You Have A Problem? Dial Customer Service Hotline Number

By Roberto Bacasong
Company Writer
Call Center in the Philippines
Unique Interaction

TODAY, the simple and effective way of solving problems of the customers is through telephoning system. People are now aware of the importance of a particular customer service hotline number. If you have complained about defective products, the best way to approach is to call the customer hotline number and get connected with the friendly customer service representative.

The hotline number is a toll free and operates 24 hours to allow clients access it anytime. Because of the demand of customer service, outsourcing companies depend mostly on their clients. They can't live without their clients. They can't survive from the competition without the support of their customers. If you purchase a product online, or prefer to update your billings such as your credit cards, cable television, and other support services, dialing the customer service airing your concerns are the meaningful step to do.

The American consumers are very vocal in complaining if they found out they purchased defective products. They pissed because they bought the product and paid huge amount of dollars but in return the products failed to meet their expectations. This is the reason why a lot of customer service representatives are receiving American callers handling different concerns, and almost 90 percent of these customers are irate. Off-shoring business through the lucrative BPO (business process outsourcing) provides highly affordable services. The high rate in the United States prompted international investors to prefer off-shoring their company in different country.

The Philippines is the preferred target of the investors because of the viable facilities with talented pool of people to cater the concerns of the customers. The ability of every Filipino to blend with the angry customers received recommendable approval from the investors.

Training to speak like American way is not a problem. Filipinos can speak English fluently. English is the first language in the country and preferred to be as priority language in every school institutions in the Philippines. A call center in the Philippines provides the best in the world of outsourcing. The agents are trained on handling friendly and difficult customers anytime.

As a client, they'll experience the treatment they want. Their concerned is always put on priority list no matter what happen. Customers from all walks of life value the importance of a contact center because it gives them the opportunity to be heard right away. Even in a very simple case to case problem, Filipino agents are polite, courteous and know how to empathize with their customer they encountered.

Talking and giving feedback to every customer is no joke. This is a job which the agents must equip with values and respect to his or her customer. In the span of few years, the outsourcing industry in the Philippines is now fast developing with billions of pesos revenue contributed to the country's revenue. The supports from the Philippine government also help the investors and contact center companies expand their businesses in the country. The growth of the customer service is attributed to wonderful use of advanced technology, the agents, and the strong guidance from the government agencies.

The next time you have a problem. Get your telephone and dial the hotline numbers of a certain company and let your information be heard and given fair solution. Customer service oriented people are reachable anytime with no hassle and waste of time.*

Call Center 101 - How To Be Effective Telemarketers

By Roberto Bacasong
Company Writer
Call Center in the Philippines
Unique Interaction

The success of your outbound company will not only depend in your customers, but a great portion of it will depend on how effective your telemarketers in selling and promoting your business.

The company is weak if your agents are incompetent in handling their customers. At the end of the day, there's no potential sales reach by your agents this may lead to the termination of your account. There's lot of outbound companies survived from strong competition despite the ups and downs of the business.

Outbound call center companies should provide proper training to their hired applicants. Products knowledge is very important in helping your trainees evaluate their skills. Since telemarketers are entirely depending on the script, you need to make a script which is very reliable including active rebuttals which allow your agents to reply with their customers immediately.

If you'd been working in call center both inbound and outbound, you then have the potentials because you have substantial idea about the ins and outs of the industry. You have the edge from the other applicants because you can speak fluently with good intonation, accent, and sentence construction.

As a telemarketer, you need to be polite with your customers. Try to deliver your sweetest "hi" and "hello" as part of your delightful opening pitch. Get their attention with your strong communication skills combined with respectful intonation. In talking to your customers, be sure to introduce yourself first and address them in their first name or last name and not calling them "sir" or "ma'am."

Proper timing is necessary in building rapport with your customers. It is unpleasant to hear that your agents are hunger to get sales during their shift. Their performance depend mostly on how effective are they in promoting the products of your company. If they failed to get sales within a week, contact centers usually end their terms of service.

