Confessions of a Call Center Agent

by: Silver

In an industry where hopping from one company to another is a subculture that's natural, working in one company is something that is admired, adored, amused and all the good words that goes along with it. I used to ask my mentors for reasons as to why they stay longer. Whatever the reasons were, it did not make an impact that time. It did not make sense. I mean, who wants to stay longer in a company for a long time. I just could not imagine it. Perhaps it was the millennial character in me that was kicking in. It diluted my appreciation of tenure and being anchored into a single place. Loyalty was not a word rubbing into me.

Here's my career summary. I started working right after graduation and that was 2007. So it has been 7 seven years since then. Seven years and I have been with seven companies. My shortest stay was three months and the longest is with the current company that I work for. I have been Claims Handler, Customer Service Rep, Hybrid Tech Support, Travel Specialist, Trainer, Team Lead, Universal Agent and a teacher.

So what made me stay?

The environment! Working in big call centers meant that you are a dot. Being able to mingle with the owners or the top executives of the companies is impossible. The distance between you and them is bigger than the pacific ocean. In eBusiness, you normally see the CEO going around and talking to employees. It's an everyday sight to see him asking the agents about their challenges. Sometimes if you did good you will find a note on your station from him with praises like: "Nice work king of sales!" eBusiness and the leadership team can mix the pressure and leisure of working.

The company! I know that I mentioned beforehand that the company looked small. With 70 FTE mostly doing telemarketing, it was small back then. That experience was humbling considering that I have not worked as a telemarketer. I was a good seller but for people who called in to inquire not me calling them and asking if they would want to buy something that they don't need. So I asked for them to let me start as an agent. I needed to get my bearings straight. Interacting with the agents that I will lead was worth it. Knowing their pain was something that numbers can't describe. But what really helped me was knowing that I did not belong to a team. I was part of a family who cared for each other. Everybody knows everybody. It was in here that I felt human. I was not a seat filler with an 034276 employee number. I felt my individuality amidst the conglomeration of everyone. The pain of adjustment that I normally feel when I start with something new was never felt. Having no relatives here in Cebu that time the company became my family.

Being young! Working for a young company meant that I have an environment with newbies from provinces around the Cebu or Mindanao. Other centers might consider this as dreadful. But I actually felt good and as part of the leadership it was better to work with them. Their concepts and ideas of the industry has not been tainted with the practices of veterans. Training and leading them is a challenge but they will always follow. It makes working easy because you know that they trust your every move or decision. Being with young minds also means being in the presence of people whose concept of the world is different. Their idealism and dreams makes leaders like me remember my college days. It challenges me to seek for better ways. Like them I am millennial but it is really helpful to lead characters like this. They learn from you and I learn from them.



My feet brought me one morning to a company located on the 15th floor of a building near Ayala. Their ad was on a corner of the Sunday paper that I borrowed from my friend. I was desperately looking for a job that time. I have to admit. When I saw the production area I was not thinking of staying for six months. I thought of making it as a stepping stone. The company was obviously small. My experience was shouting out so loud that I don't belong. But I wanted a job. Three years later, I'm the Operations Manager of eBusiness BPO. Looking back at my chaotic past I could not wish to change it. My failures were a potter's hands that made me the person that I am today.

NOT A HEAVENLY JOB: CALL CENTER AGENT

picture source: http://lifetimehealthtips.blogspot.com/2010/06/lifetime-health-problems-of-call-center.html

CALL CENTER JOB? You think it's the best? 

The revenue of the BPO industry in the Philippines is big. Most renowned is it's call center wing wherein it employs a lot of people. As a country who uses English naturally there is a lot of talent out there. Talents, that are eager to join. 

