Call Centers Philippines

Call Center Industry : Are We Supposed To Enjoy It?

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:09:00 +0000

This is one news I gathered from BBC news -UK. Check it out:

T-Mobile urged to keep Scots jobs

More than 400 TSC staff working in Larbert and Greenock face the axe

The Scottish Government is calling on telecoms giant T-Mobile to ditch plans to move hundreds of call centre jobs to the Philippines.

Alex Salmond faced claims that Scottish staff were being "dumped" in favor of a "cheaper overseas" option during First Minister's Questions on Thursday.

About 300 out of 500 staff employed by Telecom Service Centres (TSC) in Larbert face losing their jobs. A further 118 jobs at a call centre in Greenock are also at risk.

MR. Salmond voiced "disappoinment" at the planned redundancies and said it was no reflection on the workforce.

The government, including Enterprise Minister Jim Mather, has been closely involved in the issue.

"The workforce is rightly angry that they have been dumped for a cheaper overseas option after years of dedication."

Michael Matheson MSP

"Mr. Matheson is writing to the company of T-Mobile to argue the case to retain this business in Scotland,," Mr. Salmond said.

Source : BBC NEWS UK

Well, guess what? We were desperately hiring agents to fill up the 800 seats for T-Mobile just last month. Good business for us. While the world is feeling the itch of the global crisis, we are moving forward, getting big.

Áre we supposed to be happy that a lot of great companies in the world are turning to us for manpower? While it is true that we are enjoying the turn of events, it somehow bothers me that other people from other countries are not so happy with it.

I need your opinion on this, please post your comment down below and I will publish it as soon as a I can.

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noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:28:00 +0000

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TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:38:00 +0000

I just received a comment from one of our colleagues asking me why didn't I include Telus Philippines in my directory. Actually, I tend to include them, but I just moved in to another company which diffused all my time for this blog. It's a different environment and has a totally different culture compared to where I came from. It amazed me to realize that somewhere within this vast industry, there still exist a call center with no politics. They mean what they say and what you read and heard is just what you are going to get. Your appreciation of the company will always depend on your values, of course. And I am going to tell more about my current employer on my future posts. But for now, here's Telus Philippines as requested by Pearlyjeanne.

TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES

Telus International Philippines is a pioneer in the global outsourcing industry and IT development backed by a multinational Canadian telecommunications giant. Their clients include companies in the utilities, high-tech, travel, hospitality, telecommunications and financial services industries.

Telus International's screening and training processes identify and develop agents and IT professionals with an exceptional customer-centric focus. The company is committed to superior service quality and cost- effective delivery of call centre outsourcing solutions for their clients.

The senior management and operations team is based in Manila composing of call center veterans with US call center expertise.

Telus Internatonal is one of the few call centers in the Philippines with Filipino roots which gives the management team a better understanding of what motivates a Filipino agent.

TELUS OFFERED SOLUTIONS

• Customer Care
○ General inquiries, account activation status, applications/order processing, billing inquiries, change of address, delivery status, disputes handling, missing/wrong/damaged goods, payment processing, product information, reservations, returns, services support
• Sales
○ Inbound and outbound sales, cross-sell, up-sell,
• Directory Assistance
• Customer Administration
○ Order processing, Account maintenance, enrolment processing, plan switches
• Technical Support
○ Hardware and software troubleshooting, hardware warranty support, installation/removal, operating system installation and functional support, parts replacement, PC protection support, program compatibility, repair/contract services extension processing, security CD support
• Market Research
○ Hardware information surveys, software and systems information surveys, contact information and demographics surveys, commercial real estate surveys
• Financial Administration
○ Debit card chargeback processing, risk management and fraud prevention analysis, credit posting, invoice reporting and analysis
• Application Management and IT Services
○ Project management, system analysis, application design and development, application and system support, upgrade and maintenance services, commercial product development, quality assurance and testing, user and production support

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• Customer Service Associates
• Technical Support Associates
• Marketing Data Strategists (SQL Specialists)
• Quality Analysts
• Team Captains
• Business Process Improvement Manager
• Network Administrators
• Database Administrators
• Build Software Engineer
• QA Engineer (Software Testing)
• Reports Analysts
• IT Security Manager
• Operations Managers
• Senior PABX Administrator

You may send your resume at recruitment@telusinternational.com.ph or you may visit them on the following addresses:

31/F Discovery Centre
Ortigas Center
Pasig City
1605 Philippines

18/F Raffles Corporate Center
Emerald Avenue
Ortigas Center
Pasig City
1605 Philippines

5/F Market! Market!
Fort Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig City,
1634 Philippines

14/F JMT Building
ADB Avenue
Ortigas Center,
Pasig City,
Philippines

IBM PHILIPPINES

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:32:00 +0000

IBM DAKSH BUSINESS PROCESS SERVICES PHILIPPINES INC.

In the Philippines, it is commonly referred to as IBM PHILIPPINES, which is actually IBM DAKSH. It is a wholly owned company of IBM Corporation which is a leading multi-awarded provider of BPO solutions with over 20,000 call center employees across India and Philippines operations center.

IBM PHILIPPINES provides a variety of customer care solutions and given the award as "Contact Center Vendor of the Year" in Asia Pacific by Frost Sullivan in 2006.

IBM PHILIPPINES provide a comprehensive range of outsourced voice-based services (in-bound and out-bound) and back office transaction processing. They provide solutions in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Finance and Administration, and Back-office processes for multiple industry verticals (financial, industrial, communication services and distribution industries.