However, we need to acknowledge that the goal of the outbound which is synonymous to telemarketing is not only selling the value of their product. Contact center companies offering outbound should see to it that they have great line qualities, equipment, and good leads all the time. No matter they've got the best agents but the operation will be affected due to the poor communication barrier.

The agents should know how to explain to their customers on the benefits of the products their customers are going to avail. Avoid giving them false information because it will lead to serious dilemma and affects the welfare of your company. No more customers will listen to your agents if this horrible negative information will not be resolved right away.

Explain to your customers that they're going to enjoy the products they'll purchase from your company. If your company is offering vacation package, tell your customers nicely that exploring the paradise in Caribbean regions, Paris, Las Vegas, Mexico and other destinations are the best in the world. People born to be a marketer enjoy the privilege that they receive from working in a call center.

Meanwhile, not all customers will like the package you offer. Sometimes despite you give your best foot forward in convincing your customers, they're bit apprehensive, as they need to consult their wife or husband for the approval. If the scenario goes like this, you may approach your customers if when would be the best time for you to call back. As an agent, you need to listen very carefully while your customers are talking to you.

Active listening is very important in a telephoning technology. The common problem of the agents is their failure to listen to the welfare of their customers. Be sensitive enough in dealing with your customers all the time. If they declined your call, you can still wait for the next row of your customers. Don't throw invective words and berate your customers if they refused to receive your service. Always maintain your politeness by saying "Thank you for taking my call", and also, you can include "have nice day!"

Further, don't forget to smile and exercise your energetic voice because a lot of customers out there are waiting for you. You need to be positive all the time in achieving your goal. Avoid slacking off, instead try to handle your customers as if you're just talking with them in a face to face basis.*

Outbound Outsourcing In The Philippines

By Roberto Bacasong
Company Writer
Call Center in the Philippines
Unique Interaction

Aside from inbound call center, the best effective way of promoting your product on the phone is using the technology of outbound call center, which is widely operational in the Philippines outsourcing industry. Outbound calling may refers to phone calls made by a contact center company to a specified list of contacts. This dimensional telephoning system is commonly used in selling, telemarketing, and other wonderful benefits using the state-of-the-art technology.

In the Philippines BPO (business process outsourcing) sectors, contact center companies are offering outbound services to help people across the world choosing the best products in the convenient and easiest way without hassle. How is this usually done? Some homeowners as far as the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada are receiving unexpected calls wondering how their home phone numbers included to a certain contact list of the telemarketing companies.

Basically, your number usually included in the list once it was placed to numerous phone directories. Numerous phone books are generated by the telemarketing companies getting the names of the possible customers. There are also called Internet-based phone directories in which contains private numbers of the customers. And also, some customers provide their phone numbers on a subscription form or mail order coupon, which in return their number is classified as future leads.

Telemarketing is the fastest technology offering online services to the customers. The trained and qualified outbound agents are responsible for convincing the customers to purchase the products. Usually if the customers are interested to the offer, the conversation will be intimately sealed to a deal, which is referred as legitimate sale. Outbound agents are offering different types of services such as travel package, mobile phones, mortgage, medical assistance, financial processing, home securities, and a lot more.

The persons hired as agents are placed in cocoon training for a week, or maybe a month before they deployed to take calls. Selling on the phone requires magical effort. Oftentimes, homeowners are pissed off because they are not interested in the products they offered to them. However, effective rebuttals and conversationalist agents got the customers positive thumbs up sign.

According to Kristine Yvette Jocson, team leader of an outbound Australian mortgage account disclosed that language barrier is the common problem why the customers are not interested in purchasing the products.

The 20-year-old Jocson is one of the top sellers in their account before she was promoted for the position. "Communications skills of the agents are very important in getting the interest of the customers. Many potential customers turned down the offer because they have a hard time understanding the accents of the agents." In order to achieve our target, we explain to the customers about the benefits of our product which are not offered in their current mortgage. We help them (customers) understand that our mortgage is much better compared to their current one, Ms. Jocson. She further said that they respect the welfare of the customers once they are not interested in the product they offered.