Philippines is a poor country. A third world country to be more descriptive. Inflation is jumping like a wild horse. The unemployment rate is horrible. A county whose record in the papers of economy is growing but in reality a suffering one. There is a perfect mix that is evident. Us being able to speak English and flexible if not exposed to the Western side of trend is concoction with a superb effect. Not only that, let us not forget that because of the current salary that regular people "enjoy" the average young "Juan" has two choices when he or she graduates. Number one, sell everything that your parents has. This is to pay for a placement fee to hopefully work abroad. I am emphasizing "HOPEFULLY". Number two, to those who has the "talent of the tongue". To those who can speak English, there is a clear path ahead - become a call center agent. Being a son of an OFW I selected the second path. I don't want to produce another one of me who spent my days (up to current) seeking for a father. 

Let me get this straight! This write up is not to discourage anyone who wants to join the industry. I write to let those who aspire think - clearly!

Here are my reasons:

1. SALARY:  Let me explain it in the best way that I can. If you work for a multi-million dollar call center you will get a lot. But if you work for a Small to Medium Enterprise it's a different case. A big company is like an expensive couch. It has a lot of cushion in it. For the other one though, it has enough to survive and make you comfortable. Here's the irony that you need to accept. Aiming for the big boys would be like passing through the eye of the needle. They have tough filters. So if you're new and is not too confident you might as well think of other options. Both of these companies though measures your salary depending on your skill on how well you glide your vowels during the interview. 

2. LANGUAGE SKILL: Not all call center academy gives you a key to the production floor. There is a possibility that some of these institutions are just driven by money, deals that they cut with some call centers with voiced accounts mostly. It's all about sending recruits that were "trained". It's all about the volume of people that they pass-along the pipeline. Motivations that lowers the quality of the people seeking their enlightenment that would help them get the piece of the action. So before you pay for training, think! Free training, is another lucrative way of positively scripting the real intention of the business. It's not free because in reality a partner center pays them and you must go there to apply. If you don't make it there, there are two possibilities. One, you're not ready because. Number two the training module is outdated and ineffective. Which is true to some extent. And there's another one which is, this path is not meant for you. My point? Nothing beats practice, practice and watching a lot of Hollywood movies. I swear it works. Oh, some call centers offer free training wherein you'll get a job once you passed. I think that's better. 

3. EXPERIENCE: Hopping from one call center to another is not the right way of gaining experience. Each company that you go to is not a scout badge that you can show around. The more centers that you've been to and have not stayed for at least a year is an anchor that would bring your dreams or career down. It's a way of making it worse for you. Trust me, I've been there and done that. It's a given, you will make that mistake to choose the wrong center. Now unless they are beating their employees suck it up and do your job. Again, trust me I know what I'm talking about. Learn as much as you can in as much as you can from where you are right now. Experience has a different view these days. It is. Number one, how much you learned. Number two, the training that you absorbed. Number three, how well you execute what you learned. Number four, how loyal you are. Number five, how you dealt with the adversities that you encountered. So quitting is not really gonna cut it for you! Let me say this again: "believe me, I know!" 

4. LEAVING: When to leave? I cannot tell you the exact time. Here's how I would prepare myself. One, think of it a lot times. If it is an incident that caused you to make the decision. Just breath out and breath in! Think - a lot of times. If you think you are not happy. Do something that would make you, during your rest days. Give it until the end of the year (so that you can get your thirteen month pay and possibly tax refund). OK? Make sure you smile a lot. And if you are manager or a team lead right now... I will make another article for you!

5. NBI Clearance: If you are not ready to spend long hours in a line that moves slower than a turtle don't change jobs! However, they said it's faster these days considering the online option. But honestly, I still haven't tried it. 

This job is for people who can suck it up when a Customer is shouting at you. Individuals who can still smile even if 90% of your sales calls is NOT INTERESTED. When you can still be motivated at every time you see your name at the bottom of 900+ agents. This job is not heavenly it's a lifestyle for a special breed!

That's it for now folks!

FUNNY VIDEO!

PLEASE WATCH THIS AND HIT LIKE IN YOUTUBE!

