What it takes to be a call center agent?

photo credit: www.holldon.com

"Many are called, but few are chosen." 

Most Christians are familiar of that verse in the Bible but those working in contact centers or in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies could relate more than the traditional Christians.

In the Philippines, the contact center (call center) is one of the industries that stabilize the economy of the country. In fact, it's next to the overseas employment which bring bucks to the Philippine economy through the remittances of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Money and benefit-wise, working in a call center is the next best thing to being an OFW. However, getting into the industry is not that easy and sustaining the tension after you get hired is much more difficult if you do not possess the right attitude. 

Everyday, hundreds of people undergo job interviews to get into the industry but at the end of the day, only very few of them end up being hired. According my site director on his short speech during our graduation day for the Product Specifics Training (PST), only three to five percent of the applicants get hired and only one to two percent get into the account where I am right now (something that I could really brag about because I am one of the 3 % and nevertheless 1%... hahaha!). Not only that. After more than a month of handling calls on a training atmosphere, roughly only sixty percent of us were endorsed to the production where everyone is being observed for three months before regularization. And yes, everyone is expected to deliver the highest possible satisfaction to our clients and to their customers. 

Now what does it take to become a call center agent? Well, just in case you would like to join the industry and enjoy the benefits that people in the clan are enjoying, here are some of the things that you might expect and get through.

1. Expect for the highest possible kind of intimidation. However, always believe that we'll not get intimidated without our consent. Let's turn intimidation into something that would help build or attitude and character. They'll help in the long run. I realized they're not meant to intimidate anyone but build anyone through constant challenge.

2. Of course, there will be English Only Policy (EOP). It is stressful if you are not used to it but remember that there's no other way to improve our grasp of a second language but by constantly using it. Call center agents were being tagged before as Over Acting Animals (OAA) by their insecure counterparts because of the EOP but according to my Communication and Culture Trainer, language has never been and will never be OA(A) as it is neutral. However, people can be. It's never been bad to speak the language which enables you to earn higher than what others are earning.

3. You'll be in a DOG EAT DOG SOCIETY. The pace of the job is really fast. By the time you sit and take calls expect that work would be uninterrupted within your eight-hour shift. You're so lucky to get ten minutes avail time. However, it keeps your work attitude healthy as you will never have time to gossip with your workmates. 

4. Diversity will be the best policy. People in the industry are so diverse. There are those who are so professional, not so professional and not professional at all and you need to get into each level in order to succeed. On the other hand, everything has never been personal as you are all there for work. After all, there are rest days and off schedules. But if possible, try to get along with your team mates as diversity makes this world go round and so your head!

5. There are rumors and they are all true. You'll be cooked inside a pressure cooker until you get soft. The company will give you their expectations which are really high and your customers whom you are in direct contact with would expect higher from you because to them, you are the company you are talking about. Can you imagine it? They're all there and that's part of the job. You can never get rid of those metrics but you can control them. With the right attitude, beat all of them. In the end, expect a higher pay. Challenge those people and you will surely get what you want -- even the ones you never signed for -- a day in a five star hotel, a trip to a foreign land or to the beauty spots of the locality, a movie or food treat or even both, an appliance or gadget you ever wanted, a party and, of course, cash!

6. You'll learn to do a couple of things at the same time. Multitasking is a specialty for most of the call center agents. One needs to listen (attentively), document (correctly), speak (clearly) and read and understand (accurately). None of those things  should be missed!

7. Patience will always be a virtue. Imagine irate callers coming in and yelling about their dissatisfaction. Sometimes, they will shout at you or even curse you. However, none of them is personal as each and every person calling do not personally know you and if there's any reason for their anger, that should not be you. One of the good things I learned from such is the value of patience. I thought my former students stretched my patience to the farthest end already but my customers lengthened it to eternity. It's a matter of focusing on the problem rather than the person as the problem is the root cause for such negative behavior.

Convergys Services Philippines is one of the leading call centers
in the country serving most of the top companies in the United
States including financial firms, telecommunication companies,
network providers, etc. This picture is one of Convergys' sites
located in i3 Building, Cebu IT Park, Cebu City.
(photo credit:  www.flickrhivemind.net)

Once you get in, you're never assured that you'll be retained as the industry has a very strict compliance to the standards set by their clients. In return, they set high expectation among their employees to make sure that they will deliver what they have promised to their clients or even go beyond. However, every mistake is valuable in the learning process so be positive in taking feedback and  learn from every speck of coaching session from your mentors. It's all about maintaining a humble and grateful heart and a happy spirit!

I know all these things are easier said than done. However, they could all be cultivated with constant practice. Now if you think you have the right attitude and skill and has always been wanting to join the BPO industry, join the country's leading industry.  Cultivate that skill and attitude which would enable you to land a slot in one of the Philippines' highest paying industry. Join us! I'll be more than willing to assist you through our Employee Referral Program (ERP). Just ping me HERE.  

From the sides of the world to the Pinoy Expats/OFWs Blog Awards 2010

It’s been more than a month already since I scribbled a post for this blog. It’s not that I had nothing to write about or I had no time to do it. Shaking off a topic to write is such an understatement as my euphoric wits and spirits normally make sense of anything and everything in between – even the things not worth thinking about. The truth of the matter is, my psyche was too preoccupied with a bundle of things worth writing and again, I failed to put first things first. I did not fail to think but I failed to do.

