Industry champions to be awarded at Call Center Conference

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) have awarded four individuals who have contributed the most to the development of the Philippine call center industry, led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during the CCAP Annual Call Center Conference & Expo 2009 with the theme “Navigating Through the Global Crisis” held last July 15-16, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

The other honorees are Senator Mar Roxas , former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) director-general Lilia de Lima. CCAP is the country’s official trade group for outsource and in-house contact centers, representing 55 companies and accounting for more than two-thirds of all contact center seats and full-time employees nationwide.

President Macapagal-Arroyo is recognized for her Administration’s full support for the call center industry, through the development of the country’s telecommunications network, the creation of the Cabinet-level Commission on ICT for ICT policy formulation and implementation, the development of human capital to provide the world-class workers we needed for our industry to grow, and the expansion of the Cyber Corridor to span across the entire Philippines. Senators Roxas and Magsaysay are cited for their early support for the call center industry while Secretary de Lima is acknowledged for making it easier for call center operators to invest and locate in the Philippines.

The CCAP Annual Call Center Conference & Expo 2009 is the flagship event of the contact center industy, which attracts around 6,000 executives, managers, supervisors, and agents of outsource and in-house contact centers. Now on its fifth run, the convention, exhibit, and job fair features more panel discussions with CEOs, analysts, economists, support sectors, and call center agents; 32 new conference topics on operations, HR, technology, and career development; a new conference track for call center startups called Call Center 101 Plus; more booths at the expo with the latest products and services; and a bigger job fair with more job openings.

What is Business Process Outsourcing (B.P.O.)

BPO is distinct from information technology (IT) outsourcing, which focuses on hiring a third-party company or service provider to do IT-related activities, such as application management and application development, data center operations, or testing and quality assurance.

There are two primary types of BPO: back office and front office outsourcing. Typical back office processes that may be outsourced include payroll, billing, logistics and human resources. Some companies offer their services in collections, credit analysis and job recruitment. More than ever, processes that one would never think would be outsourced, such as claims processing at an insurance company, are being outsourced to separate companies. Examples of front office outsourcing include technical support, customer service, marketing and advertising.

The foreign call center has become one of the most reviled aspects of BPO, with many located in different parts of the world. Where most companies once touted their customer service as something they took pride in, many customers find themselves having to explain their problems to someone has little vested interest in the company. Outsourcing or “offshoring” customer service to countries such as India saves the company a lot of money and improves their bottom line. Some of the biggest complaints customers have with foreign call centers are heavy accents and obvious scripting.

A company may utilize BPO due to cost considerations, or simply because they do not have the expertise to deal with certain aspects of business. Many companies have come under criticism for using BPO to cut costs, especially in regards to call centers. Companies in western countries, particularly the United States, are finding that countries like India offer the services they need at an excellent price. This is due to the fact that many of these countries have a well educated labor pool, high unemployment rates and a low cost of living. In India, which had approximately 63% of the offshore BPO market in 2006, labor is cheap, and employees are sometimes better educated than higher-paid workers in the US.

Many opponents of BPO lament the fact that western workers are losing jobs to foreigners faster than they are being replaced. While many companies are improving their bottom line by outsourcing, they are facing harsh criticism by consumers for the decline in quality of customer service. Employees may find an outsourced human resources department less accessible than an in-house one. Although BPO may be profitable now, consumer and employee backlash coupled with government restrictions or taxation on the practice may reduce its popularity.

Making the Paths Clearer

The BPO sector remains a good source of jobs for Filipinos especially for new graduates and employees who want to shift to another industry since the most basic requirement is English proficiency for entry level and no immediate industry specializations are required. It is in this area that the outsourcing industry needs to keep building these fresh talents to persevere more to move up the ladder.

Managers should actively show them different career development paths they can take not just simply looking at available posts within the current structure but more particularly exploring new ones, which then leads to new services that can be offered to clients.

The government should also play a more proactive role of talent promotion. Instead of lobbying for the stagnant pricing of labor, they should invest more in the improvement of local talents through providing scholarships that do not merely provide basic education but better yet aims for high level training and experience equipping Filipinos with the chance to discover breakthroughs.