CALL CENTER NEWS: Ebusiness BPO Inc. becomes PCI COMPLIANT!

by: Silver Cepeda

Name a Call Center that has 400 to 600 seats and is PCI Compliant! Let me make  it a lit bit harder for you, it must be here in Cebu, Philppines. I think the second filter really made it really hard for anyone to give out an answer. Well, if you ask me about PCI Compliant companies in Cebu I would probably name the big players i.e Convergys, Stream, Teletech and Aegis. They are big but is more than 600 seats. Among the titans that were mentioned I think it's only Qualfon who has the least seats. This was the concept before today!

Scott Johnson, President and CEO of EBusiness BPO Inc entered the BPO Insdustry four years ago. He started with 7 agents. Now, he has almost 400 hundred agents. He dreamed of making a contact center that would be the WalMart for clients. A center that offers quality with an affordable per hour rate - just like WalMart. Knowing the man, I just knew that it would happen. His efforts paid off today - July 25th 2013!Ebusiness BPO Inc got its PCI Certification. It now ranks with the Big Boys in the industry managing to hold on to the identity of being the WalMart of the contact center. Dream come to true for Scott? I don't think so. It is his first step!


Let me give a short decription and history from wikepedia about PCI.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a proprietary information security standard for organizations that handle cardholder information for the major debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM, and POS cards.

Defined by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, the standard was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud via its exposure. Validation of compliance is done annually — by an external Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) that creates a Report on Compliance (ROC)[1] for organizations handling large volumes of transactions, or by Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for companies handling smaller volume.

PCI DSS originally began as five different programs: Visa Card Information Security Program, MasterCard Site Data Protection, American Express Data Security Operating Policy, Discover Information and Compliance, and the JCB Data Security Program. Each company’s intentions were roughly similar: to create an additional level of protection for card issuers by ensuring that merchants meet minimum levels of security when they store, process and transmit cardholder data. The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) was formed, and on 15 December 2004, these companies aligned their individual policies and released the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

In September 2006, the PCI standard was updated to version 1.1 to provide clarification and minor revisions to version 1.0.
Version 1.2 was released on October 1, 2008.[6] Version 1.1 "sunsetted" on December 31, 2008.[7] v1.2 did not change requirements, only enhanced clarity, improved flexibility, and addressed evolving risks/threats. In August 2009 the PCI SSC announced[8] the move from version 1.2 to version 1.2.1 for the purpose of making minor corrections designed to create more clarity and consistency among the standards and supporting documents.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pci_Compliance

Ebusiness BPO Inc just changed the game in Cebu! The center will become the convergence of solution, quality and high end technology in an affordable package. With the PCI Compliance Certification in its belt Ebusiness can cater to big time players who needs to maintain its distinct high standard quality. It can also help small to medium size enterprises that needs call center solution. It will remain to its vision in being the WalMart of the contact center industry.

So the next time you're in need of a contact center think Ebusiness. High standards with affordable Global Business Solution!

Congratulations Ebusiness...

PNoy's 4th SONA: Ruled by INSENSITIVITY

 by: Silver Cepeda

 

 https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/998525_521423154578169_142664815_n.jpg

FACTS:


"MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) will continue its upward momentum, with annual revenues seen hitting $16 billion this year as the country remains one of the world's top BPO destinations.
source:" (www.philstar.com)

"The BPO sector has been able to exploit the high-skilled segment of the Philippine population, with its strong English-language capability, and service-friendly personality. It accounts for 15% of the country's exports of goods and services, and the Philippines is now the third largest BPO destination after India and Canada."
source: www.asiancenturyinstitute.com

"Though BPO and IT-related activities accounted for a growing slice of GDP last year and provided employment for 525,000 people in the Philippines, the UNCTAD report noted that more needed to be done to maximise developmental benefits from NEMs so as to protect against what it called their 'footloose' nature."
source: www.bpap.org

 SAD FACTS:

Philippine politics was my game in College. How I wish I still have the flare of that 18 year old youth. Honestly, I know it was the 4th State of the Nation Address of the President today July 22, 2013. Perhaps I got tired of hoping. For the heck of it I turned on the Television. I was waiting for the words "Call Center". Before I cared so much about the country with the feeling that I can save it. However these days, I am satisfied to care about the sector that I work. I wanted to know if there will be changes or at least additional benefits for us. Thus, I waited!

