Call Center Blogger

Customer Service 2.0 With SalesForce Service Cloud

2009-10-24T15:36:00.004+08:00

Customer Service 2.0 is the most appropriate term I could describe this new call center platform Service cloud delivered by the geeks at Salesforce. After watching the video embedded below, I felt like a dinosaur already. I can't believe the video has only got over a thousand hits! It's eight minutes long but well worth your time to watch how our call centers will be driven in the near future.

The service cloud platform provides the ultimate convenience in customer management for all parties involved: the company, the call center, call center agent users and ofcourse the customer. For the agents, it is a one window call center tool that automates everything from answering the incoming call, pulling up customer information, searching solutions database and identifying opportunities within the call. For the call center management, it streamlines call processes and enhances customer experience. For the client company, it facilitates collaborative connection with their customers across all possible mediums; customer self-service and the social web.

The video below simplifies and enlightens us all on how this call center cloud computing technology will imminently be the wave of the future for call centers in the Philippines.

Call Center Operations Manager Interview

2009-10-24T02:31:00.001+08:00

Call center operations managers can be some of the most admirable persons in the office. Their wisdom, personality, skills and ability to deal with people from subordinates to clients are what drives our call center industry forward today. Yet they still reach out and touch base with their people to make sure concerns are addressed in a timely manner. I recently asked a friend in the call center industry to answer a few questions and share her thoughts about our work. This is the first of a series of interviews I wanted to conduct for us all to learn from our industry leaders.

Ms. R. Viray currently works as an operations manager for ePLDT Ventus. She manages the production floor with the help of her supervisors and agents. She was kind enough to share with us her wisdom recently. Learn her story. Find out what she had to say.

1. How did you start in the call center industry? What do you do now and what is the scope of your work?

- I was a fresh grad then and was very active in hunting for jobs. Even though I graduated from UST, I also went to different job fairs from other schools. I went to FEU's job fair one time and had a chance to sign up for an agency called "People for People". I didn't know that that agency was a subsidiary of Q2 Search, Inc which was one of the official recruitment agencies of ePLDT. So that's how I ended up applying for ePLDT. I went through a series of tests and interviews before I was officially endorsed to ePLDT HR for final interview.

I started as a Customer Service Representative for a pioneer local account. During that time, it was the very first local (domestic) account of ePLDT so I kind of felt lucky since we experienced the best trainings and was given a chance to work in a very huge and lively workplace fit for young professionals like me. I worked hard and eventually, I was given a chance to be promoted to several positions..from Assistant MIS Specialist to Assistant Team Leader..then Team Leader..and eventually, Deputy Operations Manager. Right now, I am a regular Operations Manager already and I've worked with several accounts already. I am handling Team Leaders and manage our floor production daily. I help formulate policies for the campaign and I get to interact with our clients most of the time (Vendor Client Management) for business improvements and monitoring of the campaign's performance.

2. How do you personally achieve work-life balance?

- I find time for my family and friends as much as I can. I used to be really, really workaholic but then I didn't become happy and eventually ended up in the hospital (haha). I always make sure that I still go out and enjoy my personal life, at the same time, giving my best when I'm at work by meeting my deliverables.

3. In general, what attributes should a call center employee have in order to be successful in this line of work?

- PATIENCE, Determination and most of all.... Passion for the job (this is very important)

4. You started working in the call center industry several years back. How much has changed through the years in the work place in terms of operations, client expectations and with the agents?

- Since I've been working with this industry for almost 8 years already, I would have to say that a lot of things have already changed. When I was still starting, the management was still very lenient and they weren't that strict yet when it comes to policies and corrective actions. There were several changes also on accounts/campaigns handled by the company but a lot of people have matured already (especially those whom I've known since entry level).

5. You work with your team leaders to achieve target goals. In your experience, what have been effective ways to manage performance? What kind of motivational techniques are you inclined on using?

- I practice several ways in order to manage and stabilize the performance of the campaign but I must say that it is very important to have GOOD RELATIONSHIP with your people. When you know the balance between being humble and strict at the same time, they would know when to put a line between friendship and professionalism. You would gain their RESPECT and you'll be able to influence them with your actions. I am a "people-person" type of leader so I really love interacting with the people at the floor..from Team Leads to support group..down to the agents.

6. For people who are aspiring to be leaders in a call center setting one day, what attributes should they exhibit in order to be consider fit for a leadership or management role?

- Time Management is very important. As you go up the corporate ladder, you tend to indulge yourself to more deliverables and tasks so you should know the word "multi-tasking" by heart. You should know how to handle PRESSURE both from the management team and to your clients. People Management is also very important because you won't be able to achieve your goals all by yourself. You need teamwork to be able to reach your targets.

7. Based on your experience, what advantages does a Filipino call center agent have over other nationalities working at the same position?

- I guess Filipinos are generally patient and sweet. It's easy for them to manage their callers because of these basic values.

8. What sets your company apart from other companies in the industry?

- Just log on to epldtventus.com =) If you're interested to apply at Ventus, message me at rcviray at epldtventus.com so that I could personally refer you to our Groove Hiring Program.

Thanks Chelle.

Freelancer Call Center Agents As Virtual Assistants

2009-10-23T15:50:00.000+08:00

Working as freelancers online, many of our call center peers have an ideal way of earning steady income. The places to earn extra cash are easier to find than most would think. You just have to know where to look and realize what your strength is.

