Filipino Call Centers: Towards a better Service Industry

The year 2011 had showcased some of the best facets of the BPO industry. In almost all countries, both developed and developing ones, the industry had flourished abundantly despite recurrent and ominous global financial and political threats.

In the Philippines, the industry permeated almost all imaginable service sectors. While, at its dawn, what was considered as a Filipino call center was only involved in customary back-office and customer support contact service; today, what defines a Filipino call center covers an overwhelming scope of possible outsourced services: technical support, transcription, virtual assistance, Research, Surveys, Telemarketing, etc.

 For 2011, Filipino call centers exhausted even wider horizons for growth and revenue. Apart from its exemplary work in the above mentioned service areas, the industry also excelled in venturing into new and fresher shores. Of these latest ventures, the Health and Finance service sector of the country experienced noticeable progress.

According to the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), increased investments in Filipino Call Centers had resulted into over 21% expansion growth for the country’s health care services and financial subsector. Such growth is noteworthy not only since it actually surpassed the projected 15-20% growth rate for 2011, but more so since it concretely proved how accommodating and adaptable the outsourcing industry is, especially towards perennial areas such as the health and financial sectors.

 Overall, this is good news for 2012. It poses both the opportunity and the challenge to look closely into all possible areas that can benefit from the profitability and growth-laden offers of the outsourcing industry. With stronger public and private partnerships and sustained innovation, other sectors (agriculture, fishery, education, manufacturing, etc) in the country’s still struggling economy can now, at least, hope. 

A Few Measures That A Filipino Call Center Should Undertake to Achieve Success

In order to manage and lead a Filipino call center it is truly important to establish the correct measures and right objectives. These measures could be classified into different categories and should be maintained in every consumer call center. As these measures are inter-dependent, you’ll find it easier to categorize them for strategic, tactical and elemental purposes. These measures have been discussed below:

Accurate Prediction If you’re not in a position to assume the workload that you’ll need to handle, it will be really tough for you to score high on satisfying your customers, and offer a consistent and efficient service. Apart from the challenges associated with dealing customers via email, chat and telephone, you’ll also face fresh challenges concerning social interactions.

Adherence and Schedule Fitness In case you’re able to handle the workload in a call center, it will be easier for you to develop perfect schedules that employ qualified people in the right areas. You can manage it the best way as you go bottom up. It enables you to achieve all that you always wanted and offers a much wider scope of operation.

Response Time and Service Level You can’t really achieve success in case your conversations with customers don’t lead you in the right directions as time demands. Once your objectives concerning your response time and service level are established, your customers will be rest assured that the organization can be accessed from all quarters and that it really backs the commitments made by its representatives.

First-Call Resolution and Quality The top-level objectives of an organization and its activities associated with each call are linked by its service quality. In order to maintain quality all over, the Philippine call center needs to lay stress on first-call resolution. Different forms of customer interaction should be measured in terms of its quality parameters.

Satisfaction of Employees In case your employees are satisfied it has a positive effect on your customers. It is certainly quite essential for all organizations. On the other hand, agent satisfaction gets enhanced when measured upon key factors like quality, productivity and retention.

Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is the key to success in all work environments. It is highly dependent on the relation between the primary objectives of an organization. Customer satisfaction is greatly influenced by the different call center processes, services and policies. A business’s customer loyalty is measured upon the breadth and duration of its relationship with various customer segments.

Call center set-up

In the very beginning call centers used to be large establishments that managed a huge volume of traffic and communications. Industry leaders with strong financial arms could only have hired technologies like Automated Call Distribution channels to handle calls in large volumes. Of late, call centers in Philippines have opted for an advanced customer management and call handling system with the introduction of open phone systems, client/server software systems, online transaction processing and switches based on LAN. A Philippine call center can now accommodate a large set-up worth 500 to 2,000 seats, or it might even accommodate a mini-center worth 5 to 10 seats.

The growth of the call center industry in Philippines owes a lot to organizations that have introduced modern ways of communication and worked on their specific areas of opportunity. Studying more about these categories is essential before stepping in the call center industry for the very first time. A detailed measurement of various factors concerning these categories would certainly add to success of the industry!

A Filipino Call Center can do wonders for you and your clients – Know How

The positives of outsourcing BPO and call center services were explored by American companies around the late 90s. The main objective of this was to maintain efficiency and to lower operating costs. The challenge of this new age was accepted by countries like Philippines. Call centers in Philippines have attracted numerous global concerns through their dedication and quality services.

Numerous business giants involving a group of fortune 500 clients have outsourced their call center services to Philippines. Business process outsourcing services in Philippines have developed primarily on the basis of factors like workforce that is both skilled and fluent in English, less comparative wages, first rated communication network and developing government policies. In order to push up their current offshore operations, various American concerns have outsourced call center services to Philippines on the basis of factors like productivity, improved and cost savings.

 

Philippines - the most sought after location for call centers

In comparison with other countries like Singapore, China and Malaysia, the edge of Philippines turns it into a call center leader.