With the facts mentioned above I could not help but wonder if the President knew about it. I mean, he has been thanking people for their achievements. He has been mentioning people from his cabinet. He forgot to express his thanks to the 525,000 people working in the BPO industry. How can he miss that? You might ask, "what does he want? why is it a  big deal?"  $16 billion dollars that's a big deal. That's an amount that cannot be brushed off. Yes, it's not that big compared to the revenue generated by the OFW sector. Don't get me wrong, my father is an OFW. I just felt that the efforts of all my colleagues in the industry is nothing when he said nothing. Well, I guess being in the second spot means you'll be ignored.

Working in a BPO is not easy. It's not something that you want and can just jump in. No! To be part of this industry takes skills. I work in a call center and I know how well we pick our agents. Once you are accepted and would come to work your problem does not end there. Each center has it's own metrics, hit or get fired! In  addition, you normally come at night. Since the call center boom in Philippines the transportation industry adjusted well. So we have 24hr jeepney routes in major cities. But with it comes the 24hr risk of being robbed. Criminals became flexible and would normally target us because they know about our high end phones, gadgets and thick pockets. Now if you manage to avoid this, it's not yet over. The rise of the industry gave way to fly by night centers. These are the worst. They have agents who work and then the next day they shut down or would change name. Overnight their agents are unemployed. We are also not exempted to the fact that some companies would not even remit our mandated government contributions like Phil health, Pagibig and SSS. It's a painful discovery because when you need it and it's there that you can't use it because the company that you worked for is has been deducting you but not remitting. That's not all... There is that health hazard that makes the job harder.

I hope I was able to establish the fact that this is not an easy fix to be here. We push hard so that our families would have that "above poverty"  kind of meals per day. In doing so, we help the economy. In doing so, we help the retail, taxi, house/boarding house industry. Don't you think we deserve the President's thanks? Not mentioning us seemed that he forgot us. It's not just the thanking that I'm disappointed. PNoy mentioned priority bills that would help the army and the rest of the populace. But he forgot to mention the "Magna Carta for Call Center Worker Bill". So I don't know what more to think.

sources:

http://www.bpap.org/media-room/214-the-phil-better-business-process-outsourcing

http://www.asiancenturyinstitute.com/development/203-philippines-opportunity-point

http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/04/02/926266/phl-bpo-industry-revenues-hit-16-b-2013

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/439769/santiago-refiles-magna-carta-for-call-center-workers-bill

Since 2007...

by: Silver

When I graduated from College being a call center agent was never the path that I imagined. I was still in the seminary when me and a classmate was able to get our hands on a classified ad from a Sunday newspaper. We saw the jobs that were available for us. Unfortunately for us no one was looking for a Philosophy graduate. I got scared considering that our graduation was a couple of months away from that time. It seemed that the only option after the College Seminary was Theology and later become a priest. It seemed but somehow I was able to manage to go out of this path.

I was able to land a job. My first was with a British owned company dealing with insurance liabilities of ship owners to its Filipino seafarers. The job was exciting. However, considering the salary and the average age of the veteran employees I got discouraged. I could not imagine myself stuck at the four walls of Pandiman and listen to seamen from all over the Philippines deal with their illnesses, injuries and sometimes death. It seemed all too boring for me with a low pay. I was ready to steam out of that company on my sixth month. I did and I am glad.


I dreamed big. I entered the call center industry. I was a customer service representative for Amazon.com. It was December. So the whole production floor was hyped up with an enormous volume of call that. Our fourteen days of training was cut to seven. We we're suppose to discuss how to resolve fradulent account on the eight day. And guess what, my first call was a customer who's account was tagged as fraud. So imagine me freaking out because I can't open the customer's account. Basically, I didn't know what to do or worst how to resolve her concern. But there's always that Sup call. I learned to love. Transfer the call and then everything is fine (for me at least).

