Philippine Call Center Daily

THE FILIPINO CALL CENTER LIFE STYLE, HEALTHY?

2009-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wonder how call center workers take care of their health? I

magine, they/we are working hard during times when an ordinary guy/gal is taking his/her very much needed sleep. That maybe is the most asked question about call center workers. Sounds not healthy eh.

But other than that, there are still not so healthy elements this career has. Let us enumerate:

1. Too much nicotine intake - I can assume that over 70% (Not a proven number) of the call center work force population are into smoking. You would see them carrying their cigar cases. ready to have a smoke anywhere. During 15 minute breaks, after or before lunch breaks, after shift, or just before they go up to their office they'd at least take a couple of cigar.

2. Liquor during early day time - Since most of our shifts ends around 5am to 10am, that is where our parties, get together and drinking session takes place.

3. Not so healthy foods - Around call center offices are 24hour food chain

s. That offers...well need to say more?

4. Less physical activities - Inside the operation floors, hours are spent on the swivel chairs. On a very chilling office.

You see we eat more, but burn less.

Above's list are the top things i see whenever our life style is being discussed.

Thanks to some companies that includes their employees healthy life style as one of their operational values. These companies promotes healthy foods on their pantries. Provides fruit juices. They also conduct Sports fests annually. To o

thers they work with fitness or wellness companies to offer fitness related services to their employees for less fees.

But at the end of the day, having a healthy life style is a matter of personal choice. Its up to somebody if he'll choose to be healthy or not.

LIFE's IRONY

2009-02-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

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Last night it was a not so busy night on the office. Less calls, less escalations, the time gave me some chances of going back to my old emails. Forwarded email spams. There are alot of those circilating onthe office intranet. Some funny, very funny, tremendously funny. But there are also spams that would make us think and will realize that....yeah that makes a lot of sense.

Then i came accross this old one that i decided to post here. Hope this piece would help us realize a very important thing in this life.

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian

of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.

A wonderful Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense,

more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much , and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your love d ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

CALL CENTER WORK = Career

2009-02-04T05:19:00.001-08:00

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Do we call our job a career? Do people call our job a career?

Oftentimes this kind of job wherw we are in now are being seen as a temporary place. For a nursing graduate while undergoing his review, he'll work on a call center. For an aspiring OFW while waiting for his employer's call will work on a call center. For newly graduate young kid, while trying his best to land on his dream job, will apply and work on a call center.

Nothing is wrong there for me. On our company alone, i have a nurse, dentist, banker, engineer or name it we have it there. Most of them if not all, stays on our company while waiting for the golden opportunity they are wiaitng for. Not a bad move. Earning above minimum wage whiel, reviewing for the board, while waiting for a call from abroad not a bad idea after all.

But on the bad side of the matter. What we're having are people who dont think that they are on a career already. That will result in half hearted performance from them. They often say that there is nothing to lose on their end. They have a more lucrative fall back once they have decided to go out of call center, that is what they are thinkning maybe.

I am just quite worried that if this thinking would not change worst become very common, the call center industry here on our country will suffer. Who's company will beceme interested in setting up a call center on a location where in the worker does not care much to their job. As we all know call centers serves as the company's face value to their customers. Bad customer service due to not so dedicated customer case associates = bad business.

I think its about time that this country promote call center jobs as a career or profession. We already established our stake as one of the best outsourcing destination in the world. We have to keep it up. WE cant afford to be complacent and stop striving to be better on what we are now. For before we know it, this industry is not on our end anymore.

Think about it..

FUN - on a call center worker's view

2009-02-03T05:06:00.000-08:00

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How do we define fun?

Do we define it by the dazzling outfit we wear day in day out? By the out of town getaways we have almost weekly? By the $$$ of commission we gather for every sale we close? Maybe for the new gadgets we brag.

Yeah, those really sounds one hell of fun. And fun too. Undeniably fun. But how long the fun exists? Is there a fun-expiration? But only less people know how we really define fun.

I can start it by saying that a 6 to 8 hours sleep daily is fun.

Being able to watch the late night shows with my family on our living room is fun.

Getting to see my old friends on our tambayan during weekdays and having a few minute chat is fun.

Being able to relate with folks about current events that i normally miss if fun.