IBM Philippines' current clients are:

World's leading internet portal
World's largest auction and e-commerce site
World's fourth largest consumer electronics manufacturer and distributor
Fortune 500 US airline company
Fortune 500 imaging company
US telecoms company

IBM PHILIPPINES offer a competitive salary and benefits package, careers advancement opportunities and professional development, including Six Sigma training for all its employees.

The company invest heavily in progressive HR practices which includes employee referral scheme. Sports teams, bands, library committees, picnic teams, parties and cultural events involving families have become part of their culture

IBM Philippines' Employee Benefits

Health and accident insurance
Life Insurance
Paid holidays
Referral bonus program
Company car entitlement
Retirement
Promotional schemes and tie-ups

To apply for an "IBM Call Center" job online, send resume to hotcareers@ph.daksh.com.

IBM PHILIPPINES LOCATION

Makati City

PBCom Tower Center

30F PBCom Tower,

6795 Ayala Avenue cor. V.A. Rufino Street,

1226 Makati City

Tel. 840-6000

Mandaluyong City

3rd Level, EDSA Central Pavilion Center

EDSA cor. Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City

Tel. 840-6020

CALL CENTER FUNNY CALLS

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:11:00 +0000

Jack's Number

Caller: "Will you please give me the talephone number of Jack?"

Call Center Agent: "I am sorry sir, I don't understand who you are talking about"

Caller: "In the user guide, it clearly states that I need to plug the fax machine from the wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, will you give me his number?"

Call Center Agent: "I think you mean the telephone point on the wall."

Smart Spiel To Handle A Frustrated Caller

"Well if you are not completely satisfied with our product, remember that a little disappointment is good for building character."

Blind Monitor

Caller: "I am having issues with my monitor."

Tech Support: "What kind of problem are you experiencing?"

Caller: "Well, I'm trying to print a document but the computer says "It can't find the printer."

So, I turned the computer's monitor to face the printer and it still says "Unable to find the printer."

DO WE CALL THEM BY THEIR FIRST NAME OR "SIR OR MAM?"

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Call Center Courtesy

During my first training in the call center, we were instructed to use the customer's first name throughout the calls. We were handling calls coming from all over the United States of America, and we were advised that Americans preferred to be addressed by their first names.

But when I was already taking in calls, I noticed that most of them would reply to me using "mam." And to call them by their first name doesn't seem to sound courteous on my part. And ever since then, I made it a point to mirror back how the caller would call me first. If they call me by my first name, then that's how I address them.

A comprehensive study was done on this subject a few years ago and it was determined that 87% of Americans did not like being called by name since they never wanted a personal relationship with a stranger on the phone. The particular study was done with the exception of California, New York and Massachusetts.

Although today's culture is more youth oriented, which leads to call center agents being encouraged to call customers by their first names, courtesy and professionalism should always be on top of considerations. Everyone will agree that a customer must feel and hear respected.

Although Northern counterparts may feel comfortable being called by their first names, the vast majority of Southerners and Westerners may find it rude and disrespectful.

But it should be noted that nobody has ever claimed losing a customer just because they were wrongfully addressed.

If the agent sounds courteous and natural when speaking, this will convey more than anything else the message of professionalism.

Related Aticles:

Say "Yes,Mam" or "Yes Sir" and "No,Mam" or "No Sir"

Me and Cupcake Face: Yes Sir, No Mam

Why are people offended when I call the Sir or Mam?

EPIXTAR INTERNATIONAL CONTACT CENTER GROUP

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:24:00 +0000

If you are looking for a business process outsourcing company that aggregates contact center capacity and robust telephony infrastructure, go for Epixtar.

Epixtar International Contact Center Group, Ltd uses such infrastructure to deliver comprehensive sevices to the enterprise market.

Epixtar’s corporate headquarters is in Miami, Florida and it currently maintains three contact centers in several U.S. states and one large contact center in Manila, Philippines. Additionally, Epixtar maintains programming and development support operations in North Carolina and has developmental plans to expand existing centers over the next coming quarters.

With a strong affinity for U.S. culture, Epixtar chose the Philippines to become the location of choice for teleservices due to its ample supply of English speaking, computer and Internet-savvy college graduates who view contact center work as a career as well as the economics of local labor rates. These benefits are compounded by reduced attrition, which contributes to reduced operational costs and superior performance.

Epixtar's Employment Offering

Better compensation with industry-leading base salary plus commission and benefits.
More opportunities for career progression working on campaigns for Fortune 500 organizations in telecommunications, financial services, health care, and retail industries.
More advancement into areas of increasing responsibility and accountability for those who excel.
Comprehensive performance-based compensation opportunities to earn bonuses based on your ability and dedication.
Ongoing professional and leadership courses encompassing management theory and practice; customer relationship management; and acquisition.
Contact center skills development on various workforce management, customer relationship management, and automatic call distribution, predictive contact, and verification tool sets.
Business skills development for leading software packages including Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Project.

Miami Office

Biscayne Center

7th Floor

11900 Biscayne Boulevard

Miami, Florida 33181 USA

Manila Office

Epixtar House

5 Eastwood Avenue

Eastwood City Cyberpark

Libis, Quezon City, Philippines

COMMON REASONS WHY CALL CENTER AGENTS RESIGN

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:43:00 +0000

When I first joined the call center industry, I couldn't understand why there were very few tenured agents, and they continue to decrease in numbers as I went along. It was only when I became one myself that I figured the common reasons why call center agents resign.