Being always online at work and even at home gives us the opportunity to work part time and provide us a much needed financial boost. Working as a virtual assistant online is fast becoming a favorite among people who have fast internet connection at home. This simple task entails them to provide simple administrative work like bookkeeping, accounting, scheduling and data entry for another person who may not have the time or talent to do it themselves. Paid in US dollars by the hour and with contracts spanning from a few days to several months and even for long term, it may sometimes really feel like you're also working in the US because almost the same rates apply there. Other popular work-at-home jobs available online are designers for websites/logos for those who love working with Photoshop, coders for those who are experts in HTML/SEO/other languages as well are writers for websites and blogs.

Call center employees of the Philippines can be great virtual assistants because they are college graduates of varying specialties from almost every conceivable line of work. Many of us are very good on what we've studied in college but we are unable to practice it because of employment conditions here in the country. Many of us do freelance work at oDesk which is the most popular job outsourcing network where people can find guaranteed qualified individuals to work on almost everything from web development, writing and other business services.

For call center employees who want to utilize their time efficiently and earn extra on the side, thousands of freelance work are available and for people looking for qualified freelancers to work on their small tasks and/or big projects, you can do more with less on oDesk

7 Habits of Highly Effective Call Center People

2009-10-21T19:46:00.003+08:00

The call center industry is largely a tough place to survive in. Most find it hard to adjust with schedules, regulations and general demands of working in an organization where efficiency is vital and team work is essential to reach target goals.

In one interview I attended a few years ago, I was struck by a statement by the interviewing director which really summed up what a call center is. He said the industry is simply a "business of effective communications". It really made sense. We are in the business of talking, encouragement and team work. These are the 3 factors where my 7 Habits of Highly Effective Call Center People revolve around.

These 7 points I'm about to deliver below are not only applicable to a certain group of individuals within a call center organization but it encompasses everyone in order to be a cohesive unit that delivers results.

I. Comes to work everyday - As simple as it is, it is also the hardest thing to adhere to. Working in a call center, all people experience some form of stress and in varying degrees. It may sound funny to some people, but adhering to schedules yields a lot more positives than some people realize. Coming to work and being there for your co-workers and managers lightens the load of everybody concerned. It also gives everybody a chance to interact with one another, help and motivate each other. In the long run, this habit can boost camaraderie and teamwork while realizing that anybody can count on everybody to be there for support.

II. Enhances morale - Working as a team in a call center setting is like attending a support group. Ideally, Managers help everybody down to the agents, supervisors help managers and agents in one way or another, agents help managers, supervisors and each other in a complete circle where accessibility should be a direct line. Simple realization of this ideal situation should already be a morale-boost by itself. Actively enhancing confidence is an attribute not inherent to everybody. They say leadership by example is the way so this means in order to foster a supportive environment, leaders must show the way. Care for your employees translates to better service for your customers in return.

III. Resolves issues completely - Handling a leadership role in a call center setting occasionally involves pacifying noise. Noise is any internal or external factor that acts as a disruptive element affecting agent-customer interactions. As important as you regard each and every customer interaction to be concluded in a satisfactory manner, leaders also need to make sure they eliminate noise or at least keep it to a minimum level as much as possible while committing to resolve any pending issues in a timely manner. Satisfied employees translate to satisfied customers. It’s as simple as that.

IV. Always updated - The call center operations floor is an environment of ceaseless change. Most changes in policy and procedures come from the leaders and cascade to rank and file. Ensuring each and every soul is on the same page and checked for understanding eliminates the possibility of confusion that can possibly escalate to a bigger problem. To be an effective person on the ops floor means each and everybody will have to play an active role in making sure everyone is kept abreast with changes.

V. Sets goals and aspires - a major responsibility of a call center leader is to guide employees towards a clear and defined path towards a more meaningful and personally fulfilling endeavor. People that manage people need to aspire for a better future for their team members. In the same light, employees also set goals for themselves and aspire to be better in their chosen careers. Constant coaching, well-documented progress reports and personal awareness helps ensure everybody is in the right direction. Being aware that you have a goal and somebody is helping you reach it is one way to get the best obtainable performance from everybody.

VI. Participates, Cooperates and Suggests - all three are bunched in one concept because they fall under one key factor which is effective communications. Suggestions, participation and cooperation to resolve an issue are 3 things that are not only seen within team interactions but should also be seen within an agent-customer interaction. Encouraging creativity to solve problems within a working environment also fosters your front liners to be resourceful in their approach to solve customer issues. Many companies have gained more customers and retain existing ones because people who solve their customers' concerns have been innovative in their approach.

VII. Recognizes - getting recognition should always be part of any working environment. Sadly, this is not the reality we see in every office. You may find a group of people feeling left out and unappreciated. Though most would agree that credit should always be directed where it is due, failing to at least acknowledge a few, no matter how small their contribution is, breeds an attitude of indifference towards your goals and worse to customers. People are motivated in different ways. However, failing to recognize contributions can unravel a team working towards a goal. Small and/or occasional pats on the back wouldn't hurt. Celebrating small successes is a call center best practice that plays a major role in getting the best performance from everybody.

You may have noticed that the points I mentioned above all seem like they have one thing in common. In fact, you are correct. They all seem to have one common thing or share a common goal. This is precisely an analogy I want to include in this article. Like these 7 habits of highly effective call center people, everyone within a call center organization shares a common goal, should have the same things in mind and improves each other for better understanding. In a call center office, people interact with customers only as good as they interact with each other.

Here are 3 more of my favorite reads you might be interested in:
The One Minute Manager
7 Habits of highly effective people
Servant Leadership

Philippine Call Center Maps and Directions

2009-10-21T14:21:00.002+08:00

As an additional service to provide our fellow call center employees and jobseekers in the Philippines, I've decided to include a Google map of all call centers in the Philippines.