Call center revenues reach $5B in 2009 - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Call center revenues reach $5B in 2009 - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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NCO Opens Call Center in Marikina City

Marikina, Philippines -- Debt collector and business outsourcing service provider NCO Group Inc. said Monday it has opened its latest call center in Marikina, the Philippines.

NCO's Marikina site covers almost 10,500 square feet and includes 650 call center seats as well as recreational facilities, sleeping quarters, and training rooms. This site is the company's fourth in the Philippines.

Read more...

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Rises Despite Global Financial Crisis

A recent survey of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) executives in the Philippines revealed that 80% of respondents’ firms have been affected in some way by the Global Financial Crisis that began in 2008. However, almost 60% of respondents said their firms have developed new service offerings in response to the crisis, suggesting that adversity was also generating opportunity for well-managed, innovative BPO services providers.

The Global Financial Crisis may be the most visible economic development affecting the BPO and other industries, but it is not the only major potential threat. Populist political rhetoric against outsourcing is on the rise, as is protectionist sentiment in many countries.

Read more..

(see previous post for call center addresses and contact information in the Philippines)

Call Centers and Global Solution Centers

VXI Global Solutions, Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

VXI Global Solutions is uniquely positioned with wholly-owned call centers in the US, China, and the Philippines in a dedicated agent environment. Our integrated Inbound and Outbound contact centers support Customer Service, Sales, and Retention programs. No matter where your project is located, you are always dealing with an American company.

Office Address:

VXI Makati
15th Flr, Tower II, RCBC Plaza,
Ayala Avenue cor Sen. Gil Puyat
Makati City

Trunk line:
889-2200, prompt 3

You can also email your resume:
careersph@vxi.com.







Aegis PeopleSupport Center

DESCRIPTION:

Aegis and PeopleSupport merged on October 30, 2008 to create a global business process outsourcing (BPO) leader. As a result of the merger, Aegis PeopleSupport was created to represent Aegis' operations in the Philippines.


Office Address:

Ayala Avenue
Corner Senator Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City, Philippines
Phone: 885-8000
Fax: 885-8097

You can also email your resume at:
manilajobs@peoplesupport.com

Fill out a request form directly at:

http://www.peoplesupport.com/contact.aspx










TELUS Contact Center Solutions

DESCRIPTION:

A pioneer in the global call center outsourcing and IT development industry, TELUS International Philippines is backed by a multi-national, multi-billion dollar Canadian telecommunications giant. TELUS International delivers extraordinary customer service and value to the world’s most sophisticated clients.

Locations:

31/F Discovery Centre
25 ADB Avenue
Ortigas Center , Pasig City
1605 Philippines

5th Level - Market! Market!
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
1634 Philippines

You can also send your resume to:

recruitment@telusinternational.com.ph

Telephone Number: 638-9440
Fax Number: 638-9445












TRANSCOM Philippines

DESCRIPTION:

Transcom is a leading global Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) provider, delivering cost-effective solutions while optimising efficiency and quality for our clients. Along with CRM and CMS solutions, Transcom also provides CRM consulting, translation and interpretation, and legal services.

Location:

Transcom Center Building
Las Fiestas Road
Frontera Verde Compound
Pasig City 1600

Phone: 702-2400
Fax: 702-2433









Teleperformance

DESCRIPTION:

Teleperformance began operations in the Philippines in 1996 and has grown to become a preferred offshore contact center outsourcing option to the Philippines, North America (U.S. and Canada), Australia and New Zealand.

Location:

EDSA Central IT Center 2
EDSA Corner United Street
Greenfield District
Mandaluyong City 1554, Metro Manila
Philippines

Contact Information:

Recuritment Department: 637-7111
E-mail Address: info@teleperformance.com










eTelecare

DESCRIPTION:

eTelecare Global Solutions was founded by two experienced veterans of a renowned consulting company's call center practice. This consulting lineage, performance driven culture, combined with a client-centric approach forms the foundation of how we serve our clients. This foundation has created a company that provides superior service through a focus on quality, rigorous hiring processes, benchmarked call monitoring, and a continuous improvement approach that delivers quantifiable value and reduces your overall cost to serve.