Aside from the basic salary, the agents are receiving spiffs if the agents got the first sale from the start of the shift. Bigger commissions which are sometimes higher to their basic pay are the most beneficial things offered to the agents. Some companies provide freebies and awards by recognizing the best telemarketers in a monthly basis.

Meanwhile, largest contact centers prefer to employ Filipino telemarketers because of their etiquette and good accent in dealing with the customers. To date, thousands of outbound call centers transformed this industry into cost-saving promotional sales using telephoning communication. Filipino agents are the best customer service in the world because of their multi-cultural background from the past.*

Call Center 101 - How To Get Hired Immediately

By Roberto L. Bacasong,
Company writer for Call Center Philippines Unique Interaction

IT'S nice to work in a highly regulated company like call center. Discovering the world of call center is interesting because you get to learn maintaining your stamina in talking to customers over the phone for at least 8 hours. Call Center 101 will help you understands the real picture of call center works. This article will provide informative insights of what is really happening inside the call center industry.

For those people who have interest in working to call center must know first some helpful guidelines. When you're looking for a job, yuppie workers preferred the call center it offers a high paying job. This is true because majority of contact centers operating in the Philippines offers competitive salary and benefits to thousands of their employees. The attractive package compelled new graduates or professional workers to apply and leave their current job to shift for a new career.

Call Center 101 will help the applicants passing the interview with flying colors and get the job in just a day. The first stage is usually the interview process. This is a fundamental and standard operating procedure which every applicant should undergo. Every call center in the Philippines has very keen human resource officers responsible for screening all the applicants in the initial interview. When the HRO is conducting an interview, you as applicant should answer the questions directly. Since your goal is to flawlessly get the job, you need to speak fluently as you can. You don't need to slang your intonation and diction which hampers you to speak thoroughly. The applicants must need to have focus and concentrations and listen very carefully to the questions being asked from you. Say anything you want to say provided your response is related to the main topic asked by the interviewee. Most o the applicants failed to make it in the initial interview because they are intimidated and nervous when the HR started asking questions on them. If you maintain your coolness and appearance, no doubt you'll move on to the next stage which is examination.

After the initial interview, the successful passers will proceed directly to take a written examination. The examinations mainly focused on vocabulary, English grammar, little of math, and computer test. If you have a scheduled interview, you need to review or better buy a grammar book catering English subject. This is very important because the applicants must pass the test before moving again to the next level. No matter how intelligent we are, it's better that somehow we need to be prepared all the time.

If you pass the exam, there are call center companies that the applicants should undergo call simulation. In call simulation, the applicants must answer the call from the company's representative and carefully listen and address the concerns of the caller. This stage is crucial, if you make it to the first and second stage of the exam, you should try your best to pass the call simulation test, otherwise, your application will not endorse to the final stage. Basically, in call simulation the caller will provide a situation and test your ability in giving quick and substantial tips in solving the situation. The applicants should observe courtesy, politeness and courteous like talking to the real customers. Always make sure to empathize with your customers no matter how angry they are. When the customers are irate, don't shout at them. Listen to every detail because they are looking for someone who will understand them. And also, learn from your friends. I'm sure you have couple of friends working in call center.

After the tough stage, your application having good remarks will be endorsed to the final interview in which a couple of managers will grill and test your ability. This stage is considered a near hire process, however, be aware of the words you replied to the interviewers. Show your willingness and your desire that you are the best candidate which the company should employ. In addition, don't be surprised if you found out that these managers are around your age bracket. In call center, every employee has future and promising career. These people are promoted because their skills are exceptional and their performances are amazing. In the final stage, usually the managers are going to ask you about little information about yourself, and they're going to test your speaking ability.