2007 to 2013, the journey was long but looking at it I would gasp for air. In this span of time I lost two women. One, my mother the other my grandmother's sister who has always been very generous to me. I've been to six jobs. I met a lot of people and learned lessons in a very hard manner and sometimes painful.


I am now an Operations Manager of a call center. Finally, I was able to stay in a job. It was a step up that I dreamed of. I love leading a group of people, it's  challenging. A challenge that I did not back out. I'm here now. I will always be thankful to the owners of this company who trusted me and took care of me. This center has become my home (don't ask me why). On this six year period I lost two women and found one. Though she's far I can feel her presence with me. All the more reason for me to be thankful.


So what's the deal? Why am I writing? It has been six years of suffering and few mishaps. This year it's different. I definitely know that there will be problems but it's good to know that you have a fan out there who will always say "you can do it" and "I'm proud of you!"

What a year!

eBusiness BPO Inc.: 1st BPO Contact Center in the Philippines to use Virtual 360 TOUR

by: Silver Cepeda

eBusiness BPO Inc., the first among all the call centers in the Philippines to launch and utilize the Virtual 360 tour. What is a Virtual Tour? By my simple definition: "it is a program/tool that enables people to be in the office and to actually see the facility". This has been used by posh names in the hotel industry to showcase their rooms and accommodations. It gives the viewer a taste of what the company or the facility can offer. In the case of eBusiness it gives potential clients a chance to see its top of the line call center setup empowered by its high end infrastructure. In the call center business it has always been a good idea to bring prospect clients to the site. It materializes marketing or simply proves what is real and what is not. eBusiness BPO showcases its facility with this virtual tour with every corner revealed to a viewer. It's giving you a first hand experience or a taste of the technology and set up that no other center has.  It's being there without being there. Thus, allowing clients to be actually in the office without spending thousands of dollars for airline tickets. A concept that the Director of Operations Almira Absin pushed in the company. She has been known as the woman with cost saving solutions impacting and elevating the company's name and performance. This is one way to prove how this company is serious about its commitment to answer and live up to its ever demanding client. eBusiness is the first. 

here is the link:

VIRTUAL TOUR

Halloween 2012: A night of FUN with eBusiness BPO Inc

by: Silver Cepeda

Nov 02, 2012  at 10:00 PM (Cebu Time) I entered the office. The atmosphere was different. Agents are vigilant to the people entering the doors of the company. They were checking out the costumes of their colleagues. The comfort rooms are filled with them preparing for the event. For a moment there, I thought I was in the dressing room of a Las Vegas show that was about to run. Well, it was I think in par! The traditional Halloween run for eBusiness BPO came to life at 10:30 PM as agents on their dress up mode entered the company's doors with funny, cool, hip and scary costumes.  The company's aisle became a catwalk for its agents to walk and present their creativity. Yes, it has been the tradition of the company to have this celebration imitating the culture of our American costumers. However, at exactly eleven as laughter boils up to its momentum, we have to stop for awhile. It was time to work and dial in to answer our costumers. 

Nov 03, 2012 at 8:00 AM (Cebu Time), Agents logged out of their phones and revved up for the main event - the costume contest. The company also opened its doors to the children, nephews, nieces, etc. of the agents. It was show time. Kids on costumes. Agents on costumes and even the management with its Team leaders and Managers. This is what you call cooperation. The children went around the Team Leader , Manager and Owner's station asking for treat. I think it was an experience that they can't forget as they fill up their loot bag with candies. I never had such an experience when I was child. So, I think the company's little guests must have enjoyed receiving a dosage of sweets that would last for a week. It was a fun filled event that made one say...

"ITS MORE FUN IN EBUSINESS BPO,INC."

Marlon Llagas

Call Center Agent: Faced with Father and Daughter DILEMMA

source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/08/31/79-quake-hits-eastern-samar-240302

The evening of Friday, August 31st 2012 - the whole Philippines was caught off guard with a shocking news.The Eastern side of the country was literally being  rocked with a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. I was still asleep then I woke up because the house that I lived in here in Cebu was dancing. I thought somebody grabbed hold of it and decided to toss it back and forth.