I've noticed that some of the visitors of callcenterblogger.com have arrived here and were actually looking for commute or driving directions to most call centers so here I've marked them up in Google Maps for your convenience. Please take note that this Call Center Map
is still a work in progress and I will keep adding more call center locations in Makati, Ortigas, Cubao, Pasay, Eastwood city and Quezon city as I get the chance and time to do so.

For now, people looking for exact locations of call centers in Alabang may now be able to view the call centers maps and read driving directions for them. Please do check my Call Center Google map here if you are looking for a different call center location as I may have updated it since publishing this article. Please feel free to comment below and ask for locations if in case the call center that you are looking for is not included. Goodluck and Godspeed.

The Fish! Philosphy In Call Centers

2009-10-21T00:51:00.000+08:00

It isn't new but more than any other industry in the world, call centers seems to be most applicable place to evangelize the FISH! Philosophy. Has it made any impact on employees on how they deal with customers? Has it encouraged managers to live up to it in terms of dealing with their employees? Is it a farce?

The Fish! Philosophy came out way back almost at the turn of the last century when video producer now turned CEO John Christensen began filming at the Pike's Place Fish market in Seattle. It revolves around 4 simple concepts he concluded from the video: Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude. Without even going through these rigorously a call center person can already deduct how applicable these are to a call center workplace and like was 4 years ago as a supervisor I was quickly sold into it!

For readers who haven't gone through this training video, here's my take on how these 4 concepts of the Fish! Philosophy applies to call centers:

1. Be There - encourages employees to literally BE THERE for their co-employees, and customers. It isn't fun when some people are absent while the rest who are present are further burdened with more workload that were supposed to have gone to the absentees. More absences means more calls for people who came are there.

2. Have Fun - Simple. Having FUN takes a lot of stress of the shoulders of everybody. Having fun at work with your co-employees "may" encourage people to love the work they do, come to work often and deal with customers better.

3. Make Their Day - Making somebody happy for what you have done for them on a daily basis can also translate into a "feel-good" emotion that makes you realize the significance of your work.

4. Choose Your Attitude - You either choose to grudge about your work or be happy with what you're doing. Its as simple as that.

It was all good at that time when we all were whisked away so quickly from the ops floor to the training room to watch this 30 minutes or so video. Coming out of it encouraged and enlightened. as supervisors, we all wanted to live the Fish Philosophy and wanted to ensure our agents did too. The problem was the loose 4th concept "Choose Your Attitude".

The concept leaves room for people to choose to be grumpy, condescending and uncooperative. We couldn't tell them otherwise because THAT'S the Fish Philosophy. At that time, I also now remember the management wasn't living it through their actions either. How does a company encourages a Workforce Management concept if the leaders are embodying it first and foremost. As a whole, the problem I see with the Fish! Philosophy is that it is rather a self-centered creed rather than a customer goal-oriented value. It is a fact of life that people have their ups and downs. I think it is going to be unrealistic to expect individuals to act like they enjoy what their doing on a daily basis. A snippet from Wikipedia also presents a funny anecdote about it below:

To grasp just how presumptuous Fish! really is, just try a thought experiment: imagine management’s reaction if the circumstances were reversed. Imagine the bosses’ reaction if you and your coworkers matter-of-factly announced that, henceforth, you would be working at a slower pace for the same amount of money, or that you would be receiving a higher hourly wage. Imagine telling the boss "you can’t do anything about these changes, but you can choose to have a good attitude about them!" My guess is your boss would demonstrate in short order that he does have control over events, and that it’s not his attitude that has to be adjusted. That’s because, while you may be powerless, your bosses most certainly are not.

This asymmetrical power relationship is implicit in Fish! Philosophy. And you’d better believe that the people who push it are fully aware of their agenda. They are the ones who do things. We are the ones that things are done to. Learn to enjoy it, or else. That’s the message of Fish! Philosophy.

In summary, as good as the Fish! Philosophy sounds for the call center environment, it may be just as good as any other alternative workforce management system.

Can call centers afford not to care about blogs?

2009-10-19T17:38:00.002+08:00

This very moment, thousands of people might be talking about you, your products and services online through blogs and social networks. Can you still rely on your regular channels of customer feedback?

The popularity of blogs and boom of social networks are increasingly becoming a factor in customer perception. The accessibility of the internet has paved the way for concerned customers to channel their gripes and rants through the most accessible means they have instead of the traditional complaints department. The bad news about is they find more "willing ears" to listen which in turn may affect the overall perception of how companies are treating customers.

Blogs and social networks are Web 2.0 properties which are websites that facilitate and encourage participants to exchange ideas better and in turn allow people to make judgments on customer issues faster than most concerned companies can cope with. A good example of a customer-centered blog is consumerist.com, a highly-authoritative blog with high participation from readers usually consumer advocates. Business executives also follow this blog closely because of its consumer clout.

Facebook and Twitter are more powerful Web 2.0 properties. With networks, groups and associations numbering to almost infinity, exchange of ideas (especially negative feedback) can spread faster than wildfires and can substantially affect consumer perception. Everyday, people are using whatever, resources they have online to look up company information, feedback and alternative ways to channel their grievances. On this call center blog alone for example, many have found their way here from searches engines by searching Sears call center according to my website analytics. Those people end up writing about their bad customer experience with Sears. The bad news for Sears is that more and more people will be doing the same thing, getting similar complaints and finding more negativity written about their organization without them having the slightest clue about it.

This current trend presents outsourced call centers with a dilemma of possibly losing their contracts with a client if it is found that the source of real risk to client reputation have stemmed from their locations. Many unsatisfied customers will find alternative ways to air their bad experiences if regular channels for complaints are hard to reach or unresponsive. Technology has once again left behind contemporary CRM. According to surveys, over 50% of customer today have used Facebook, Twitter and Google to find answers to their problems rather than calling call centers for help.

