The World of Philippine Call Centers

1. The World of Philippine Call Centers The Philippines, as the third largest English speaking nation in the globe, and with a high literacy rate, is regarded as one of the best call center destinations in the world. Thus, making them the most serious and stiff rival of India. This is also since the call center outsourcing industry chiefly caters to markets from countries like United States, United Kingdom and Australia, call center agents are obligated to obtain the foreign accent, study the geography and cultural backgrounds of these countries and work on a graveyard shift. Furthermore, the low-cost class A office spaces, better power and telecommunications infrastructure, good quality yet economical labor force and the cooperation the government is all too willing to hold out to these foreign investors are other reasons which make the country attractive to foreign companies. Trainings undergone by call center agents Call center trainees as agents, graduates and even undergraduates, who qualified the preliminary examination go through a six-day English skills training and product training for three weeks. After these, agent trainees will be placed on the floor to mock calls for assessment. These agents are assumed to type at least 25 words per minute. Salary and other incentives Call center agents receive the basic pay which ranges from P11, 000 (US$200.98 at US$1=PhP54.73) to P13, 000 monthly. Some call center companies give their agents P2, 500 food and transportation allowance a month and a performance appraisal bonus summing to P4, 000. Often, they are also offered spiffs like appliances, cellular phone loads and gift checks to enhance the sales per hour capacity of the employees. For instance, whoever first gets five sales per hour for the night earns a prize. And an additional P11, 500 commissions plus a 30-50 percent night differential is granted to an agent who hits the target quota sales. Generally speaking, a good-working agent acquires a gross monthly income of more than P31, 000. And that’s not all. Benefits like SSS, health insurance, Pag-ibig and salary loans are received by call center agents. Plus, some call centers offer freebies like free shuttle rides, free meals and coffee and sleeping rooms to rest and even karaoke rooms to wind down. Most people find the job simple and beneficial. But call center Philippines is not just about the easy stuff and being laid-back. It is as well a stressful job just like others. Same as others, it is a job that deals with great effort. This is the world of call center. Rapidly running, easy to some, very helpful and often times, stressful. Are you ready to enter it and live by it? SOURCE: http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/call_centers.html