Customer Service King

With the overwhelming emails and comments I’ve received since I posted the Call Center Agent Interview Questions article, I thought it would good to offer a series of webinars to answer your questions.

As a start, I will be conducting one this coming November 8, specifically for job seekers within the Philippines.  It will focus on the local recruitment process, the standard requirements expected of a call center agent applicant, and will touch on some of the common interview questions along with tips on how to answer them.

As this is done online, there are no geographical constraints.  All you need is a computer with broadband Internet connection and a PC headset with a microphone.  Isn’t that cool? What makes it better is that it is for FREE.  So don’t worry about shelling out any money just to attend.

Though this is primarily for potential call center newbies, it is also open to those who are interested in knowing what recruitment practices are being done by centers in the Philippines.

You can register for the event here.  Looking forward to your attendance on Saturday!

I was watching the daily news and heard that the government should prepare for possible US companies to pull out their investments in the outsourcing industry within the Philippines due to the current US financial crisis.

It caused a stir in the industry and my colleagues are in a bit of a panic.  Will it affect the agent’s jobs or is there going to be a major cut in middle management?  There are rumors of freeze in hiring expats in the country or at least setting a different expectation that they will get a local package instead.

With recent mergers and acquisitions such as PeopleSupport and Telus International (former Ambergris Solutions), there are a lot of speculations within the workforce.  Though the change in owners doesn’t necessarily mean it is even related to the current financial crisis. There are different opinions on this issue and only top management would really know.  But what is happening within the global companies and individual call centers being set up as we speak?

Yet another thought crossed my mind.  Though I agree one has to understand the client’s culture and learn how to adapt to the customers on the phone, great customer service or sales is technically being true to one’s self.  The technicality of knowing American facts can be helpful but it is within a person’s ability to be empowered to the right thing is what makes someone successful.

My colleagues and I are planning a series of call center seminars sometime September or around October. I will need your opinion and request if you could answer the following questions. You can answer through here or can email me directly at callcenterscript at gmail dot com.

What is it in for you?  If you answer all the questions and your topic is included in the series, then you are entitled to a FREE seat in the seminar of your choice.  One session will take about 1-2 hours.

So who can join? Anyone in the world.  Since this is going to be done online and we will be inviting speakers to talk about their experience and you get to ask them your questions live, anyone can take advantage of it.  Here are the questions:

1. If you were to attend the seminar, what topics would you be interested in?
2. How much are you willing to pay for each session (1-2 hours each)?
3. What is your preferred schedule for the sessions?
4. What is the most convenient way for you to pay for the sessions?
5. How long have you been in the call center industry?
6. Why would you spend time to attend a call center seminar?

Don’t forget to include the following as well.

• Email
• Role in the industry (agent, team leader, OPS manager, trainer, QA, etc)

It’s your first break after a few hours on the phone and you only have 15 minutes!  Oh my! What a dilemma.  You want to just get out of your chair and do more than just stretch.  Are you hungry?  Are you a smoker?  Perhaps you want to check your personal email? Do you have time for a quick game or chat with a friend?  A quick nap would be nice too.  What do you do?

It is obvious to say that it is dependent on your current situation.  But, let me give you some suggestions to make sure you feel you’ve used that break wisely.

Eat and Drink
Running out of energy and taking phone calls with a dry throat is a horrible feeling.  You can’t think straight.  You make mistakes often and it screws up your handling time.  So grab a bite at the cafeteria and refill your mug (spill proof please).

It is a strategy that most companies adopt to keep people in the company for at least 3 to 6 months.  This assures that training hours weren’t wasted and is a way to cut down “No Call No Shows” during this stage.   It is sometimes referred as a retention tool.  In spite of this, attrition numbers are continuously rising.