Unlike any other industries, working in a call center is like being in a swarm of ants where you are surrounded by many people just like you. It was hard to stand out, while authority figures are very visible since they seem to hold all the cards. Because of that, a call center agent experience very little flexibility that any creativity or individualism was hard to express.

The following are the most common reasons why agents resign and some tips on how to boost retention.

Burn- out

The stress of dealing with difficult people day in and day out, and repetition of calls, spiels, and issues naturally leads to burn-out.

TIP: Show encouragement, support, and motivation just to make the agent feel that the management understand what they go through everyday. A little gesture of appreciation for their hard work may lift up an agent's spirit.

Highly Structured Environment

Most typical among call centres are their strict rules on schedule adherence. An agent is expected to follow strictly the time to be on and off the phone, breaks, talk time, after call work, etc, coupled with call monitoring and target goals.

TIP: During the hiring process, make it a part of the orientation to let the candidate understand the nature of the job which should include the negative side of it. If something is expected, it will not be difficult for an individual to adopt to certain norms.

Lack of Growth Potential

When an agent reached that certain point when they feel they have mustered the job and learned all the the skills needed, and there is still no chance for promotion, that's when they start looking for something else.

TIP: Know those agents who have been in the company for a long time. Try to learn how they feel about their position and try to learn what they think about any progress with regard to their job. If they are interested for a leadership position, offer training and leadership programs. If for example, a supervisory position is scarce, give them some other task where they would feel empowered like delegating some of the team leader's task.

Compensation Structure

Compensation has always been the number one reason why agents resign.

TIP: Communicate with the agents to let them know what they can do to impact their compensation.

Undeserved Compensation

Be sure to give an agent what they are worth fairly. Try to avoid paying out someone below what everyone else is receiving.

TIP: Just because the agent did not ask for so much during the hiring process, it's never a reason to give him lower salary. Employees will always talk about their salary even if they are advised not to talk about it. And once they learned that they are receiving less, they would feel betrayed.

Lack of Professionalism

Some of the tenured agents may have become too comfortable with the company that they tend to act unprofessional which include how they dress up, lack of courtesy in how they speak or treat one another, etc. A new agent may feel uncomfortable that he may want to look for another working environment.

TIP: Uphold the standard that the company have always enforced and be consistent.

BEATING TOUGH QUESTIONS ON A CALL CENTER JOB INTERVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:39:00 +0000

If you have been following my blog here (Personal Journey), you know that I was a bummer for 11 years before I decided to apply for a call center job, and I got the job right away on my first application. I don't think I'm smarter than anybody else is. What I believe though, that convinced those HR guys to take me in, is my honesty to admit my lack of knowledge on some points and my eagerness to learn, plus my perseverance and confidence on what I believe I can do. And just like what I mentioned on my "Interview Tips for Call Centre Job," you need not exaggerate on your qualifications or pretend that you know something or someone when you don't. Skills will be taught in any call centre.

Having been on this industry for quite sometime, I have compiled a list of Interview Questions that are most often asked by those call center HR personnel, and what they actually want to find out from asking those interview questions.

Why are you applying for this position?

Never ever never ever mention your financial motive like "because I need money or I'm looking for greener pasture" and don't say "I need experience." On the interviewer's point of view, it meant you are just going to use the company as a stepping ground before moving on to bigger things. Uh-oh, call centers biggest headache is attrition rate. They invest on training people, and therefore they need a long term team player.

TIP: Check on the call centre's background first and be sure to know the nature of the job that you are applying for, and explain how this job opportunity and the company will fit in with how you want to develop your skills and abilities. Mention your past experience (in school or at work), and be able to correlate them .

EX: "I have learned that this company is (mention the company's strength), and I have always wanted to work on that kind of settings. (name of the job position) will help me develop my skills in (abilities and talent).

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Aww, it's so tempting to answer this with your personal plans like have a family, kids and be in the US, Canada, etc. But please, this is a make or break question. What they really want to find out is if you have focus and direction, and how you can be of value to the call centre.

TIP: Be sure that you prepare a well-thought-of career path before going to the interview.

What do you expect out if this job?

When they asked me with this question, I was spellbound, I just want to walk out of the room. I dared asked him to give me a few seconds to think about it. And after collecting my thoughts, I answered it with the best way I can. Although there's nothing wrong admitting that you need sometime to think about it, being prepared for this question will put you in a better position. Since this is job-related, you can only get a thumbs-up by letting your interviewer know that you understand the nature of the job and the pressure it entails. Explain why you would like to learn those responsibilities, and be challenged by the pressures.

TIP: Get an idea of the job responsibilities.

What can you do for us, that someone else can't?

This is now your chance to sell yourself by emphasizing your unique ability/skill. Recall your past experiences when your solution was able to solve a problem that nobody ever thought of.

TIP: Think of your character traits, experiences, and positive attitude that makes you up as a person. Use them to sell yourself. But please, don't fill the room with hot-air.

Now the bombshell, Why should we hire you?

Correct answer: "Because I will be an asset to your company."

TIP: Before answering, convince yourself first with those words.

I found this fascinating quote today:

Interview questions are changing. Techniques are being designed to catch you on the wrong foot.Jul 2008

You should read the whole article .
Job Interview Tips

24/7 CUSTOMER

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:38:00 +0000

24/7 Customer is the first BPO company that provides integrated customer life cycle management services designed to deliver a seamless customer experience across the entire lifecycle. It was founded on April 2000 with only 100 seats in India. By June 2005, 24/7 Customer launched its delivery center in Manila, Philippines.