Recently, I had thoughts of writing about my recent experiences in my new job as I went in contact with our client’s customers. They were really overwhelming that I thought I should not mind writing about it anymore for they would only cause misery in my mind. But before that, I wanted to write about the glorious and gentle victory of Manny Pacquiao in his recent bout with Margarito but I thought it’s been the talk of the town and my additional comments would only be a cliché.

The boycotting of the Philippine government to this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Award in Norway as a gesture of support to the Chinese government also caught my attention. However, I wanted to spare myself from the issue although I would not deny that I was dismayed for such decision of the Aquino administration. Whatever their reason is, the mean would never justify the end and vice versa.

With all the happenings in the world, what was very frustrating was the fact that there were lots of children who became victims of the transgressions of the adults. The recent celebration on the awareness of violence against children which hopefully opened the eyes of every waking man was a great reminder. I hope that we did not just change our profile pictures for the sake of doing it but we would also live with the essence of doing it. With that, all I hope is we could hand this world out to the next generations for them to enjoy and not to suffer. That one day, birth would still be a joy of humanity and not a pain that every newborn would have to endure.

In the brighter side of the world, beyond those happenings, I was so glad that I was invited to judge this year’s entries for the Pinoy Expats/OFWs Blog Awards wherein I had to rate each blog and pick my top ten from the nominees under the Supporters Category. This category is intended for Philippines-based bloggers who have affinity with Overseas Filipino Workers. Some of them have family members working abroad and so you know how heartwarming their stories are. As former Overseas Filipino Worker, I experienced the difficulty of working and living abroad and as I read the blog of these people who have loved ones working in the other country, I realized that there’s always another side of the story. The pain that they have been going through thinking of the sacrifices of their loved ones abroad has never been easy. With our attention directed to those Filipinos working abroad, we failed to see the even sacrifices of their loved ones left here.

It’s never been easy to rank those blogs as I had to toggle my mind from one school of thought to another. Although it placed some pressure in my part, I also had a great time reading and learning from the posts of the nominees. Eight of my top ten picks made it and some of them were adjudged as the best blog in different regions. Indeed, a very good book can be published out of the heartwarming stories I read which never failed to inspire. The winners were announced last night at the Teatrino Promenade in San Juan City, Manila.

My salute to the organizers, nominees and all the other people who did their part for such endeavor. Although I was not able to attend the awarding ceremony and rub elbows with the dedicated people behind PEBA 2010, I know the event was a huge success. Congratulations everyone!

 The full result can be found here. 

Change

It's been repeatedly said that "Change is the only permanent thing in this world." and if there is something constant in this walk, that must be change. This is perhaps the reason why I love listening and singing Jose Mari Chan's meaningful song named Constant Change. As the lyrics of the song goes, "We're on the road, we move from place to place and every time when I'm about to call it home we'd have to move along coz life's a constant change." This is exactly what I am feeling right now.

After being so used with the profession which I learned to love and philosophically adhered to for more than four years, I had to say goodbye from it and start with a new journey where everything seems to be very strange. The workplace is so diverse and the culture is so different. The way we do our job is also totally different from the way I used to do things. 

From being a Mathematics teacher abroad, I decided to give myself a break from the teaching arena by entering into the corporate world as a customer service associate and since it is offshore and outsourced, I will be handling customers through phone calls. I have been into customer relations almost five years ago when I worked as marketing assistant in one of the fast food chains in the Philippines but because I will be handling different product and different customers this time and such experience has almost been outdated, I really need to learn and absorb a couple of theories and techniques which I first thought I would be able to do at once. I was looking at the holistic picture of the job when I was only entailed to look at the details and work on them. I realized that it's really different and if there were things which I learned before, I need to leave them behind for the sake of my new career. I will never be able to grab hold of the new learning opportunities I will have in this new job without putting aside some if not all of the experiences I had. I need to empty my mind so that I will be able to fill it up with refreshed ideas.

How gratifying this new job might be, I am not telling myself to totally quit from teaching for I know that one day soon I would be back to that wonderful profession. If time will permit and opportunity will allow, I will still engage myself with a variety of talks, special classes for children, youths and adults, individualized tutorial and even education consultancy. The opportunity to help and educate people is just too difficult to lose. 

The Philippines SK and Barangay Elections 2010

October 25 has been declared as national non-working holiday in the Philippines due to the simulated Sanguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay Elections. In this small yet nation-defining event, the Filipino people practice once more their right to select who would represent the majority in the government by electing the chairman of the voices of the youth and the head of the smallest sector of the Philippine government which is the barangay.