The good new is call center technology giants like Cisco and Salesforce are already collaborating on a technology that will effectively penetrate these new channels and deliver proactive service where the customers feel most comfortable in. This is relatively new and they haven't gotten around to prove anything with it. Until such time they create credible results, call centers and their clients like Verizon will do good if they ensure customer resolution through their traditional channels and monitor customer feedback through blogs and social networks. How? Go to twitter (for example) and search relevant keywords to find out what people are talking about regarding your services.

What Makes a Good Call Center Manager?

2009-10-18T22:31:00.003+08:00

Excellent call center managers are rare breed in the Philippines. As scarce as they are, one may equally have a hard time finding the "complete package". Most of the good ones in position right now have grown into the job because of tenure or promoted due to the number of merits they have accomplished in a lower role or sometimes have gotten the job due to pure charisma. The complete package of a call center manager almost seem impossible to find. However, looking for the perfect one may not seem necessary as organizational needs are different. Finding critical traits should be crucial to call centers needing visionary leaders.

Inspired by an article written by Nick Kossovan at Google Knol recently, I've decided to add my own insights into what he considers 6 attributes of a good call center manager. If you're planning to develop yourself into a good call center leader one day, you might want to read what he has to say about the following key characteristics:

1. Ability to lead
2. Sense of humor
3. Ability to sell ideas
4. Understands management is not about having control
5. A visionary
6. Outside the box thinker

Add to these, I think the following more specific attributes are also essential.to be an effective call center manager.

1. A strong negotiator - I remember back in the day when I took my company's operations manager assessment test to gauge if I am ready for the job promotion. It was my first ever so I had no idea how it was going to be. First was the written test and then the interview. To my surprise, the interview turned out to be a recorded role-playing skit between my and our Leadership Assessment manager. The situation was the client I was managing had a huge problem with our service level at the same time I was to propose/suggest more business from them. My sweat was rolling down my face as I tried to be very concise about my statements on how to address their issues, how I am willing to commit to better performance and how I propose (and later on justify) more business in behalf of my company. The experience woke me up on the realities that call center managers have crucial roles not only in terms of keeping what they have but also add more value for their companies. I was felt happy to find out 2 weeks later that I passed the assessment on my first try.

2 Organizational and decision-making skills - Like I quoted a while ago, our call center manager pool in the Philippines can still be considered immature as a group not as per individual. Many still lack the analytical and decision making skills only gained through apprenticeship on the roles they have right now. Being a supervisor for a long time or being a meritorious one does not translate into being a fit for the bigger role. Some are charismatic in their approach towards managing people while others are "better with the numbers". The call center manager's role involves a lot of organizational skills that often decide the fate of their teams and also strong decision-making skills that decide the fate of the business they are handling for the company. Under this includes goal-setting for the line of business, ability to critically analyze performance, strategizing on call center technology and organizational development. These days you will see call center organizations "delegating" these roles into separate individuals depending on their strengths instead of one central person handling all equally important tasks.

3. Feedback advocate, Master motivator and super-coach - These three I group into one category because they all fall into communications. Internal customers' feedback, especially negative ones, are bane to some who have not been accustomed to criticisms in life as a whole. Managers must be see through these and encourage others to suggest a better way. To be a master motivator and super-coach are very important in this role. I've seen and worked for 2 different senior managers consecutively before and saw what huge difference in styles they have and what those two styles equate to. My first one was a "cheerleader". He was hardly around but at least once a week he talked with everyone. I couldn't remember exactly what his words were but we always were enlightened and happy to do our jobs better after the meeting. We loved having him around. The one who eventually replaced him was trash. He was hardly around too but when he was, all we could remember was how bad we felt about our job and we needed to do more. Needless to say we felt better and more comfortable when he is away. There are also different styles in motivation. For some people, challenging them directly makes them work better while others need pats on the back to make them feel good about themselves. Using the right style for each person is key.

Take a look at Nick Kossovan's article here too and learn from what you have just read so that you'll be able quickly assess your strengths and opportunities for career growth. Remember, my point here is not to define the perfect call center manager but rather to identify points where leaders and aspiring leaders can assess themselves in and work on their opportunites.

What is Call Center Cloud Computing?

2009-10-18T13:52:00.000+08:00

Know more about it. Call Center Cloud Computing Pros and Cons. At the end of the post, decide whether this technology is right for you.

Cloud computing has been all the rave in recent times due to the value it offers call center operators. For the plain Joe and Jane, it is simply a technology that helps your organizations "put all their eggs" in one basket and host everything with an outside server provider. Putting all your software, databases and technologies at a server other than the call center's is a great way for them to save money by significantly reducing their cost to operate. Less maintenance, monitoring and upgrades and "outsourcing" those to the server maintainer saves money. For the call center techies, it is a web services technology that enables advanced software integrations with other applications and services. This will provide you the convenience to integrate home-grown CRM applications, create custom agent desktops, use integration frameworks to create unified agent desktops, retrieve data from external systems for call routing, and more. All of that in one single umbrella system that is hosted and maintained by your server provider. In essence, it is outsourcing too.

However, there is much talk about call center cloud computing both pros and cons. On the surface, it is easy to realize the benefits of this technology: ease of use for your agents, lower operating cost for the operator and scalability. Call center operators will have less worries about upfront investment because this technology is on a subscription basis where you only pay for what you use. On the other hand, network security and legal experts also have raised their worries about cloud computing technology as it is applied to call centers. Since call center cloud computing is relatively new and the fact that call center operators would have minimal control over what they have stored in the third-party servers, precious customer and proprietary information are exposed to risks to hacking and other security risks. Additionally, if the server is located in the US (which is usually the case), information can be called upon by the US Justice System to aid in criminal investigation without the call center operator having a say about it.