24/7 Customer's clients list include FTSE 500 and Global 1000 companies which includes:

Banking & Financial Services

Top 3 US bank

Pioneer in the prepaid financial products and services category

Global financial services company based in the UK

Fortune 500 financial services company based in the US

Insurance

Global Top 5 insurance company

Part of the global top 10 insurance group in the UK

Largest provider of property & casualty insurance provider in US

Technology

Global leader in storage devices

Leading provider of merchant processing services for merchants and financial institutions

Global Top 3 ATM company

Global leader for Business Performance Management solutions

Top 3 Internet company

Leading provider of digital media and web development software

Global leader in online security solutions

Leading business integration and process management software company

Leader in voice-to-screen messaging

Fast growing email application vendor in the US

Telecom

Top 3 satellite and cable company in the US

Top 3 Australian telecom company

Top 3 UK Telecom Company

Retail & Services

Top 5 online retail company in the US

Leading retailer of diamonds and jewelry in the US

One of the world's largest logistics companies

Leading utility services provider in the UK

One of the fastest growing online retail companies in the US

Leading catalog retailer in the US

Leading market research agency

Portable storage solutions provider

Leading media and entertainment company

What 24/7 Customer offer to their employees

24/7 Customer give their employees a dynamic environment that propels their employees forward. They give out incentive schemes, gift coupons, travel vouchers, certificates of appreciation, management education, and personal development opportunities.

They boast of the fact that:

More than 50% of our agents grow faster than their peers in the industry
More than 80% of junior and middle management positions are filled by promoting existing employees
High-performing 24/7ites have been featured on global channels such as Discovery, NDTV India and BBC

24/7 Customer is located at:

MANILA

8/F, Insular Life Building

6781 Ayala Avenue

Makati city 1226

Philippines.

Tel: +632 792-4777

MJ Plaza Building

#106 Valero Street, Salcedo Village,

Makati City

Philippines.

Tel: +632 792-4900

A BURNED OUT CALL CENTER AGENT IN THE LAND OF WILLY WONKA

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:05:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

BURNED COOKIES

A recipe for a burned out call center agent

Ingredients

10 kilos of all the resentment you have ever felt in the call center but never expressed towards those shrieking callers who have called you moron, idiot, and/or stupid, those racist customers who refused to speak with you, and those ungrateful ones, whom after you have faithfully helped to resolve their issues, taunted you back with insults, and in doing so, destroyed your faith in humanity.
10 kilos of all the bitterness you've ever felt toward those call center authority figures whom you have once respected but didn't respect you back, who took advantage of your credulity and never appreciated your willingness to tear out your guts at their bidding, and in doing so blotted out your belief in the promise of reward for your sincerity and reliability.
10 kilos of all the revulsion you feel towards the circumstances that surround you, that scoffs at an attempt to promote righteousness and instead rewards perversion, that mocks at honesty and ethical behaviour because "No one gets rewarded for being honest and ethical," and in doing so destroys itself.
2 cups of crushed and pounded belief
300 grams of ground sanity
200 liters of bile
1 tbsp of vinegar

Directions

Throw everything into a large vat and mix thoroughly to form a batter. Beat mercilessly until it is soft. Knead the batter with your bare hands and make a dozen of fist-sized lumps. Then shape them into the people you despise.

Bake in 2000 degrees of rage.

CALL CENTER DICTIONARY

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:31:00 +0000

B - C

Base Staff. The minimum number of agents required to achieve a specified service level and response time objectives for given period of time. Base Staff calculations assume that agents will be in their seats for the entire period of time. Therefore, schedules need to accommodate extra people considering breaks, absenteeism and other factors that will keep agents from the phones.

Beep Tone. Also called zip tone which is an audible sound that signals the arrival of a call. Beep tone can also refer to the audible sound that a call is being monitored

Benchmark. A standard task to compare services with other units for the purpose of identifying new ideas for improvement.

Blockage. An incident where callers are blocked from entering a queue. See Blocked Call.

Blocked Call. Normally happens when the volume of calls goes beyond the threshold. Calls cannot be connected immediately because of various reasons such as: unavailability of circuit at the time of call, or the ACD was programmed to block calls beyond the threshold.

Busy Hour. Refers to the hour of time in which a trunk group carries the most traffic during the day.

Call Blending. A process of combining inbound and outbound agents into one group, where each agent handles both inbound and outbound calls. Usually necessitated by a system depending on the incoming call load.

Call By Call Routing. The process of routing each call to the optimum destination according to real-time conditions.

Call Center. Refers to customer service, reservations, technical support centers, help desks, or information lines.

Call Control Variables. A set of criteria that includes routing, overflow parameters, announcements, and timing thresholds.

Call Detail Recording. The capability of an ACD to record important data for every call such as trunk used, time in queue, agent who received the call, and the number dialled if there was.

Call Forcing. One feature of ACD to deliver a call automatically to an available agent.

Call Load. The product of Average Talk Time plus the Average After Call Work multiplied by the call volume in a particular time.

Caller ID. Automatic number identification.

Calls In Queue. A real-time report referring to the number of incoming calls or calls waiting to be received by a call center agent.

Carrier. A company that provides telecommunications circuits. Carriers include both local telephone companies and long distance providers.

Collateral Duties. Non-phone tasks by a call center agent like data entry.

Computer Simulation. A way to predict the outcome of an event, generated by a computer system.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). The software, hardware and programming necessary to integrate computers and telephones.

