercise can be a practical solution to this. On the contrary, hypotension (low blood pressure) and anemia are two other concerns call center agents should pay attention to.

Lung cancer or lung ailments. Employees in a call center in the Philippines experience stress from time to time and they cope with it differently. There is a great percentage of call center agents who habitually smoke in between shifts. For most of them, smoking can calm down or relax the nerves. However, excessive smoking is not a good suggestion for this. To those who are non-smokers, don’t be pressured by those people you see smoking during breaktime. You are on the right track and that’s something you have to be grateful about. However, to those who smoke, you may start reflecting on the negative effects smoking has. Who wants to have lung ailments and cancer anyway?

STDs, HIV, and AIDS. Studies show that there are a great number of call center agents who are sexually-active. Researchers have found out that lifestyle and working habits of most call center agents contribute to their high sexual drive. This leads to high risks of some sexually-transmitted diseases, or worse, HIV and/or AIDS if they are unprotected. Coping with stress is the main alibi on why BPO employees engage in sex. Human beings as they are, to have sex or not should never be questioned at all. It is how they do it safely and responsibly. To use condoms in order to avoid the spread of diseases is practically a solution.

Working in a call center in the Philippines can definitely provide anyone financial stability. However, as the cliché goes “health is wealth,” call center agents can be fully satisfied with their job if they are not only receiving a handsome salary but they also have a healthy body.

Tags: BPO, BPO outsourcing, call center, call center in philippines, call center in the philippines, call center philippines, outsourcing, philippines call center, philippines call centers

Leave comment

Mar
23

The Challenge in Gaining Customer and Agent Loyalty

Uncategorized

by admin

The Philippine outsourcing trade has expanded immensely during the past ten years beginning with a meager 1000 seats to an almost one million-strong industry today. Most key cities in the country, even as far as Bacolod in Negros and Davao in Mindanao have been tapped by call center companies as their base outside Metro Manila. For many BPO owners, it is always a smart move to have a second site away from Manila so that when a site conks out, another would still be up and running. In Manila alone, you would not find a district without a call center operating in it.

This abrupt increase in the number of call centers in the Philippines is a welcome development for us because it opens up thousands of job opportunities for the millions of Filipinos who are college-educated but unemployed. However, it also has its setback. Disgruntled call center in the Philippines employees and those who just can’t seem to find any satisfaction in anything else have resorted to “BPO shopping” or hopping from one call center to another. This scenario is no different from a customer who feels that he is getting the runaround and what he does is to put down the phone every time he senses that he is being led to a blank wall and dial again hoping that he’d get the answers that he is looking for with the next representative.

In reality, although there are customers who are innately inflexible and stubborn to admit that they are wrong, too pigheaded to accept that there is no other resolution to his issue than the one being offered by the representative, the issue of customer retention still lies with the representative on the line. In the same manner, agents, even those who seem to always find something to complain about, will stay with a company if he is convinced that there is no better place for him than where he is right now. Come to think of it, the secret in retention lies in keeping the other party happy. A happy customer does not switch brands just like the happy agent who hangs on with the mother ship.

The secret to inspiring an agent and retaining his services is not hinged on lavish benefits at all. It rests more on the kind of relationship management has with its agents and the positive work environment that the company is able to promote within.

This post has no tag

Leave comment

Mar
21

Call Center in the Philippines: The Ripples in the Water

Uncategorized

by admin

Let us start with the benefits, and there are a lot we are all aware. The Philippines have edged BPO bigwig India from the top spot as the go-to outsourcing destination. Those who initially shunned Philippine outsourcing offers and opted to have their core and non-core functions outsourced somewhere else are now turning their full attention to this country’s BPO capabilities and the amazing quality customer service it can deliver. Today, half a million Filipinos are currently working in call centers all over the country which translates to almost half a million families being fed daily. This also means that annually, the country earns an average of $10 billion, not far from the revenue produced by the remittances sent by millions of overseas migrant workers. And the amazing thing about working in a call center in the Philippines is that one does not have to go abroad in order to bring food to the table and send the kids to school.

Because of the influx of graduates who eventually find themselves unemployed yearly, the standards set by major players in the call center industry have become tough. Nevertheless, many of those who have successfully hurled the grueling screening tests have found working in call centers really rewarding, literally speaking. The salary of a tenured bank teller is no match to the pay received by an entry level call center customer service representative. Add to this the fact that the call center rep’s job only entails answering customers’ queries and assisting them through the phone while the teller’s tasks involves facilitating withdrawals and deposits, balancing financial records, and making sure that her cash outputs and collections tally at the end of the day otherwise the discrepancies will be taken off from his or her salary. The bottom line is the BPO industry has placed the model salary cap of the Filipino on a higher level. Previously, the common Filipino worker was content with getting minimum wage as take home pay. The incursion of high-paying way-above-minimum call center jobs has amplified the buying power of the common Filipino. High salary means more buying power and this translates to a better business atmosphere for almost all kinds of industries.