As expected, lots of people flocked to several precincts in different barangays (villages) in the Philippines to cast their votes for the Barangay Captain, Barangay Councilors, SK Chairman and SK Councilors. I was actually one of those people who went all the way to my assigned voting precinct to cast my vote. Although it was a very small election compared to those of the municipal, provincial and national levels, I thought such expression of one's right of suffrage is another manifestation of one's great concern for 'our democracy' and so our democratic people. Barangay, although a very small sect of the entire government, plays a big role in our country's societal landscape as it is here where the people first express their individual concerns to our society. The barangay is also the most immediate way for people to connect with the government. The voices of the chairmen who will be elected in the barangay elections will soon resound in a national scale. The councilors will soon maintain order in the barangay through their resolutions and local ordinances. The elected SK officials will soon be taking care of the youth in the barangay. In reality, they're all huge parts of the national political tapestry.

This time, I am so excited for the result of the said election in our barangay and I hope that the officials who would soon be declared would stay true to their promises. As for me, whether the ones I voted for will win or not, I will remain happy and peaceful for the fact that I voted for those people whom I believe would make a difference in our small village. The others I voted for were not personally known to me as I have been away from home for years but with their background in public service as laid by some people I asked, I am quite confident that they are the most capable people that our locals could ever have. 

Tata Young Receives Prestigious US Environmental Protection Agency Montreal Protocol Award

The United Nations Environment Program Department of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE) celebrated the International Ozone Day and the Millennium Development Goals with Asian pop star, Tata Young, at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok last night. Luckily, I was invited by a friend and was able to come for the event. Following is a press release forwarded through e-mail by the UNEP.

Bangkok, 5 October 2010 – Tata Young, Asia’s pop music sensation, was awarded this year’s Montreal Protocol Award of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for raising public awareness on the importance of protecting the ozone layer - a notable effort that contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on environmental sustainability.

The Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations who are making a difference in protecting the environment through their demonstrated commitment and extraordinary contributions, was presented to Ms. Young by Judith B. Cefkin, the U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission and Dr. Young-Woo Park, UNEP’s Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific during a ceremony yesterday at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok.

The USEPA highlighted Ms. Young’s work with OzonAction Programme in the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). One of the singer’s first projects with OzonAction was a public service announcement (PSA) entitled “My Ozone Wish” that encourages people to stop using products that contain ozone depleting substances.

Ms. Young, who has record labels with Sony Music, also uses her concerts to inform the public about protecting the ozone layer. At the mega launch of her third album “Ready for Love” in Bangkok last year, the “My Ozone Wish” PSA was screened, and a special sticker saying “Protect yourself, protect the ozone layer” was placed on the album’s cover which later sold over 10,000 copies.

“It is an honor for me to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and I will continue to use the power of music to capture people’s hearts and encourage them to take action to protect the ozone layer and to help prevent climate change,” said Ms. Young upon receiving the award.

The Montreal Protocol, signed by 196 countries, was designed to reduce and eventually eliminate ozone-depleting substances. The phase-out of ozone-depleting substances, including hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, necessitates a long-term commitment from all developed and developing countries alike. HCFCs and some of the alternatives, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are global warming gases, and their continued production and emissions contributes to climate change. Parties to the Montreal Protocol in 2007 accelerated the HCFC phaseout with a view toward increasing climate protection. In November, Parties will consider two amendment proposals concerning HFC reduction to ensure stronger climate protection.

“We would like to thank Tata and her management team for their wonderful efforts,” said Dr. Young-Woo Park. “UNEP’s OzonAction Programme is looking forward to working with her in the future to raise public awareness on ozone layer protection and its strong linkages with climate change, which is one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” added Dr. Park.

Tata Young’s award ceremony follows the celebration of two other special occasions, the 2010 International Ozone Day on 16 September and the launch of a new UNEP brochure entitled “Stand Up for the Ozone Layer and the Millennium Development Goals.” This pocket size booklet explains in simple language how protecting the ozone layer can also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 target.

The MDGs are a set of eight concrete and specific development goals adopted by 189 world leaders committed to achieving by 2015 as part of the Millennium Declaration signed at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000. These time-bound Goals are: 1) end extreme poverty and hunger; 2) achieve universal primary education; 3) promote gender equality and empower women; 4) reduce child mortality; 5) improve maternal health; 6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; 7) ensure environmental sustainability and 8) develop a global partnership for development.

“The latest review of the MDG Goal 7 on environmental sustainability has found it regressing and lagging behind. The impacts of climate change directly threaten the achievement of the MDGs as they push the poor and vulnerable deeper into poverty,” said Mr. Minar Pimple, Regional Director of the UN Millennium Campaign Asia and the Pacific Regional Office. “The need to address climate change concerns, including the rapid depletion of ozone layer, is deeply intertwined with the long-term efforts to achieve the MDGs to end global poverty. Thus a climate change strategy should have the MDGs and poverty reduction at its core,” he explained.

Mr. Pimple also added that the outcome of the recent UN MDG Review Summit in New York last month attended by over 150 world leaders illustrated that push to achieve the MDGs has been accelerated through renewed global partnership.

The Ruamrudee International School students and the Kaya Green Band also performed “Fix That Hole”, a song about ozone layer protection during the ceremony. The song was written by the Kaya Green Band from the Philippines last year for the 2009 International Ozone Day Celebration.

The award ceremony was hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE) OzonAction Programme, the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC), Ruamrudee International School (RIS) and the United States Embassy in Thailand.