As more and more outsourcing providers look for more ways to operate efficiently, cloud computing should definitely be the trend most of them will head to. After all, they are in the business to save costs. However, in this early stage of this web service, risk implications is still a huge consideration until such time developers can create a more secure system of call center cloud computing.

Spanish-Speaking Call Center Agents Abundant In Mindanao

2009-10-16T21:22:00.004+08:00

After the native language Tagalog, fluency in English as a second language has been the edge of Filipino call center agents compared to other outsourcing destinations for voice-related services. In fact, in recent years more and more call center companies have found that moving operations to a Philippine site provided better value for the customers and increased the quality of their interactions with customers solely because Filipinos have a better understanding of American culture and more neutral-sounding accent compared to other nationalities. Because the Philippines had been a former commonwealth of the U.S., the English language has been integrated in the educational system and for a long time been the medium of instruction for schools.

The Spanish language, although still taught in some schools and universities, have become less popular and only taught as an elective subject. After centuries of colonial occupation by Spain, many Filipinos back in the early 20th century felt getting rid of the Spanish language in society is a great way to promote nationalism.

However, those centuries of Spanish rule made a lasting mark in the Filipino culture particularly in language and more specifically dialects in the Southern part of the Philippines. A Spanish-based creole language called Chavacano is still widely spoken by millions of Filipinos in the south particularly in the Zamboanga province which makes them a perfect destination for outsourcers looking for Spanish-speaking call center agents.

BPO and call center companies in Mindanao mainly in Davao city have steadily grown their business solely due to the fact that operational costs in the southern part of the Philippines are considerably lower compared to a more Metropolitan area like Manila. However, my gut instincts tell me only a handful to none of these organizations has taken advantage of the "Spanish" speaking talent pool of the Chavacanos.

Zamboanga City, a predominantly Christian province has its share of well-qualified college graduates who are tri-lingual (Tagalog, English and Chavacano) with focus being on the Chavacano language it is their local dialect. Apart from comparably lower cost to operate in this part of the world. The Chavacano language, with most of its dialect words derived from Spanish, should give Zamboanga call centers an edge in landing contracts with companies requiring a pool of Spanish-speaking call center agents.

They have already started. Recently, I have gotten in touch with a person connected with one of these BPO companies in Zamboanga and he is interested in connecting with organization or individuals who require a pool of qualified Spanish-speaking call center agents to provide good customer service for the Spanish or Latino-speaking customer base. Interested parties can contact me here so I can connect you with him.

Call Center Agent Retention: The Right Way

2009-10-14T16:16:00.000+08:00

Call center agents resigning, or in more appropriate terms, staff attrition is a major concern for all call center companies not only in the Philippines but more so in India. Outsourcing companies have to deal with a "revolving door" situation where 15 employees leave and 10 employees come as replacements (although not necessarily in such exact order) in a never ending cycle which raises cost to operate and leaves the operations floor with a considerable void in skills.

It is no secret that call center work, especially at the rank and file level, is very demanding and repetitive. Many aspire for call center work but only a few are qualified. In those few selected, companies would later on find out fewer had the personality to actually keep up with the work demands. This problem roots itself from the actual hiring process. Call center companies have focused on benefits, salary and perks to encourage applicants to apply. However, only a few of these companies will actually focus on and drill down on these applicants to ensure they are fit for repetitive work during the hiring process. Call center agent retention shouldn't be a predominant problem if only call center companies would ensure successful candidates are the right fit for the job not only of skills but also of attitude and personality during the the hiring process from start to finish. It is fairly noticeable in the job ads that call center work are the most enticing because of potentially huge salary, great benefits and programs. All of the these outsourcing companies pay huge sums of money to let job seekers know what a great company they are. Let me ask you a question now. How many of these companies actually spend on even a small space to tell job ad readers know that this work entails repetitive actions, following strict regulations and coping with stress in dealings to actually deliver satisfactory work? ZERO. Better call center agent retention starts at the very beginning of the hiring process. Informing potential applicants of the realities of call center work will allow companies to only reach "targeted" prospects who are already informed of the nature of the job both good and bad. Call center companies may feel they are not getting as much candidates worth their money to post an ad when they do this but at least they can be assured that the candidates who do step in their doorsteps have been informed of the work realities. Targeted hiring is key. Making sure you only sift through applicants with the right skills and mindset can save you the headache of dealing with attrition later on.

How do you best retain the people you have now? In my experience as a team leader, I felt my role was crucial in keeping my subordinates within the company. In this one call center that I worked for two years ago, there were demanding tasks that the management was expecting from my agents. My agents were asked to perform tasks that they had little training for nor inclination to do so.So much so that I felt we were setting them up for failure. However, during my stay I never had anybody quit on me so did my colleague. Today, I came to a conclusion that we had a huge part in keeping our teams intact because I made sure we had good working relationships with our subordinates. In addition, our teams members also had close working relationships with each other and that endearment may have played a role in making them stay. Studies have shown that retention factors like these can always trump reasons to go find "greener pastures". Introspectively, I also realized that my very good working relationship with my boss at that time made me stay and aspire to be better with the work I did. I'm not saying companies need to keep good bosses to keep people inside but rather ensure to foster an environment that encourages open communications, good feedback structure and camaraderie. People may not always get the bosses they would like but companies could at least make sure bosses have the right attitude, mindset and personality to keep the people they already have.

Here is another good call center agent retention article you may find interesting:

Best Practices in Call Center Recruitment: Stop Trying to Understand Why Call Center Representatives Are Quitting

Call Center Interview Questions

2009-10-13T03:27:00.000+08:00

Coming prepared on a call center interview requires research, personal assessment and emotional readiness. Based on personal experience at both side of the table, I'd like to provide some insights on what goes on behind the interviews doors and cite some call center interview questions to help readers through somewhat stressful situations in the process.