Yet, as they say, the sky is not always blue and the sun does not always shine. Happy as we all are because we have jobs and the pay bring enough food to the table, there are signs that this more than welcome massive increase in income has the potential to become an accident that is just waiting to happen. First off, call center in the Philippines standards of hiring have deviated from school accomplishments and merits to mere English speaking and writing proficiency for entry level employment. Today, it does not matter whether you have a college degree or not just as long as you have complete command of the English language and you can converse like any American, you are good to go. A second year college undergraduate who really did not enjoy going to school has now the prospect of earning more than double what a licensed nurse would be able to earn, plus, not to mention the fact that nurses also work in shifts and they are overworked, physically. This scenario is not exactly a “what you sow, you reap” kind of situation, a reality which we do not want our children to grow up with.

Second, we will not be the king of the call center forever and our neighbors will eventually learn how to outmaneuver us and get large chunks of lucrative outsourcing deals which will extremely reduce the country’s earning potential. The biggest losers if this projection becomes a reality are those who have never learned any other kind of trade other than being call center employees. They will have no place in companies who only need traditional workers, those who studied specific specializations. If unchecked now, the country will find itself burdened with a gigantic surplus of unemployed individuals who have been so polarized by time to an exact type of task it will be to a certain extent difficult to profile them for other jobs.

Tags: BPO, BPO outsourcing, call center, call center in philippines, call center in the philippines, call centers

Leave comment

Sep
16

How to Motivate Call Center Agents

by admin

Call centers in the Philippines should try to avoid the fate that has befallen a lot of call center agents around the world: tired, stressed and demotivated. They should understand that call center work is not just about financial rewards and a luxurious Westernized lifestyle. More than anything, call centers are the seat of customer service and high quality performance. If you don’t do well, then you might as well quit the business. A call center in the Philippines is not just another organization you can use as a temporary sanctuary from bankruptcy. With the right motivational strategies, they can harness long-term commitments and enthusiasm from employees.

So what constitutes correct motivational strategies? Perhaps this generally refers to any method or approach of cultivating agents’ self-worth and reawakening their passion for working. Understand that the job of an agent is static. From the beginning to the end of shift, the agent remains seated. They must also stick with and memorize given scripts, reducing the chances of striking creative conversations with customers. If as an agent you do not have the stamina for such goings-on then call center work will eventually become boring and lackluster for you. This may lead to frequent absences. Worse, you succumb to the perennial call center hopping curse. So unless managers and other key personnel do something about agents’ motivational issues, call centers in the Philippines will, like many other call centers in the world, suffer from high turn-over rates. The best route to motivating agents is the promise of a glittering career and the chance to lead.

A glittering career may, on the surface, a little too single-minded. The end goal is still fulfillment, but as to actually have it is highly dependent on the agents themselves. So glittering career and the chance to lead – these are not just shallow temptations, but ladders to a fulfilling and successful life in a call center in the Philippines. Motivational activities in any call center in the Philippines would do well to consider the following: clearly outlined strategic goals, bottom-up approach, and a strong support system.Strategic goals are very effective if your company already lives by a fixed, authoritative vision-mission. That is why you have to make sure that you emphasize to your agents during orientation what sets you apart from any other call center in the Philippines and what principles you live by. This will help agents gauge whether their own principles are compatible with the company’s. If they aren’t and none of the agents voiced this, you should give them a heads-up so they could mull things over and take the best course of action. Agents working for call centers in the Philippines should feel motivated particularly if there are established vision-mission principles. And depending on how these were presented to them, the good thing about clearly outlined strategic goals is that agents get to know the thrusts of the organization and where its agents might go in the future.

As opposed to top down approach where management or the board makes all the decisions, a bottom-up approach is less bureaucratic and it gives employees a chance to pour out their sentiments or opinions. Bottom approach tries to groom agents and it provides enough mechanism to hone agents’ respective skills and capabilities. It gives more freedom to teams, fosters more collaboration between agents and management, and certainly provides enough source of motivation. The approach attempts to induce participation from agents so that they too can have a stake in the decision-making process. Being able to do so, unbeknownst to managers in call centers in the Philippines is a motivating factor. You can encourage unions certainly. But if you fear agents might spark a rebellion, then something must be wrong with your system and your company policies. A good call center is never afraid of unions; they empower their employees while simultaneously benevolently leading the company to success.