Conditional Routing. A condition that may be applied or programmed for the ACD. Usually to instruct ACD where and when to route a call to a specific unit.

Controlled Busies. Busy signals generated by ACD when the queue has reached its threshold.

Cost Center. Refers to a department that does not generate profit.

Cost of Delay. The cost for toll-free services, in terms of money that a call center pays for callers on queue.

Cost Per Call. Total costs divided by total calls for a given period of time.

ASIAN CALL CENTRES

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:53:00 +0000

Asian Call Centres is a partnership between British management complimented by Filipino business developer.

Asian Call Centres gained their expertise thru 30 years of experience in the call centre world, managing successful key accounts for companies such as: MCI Worldcom, Cable and Wireless, Sky, American Express, Vodka Martini and MBNA. Most clients cater to the British market.

Services Offered

List Cleaning
Appointment Setting
Mail Follow Up
Customer Loyalty
Market Research
Seminar Booking
Lead Generation
Product/ Service Promotion
Soft Sales
Customer Care Programmes
Subscription Renewal/ Sales
Data Management Initiatives

Employment Offerings

At Asian Call Centres, everyone starts as a call centre agent until they prove their excellent ability. All team member's are given equal opportunity to move through the ranks and avail of the trainings. To apply for Asian Call Centre job, email to hr@global-sky.com.

Global Sky recently acquired Asian Call Centres.

CALL CENTER FUNNY CALL NO.2

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:21:00 +0000

RIGHT CLICK IT!

Call Center Agent: Will you please right click on your desktop.

Caller: OK

Call Center Agent: Do you see a pop -up menu?

Caller: No

Call Center Agent: Will you please right click on your desktop again. Now, do you see a pop-up menu?

Caller: Nah

Call Center Agent: (confused) Alright , will you please tell me exactly how you do it?

Caller: Not a problem, you told me to write click and I WROTE "click"."

Call Center Agent: Aw..Did you type "click" with your keyboard?

Caller: Why do I feel stupid?

ARE WE GETTING SOMEWHERE?

Call Center Funny Call No. 3

Call Center Agent: Alright John, press the "control" and "escape" keys at the same time.

Caller: Done.

Call Center Agent: Now type the letter "P" to bring up the "program manager."

Caller: I don't have a "P."

Call Center Agent: You don't have a "P" on your keyboard?

Caller: What ?!!!

Call Center Agent: "P" on your keyboard.

Caller: Hey, I'm not going to do that!!!

If you have encountered any humorous calls , share it with us! Just post it on the comments section or email them to me. Share the light side of life in a Call Center.

Call Center funny call no.3

CALL CENTER DICTIONARY

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:44:00 +0000

Abandoned Call. The caller hangs up before a call center agent was able to answer the call.

Adherence To Schedule. Usually part of a call center's metric that refers to how well an agent adheres to their schedule which includes how much time they are available to take in calls, handle calls, and waiting for calls.

After-Call Work (ACW). Additional work necessary after each call which may include data entry to complete the transaction. A call center agent on ACW is unavailable to take inbound call at this time.

Agent. The person who handles incoming or outgoing calls. Also referred to as customer service representative (CSR), telephone sales or service representative , technical support representative (TSR), rep, operator, technician, account executive, team member, customer service professional, staff member, attendant and specialist.

Agent Group. A number of agents grouped together by common skills.

Agent Out Call. An outgoing call placed by an agent.

Agent Status. The mode an agent is in (Talk Time, After-Call Work, Unavailable, on training, on break, etc.).

All Trunks Busy (ATB). A term that specifies how busy a trunk group is.

Analog. Telephone transmission is one way. Or telephone switching that is not digital. Signals are analogous to the original signal.

Answered Call. Refers to the number of calls that successfully reached a call center agent.

Application Based Routing and Reporting. The process of routing and tracking the type of calls (service, sales, billing, etc).

Audiotex. Also known as Voice Processing. An automated voice system informing callers about a pre-recorded announcements.

Auto Available. An ACD feature whereby the ACD is programmed to automatically put agents into Available after they finish Talk Time and a call is disconnected. If a call center agent need to go into After-Call Work, they have to press a button or key to make themselves unavailable to take calls at a particular moment.

Auto Greeting. Call center agent's pre-recorded greeting that plays automatically when a call comes in.

Auto Wrap-up. An ACD feature whereby the ACD is programmed to automatically put call center agents into After-Call Work after they finish Talk Time and disconnect calls, making them unavailable to take in calls. When the agent have completed any After-Call Work required, they press a key to put themselves back into Available.

Automated Attendant. An automated system that prompts caller to respond to choices offered (e.g., press 1 for billing, press 2 for product inquiry, etc.). The system then coordinates with the ACD to send callers to specific destinations. This function can reside in an on-site system or in the network.

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD). The specialized telephone system used by incoming call centers. It is a device that may be programmed to automatically answers calls, queues calls, distributes calls to different agents, plays delay announcements to callers and provides real-time and historical reports on these activities.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI). A North American term which is also called Calling Line Identification. A telephone network feature that passes the number of the phone the caller is using to the call center, real-time.

Auxiliary Work State. An agent work state that is typically not associated with handling telephone calls (on training, on breaks, meeting, coaching sessions, calibration sessions). When a call center agent is in an auxiliary mode, he will not receive inbound calls.

Available State. Call center agents who are signed on to the ACD and waiting for calls to arrive.

Available Time. Refers to the amount of time that an agent or agent group waited for calls to arrive, for a given period of time.