Philippines call centers offer a few good advantages over other nations:

• The difference of time between Philippines and other western countries has made it an ideal destination for call center operations. Call center services offered through 24x7 yields great benefits for American companies.
• A Philippine call center supports clients with a large variety of outbound and inbound operations. You’re bound to get access to a large network of client response services once you choose Philippines as your call center base.
• A large number of professionals who’re fluent in English reside in Philippines. Much experienced customer support executives can handle calls efficiently and accurately. You may avail quality outbound and inbound services once you outsource your services to Philippines.
• When it comes to outsourcing call center operations Philippines has enormous experience. A vast network of client response services are being provided by a Philippine call center due to its efficient and goal-oriented work force.
• Apart from yielding so many types of professional services, outsourcing BPO and call center operations to Philippines assists in manpower training and lowering the expenses of capital investment.

 
Different call center operations that you may outsource to Philippines

•     Inbound call center operations
•     Telemarketing operations
•     800 answering machines
•     Telephone handling services
•     Cross-selling and up-selling services
•     Services concerned with the claims processes
•     Services requesting product information
•     Services concerning fresh orders
•     Outbound call center operations
•     Service of setting appointments
•     Database handling services
•     Service associated with follow-up of direct mails
•     Services towards lead generation
•     Technical helpdesk support operations
•     CATI services
•     Services towards recovery of disasters
•     Chat support services
•     Email support services

Choose Philippines as an offshore support partner

A Philippine call center will offer the best of call center support for numerous organizations. If you’re indeed looking for a dependable customer support team then your search ends in Philippines. Once you choose to go with an industry leader, every other thing will naturally fall into place.

Why outsource to a Filipino Call Center?

It is profitable to outsource inbound customer services to any Philippine call center 

It is certainly a very lucrative proposition to outsource inbound customer support to Philippines following the spiral development of the country’s call center industry. Outsourcing has become so popular in Philippines due to the presence of highly qualified professionals who’re fluent in English, capacity to handle multiple services, world class infrastructure and facilities alongside quality telecom connectivity. These days, call centers in Philippines are amongst the leaders in offshore client service providers. All your requirements will be fulfilled if you pick a Philippine call center to be an offshore partner.

Reasons to get your inbound calls outsourced to Philippines

Your company’s customer delivery service may be controlled by various factors e.g. labor costs, increasing rates of attrition amongst personnel who’re offering technical support, prohibition concerning infrastructure and resource limitations. There are a few good advantages of getting your inbound services outsourced to a Philippine call center e.g. technical support, web customer service, direct marketing, registration services, conducting surveys and taking orders.

 Outsourcing inbound call centers have a few advantages

1. Languages

Philippines hold one of the largest populations of English-speaking people in the world. All over Philippines business gets transacted in English. The nation accounts for certain major languages used in modern day business e.g. French, German and Spanish.

2. Manpower

Philippines call centers are also quite big in terms of technical manpower. The availability of customer care professionals who’re fluent in English, computer proficient and educated has strengthened the industry.

3. Security and Reliability

You can depend on the quality of work force across various call centers in Philippines. Apart from delivering world class quality they’re also known for quick delivery. On one hand they’re offering services to a growing number of countries across the globe, and on the other they’re living up to global security standards and quality.

4. Infrastructure

• The network of telecommunication in Philippines allows data and voice to be transferred at a high speed round the globe.
• Easy internet access is availed to all technical support executives so that they may access account information, knowledge base, FAQs and online tracking systems.
• Dedicated and quick internet connectivity.
• World-class call center technology.
• Desks that are 100% automated with upgraded computerization.
• 24x7 customer support through flexible timings and continuous power supply.
• Government policies that seem quite liberal towards different call center operations.
• Cost-competitiveness is highly maintained across all service sectors.

5. Cost Advantages

Support towards inbound customer services is offered at competitive rates when compared with other nations.

6. Pro-activeness of the Government

The Philippine call center industry has received a good thrust from the government due to the recent development in IT and IT enabled services. A few area-specific measures were undertaken:

• Cost reduction of private leased high-speed international circuits.
• Customs and Income tax exemptions for IT enabled service exports.
• Capital investment in world class infrastructure.
• Approval of  important direct foreign investment propositions and key online gateways

7. Stringent selection process to recruit skillful and talented client response representatives

A Philippine call center will look for the following skill sets while hiring people to support your inbound customer services:

• Conversation and accent skills
• Technical degrees, certifications and skills
• Competence
• Call center mannerism
• Online skills
• Sales skills
• Experience on service domain and product knowledge

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A Filipino Call Center Boosts the Morale of All Its Agents

What is the best way to engage your employees? The key global factors that help engage employees are:

• Opportunity and Well Being: Well Being and Opportunity: It’s all about an employer taking care of his employees and appreciating their efforts.
• Trust: You must trust your colleagues, managers and the company that you’re representing.
• Pride: Taking pride in representing services and products that you’re offering.

A Filipino call center motives its agents by appreciating their skills and by recognizing their efforts. These steps not only enhance the pride of their agents and boost their morale, but it also encourages them to interact with their customers in a positive way.