Call center agent interviews are usually two parts: the initial and final. Interviews for positions with more responsibilities may require an extra step such as a third interview with a manager or director. The initial interview usually consists of the interviewer assessing the applicants work history, skills and general fit for the job. The second is more about the applicants decision making and attitude.

The first interview is of equal importance with the second. Conducted by HR officers, it is where most of the "weeding out" takes place apart from the initial exams. Spotty work records like short tenures, employment gaps and unusual resignations are definite turn-offs in this field. Previous related work experience is also tackled in the first round of call center interview questions such as trainings, customer interactions and industry background. Applicants will do best if they volunteer and highlight, previous work achievements, awards and work philosophies.

Getting to the second interview is already an achievement by itself. At this point, the company has already concluded that you "may" have the right fit for the job but would still needs to assess your decision-making skills and if you have the right mindset for the work you are applying for. The second interview is usually conducted by a senior HR officer or a company supervisor who you may work under if accepted. This part of the interview process will let interviewers assess your problem-solving, negotiation and stress-handling skills. Call center work may become stressful at times and the company needs to make sure successful applicants will be able to cope with their fast-paced environs.

I have attended quite a lot of interviews myself as applicant many years back and I have also had my share of conduction interviews for different call center posts, so below are a few of the call center interview questions I have encountered through the years. Please consider that questions are constantly evolving to suit the needs of the company and to better assess the fit. However, processes have remained the same and these are common considerations during an interview.

Call center initial interview questions:

1. What can you tell me about yourself that is not on your resume? (best to "sell" yourself here. Achievements in or outside work should be good. Activities outside work and personal priorities should be Ok)

2.Why did you leave your last job? OR Why do you want to leave your current position? There's is no wrong or right answer here. One good point to remember though is to make sure you are not leaving a "bad taste in the mouth". Interviewers do not appreciate bashing and bitterness. Make it a point that your reasons are for personal or career growth and not because you are looking for a better place than the hell hole you are in right now.

3. Tell me a situation? Depending on the interviewer, she or he may ask you to cite an example when you had an experience dealing with a difficult customer and how you were able to resolve it in a mutually agreeable manner.

Call Center final interview questions:

1. Prioritization questions - depending on the type of work, the demands for work and organization structure, the interviewer may provide you with a difficult scenario in terms of dealing with customers, clients, co-employees, supervisor and managers.

2. How can you relate your previous experience with the position you are applying for? Although this question may have been asked in the initial interview, the second interviewer is different from the first and his decision at this point will be more critical than the first so it is against best to cite highlights rather than what you have dealt on a daily basis.

3. How much are you expecting to receive as compensation for this position? Do research on the industry's standard. One good tools for it is Jobstreet.com's salary report which gives people an estimate on salary industry standard. However, asking for a little bit more than what you are receiving currently will not be taboo but it would also be best to add a justification on why you are asking for more.

Interview preparedness requires asking yourself potential questions you may be thrown during the actual interview. It is important that in the selection process the company's needs and your own will come to terms. This is the signle most important consideration during the call center application interview process. Please comment below for more questions and I will be more than happy to answer or check out previous asked here. Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoy writing. :)

Call Center Jobs 101: Sign-In Bonuses

2009-10-12T12:07:00.001+08:00

50,000 pesos to sign-up sounds like a very interesting prospect! Learn why call center companies provide sign-in bonuses and what you need to be aware of. Over the years, call centers established in the Philippines have tried to outdo each other in getting "premium talent". Gimmicks, welcome food and beverages, giveaways and raffle draws have become popular in daily recruitment. Sign-in bonuses have also figured in this enticement fold.

Call center companies and even established recruitment agencies have been flaunting cash rewards to catch the eyes of potentially successful applicants in an attempt to pry them off their current companies especially during periods when tenured employees and applicants in general are hard to come by, for example the last quarter of the year. Sign-in bonuses figure between 10 thousand to as high as 50,000 pesos like what IBM has posted today for their urgent TSR requirements this month.

Attractive as a sign-in bonus sounds, there are things to consider when applying for such position with tempting perks. First, when they call it a sign-in bonus, it rarely is. Many call center applicants expect to be given cold hard cash upon signing the contract. Ninety-nine percent of the time, this is not the case. The logic behind this that call center companies will not be willing to let go of such a perk without having to successfully recovered on their investment. Successful applicants to have availed of this perk will only get their premium only after rendering a certain amount of tenure usually 3-6 months. The bigger the sign-in bonus is the harder it will be to get. However, lower bonuses published on ads should be fair. For example, some companies award sign-in bonuses of 8-15k after the applicant has successfully completed training or after spending 1 month working on the operations floor.

Things to consider when taking the bait:
1. If its the last quarter of the year and you are currently employed, better stay where you are and wait for your end-year bonus. That's almost guaranteed cash you'll get and you've already worked for it anyway. If you leave your company now, there a big chance you won't get your severance pay in time when you need it. Remember sign-up bonuses are not really "sign-up" bonuses.

2. Look the non-cash benefits as well. While some offer sign-up bonuses. The actual salary may be a little disappointing and other benefits may not be at par with the industry standard.

3. Think of what you've already accomplished in your company in case you are currently employed. Switching, no matter how similar the job looks, is always a stressful endeavor. You would have to contend with a different environment, new people, new bosses and moving jobs also breaks your steady flow of income.

Have you learn something from this post? I would appreciate a feedback through comments below. Thanks!