Average Handle Time (AHT). The sum of Average Talk Time (time consumed on call) plus the Average After-Call Work for a period of time.

Average Holding Time on Trunks (AHT). The average time inbound transactions occupy the trunks. It is calculated by the Talk Time + Delay Time divided by Calls Received by a call center agent.

Average Number of Agents. The average number of agents logged in for a specific period of time.

Average Speed of Answer (ASA). Also called Average Delay. The average amount of delayed calls. It is the total Delay for all calls divided by the number of calls that had to wait in queue.

Average Time to Abandonment. Calculated by the average time that callers wait in queue before abandoning the attempt to call.

LIVING THE LIFE IN A CALL CENTER: FUNNY CALL No. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:39:00 +0000

Life in the call center can really be stressful sometimes, but if callers are giving you a lot of stress, they are also the ones who will actually give you your own dose of medicine. One of the reasons I enjoy my time in the call center is because you will never know what you are going to get on your next call. So let me share with you these funny calls that are actually happening in a call center. Take your time and just enjoy it!

Does it Matter?

Call Center Agent: Thank you far calling ____, How may I help you today?

Caller: Well, you can help me by installing your software. My computer is old and when I type INSTALL, It's giving me an error saying "Bad command or File Name."

Call Center Agent: Aw let me help you with that. Check your directory of the A: drive. Go to A:\ and type "dir." Then look for a file with install.exe

Caller: There's Install.exe.

Call Center Agent: So there's your correct file. Type INSTALL again.

Caller: OK (typing).It still says Bad command or file name.

Call Center Agent: (puzzled)The correct file is there. Are you sure you're typing I-N-S-T-A-L-L and did you hit the "enter" key?

Caller: Hundred percent. Let me try it again. Nah! It still says the same thing-Bad command or File Name.

Call Center Agent: (getting really frustrated) Are you sure you are typing I-N-S-T-A-L-L and hit the "enter" key on your keyboard?

Caller: Well, yeah. You see my "N" key is stuck, and I'm using "M" key. Does it matter?

If you have any funny experience with a caller, just write it on the comments section or send it thru my email , and I will be glad to post it for you. And if you have any blog, you may include the URL, for our colleagues to get to know you. You may also join my community. It's an honor for me.

So, there's your first funny call while living the life in a call center. Watch out for more, and if you want to receive a daily subscription, just type in your email there on the right side of your screen. It's free.

Funny calls from a Call Center 1

TELEPERFORMANCE

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0000

Teleperformance is the global expert in call center management, creating more value through a better customer experience. Their core business spans the full spectrum of CRM/BPO contact center solutions. It was first established in 1978

Teleperformance is the most experienced and truly largest global call center outsourcer in the world. According to the culture of the Group, they consider that it is critical to be a present in each country in order to understand the local market and perform to exceed expectations.

Teleperformance has physical contact centers in 45 countries worldwide serving more than 75 markets in over 66 languages for many of the world’s largest companies.

Teleperformance is also noted for their flexibility and adaptability to specific client needs.

Industry Expertise

Automotive

Business services

Charities

Consumer products

Electronic consumer products

Financial services

ISP

Insurance

Mail order

Manufacturing

Membership services

Healthcare and pharmaceutical

Media and Publishing

Retail and Distribution

Telecommunications

Technology

Travel and Transportation

ecommerce

Intermediate Agency

Political and Public Sector

Office Equipment

Programs For Employees

Integration with recruitment and initial training
Motivation with ongoing monitoring
Coaching and performance management
Capitalization with ongoing training and individual career development.

Teleperformance' philosophy is to retain quality agents. The job as an agent is not necessarily a temporary activity, but quite on the contrary. Most of their managers have acquired hands-on experience in the field. This shows that good agents can evolve and receive higher responsibilities within the company throughout their career. Moreover good people are compensated by awards and promotions based on strict measurements mixing quantitative and qualitative criteria.

Teleperformance Career Development

HR/Recruiting
Operations Management
Training
Client Services
Quality Assurance
Accounting/Finance
Technology
Business Development/Marketing

Teleperformance Jobs

"We are always looking for well-motivated candidates with relevant experience in the contact center industry to help us in our continued expansion."

"If you are interested in joining our Teleperformance team, please apply now to one of our locations."

Teleperformance Corporate Headquarters

Europe & Middle East Headquarters

Michel Peschard

6/8 Rue Firmin Gillot 75737

Paris Cedex 15 France

Tel: (33) 1.55.76.40.80

Fax: (33) 1.55.76.86.86

info@teleperformance.com

Americas & Asia Pacific Headquarters

Daniel Julien

1601 Washington Av. Suite 400

Miami Beach, Fl 33139

Tel: (1) 786.437.3300

Fax: (1) 786.276. 8452

info@teleperformance.com

(for Employment Verification in the U.S. please call 1-801-366-8508)

Teleperformance Philippines

Miguel O. Cojuangco

David Rizzo

14th Floor Octagon Center

Building, San Miguel avenue

Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City

Metro Manila

PHILIPPINES

Tel: (63) 2.632.90.00

Fax: (63) 2.632.99.99

CALL CENTER JOB SEEKERS: ENHANCE YOUR COMPUTER SKILLS TO WIN THAT JOB

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:25:00 +0000

For call center job seekers, almost 40 percent of your evaluation will be based on how good you are with your computer skills. You don't have to be a computer savvy, but you should at least know the basics. To enhance your computer skills, just click on the links below to access online tutorials for Micosoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and many others.

