Nonetheless, call-center agent Jerson Beltran, who said that he neither smokes nor uses any prohibited substances and hardly drinks (except on special occasions), stressed that having vices depends entirely on an individual’s personal choices. Another business process outsourcing (bpo) employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, ranted on the findings, saying: “[Many] call-center workers do smoke, get sick” and indulge in a lot of vices, “but that’s not even half of us.” Read the rest of this entry »

Every year, many of the country’s fresh graduates join the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry as customer-service representatives. It is easy to see why: Most, if not all, find the high salaries that call-center companies offer to be very attractive. Never mind if they have to use very American names like Chelsea and Clint and mimic American accents to assist irate callers and reach a certain quota at the end of their shift. The wages—and the accompanying perks—these people earn often make up for the stressful grind. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Oct 1, 2010 (IPS) – Anthony, a 22-year-old call centre agent, goes to work at 6 p.m. and finishes at around 2 a.m. But instead of going home, he heads to a bar to meet another male agent over beer, and if the late night looks promising, they spend more time together until daytime. Read the rest of this entry »

No other industry had a stronger effect on the culture of the people as the BPO industry. As reports of the NBC show ‘Outsourced’ hits the headlines, one cannot help but take a pause and look at the call center industry. You have the customer service functioning out of a world that is diametrically different from the world of the customers. You have several time zones in between, not to mention the geographical distance, and yet a customer in USA is taking instructions from an answering service agent in India on how to fix the micro-oven! It’s surreal in a way how your daily lives are being assisted and helped by call center services agents working so far away from you. If there is something called global village, this is it! Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine contact center (call center) industry is expected to experience a 20 percent growth annually in terms of revenues in the next three years. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines—Daybreak is happy hour in a world turned upside down at a trendy bar in Makati City’s financial district, the clientele young and loud and with a vague California accent. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – Although risky sexual behavior is high among professionals in general, a study showed that the levels are slightly higher among call center workers compared to those who work for different industries. Read the rest of this entry »

A significant percentage of workers employed in the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector — majority of whom working in call center facilities — are suffering from work-related health problems, a recent study showed. Read the rest of this entry »

The International Labor Organization has created a stir in the call center world. The reports of its study on the BPO industries in countries India, Argentina, Philippines and Brazil have opened a hornet’s nest, if not Pandora’s Box. The contents of the reports, namely the working conditions of the answering service agents, have put the heat on for the human resources divisions of the business process outsourcing centers. Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the effort by the country’s call center companies to alter the outsourcing industry, turnover rate in the country’s call center has gotten so worst that it hits 60 to 80 percent, according to the Call Center Association Philippines (CCAP). Read the rest of this entry »