Manila Job Hotline: 580-6530


Philippines Centers

Center 1
12th -17th Floors, PBCom Tower
6795 Ayala Avenue Corner V.A. Rufino Street
Makati City 1226
Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: 580-5350
Fax: 757-4727

Center 2
20th - 22nd, 28th-29th, 31stFloors
CyberOne Building
Eastwood City Cyberpark
Bagumbayan, Quezon City 1110
Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: 916-5670
Fax: 687-4158

Center 3
5th & 7th Floors
PIPC Engineering Sciences Building
Asiatown IT Park
Barangay Apas, Lahug
Cebu City 6000
Cebu, Philippines
Tel: 411-9010

Center 4
Ground to 3rd Floors, Plaza Building
Northgate Cyberzone, Filinvest Corporate City
Alabang, Muntinlupa City 1781
Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: 580-5350

Center 5
6/F 12 Building
Asiatown IT Park
Barangay Apas, Lahug
Cebu City 6000
Cebu, Philippines
Tel: 411-9010

Center 6
2/F Annex@Shaw Building
Shaw Boulevard
Barangay Highway Hills
Mandaluyong City 1552
Philippines
Tel: 580-5350











Convergys

DESCRIPTION:

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Convergys employs nearly 75,000 employees who serve clients in over 70 countries, speaking more than 35 languages, from 85 contact centers and other facilities across the globe. Convergys has been named a Fortune Most Admired Company for nine consecutive years, and more than half of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies are Convergys clients.

Philippines Centers

Manila
Insular Life Building
6781 Ayala Avenue
Makati City 1200
PHILIPPINES
Phone: 857-5679

Manila
6796 Ayala Avenue corner Salcedo St.
Legaspi Village, Makati City 1200
PHILIPPINES
Phone: 756-7178/88

Manila
24th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower
ADB Avenue corner Poveda Street
Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1600
PHILIPPINES
Phone: 857-7600

Manila
7F, Tower 2
The Enterprise Center
6766 Ayala Avenue
Makati City 1200
PHILIPPINES
Phone: 857-7788

E-mail Address: marketing@convergys.com








ePLDT Ventus

Description:

With more than 7,000 employees, ePLDT Ventus has the experience and the resources to provide a wide variety of voice and non-voice services including inbound and outbound customer service, telesales, technical support, and email and back-office processing. Operational excellence is key to our ongoing success with each of our clients. Our robust 24/7/365 day operation is supported by state of the art hardware and systems, quality processes, highly trained personnel, and considerable bench strength ensures the best possible result for our clients and their end-customers.

Ventus HR and Recruitment Address:

Mezzanine Level
PLDT Ramon Cojuangco Bldg.
Makati Ave. cor. Dela Rosa St.
Makati City, 1229 Philippines

Recruitment Hotline: 884-6111
E-mail address: recruitment@epldtventus.com







APAC Customer Services, Inc

Description:

APAC's 11,000 employees in contact centers across the globe interact with millions of customers. Our teams go beyond simply responding to customer interactions. They execute value strategies and adeptly manage consumers' demands through the multiple touch points of phone, web, email, chat, and direct mail.

Locations:

APAC Customer Services, Inc.
Northgate Cyberzone, Building C
Filinvest Corporate City with Alabang area
Muntinlupa City, Manila, Philippines

Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang
Muntinlupa City, Manila Philippines

APAC Customer Services, Inc.
Cyberpark Lot 1
Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City

Phone: 757-6500




DELL

Description:

Collaboration. Innovation. A commitment to revolutionary thinking. It’s this dedication to finding unique solutions that has given rise to many of our energy-smart, green initiatives. Sound good so far?

Locations:

27th Floor Tower 2, RCBC Plaza,
6819 Ayala Ave, Corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue,
Makati City, Philippines

Dell Philippines
2nd Floor, 1800 Eastwood Ave. Bldg.
Eastwood City Cyberpark
188E. Rodgriguez Ave.
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
Philippines

Dell Customer Contact Center Makati
27/F Tower 2 RCBC Plaza Tower
Makati City, Philippines

Dell Customer Contact Center Philippines
2/F North Parking Building
SM Mall of Asia Complex
Pasay City, Philippines

Phone: 887-7182