Getting excited about Philippine holidays is fun.

Epiriencing long weekend due to holidays is more fun.

Simple things eh. but for someone who is missing those simple stuff for so long now, those are INCREDIBLY FUN.

How abut you?

How do you define fun?

A CALL OF SUPORT FOR MR. GARY GRANADA

2009-02-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

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This blog-site is not made to deal with issue regarding events outside Philippine Call center scene. But for this purpose i would like to get off the topic to give way to a call of justice for someone who i feel treated unfairly. Very unfair.

Gary Granada a very well known Filipino composer who have made numerous songs that contribute much to our recording industry, recently went out to the public to disclose an allegedly plagarism

that made him a victim.

To summarize, Mr. Granada was asked by a TV network to arrange a jingle to one of their ads. Mr. Granada the good artist that he is was able to come up with a study that was presented to his TV network client. But according top the reports and writ

e ups taht now is making rounds the net world, it was not accepted by the said network. But to his surprise the said composition is now being aired.

I have heard the recording and on my own opinion Mr. Granada has all the rights to conclude that he indeed was robbed by his intelectual property.

Click on the link below to hear the recording and decide for your self.

GRANADA RECORDINGS

Im in one of the millions around the world to condeme such malpractice if proven true.

Modern Life style - ala Call Center

2009-02-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

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Early morning parties. 8am beer or liquor drinking session. Pizza all week long. Hanging out @ a nearby 7-11 or Mini - Stop. Cigar case on

pockets. Sleeping all morning long staying all night long.

That is just the tip of the ice berg...for someone who work for a call center.

But is it really just like that? Indeed a life inside a call center seem to be very dazzling. Very alive and very tiring!

Behind all the fun, after all the laughters over a table full of liquors, after the concert party. When you finally got to your room. Alone, silent, and tired. What could possibly a ca

ll center worker is thinking? Is she/he thinking about the metrics she/he has to meet? How many C-Sat surveys he has to make? How can she resolve the peding call back on her case list? Sounds very tiring eh.

Well those are just some of the balancing factor we have on this kind of work, err CAREER. People outside our work oftentimes would not see the inner struggles we have every night. They only see whats outisde.

Do the Statbucks barista know that you have to meet the month's sales quota?

McDo counter attendant aware that your TL just scolded you up in the office?

Will Manong Taxi driver notice that we are fighting tooth and nail for our much deserve appraisal?

I guess not. All they see are smiling faces dressed beautifully. But only if they will witness the real battle in front out our work stations.... i am very confident that they's start understanding us.

CALL CENTER JOB: not a no brainer

2009-01-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

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...and that is how it all began

2009-01-31T18:20:00.001-08:00

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A TRIBUTE

Roughly a year or 2 before the world hits circa 2000. On a country south east of Asia, the Philippines where the economy is trying hard. People were afraid of 2K Bug and end of the world. Some are busy trying to

make both ends meet. Unemployment rate is taking a huge take off for the newly graduates.

The country is producing hundred thousands of graduates, only small of it lands on a job. Its a very good thing then to have an P8000 /month work. If you were one of those lucky souls to earn 5Digit paycheck then you are god!!!

Thanks to the people who thought of bringing new to the table

. Who thought of taking advantage of our excellent ability to interact with people, to deal with pressure, to

endure long hours of work...and to our high level of proficiency on the English language. Outsourcing was introduced.

Few hundered newly graduates then took the challenge. They we

re the first ones to stay night at the office. That is when the GY - grave yard shift model was introduced to the Pinoy YUPPIES.

They were the first group of people who sadly, expirienced how i

t is to be discriminate by someone on the other line due to our colour or nation

ality. But they were the first ones aswell to recieve commendation for a very great job done.

These people also gave chance to other industries that during those times about to say ..we QUIT!

Transportation industry was the one who really benifited from t

his new era of industry. Same goes to convininet stores, fast food crews and even the very humble Manong Pedro the balut vendor.

That was the dawn of new era of young professionals ready to take the

world. We have to thank those who came before us, who did not let hesitations get the better of them. Had they d

id not show their clients that they were not capable of helping them? Call center industry in the Philippines may have been a died industry right there and then...

To those people who made this industry now feed hundred thousands of children THANK YOU AND KUDOS!!!