Yes, I am a call center agent here in Cebu. I am here to work. Just like my colleagues I'm  from a different island of the country. Cebu has always been a place of calm. Hard hitting typhoons never had that chance to hit this city hard - as far as I can remember. People consider themselves lucky unlike the ones living in Manila wherein it's almost automatic that it would flood every time it rains. Maybe this is the reason why Cebuanos are not used to calamities. I can still remember a couple of months ago when people here were in panic because of an earth quake. This relax mode in the city, made me calm and confident that nothing bad would happen here. No typhoons, floods, quake, etc would damage or harm Cebu.

Past eight in the evening, August 31st. It was an event that changed me. I woke up because of the loud noise that I heard outside my room. My housemates were in a panic mode. I realized that the whole house was being rocked. It was obvious that we were experiencing an earth quake. I went out of the door. And when everything seemed to settle, I went back. Instinctively, I checked the Internet for a news. Then I saw an update from my friend in Facebook. She placed in her status that Eastern Samar was hit with a 7.7 earth quake. Some of her friends were already making some comments. And it hit me that me that my daughter is in Borongan Eastern Samar. I started to ask for some updates. I tried to call. I was not getting through. I used both of my phone services but I was not getting anything. Somebody posted that they were not able to do so on their end. The cellphone signal was down in our place. Facebook was still on, so I kept asking for updates. Then, even Facebook went out because the power in our town shut off. I swear I wanted to pound the heads of the owners of Globe, Smart and the manager of ESAMELCO (our power provider). I did not know what to do. At the same time, I remembered that I have agents already on duty. Our office was located on the 15th floor of a building near Ayala Cebu. A team lead updated me that they were sent down. Now, I was confused on who to attend to first, my agents or my daughter. I waited for an update in Facebook. Knowing that our town in Samar is facing the Pacific Ocean, I was restless! The thought of a tsunami after a strong quake bothered me so much. The house where my daughter lives is near the coastline. Switch thought. Everything seemed to be fine in the office. However, no update does not mean that everything is fine. So I went to the shower, put on a shirt and went to the office. 

In the call center. The whole production floor did not look normal. I know it was hard for the agents. Being located in the 15th floor while the ground moves is never a good experience - I think! Well, everyone seemed calm except me. I never heard an update. When I left the house I read that there was a tsunami warning raised for Eastern Samar. So I was in a dilemma on whether to be a Manager and take care of my agents or to be a father and worry about my child. 

The President of the company approached me. He saw that I was not in a tranquil state. And just like a father he patted my back and said "a tsunami, normally comes after an hour or so". I realized that he was right. I was able to focus. Now, I am manager. Now I can be productive. I received a text later that my daughter was fine. Friday was one hell of a production day!

CEBU Call Center Shows HER FILIPINO Origins

http://www.ebusinessbpo.com/About-Us.aspx

EBusiness BPO Inc. is a Filipino Call Center. Last August 17, 2012 - the company showed her desire to look back and live out for one night her Filipino origins. The whole center began her journey three years ago with seven agents. EBusiness BPO Inc. at that time she started out with accounts like Lead Generation, Taxi dispatch, etc . She was small. However, now she becomes a mid-size center that has three hundred plus active seats. A growth that made a mark in the industry of Outsourcing in Asia.

The center's dress up day last August 17, was a night filled with laughter and fun. Agents and the management enjoyed the event as they both live out the Filipino spirit. The men wore the famed barong normally used for weddings as one Team Lead would put it. Some agents put on National costumes seen during the Sinulog Festival. It was a moment that warmed the hearts of the people working their as they all step up to showcase being a Pinoy.

Kudos to eBusiness BPO for a job well done! May she continue to show her pride in her Filipino origin as she grows to be one of the best BPO company in the Philippines.