Philippine Call Centers' Dark Future

If one may think of the call center being around for decades more, think again! The worst case scenario is already starting to happen. As I read one the alerts I set up on my email address for Google to bring me "call center news" anywhere, it troubled me to find out that there might be a movement to bring back outsourced jobs to the US job market. There's a lot of reasons why this movement might gain ground and support from the U.S.A. which is the main source of outsourced jobs in the world. For one, Americans are a patriotic bunch. When sector of their society is continually being repressed, it only takes one sharp tongued media personality, celebrity, politician or advocacy group to rally a huge majority of their citizenry to support bringing back jobs to the U.S. mainland.

Good news for them, bad news for outsourcing for us which is just beginning to mature in the Philippines. The way I see this might be happening going to be out of our hands. Something we cannot fight. Why? Because it will not be a question of call quality or cost-effectiveness or for redundancy anymore. It is going to be a matter of job security for the American people. If there is enough people in the U.S. that would notice that outsourcing countries like India and the Philippines are taking away some people's livelihood and if this gains enough support, no matter how good we are at the things we do in our jobs, we are still going to lose the battle of keeping call centers here in the country. Think in the lines of how the support for the withdrawal of troops in Iraq has finally succeeded recently. Even the President buckled in to clamor to bring home their troops stationed in Iraq. For outsourcing it's going to be a different fight. The end of the call center industry will begin if we see ads from companies that the support "keeping jobs for the Americans" or start to brand their company as "US-labor market friendly". Not the best slogan from me but I hope you get the idea. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure the Americans would not mind paying a little bit more as long as they know by doing so they are helping their own people keep the jobs they need to support their families. That's the clincher for us.

It might not be a total loss for us here in the call centers. But if this scenario happens, even if the call centers don't totally withdraw for their operations in the Philippines, there would still be effects on our jobs here. For example, jobs availability would be less and more competitive. Also there's always a possibility of lay-off for current call center employees. Salaries and salary offers would not be as competitive as it is now. There's always that economic effects for the country if this sunshine industry suddenly comes to a halt.

A very bleak future indeed. But one that has not happened yet. Hopefully we don't head on to that direction.

Here the news article that got me thinking of this possibility:
AT&T brings Outsourced jobs to the U.S Arkansas Call Center

I apologize for not being able to update this call center blog daily. I'm currently preoccupied with my second blog The Olympic Blogger recently. I will however try to update and post once a week for our call center readers. Please support my second blog below!

Read More

Sitel partners with University of the Cordilleras to produce Call Center agents

Outsourced customer care business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Sitel has partnered with the University of Cordilleras (UC) in Baguio City for the country's first curriculum-integrated call center training. "We are very happy that Sitel has chosen the university as a partner in this very noble endeavor," said UC President Jaime Buzar.

Sitel said that this is the first time a BPO company has partnered with an established university in making a call center course part of the school curriculum. With this program, students aspiring to pursue a career in the BPO industry may now participate in call center training as part of their regular course requirements.

Sitel started out with only 35 seats in Baguio three years ago. "This event lays the foundation for the same type of agreement to extend beyond Sitel and the University of Cordilleras," said Sitel Baguio Site Director Rod Spires. "It is a milestone in the understanding between the private sector and the academe of a need to modify or adjust the curriculum to better prepare the student bodies to be successful in a specific industry," he said, adding that this endeavor will have far-reaching implications for Baguio's economy. Students no longer have to migrate to Metro Manila in order to avail of better career opportunities. The establishment of companies such as Sitel also contributes to the summer capital's thriving commercial community.

For Sitel, the alliance with UC is a step towards its ultimate goal of creating a strong industry with a legacy of sustainable growth. "We believe that it is in working together that we can achieve our vision of a more robust industry where the interests of each individual player are aligned with those of the whole group," said Sitel Philippines President Dan Reyes. "When we accomplish this, we commit to progress as a coherent unit, guaranteeing the satisfaction of all involved," he added.

Read More

Call Center Politics - Do you use it? Or are you a victim?

C'mon who hasn't heard of this bit... Politics is everywhere. I'm writing this post as a favor to one of my loyal readers who commented for me to write something about this issue. You know the & most probably said this word ->... Napulitika...

In my professional opinion, it is a necessary "evil" in our working society. If one looks at it on an unbiased perspective, it is very necessvry in shaping the directions of any institution or even societies. In order to survive in a political world, you need to analyze & identify the major players, identify opportunities to take advantage, learn when to grab opportunities, survive & learn to avoid conflict if you are a minority & most importantly find out if it would be more advantageous to join the majority for your survival's sake.

These are bitter pills to swallow for "high-principled" people. But to tell you the truth, it is the reality. Not only in Call Centers but every work place. If you don't go with the flow, you'll be drowned in the tide. There is no politics-free work place. Proof to that is there is no politics-free country.

If one feels like he/she can't take the political BS in their workplace & wants to resign. He'll be surprised to find out he/she will see the same environment on the next work place.

It is just a matter of using politics to your advantage. You can't avoid it. There are certain styles of using politics I've used before that I have proven effective. But I will reserve that for next time. LOL

Read More