When you pass the hiring process, you are going to sign a contract and definitely scheduled for training. The training usually involves Basic English and product training in which the hired agents will learn the background of a particular account. Learning all these pieces of information help you stay in this industry. Sooner or later, you found yourself in the list of the supervisors or managers because of your outstanding performance in handling the customers.

Learning the Call Center 101 is the best way for you to get hired easily. Always put your best foot forward in achieving your goal in life. Help yourself move on to the supervisory level by avoid slacking off the floor.*

Negros doctors take nursing courses to go abroad

Good day! I have a previous article about doctors who are now taking nursing course because the demand of nurses abroad. This is a sad news, however, we have nothing to do with it. Doctors want the best for their families....

Negros doctors take nursing courses to go abroad
By Robert Leonoras
BusinessWorld
March 13, 2004

BACOLOD CITY -- Almost 400 doctors here have been taking up nursing courses in the hope of landing jobs overseas.

Negros Occidental Provincial Health officer Luisa Efren said 33 would graduate this year. She estimated that 76% of the 380 doctors taking up nursing courses were employed by the government.

"This is a great loss for our public health system," she said.

Government health workers in Negros have demanded 100% salary increases to prevent them from seeking better-paying jobs overseas. Government doctors receive an average of PhP15,000 a month while nurses get between PhP6,000 and PhP7,000 a month.

To mitigate the impact of a brain drain among public health workers, the Negros Occidental provincial government will launch the Negros Occidental Provincial Medical and Nursing Scholarship (NOPMaNS).

Ms. Efren said the program would provide opportunities for the Negrense youth to acquire free tertiary education in the fields of medicine and nursing.

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Default Re: Negros doctors...
A similar article was also published in another local newspaper here in Bacolod. On Sunday, March 14, 2004...will be graduation day here at West Negros College. MDs who will graduate from Nursing course are not only from Bacolod City & neighboring towns/cities, but also from Dumaguete & Iloilo Cities. Those who will graduate on Sunday belong to the 2nd & 3rd batches of MDs & allied Medical professionals (dentists, physical therapists, pharmacists, med techs), plus the 1st batch of 2nd coursers (graduates of Commerce, Engr'ng, computer science, etc.). I think there will be about 207 of us who will be graduating on Sunday (basing on the temporary list posted in school).

It's sad that it's only now that a demand for salary increase for gov't doctors is being proposed to the President. They should've done this years ago! I've been a gov't physician for almost 10 years already and as far as I can remember, there was an increase in salary only once....the other increases I got every 3 years (step increment) was just a little more than 100 pesos each time. But the increase in gasoline & other commodities are becoming more frequent. I know that gov't doctors are becoming scarce. One reason in our case at the Bacolod City Health is this: Last year (2003), 9 Medical Officers retired....therefore, lots of health centers didn't have doctors....but the city gov't only hired 4! How then can we cope w/ the workload? And now, the banning for hiring is coming....so I guess the vacancies will be filled up after the election yet! So now, the existing Medical Officers have to cover for the health centers vacated by the retirees....I know that as MDs, one has to serve unselfishly! But sometimes, one has to consider that in order to be efficient, one has to take care of oneself & I just pray that we won't get to the point of being "burned out"!

March 14, 2004....I will finally graduate from Nursing course! I'm excited, but I'm also apprehensive....will this change in career really give me the same satisfaction & elation I get every time I hear the baby's cry when I deliver this tiny being into this crazy world of ours? Oh well...I can't say for now! So, abangan ang susunod na kabanata....
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Old Mar 13, 2004, 11:20 AM

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Default Re: Negros doctors...
Joy,

Congratulations. After reading your post, I had the same mixed feelings that you probably have. Happy that you are graduating and sad at the same time why you have to go through this. The same sentiments go to the others. The same sentiments I had for myself years ago.

It's a tough choice that some of us have to make, albeit reluctantly. We get bad presses for it. But you know what, that's why we don't write editorials for the Inquirer, because we have a lot more choices than they have and it's our choice to make.