Technical Skills:

http://www.proprofs.com/certification/comptia/a-plus/study-guide/index.shtml

Activity 1: http://www.uwstout.edu/training/MSTutorials/word.htm

Activity 2: http://www.baycongroup.com/tutorials.htm

Activity 3: http://www.officetutorials.com/

Activity 4: http://www.jegsworks.com/lessons

For call center job seekers applying for Technical Support for ISP, Dell, IBM, or Hewlett Packard,

visit http://blog.support1000.com/.

You may also visit http://www.virtualdesktop.org to practice navigating Windows Programs and most versions of Macintosh. The website also includes different applications such as Outlook Express (different versions), Apple Mail, and Netscape.

These are free websites that will be valuable to you if you really want to be part of the call center world. So train yourself, get ahead, be a Technical Support Representative if you wish (Technical Support Representatives receive higher compensation than most Customer Service Representatives). Start becoming a call center job seeker and be a proud agent.

CALL CENTER AGENTS/ASPIRANTS: Enhancing Communication Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:13:00 +0000

One of the most common phrase you will hear in a call center is "I believe I can speak English well, but why can't my caller understand me?" This is most common on new call center agents. There is a difference for Filipinos' English conversation and that of the Americans. Much of which lies on the intonation pattern and pronunciation. If an agent will always encounter this kind of scenario, it is crucial for him to enhance his communication skills to be useful for his job. For a call center job seeker, enhancing his English Communication skill will give him an edge over other applicants because most of the evaluation will be based on how well a call center job seeker can converse with proper English.

Whether you're speaking with a customer over the phone, via email or face-to-face, proper grammar and effective listening/reading skills can make the difference between satisfying a need or escalating a problem. In fact, the same is true when communicating with anyone in a professional environment, whether you're applying for a job, pitching a new idea or presenting to a room full of executives. So while basic, these skills are critical to achieving every one your professional goals, both today and in the future. Best of all, it's all right here at your fingertips. Just click on the following links to practice your pronunciation, enhance your listening and improve your grammar.

CALL CENTER AGENTS AND CALL CENTER JOB APPLICANT'S STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Practice Proper Pronunciation

Activity One: Go to http://eslus.com/LESSONS/READING/READ.HTM and select items to read. Record your reading (Microsoft Sound Recorder is installed on most computers).

Activity Two: Review words that are commonly mispronounced at http://www.m-w.com. Listen to words correctly pronounced and repeat them.

Activity Three: Go to http://Evaeaston.com/pr/home.html and click on "Consonant Sounds" or Vowel Sounds." Select each of the sounds listed. Practice the sounds using the words provided.

Enhance Listening Skills

Activity One: Go to http://www.esl-lab.com/ and complete the listening exercises.

Activity Two: Visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ and watch and listen to English-speaking newscasters.

Review Grammar

Activity One: Review English rules at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/ or visit http://www.englishclub.com.

Activity Two: Test your grammar knowledge at http://a4esl.org.

CALL CENTER SOFTWARE: AMCAT NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:14:00 +0000

Amcat's Contact Center Suite is a comprehensive blended inbound outbound contact management system (call center software).

This unified system includes the key call center software technologies that contact centers need most including: Predictive dialing and other dialer modes, Inbound contact management and ACD, Asterisk-based PBX, Email ACD, Self Service IVR software, CTI for intelligent screen pops, Digital Recording, Workforce Management and Reporting, Multi-channel contact including email, Web and Fax, and VoIP Support.

The Amcat educational philosophy focuses on the human element to that enables both technical and non-technical personnel to get the most out of their contact center technology and staff.

Amcat provides comprehensive on-site instruction for the call center's team and works in concert with the Amcat implementation staff so the agents and managers will feel confident in using the Amcat solution call center software from the outset.

Amcat’s customer development centers help existing and future call centers get the most out of their contact center technology. By offering a series of specially designed courses provided at dedicated educational centers, companies can get the instruction they need in a class room setting.

The Noble-Amcat team is highly trained to diagnose and solve the call center's technical issues as well as to help the client optimize the performance of the system. With contact by either phone or email, Amcat offers multiple levels of support so that contact centers can choose the level that meets the call center's software requirements.

Noble-Amcat Corporate

300 Johnny Bench Drive

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Tel: +1 405 216 8080

Toll Free US: 800 364 5518

Fax: +1 405 216 8063

smart@amcat.com

European Development Centre

Noble-Amcat Ltd

11 Commerce Way

Westinghouse Road

Manchester, UK

M17 1HW

Tel: +44 (0) 161 772 7100

Toll Free UK: +44 (0) 800 169 2028

Fax: +44 (0) 161 876 4323

www.amcat.co.uk

smart@amcat.co.uk

Noble-Amcat Germany

Amcat GmbH

Managing Director: Dan Mollard

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 27-29

50672 Köln

Tel: +49 (0) 221 5694 176

Fax: +49 (0) 221 5694 353

www.amcat.de

dmollard@amcat.de

AMMEX PHILIPPINES

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:04:00 +0000

AMMEX Philippines (AMMEX Call Center Philippines) is one of America's Fastest growing private companies. It is the leading supplier of disposable medical and industrial products with over 15000 clients in North America.

Headquartered in Tukwila, Washington, Ammex Philippines (AMMEX Call Center Philippines) provides a wide range of services, from sourcing products in China, to our innovative marketing program.

AMMEX provides both emerging and established companies the ability to outsource production, item assembly, importation and distribution nationwide. AMMEX Philippines (AMMEX Call Center Philippines) takes care of all the challenges associated with overseas transactions so their clients can focus on growing their business.