Finally, to motivate requires an already motivated management. The best call center in the Philippines has a large reservoir of motivations through a strong support system, which otherwise would not have functioned if managers themselves are not highly motivated. A strong support system encourages employees regardless of their disposition and position. Support system also includes all other departments like the Human Resource and the Administrative Department. If they could find ways to ease the stress and break off the monotony of call center life, either through inspirational activities or through a reward system, then the number agents who suffer burn out and extreme boredom to the point of having bad customer relationships will be reduced greatly.

There are more than ways for call centers in the Philippines to motivate their workforce. However, having clearly outlined strategic goals, instigating a bottom-up approach, and fostering a strong support system are on top of our list. These three are able to cover much of the cause for agent demotivation. So as much as possible, if you are to propagate motivational strategies in your own company, regardless of whether yours is a call center in the Philippines or not, it is important to take note of these three.

Tags: call center, call center in the philippines, call centers, call centers in the philippines, philippines call center

Leave comment

Sep
06

Call Center in the Philippines: Why Invest?

by admin

The Philippine call center industry has experienced large-scale innovations since its neophyte days a decade or so ago. When the industry was still in its infancy, no one knew how big it would grow. The call center business turned out to be quite compatible with the country and its people. In spite of the trials and tribulations the Philippines was experiencing during those times, the call center and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry surprisingly displayed a great deal of resiliency as though it was destined to be one of the country’s mainstream industries. Given this contradiction, a lot of outsiders must have wondered what is in the Philippines that makes it susceptible to a great number of outsourcing investments.

Call centers in the Philippines flourished shortly after the regime of then-president Joseph Estrada, who was impeached due to corrupt activities. His vice-president, Gloria Arroyo, ascended to the presidency and brought in various economic investments, of which call centers were among those that took center stage. Although there were known BPO companies already present prior to 2001, call centers were not yet considered as major services the way they are today. Overtime a Filipino working in a call center in the Philippines has earned just as much if not more value as any Western or Indian call center agent. The Philippines itself has become a sought after offshore provider of outsourced services, competing with offshore outsourcing giants like India and China. Several cities in the Philippines have also been honored as “top emerging outsourcing cities” with Cebu City garnering the top spot.

So if we were to sum up all the factors that make a call center in the Philippines and the Philippines itself attractive to foreign investors, then it would be because of the following:

Sufficient Labor Resources and Quality Labor Force. The Philippines has a large reservoir of professionals which can sufficiently be pooled to the call center labor force on a mass basis. The country’s estimated population for this year is around 101,833,938 with approximately 39.7 million in the labor force as of April 2011. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), labor force participation rate (LFPR) in the country has reached 64.2 percent. The rest of the 35.8 percent is yet to be tapped. Every year there are half a million college graduates. The country’s literacy rate is also close to 100 percent. Regardless of educational attainment, a great percentage of the Filipino labor force is able to read and write. Filipinos are also considerably exposed to the English language that is why even a homegrown call center in the Philippines can achieve a significant degree of success in the call center business.
English History and Mastery. Owing to close historical ties with the United States of the America, who occupied the country for more than 40 years, the Philippines is among the leading non-native English-speaking countries in the world and not just in Asia. It is little wonder why almost every call center in the Philippines partners with companies based America, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, where English is the main mode of communication. From laws, to education, to broadcast and print media, to various businesses, the Filipinos are hardcore users of the English language. They are able to use the language to a great extent in their daily endeavors. Thus when it comes to offshore services in a call center in the Philippines, investors need not fret. 1 out 2 Filipinos can get the hang of call center work in no time.
Internet Savviness and IT Proficiency. The Philippines was once branded as the “texting messaging capital of the world,” sending about 1.39 billion text messages between 2007-2008 despite having only 50 million subscribers back then. This speaks greatly of Filipinos’ ability to adapt with and maximize the potential of technology. In fact, just recently the Philippines set another record by earning the 5^th spot of the “world’s biggest Facebook nations.” There are 22,515,820 registered Filipino Facebook users as of early 2011. This figure is also more or less the number of Internet users within the country. Filipinos’ natural ability to adapt with technology is a contributing factor to the stability of technology-driven call centers in the Philippines. Recent reports show how the Philippine IT-BPO industry has grown by 26 percent, generating about 100,000 new jobs during the first few months of this year.
Quality Telecommunications. There is currently a triumvirate of telecom providers in the Philippines, whereby three top telecom companies have a shared “monopoly” over service provisions. Globe Innove, Smart Communications, and Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) are close competitors when it comes to Internet broadband, landline, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services. BayanTel and Digital Telecom are trailing so close behind these giants. Unlike the first two, however, PLDT does not provide mobile services though it is slowly moving towards the same direction. Almost every call center in the Philippines is a subscriber of one or more of these providers. The other one is usually reserved as back-up to ensure that operations continue whenever the first telecom providers experiences connection failures.
Political Support. The Philippine political situation is not the most peaceful there is. But although there may be conflict among and between politicians, political parties and political institutions, the government expresses its support for every call center in the Philippines and the rest of the IT-BPO industry. A compelling proof is when Board of Investments (BOI) managing head Cristino Panlilio wooed six American corporations earlier in May. The names of the six corporations remain undisclosed but they all confirmed their involvement. Total investment cost is estimated to be $100 million. The project is expected to generate 10,000 BPO and call center jobs in the Philippines. This move by the Aquino administration shows that even if Philippine call centers were a throwback from the Arroyo administration, the present administration recognizes that call centers in the Philippines are growth engines and thus is still willing to support the thriving industry.