Good luck.

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Default Re: Negros doctors...
It is really sad that even security guards working for the GSIS are payed more than a government doctor. I am not looking down on security guards but just exactly how many years of studying do you need in order to become a security guard? I was once a government doctor and at least during my time it was comforting to know that I was payed more than a security guard For those doctors who made the decision to take up nursing for employment abroad I say "more power to you all."

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Old Mar 23, 2004, 12:20 PM

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Default Re: Negros doctors...
Last Sunday afternoon, while I was in school waiting for our Disaster Management training to start, I was surprised to see a camera-man & a reporter from the GMA channel. I asked my Nursing classmates what's going on & I was told that these people were in school to interview MDs who took up Nursing. So far, I know of 2 MDs that they had already interviewed & one of them is my classmate who is currently a resident physician in a gov't hospital. I was told that the interview will be shown in the Jessica Soho show. I don't know when that will be aired but I'm curious as to what they will be portraying in that show.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was in Bacolod just recently & according to some friends, she was asked for any comment about Filipino doctors all over the country taking up Nursing in order to land a job abroad. I was told that she said, she couldn't do anything about it coz even one of her nieces or nephews who was taking up Medicine also stopped schooling & took up Nursing instead. I'm not really sure if this is accurate coz I'm just quoting a friend who heard about the interview. I think the one who asked the President was expecting an answer that has something to do with the salary increase the gov't doctors are petitioning for. But basing on the President's comment, I guess a salary increase for gov't doctors seems to be doomed

BBC and CNN Comments

Hello guys,

I am posting some of the comments I posted on World Have Your Say managed by Ros Atkins
and CNN Political Tickler

Life in Burma


* Ros Atkins
* 22 Aug 07, 05:45 PM

I've just added all of you who asked to be added to the Daily Email list while I was away. So thanks for your patience while I sorted that. A special hello to Uzondu in Monrovia who's just signed up and who runs an Internet center where he plays WHYS on the radio, forcing his customers to listen. There's really no excuse for not posting on the blog if you're there.

We're a one subject programme today....

I can't recall us ever talking about Burma (or Myanmar as lots of you will call it) on WHYS and we've decided to give over the whole show to trying to understand what life is like there. We've been prompted by the authorities' crackdown on people protesting at a sharp hike in fuel prices.

If you have a question or comment about Burma please post it here. We'll have a wide range of guests ready to respond. I know a lot of them want to talk about what the relationship between Burma and the rest of the world, but we're also going to make sure that we get as detailed a description of what life is like there.

Speak to you later.

This is my published comment:

* 33.
* At 09:40 PM on 22 Aug 2007,
* Roberto Bacasong from Manila wrote:

Hi Ros,

First of all, I would like to thank you first for adding me to your list. I am flattered that I am maybe the first from the Philippines who made into your list. The situation in Burma is similar to the Philippines. Many Burmese suffer from too much political bickering and it is also happening in my country. If Burmese wants to get rid those dictator officials like what the Filipino did through the first People Power Revoulution in 1986, which became the most significant event in the Philippine history, then they should start to do it before its too late. Burma and the Philippines belong to the third world. The development in these countries are slowly compared to the other neighboring Asian countries. I just hope that political leaders should continue to serve their people and those corrupt officials be punished!

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*********

Here's another one:

Should we talk about the 9/11 conspiracies?

* Ros Atkins
* 27 Jul 07, 02:53 PM

I was reading the BBC editors blog the other day and this post stuck out . They normally get tens of comments after each post, and this one has over 400. It's about the way the BBC covered 9/11 and the collapse of WTC7.

I'm in two minds about whether we should talk about it on WHYS....

On the one side we can be pretty sure it'd get a big response. So is that reason enough to do it? On the flip side, some would argue we're being persuaded by a very vocal minority.