Call center and BPO mergers loom

2009-10-09T16:07:00.000+08:00

Last year's global financial crisis has become a catalyst somewhat of the recent series of mergers the business process outsourcing industry has seen. Since the crisis effects have become evident, more and more established BPO brands have concluded that in order for them to survive or at least stay competitive, a "merger" is in order. Such were the experience of 3 well-known BPO companies in the Philippines. The most recognizable of all was Etelecare. Etelecare Global Solutions have been bought out by lesson-known Stream Global Services and is now known and published as Etelecare, a Stream Global company.

4 other BPO companies are in talks of mergers as well. Computer Hardware heavyweight DELL is working out on buying Perot Systems, an established BPO company with offices in Makati. While Xerox Corp. is looking in to finalize its purchase of Affiliated Computer Services a BPO company with office in Makati and Pasay. More recently, Sykes is also buying another call center company ICT. Industry experts acclaim this merger should become a blockbuster when concluded.

Never has an economic development on a global scale sparked such a trend in the BPO business. To an effect, the business process outsourcing companies like contact centers, transcriptions and back office were poised to take advantage of the financial crisis as many money U.S. based companies should be looking to outsource their non-core business processes to raise profit margins. However, competition amongst BPO heavyweights have forced other competitors to reassess their survivability and resort to mergers to keep up. As this trend is slowly becoming a norm in these economic conditions, it will not be a surprise if your call center or BPO companies are also considering such moves.

The International Outsourcing Summit

2009-10-08T17:56:00.000+08:00

Do You know what the International Outsourcing Summit is? Learn about what your companies' top brass will be talking about.

As I was driving my 2 year old son home after his regular doctor's appointment today, I had the radio on and heard an ad. I couldn't comprehend half of what the lady was talking about but at the end of it, the only thing that stuck on my head was the website the asked listeners to visit internationaloutsourcingsummit.com.

At "face value", the objective of this conference by Philippine-based and international BPO executives seems all too noble. Similar to the annual CCAP Expo, several BPO heads gather, discuss issues facing the industry and debate on how to best counter threats that are or may soon be affecting the industry's continued growth not only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world where business process outsourcing has been regarded as a vital economic pillar.

2 very good talking points in this conference are the threats of the global financial crisis which I have tackled in a previous post and the populist political rhetoric I have previously written here. These posts were written last year. Leaders in this country's BPO industry have contrasting opinions on the effects of the crisis. GMAnews.tv reports many BPO's continue to be upbeat despite the developments. However, an increasing amount of them have expressed mixed expectations about their future as covered by this report. The populist political rhetoric part of this discussion, however, I felt is one thing nobody in their ranks have control over. Some sectors of the U.S. political arena have been pushing to "repatriate" U.S. jobs lost since many of their companies having outsourced them elsewhere around the world. Unless the members of this conference will be talking about hiring a lobbyist to push their agenda in American politics, they will have no say in the outcome of whatever will transpire in American economic policies.

The best talking point of this conference should be their discussion on best to address the demand of "knowledge workers" and how the educational infrastructre of the Philippines may or may not be able to support such demands in the future. Alarming reports of recent show the Philippine educational system not being able to produce adequate graduates that are ready for the demands of professional work intellectually, emotionally and in terms of confidence. There is a big gap between the BPO's demand for workforce versus the number of qualified individuals. For years, the successful hiring rate of call centers for example has been 2 out of 100. These days, we may have seen an increase of this percentage all because companies have lowered their requirements. BPO's, however, have shouldered increased costs to train new hires because of this scenario.Still, many argue that more complex lines of businesses have not been fully tapped because of deficit. Knowledge Process Outsourcing, for example, is big BPO business which the Philippines hasn't come around to fully take advantage of.

Hope everything goes well with this conference and more importantly something tangible comes out of it.

DoCoMo Call Center Needs new TSRs

2009-10-01T18:24:00.003+08:00

Hello Peeps! Been a long time since I've posted and what a timely occasion for me to post again for a friend in DoCoMo asked me a favor to spread word they are mass hiring again for a scheduled ramp-up soon. They need Technical Support Representatives with or without experience but ofcourse those who have experience and can prove their technical proficiency during the application process will get a higher salary. Docomo needs TSRs with experience in the line of internet connection troubleshooting much like people from Verizon and other internet providers. All those interested to apply can comment here and email me their resumes at callcentervet@gmail.com for speedy processing as my friend promised me. :) One good thing about DoCoMo is they regularize employees in just 3 months instead of the usual 6 months like most companies do.

DoCoMo-Intertouch is a contact center that has been operating in Alabang for the past few years. They provide internet connection tech support for major hotel chains around the world. Their customers are mainly hotel guests that need assistance over connectivity of the laptops and such.

Based on personal knowledge, here are the perks of employees working for DoCoMo-Intertouch:
1. Free food while working
2. Company sponsored team building activities and company outings
3. Performance-based reward system
4. Company sponsored theme week where winners of contests get additional incentive aside from giveaways.
5. Company provided shuttle to and from work at selected pick-up points.

DoCoMo also prides itself with religiously paying its employees SSS, Philhealth and Pag-Ibig employer shares as mandated by law. Health benefits are also promptly provided upon those who are regularized in 3 months.

Other Info applicants need to know:
1. DoCoMo has been operating in Alabang since the beginning BUT they will be transferring to a brand new call center location in The Fort around the beginning of 2010. Their new location makes it ideal for applicants residing in both north and south.
2. 3 months - regular ka na!!!!!! Need I say more???? :)
3. DoCoMo operates 24/7 so shifting work is expected ( change of shift usually in 3 months interval ) with most shifts beginning nights but morning slots are also available.
4. Higher performing teams can choose their own schedule based on a shift-bidding scheme.