There may be other factors that contribute to the Philippines’ charm as one of the world’s primary BPO destination, but as far as the eye can see and statistics can show, sufficient labor resources and quality labor, Filipinos’ history and mastery of the English language, their Internet savviness and proficiency in IT technology, the presence of quality telecommunications, and political support provide more than enough reasons for interested parties to invest in just about any call center in the Philippines.

Tags: BPO, call center, call center in the philippines, call center philippines, outsourcing

2 comments

Jun
27

Call Center in the Philippines: The Internal Brain Drain Dilemma

by admin

In some other post, I talked about how the call center industry in the Philippines, and generally in the developing world, provides a solution to the so-called ‘brain drain.’ Economists often refer to this social phenomenon as the migration of the intellectual and professional members of the population from their home country to another in order to graze upon greener pastures. However, ever since business process outsourcing (BPO) took developing countries like the Philippines, India, China, Malaysia and Vietnam by storm, the need to go and work abroad has somehow become irrelevant. Professionals can now earn more in their home countries just as much as they would when they work outside. Unlike in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, where export labor was a prominent means of alleviating one from poverty and financial hardships, people can now earn to support their family as well as to support themselves just by staying where they are. But there is another problem at hand. We may have thought the emergence of call centers in the Philippines has been such a eureka but here lies before us another form of brain drain many people – and perhaps even some economists – are unaware of.

Brain drain does not only refer to the flight of professional expertise and white collar employees from one place to another. It may also mean a loss of the ability to practice such expertise – a loss in which more than one factor could apply. For instance, a limited career path in the chosen field of studies or a new industry that pays more has emerged, beating out all other existing industries. This is not to point out the blame on the call center industry entirely, but the reality most people in the developing countries live in is that they can earn more if they work in call centers rather than working for other industries. At times, they settle down as call center agents, leave their former jobs, and in so doing fail to practice their professions.

There are a number of reasons for this internal brain drain, yes, but as aforementioned the most compelling reason is that they now earn more than they did in the past. So many professionals in the medical and health care, finance and arts industries have become call center agents. This is particularly true for agents working in a call center in the Philippines. If you interview these agents, you will not be surprised to discover that they are licensed nurses, teachers, engineers, and the like. In fact, many a call center in the Philippines have agents that really graduated from baccalaureate courses. Some may shake their head and say that it is a waste, but digging deeper, there is no way they would be happy practicing their profession if they earn a petty sum that could barely feed their families or sustain their lives for that matter.

This is the moral dilemma agents working in call centers in the Philippines are facing. Should they work in the profession that offers limited career choices and lesser payouts or work as call center agent, which although far-off from what one graduated from and does not necessarily require a degree, can provide them with more benefits and higher remuneration? Which is which? Because, yes, there is brain drain in so far as profession is concerned, but looking at it from the viewpoint of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, being an agent in a call center in the Philippines makes it easier to satisfy physiological needs (i.e. food, water, shelter and clothes). The higher remuneration enables call center agents to buy all things necessary for them to survive and they could even provide for their own families. Because through the call center work they are able to address basic needs, it follows that it is also easier for them to attain all other needs in the hierarchy such as the needs for safety, love and belongingness, esteem and self-actualization.

Essentially, brain drain is a real and palpable problem because it might create imbalance in the economy whereby only one sector is absorbing all the jobs, leaving others to make ends meet and suffer inadequate manpower. However, we also have to see it from the point of view of workers. In the end, it all boils down to their decision and whatever jobs could make them happy. If working for a call center in the Philippines could make them happy, so be it. But it would not hurt for other industries to raise the bar a bit and provide them a salary at par with the BPO. If they cannot do so, at least smother workers with a bunch of benefits that even call centers could not cater to. So long as workers find that their needs are looked after, it would not be long before equilibrium takes place. In other words, an economy with several strong sectors and not just one.

Tags: BPO, BPO outsourcing, call center, call center in philippines, call center in the philippines, call centers, call centers in philippines, call centers in the philippines, outsourcing, philippines call centers

11 comments