I think conspiracy theories start becoming legitimate points of discussion when they can so much currency that they have a real impact on what people think about an event and those involved in it. I don't know if that's true in the case of 9/11 but my hunch that is what's happened.

Anyway, have a read. Let us know if you'd like to hear this on WHYS.



My published comment:


* 68.
* At 11:34 PM on 27 Aug 2007,
* Roberto Bacasong, Manila, Philippines wrote:

Hi Ros,

I am reading your topic about 9/11, it actually a pain to my heart everytime I remember that. I was actually a college student when that tragedy happened. I focused on the updates and reports if how many people killed and if how many people wounded. Those innocent people suffered from the violence perpetrated by the terrorist group allegedly led by Osama Bin Laden. The tragedy brought unwanted heroes for the nation, too. I admired how American and other cultural raises all over the world united together paying respect to the dead people. In the Philippines, political leaders condoled those who victimized by the abusive terrorist group especially there are innocent Filipinos who were also killed.

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*************

CNN Political Tickler


August 17, 2007
Gays jab at Giuliani over mayoral record

Watch CNN's Jeanne Moos report on Giuliani's latest "endorsement."

WASHINGTON (CNN) – It may not be an endorsement Rudy Giuliani will embrace with open arms as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination.

"Gays for Giuliani," a satirical organization aiming to highlight the New York Republican's support of gay rights when he was mayor, is the creator of a popular YouTube video that features testimonials from gay New Yorkers on why they "support" the former mayor's White House bid.

"If Rudy Giuliani were here right now I'd want to take his hand and thank him for supporting civil unions because without that I wouldn't have a domestic partner right now," a man says in the video.

"I'm also grateful for domestic partnership plan he implemented in the city cause I've had no less than 5 domestic partners," another man says.

Ryan Davis, a gay New York City theater director and the creator of "Gays for Giuliani," told CNN he wants to highlight, in Davis' view, how Giuliani has backtracked on gay issues.

"He's completely done a 180 on his beliefs," Davis told CNN. "I'm just trying to remind people, hey this is the guy I knew when he was my mayor in NY."

"I would be hard pressed to think of any conservative politician who embraces the gay community like Giuliani does," he added. "I don't know how he can connect that with new persona as friend of the Christian Right."

Giuliani has said he is opposed to same-sex marriage, but supports domestic partnerships and legal benefits for same-sex couples.

Filed under Rudy Giuliani
Posted 8/17/2007 02:59:57 PM | Permalink
73 Comments comment | Add a comment



I believe that LGBT should also live with equal rights. We are here to live and helping the nation to progress. Any LGBT who plans of entering into politics should not be restricted. In the Philippines, we have gay people who were occupying seats in the government. Instead, we question their sexuality we focus on their capacity and skills in handling any position in the government.
Posted By Roberto Bacasong, Manila, Philippines : August 17, 2007 5:33 pm

Away From Home

I felt sad today. Maybe this is something about my family. I'm away from home for couple of months now. Nostalgia. Yes, honestly, I can't focus writing the topics from the clients of Omnisite Builder. Being the eldest entails a lot of responsibilities. I don't have the chance to enjoy my salary because I sent it to my mom for the expenses. In addition, I did not regret it because I want to help them as long as I can.
My mom is clamoring because our house, which was gutten down by fire a couple of years ago was not reconstructed until today. I sometimes joked that the only way for me to save my family from poverty is going abroad. I actually consider it if the right time comes.

Meanwhile, my half-sister Gemela, is pregnant and presently in Toledo City, Cebu. We only meet once when she had a one day break from her job during the 2005 New Year's celebration. Following that year, and another year, still we have no chance to meet. My youngest half-sister, Mary Grace, went to Bohol to work. I was shocked when I learned from my neighbor that she stopped attending her school. I just sent her the money for her mid-term exam. And after that, she then proceeded to Bohol. Until now, I kept texting to her, to no avail. I wish for the best of my brothers and sisters. Soon I will come home and patch up the things I missed...

God Bless my family...