Agent Motivation and Recognition Tools

It shouldn’t be much difficult thing to introduce an agent recognition system. These days you’re likely to come across various web journals that depict moral-boosting ideas for a Philippine call center. In order to keep the agents engaged and boost their morale, all call center employers may get a few motivational tools. Four of such tools have been described below:

1. Recognition. The hard work and accomplishments concerning an individual employee have to be acknowledged publicly through an announcement or award. It is a good ploy to display the area of accomplishment along with the photo of a particular agent in close view of his group members. Employers should never be afraid of appreciating these accomplishments in lieu of scaring or hurting other members of the group.

2. Your Mission Has To Be Identified. Once you explain the mission of the organization to its employees, it becomes a lot easier for them to identify their place and define their own role in the future. It generates a sense of unification for a common purpose. Employees get truly motivated to learn more about the goal towards which they’re delivering their services and the reason for which their organization actually stands.

3. Celebration. Every team member should be aware of the accomplishments of a team or that of an individual. You don’t need to go over-the-top or be fanciful about such celebrations. Keeping your team members surprised with sudden lunches and dinners or buying movie tickets for them would be reason enough to keep the motivated to achieve their immediate goal.

4. Challenge and Achievement are to be balanced. This is the point where employee satisfaction and engagement meets each other. When your employees feel they’ve reached the top of a mountain they’re truly motivated. At the same time, it is also important for them to feel as if they still have a few more steps to climb. The satisfaction of your employees has to reach a certain point wherein they naturally get encouraged to achieve more.
Agent Recognition Basics

A call center doesn’t need to offer a formal or planned recognition. Praising agents have to be timely, specific and frequent. It is the responsibility of a supervisor or a manager to praise the agents on a weekly basis. Instead of fixing an appointment, go ahead and encourage your agents for a specific cause. The manager or team leader of a Philippine call center has to show enthusiasm while appreciating an agent for his successful efforts.

Regular recognition will keep the call center employees engaged and will certainly be more beneficial for the organization in the days ahead.

Filipino Call Centers: To Bring OFWs Home

The remittances of overseas Filipino workers had been instrumental in aiding the Philippine economy. Over the years, it accounts for about 10% of the country’s economy and it consistently props up the overall economic growth of the Philippines. While this fact is comforting, it nonetheless comes at a price—what with the sustained exodus of good Filipino workers, with the country’s recurring loss of high caliber professionals who opt to work aboard since “work worth doing” is barely conceivable in the country.

It is with these concerns why the country today is slowly working on to bring OFWs back home. At the onset of such endeavor, the country’s government considers the call center industry as the major job generating sector that could accommodate employment opportunities for OFWs. The industry’s outstanding record of hiring more than 600, 000 direct jobs per year and its overwhelming expansion capacities vouch for the sanity of this proposal.

Moreover, the continued growth and evolution of Filipino call centers is providential for this goal. The emergence of Knowledge Process Outsourcing firms is beneficial in accommodating Filipino professionals who can practice their field by means of process outsourcing. Thus, Filipino engineers, accountants, architects, financial analysts and managers, and the like can now practice their profession in the country. Of course, this goes with higher salary earnings than most local employment available.

While this hope is still illusive in scope, the promising structure of Filipino call centers that attracts both local and international investors opens great possibilities. This can only be made real once policy-based reforms in the country’s labor stature, with a special focus to the call center industry, can be instituted and implemented.

Filipino Call Center and BPO Sector: The Answer to Brain Drain?

Around the 90s and at the start of the new millennium, the Philippines was beset with persistent unemployment problems. There was inadequate employment growth at one end, and increasing population rates on the other. The labor force increased drastically as a result and demands for employment surged. However, because not enough jobs were created, high competition ensued and many jobseekers were marginalized. Filipinos inevitably left their homeland to hunt for greener pastures abroad.

To this day, overseas migration continues to affect the condition of the country and the mentality of its people. The Philippines was and still is in a state of ‘brain drain.’ Talented Filipinos who have not been accommodated to the domestic labor force and thus could not contribute their talent and skills to help the country develop. For almost two decades, the Philippines government has been making ends meet to generate more jobs for Filipinos.

During the past administration, however, a chunk of this recurrent employment dilemma was significantly addressed. Job campaigns were established and the Filipino call center and BPO industry was at its most progressive phase. Despite her detractors, it is fact that the number of Filipino call centers swelled under the efforts of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Proof of that is the current report from the National Statistics Office (NSO) which identifies about 0.7% decrease in unemployment. The rise of the Filipino call center and BPO industry helped pull down last year’s 7.6% unemployment rate to 6.9% as of July 2010.

The 80% of Filipino call centers and BPO firms will continue to have a positive impact on local employment. With more and more jobs up for grabs, young as well as middle-age professionals need not have to seek greener pastures in foreign lands. Thanks to booming Filipino call centers and outsourcing firms, the country has witnessed a remarkable increase in employment rates in spite of the global economic recession of the previous year.