Interested to start anew? Email me your resumes now at callcentervet@gmail.com. Cheers mates!

Bank of America Call Center - Alabang?

2009-02-11T14:45:00.004+08:00

I was happy to have finally gotten a feedback through a comment by one of our readers here ( thanks PerryBC ) that the Bank of America call center will soon be opening its doors to the public in North Cybergate Alabang. Reportedly, they have been recruiting entry level posts through an agency in Alabang. As to which one, your guess is as good as mine.

Here's the supposed Bank of America call center lobby. LOL

My question is, why do such a high profile company do such a soft opening to begin with? A good strategy would be to go all out in publicity and promotions so that they get noticed by many oand more importantly by better talents in the industry. I have yet to see any concrete evidence that the Bank of America call center is here in Alabang myself so this makes me a little doubtful.

In any case, I'd be passing through North Cybergate again later to see what's up. Manong guard sa 7-11 lang bili yosi... LOL That's my excuse to get through the guard house. :)

Microsoft Interview Questions?

2009-01-31T17:26:00.007+08:00

This is my first blog entry for 2009 and I wanted to throw in a couple of interview questions I found amusing. These are quite unique questions asked during an interview mostly derived from Microsoft interview questions which arguably test a person's analytical and creative thinking while some may just dismiss it as purely a matter of common sense. You be the judge and I hope you find it helpful.

"Microsoft" interview question no. 1: Why are manhole covers round?

My answer: Manhole covers are round because they are made to cover round holes. Not all manholes are created round (believe it or not some manholes are square and triangles) so the more interesting question is why are manholes commonly round? Manholes are commonly made round because it is found that among all available simple shapes that can be used, the shape of a circle has been found to be the strongest ( in the engineering aspect ) and better able to handle structural stress.

Another sensible answers is: Manhole covers are round so that it would be impossible for it to fall through the manhole and endanger people or damage property inside the hole. Unlike other shapes, a round cover will not pass through a corresponding round hole (assuming they're same size) no matter which ever you try to shift it.

"Microsoft" interview question no. 2: If you're on a boat with a heavy suitcase and you throw that heavy suitcase into the ocean, will the ocean water level rise because of it? Why or Why not?

Pretty straightforward this question if you have a few assumptions. If you assume that the boat you are on is floating on the same ocean you threw the heavy suitcase in, then the water level will not rise because you're already in the ocean to begin with. If you are on a boat on a drydock and you threw the suitcase into the ocean, the water level no matter how insignificantly minute and difficult to measure will rise.

Another good follow-up question to the second interview question is, does the thrown suitcase float or sink when it hits the water. I'll let you do some thinking and researching on that. :D

Happy new year and thank you for reading callcenterblogger.com!

Call Center Stress Days

2008-11-04T18:06:00.004+08:00

Thousands of us call center peeps have been working our behinds off for almost everyday or should I say every night?) and it does seem like there's really no difference between days and even sometimes you couldn't even tell what day it is anymore. There is. Let me cite you a few examples that will tell you if you're gonna have the "time of your life" tonight and it might well be the perfect day to feel sick and go absent. LOL. Of course, this is only for fun and I don't encourage people feigning sickness to avoid work. Some of you may even know a few of these already.

1. Based on experience and workforce trending, our Thursday and Fridays here are the busiest. Number of calls are peaking and you should notice that almost everybody in your team is scheduled to work those days. This observation is almost a fact of life and with almost every other industry. Don't expect you can go on a leave on these days.

2. If come to work, sit down and the calls are already coming out of your wazoo, it's going to be a long day even on weekends.
3. If you work dayshift call center here for a U.S. time zone account, be happy its probably going to be one of your perks. Trust me.

4. For me the perfect shift to have is something that starts early evening here because calls aren't qeueing much, you get enough calls mid-shift and relax slightly by the end. That is if you've got a normal inbound account. If you have a predictive dialing outbound account, forget it!

5. Generally, most calls ramp up during the -ber months because a huge amount of transactions are completed during holiday season. Don't expect you'll get a fair chance to go on leave during these times.

So there. Call center newbies, learn these. Vets, you probably know these already.

U.S. Credit Crunch Affecting Philippines' BPO industry?

2008-10-31T00:00:00.001+08:00

Whoah! It's been almost a month since I wrote something. Wow! Has it been that long? Anyways, I've been busy here and there with almost little "me" time left. Busy, busy busy...

I've been thinking about what to write for the past few days and this U.S. economic problem got my attention recently because I've learned that the Americans' money problems has reached our shores and the BPO industry in particular. Tell you about it later.

Unlike common misconception about us "call center people" that we are oblivious to our surroundings and we don't know and care about what goes on with the world, I'm particularly keen on economic news because it helps me analyze the conditions, climate and future of our industry here. It helps me understand the "whole picture" and everything that might affect my job in one way or another. It's on of the traits a manager needs to acquire to get ahead.

Recently, I've heard that problems with the Wachovia Bank in the U.S. has somewhat affected Wachovia call center's operations here in Alabang, Philippines. A good source from one of the recruitment firms tells me Wachovia has temporarily stopped hiring people because the company is actually losing clients/accounts recently. Or was it Genpact? In any case, these are things that I'm particularly concerned about.
In the coming months when we usually see a number of call centers ramping in the past years, things are definitely going to be different. Don't expect the same conditions primarily because most companies in the U.S. are expecting low sales during the holidays. Majority of people in the U.S. will be spending less due to economic and money worries. Less sales mean less calls, less calls mean less people are needed on the phones.

I'm going to throw back a question to you now. Has your call center company seen the bad effects of the economic crisis in the U.S.? Kindly share and leave a comment! Thanks.