Ammex Philippines Business Addresses:

AMMEX Philippines I-Support

Pearlbank Centre Building Units 701-703

146 Valero Street, Salcedo Village

Makati City Philippines

QUALFON QUALITY CONTACT SERVICES

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:01:00 +0000

Qualfon was founded in 1996 initially providing IVR, billing, SMS, BPO and call centers. It has recently expanded to the Philippines, US and Europe.

Qualfon is a business process and contact center outsourcing provider with call centers across the globe.

Their clients include:

Telecommunications Industry
Manufacturing
Media
Banking and Financial Services

They are continuously hiring for:

Call Center Agents
IT Support
Quality Analyst
Supervisor

Qualfon in the Philippines is located in

Cebu City

6th Floor, Skyrise Building, Asiatown IT Park

Cebu, Philippines 6000

TELETECH

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:20:00 +0000

If you want to be a part of a huge call center, Teletech is your company, they have reached their previous goal of maintaining 15,000 employees for Philippine operations alone, and now targeting 25,000. So If you want a fast-moving career in the call center, move on to Teletech.

TeleTech is a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) company that provides a full range of front- to back-office outsourced solutions.

With operations in over 18 countries and on nearly every continent, we manage over 3.5 million interactions in over 29 languages.

Teletech perform all of the business critical support processes efficiently and effectively, which includes:

Complex customer management,
Direct sales and marketing,
Training development and delivery,
Recruiting, staffing, and workforce management,
Loan processing,
Benefits and claims administration,
Vendor management,
Payroll administration, and
eCommerce.

Teletech provides outsourced solutions to the following industries:

Healthcare
Retail
Financial Services
Communications and Media
Government
Travel and Hospitality
Automotive

TeleTech Rewards Employee Benefits

Training,
One-on-one coaching, and
Exciting career opportunities.

Their employees are eligible for some or all of the following benefits, depending on location and status:

Medical insurance
Medical care reimbursement account
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
Life insurance (basic and supplemental)
Accident insurance
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (basic and supplemental)
Disability (short-term and/or long-term)
Paid time off
Holiday pay
Training
Tuition Reimbursement

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS:

9197 South Peoria Street

Englewood, Colorado 80112-5833

U.S.A.

Philippines

Phone: +1.800.TELETECH or

+1.303.397.8100 (outside the US)

Fax: +1.303.397.819

1st Level, Bonifacio Technology Center

31st Street, corner 2nd Avenue

Fort Bonifacio Global City 1634

Taguig, Metro Manila

Bldg. F, SM Corporate Offices

1000 Bay Blvd., SM Business Park

Pasay City 1300

Metro Manila

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Levels 1 & 2, Robinsons Place-Novaliches

Quirino Highway corner Maligaya Road

Novaliches, Quezon City 1123

Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Levels 2 & 3, Robinsons Place-Cainta

Ortigas Ave. Extension corner Felix Ave.

Cainta, Rizal 1900

Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

G/F Building 4, SM City Pampanga,

Lagundi, Mexico, Pampanga

Mondays - Saturdays 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Temporary Recruiting Office opens on January 14, 2008

TeleTech Site

Dumaguete Business Park

South Road

Calindagan

Dumaguete City, 6200

(beside St. Louis School-Don Bosco, across Robinsons Construction Site)

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Level 2, Robinsons Metro

Araneta Avenue, Singcang

Bacolod City 6100

Negros Occidental

Monday - Friday 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM

Levels 2 & 3, Robinsons Place-Lipa

J.P. Laurel Highway

Lipa City 4217

Batangas

Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Levels 1 & 2, Oakridge IT Center

880 A.S. Fortuna Street

Banilad, Mandaue City

Cebu

Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

SM City Iloilo

Benigno Aquino, Jr. Avenue

Mandurriao, Iloilo City

5000 Iloilo, Philippines

Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

SM City Bacoor

Gen. Aguinaldo cor. Tirona Highway

Barangay Habay, Bacoor

4102 Cavite, Philippines

Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Saturday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

From Awful Events:Teletech Call Center Robbery: The dumb thing that gets more dumb

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:14:00 +0000

I'm sure all of you call center agents have already heard about it. The Teletech Call Center robbery was a shame to all robbers, if you ask me. Do they need to arm themselves with high-powered guns and two getaway vehicles to take home a few secondhand cellphones and a few cash that won't even amount to more than 4k US dollars?

Call centers receive their funds from foreign countries for allocations to the different departments, most of which goes to the employee's salary thru their bank accounts.

More of awful events in a call center, click here.

LANGUAGE OR ACCENT AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

noreply@blogger.com (Sybill) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:22:00 +0000

In a call center environment, a Language Specialist's primary duties are to supervise or perform work in rendering from a foreign language into English the spoken words where the objective is accurate translations, accent reduction or modification.

A Language or Accent and Communications Specialist administer a systematic approach used to learn or adopt a new accent base on the client's customer's location. The methodology involves several steps, which include identifying deviations in the person's current speech from the desired accent such as pronunciation, speech patterns, changing the way one uses their mouth, teeth and tongue to form vowel and consonant sounds.
They also modify intonation and stress patterns so that call center agents master the second language and alter their speech to more closely resemble the accent of a certain group of people, thus enhancing clarity of their communication.
Part of a Language or Accent and Communications Specialist's responsibility is to evaluate call center agents in order to determine their current speech and language development.
Their job would also include monitoring remotely or thru recordings the call center agent's conversations with callers.