Telecom running a 123 call center trial in Manila

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#111933 20-Feb-2008 20:30

Errrrr, if anything, I'd say these guys have MORE call centre experience than some of the twits they hire in call centres locally. A *lot* of the locals are hired straight out of high school...

At least outsource companies such as TeleTech have been doing it for a long time - and for a lot of different organisations. Remember, they're not just picking up random locals off the streets of the Philipines and giving them a laptop and a headset.

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#112015 21-Feb-2008 09:32

willnz: Errrrr, if anything, I'd say these guys have MORE call centre experience than some of the twits they hire in call centres locally. A *lot* of the locals are hired straight out of high school...

At least outsource companies such as TeleTech have been doing it for a long time - and for a lot of different organisations. Remember, they're not just picking up random locals off the streets of the Philipines and giving them a laptop and a headset.

I didn't say they would have less call center experience and I am not talking about new staff!

( A *lot* of the locals are hired straight out of high school..)

Go back and read the post again. You can't tell me that you cannot tell the difference between someone with 'The Experience', the kind you can't really describe and someone that doesn't have it. Are they going to send experienced Telecom reps overseas so they can support and train these guys and not just for a month, it's an ongoing thing. I don't think so.

And I have to say, is it not better to hire someone straight out of a New Zealand school, train them and hire them, and build New Zealand. I can't think of anything more annoying than the thought that when my son is old enough to start work, he might not get a particular job because someone that's not even in the country got it instead!

Come on, you can't really say you would prefer large organizations to invest overseas than in the Nea Zealand Economy. (hmm let me see, help build NZ's Economy - help build Manila's Economy) I know which I would prefer!

mobygeek

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#112052 21-Feb-2008 11:52

Have you ever read an employment ad for a call centre? They use the most glowing terms, but I wouldn't want to work in one.

(Oh, yeah, I forgot, I'm Australian, I couldn't possibly offer any 'experience' whatsoever, even though I have lived here for over 12 years in total...)

But hey, if a company can't get staff within NZ, they have to do something, don't they...

I might get upset if I can't get sense out of Dealer Support, though!!!!!!

steve98

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#112057 21-Feb-2008 12:15

mobygeek:

(Oh, yeah, I forgot, I'm Australian, I couldn't possibly offer any 'experience' whatsoever, even though I have lived here for over 12 years in total...)

But hey, if a company can't get staff within NZ, they have to do something, don't they...

I don't think there's really any need for that comment about being Australian. Where did that come from?

Also, who says the company can't get staff within NZ - there is no shortage of staff, it's just a cost-saving exercise.

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#112100 21-Feb-2008 16:27

Actually, there *is* a shortage of good call centre staff in NZ.

Most people don't suit the call centre environment, and many that do wouldn't want to work in one anyway.

And there are lots of call centres crying out for staff - therefore putting even more pressure on recruiting enough people.

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#112120 21-Feb-2008 17:52

There is a big difference betwen "call centre staff" and "good call centre staff" just ask any manager.

Then there is the stigma about call centre/helpdesk roles, they are often only considered a "step between" or "foot in the door" by many.
You apply for a technical support role and hear a mention "telephone based" and remember your first telemarketing job when you were 19 and go instantly cold.

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#112161 21-Feb-2008 21:25

paradoxsm: ...remember your first telemarketing job when you were 19

You started late - I was 13!

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#112310 22-Feb-2008 15:27

cokemaster: Could you point out the bit where it states that kiwis would be losing jobs?

Feb 22.2008 Dompost Page A10 "400, 123 call center staff in Hamilton will losse their jobs"

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#112316 22-Feb-2008 15:42

old3eyes:
cokemaster: Could you point out the bit where it states that kiwis would be losing jobs?

Feb 22.2008 Dompost Page A10 "400, 123 call center staff in Hamilton will losse their jobs"

yeah... *if* they move the entire operation there. it's not a given.

Damager

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#112407 23-Feb-2008 01:28

I happen to work in the same building where Telecom 123 are located, and have a few friends employed there also. It seems like its just a dollars and cents thing really i suppose. I mean the purpose of outsourcing, bottom line is to minimise expenses and maxmise profits without hopefully compromising on top quality customer service. From what i understand 40% of calls will be routed to Manila. I read the article only once, so correct me if im wrong, but with the 4 month trial, then there wont be any job losses during this time. If it is a success eg, there hasnt been a huge customer backlash from bad customer service during these 4 months then naturally the number of salaries paid to service these 40% of calls would be waived. Im guessing that these x number of salaries would be better spent on x + many more salaries in manila (im assuming that the average customer service salary in manila is far less than what it is in NZ). That means the equivalent of more calls answered at any given time and less customers waiting too long in the automated queues. 123 is sales driven and the reps there are al encouraged to reach certain targets etc to achieve more in their personal bonuses. From an expenses and profit point of view, outsourcing is perfectly logical.

Customer service itself though? That's a different story altogether. Im sure that the 123 Trainers in Manila will be doing their darndest to ensure there is no loss of quality service eg, full and proper training, call observations and the quality assurance checking etc.

Though, it's easy to get quite cynical about what kind of customer service one would get from someone overseas. Sitting at the lunch table, this was an example of a "scenario"..

Customer: "About bloody time, ive been waiting 25 minutes to get through and got lost talking to that recorded lady.. damn annoying you lot.. anyway.. its jack from dairy number 67843, old main south road, kaukapakapa, wanting to get a new account organised, sorry my spelling isnt the greatest.. kaukapakapa is spelt i think c-o-w-c-o-p-p-e-r-c-o-p-p-e-r..., the council have changed the fire numbers as well in the area so im not sure exactly what the new number is also, but we're 12.5km from the main highway junction"

123: " okay so that c o w c o p p e r... jack do you mind holding please? "

Customer: "yeah no worries mate"

10 minutes later ...

123: " sorry jack, unfortunately i cant find cow-copper-copper.. do you have any other information??"

Customer: "crikey, i nearly hung up after all that, bet you dont know where that is huh.. where abouts are you based??"

then it goes downhill from here.. lol

okay its a very cynical view, but to be honest, its not entirely unrealistic as well.

Again, from a strictly dollars and cents point of view.. it makes perfect sense.. from a customer point of view and customer service points of view... will the current level of service be maintained? Im not entirely convinced. Having been involved in customer service for 12 years with various government departments it's interesting to follow.

my 2 cents worth :)

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#112436 23-Feb-2008 09:53

Damager:
Customer: "About bloody time, ive been waiting 25 minutes to get through and got lost talking to that recorded lady.. damn annoying you lot.. anyway.. its jack from dairy number 67843, old main south road, kaukapakapa, wanting to get a new account organised, sorry my spelling isnt the greatest.. kaukapakapa is spelt i think c-o-w-c-o-p-p-e-r-c-o-p-p-e-r..., the council have changed the fire numbers as well in the area so im not sure exactly what the new number is also, but we're 12.5km from the main highway junction"

123: " okay so that c o w c o p p e r... jack do you mind holding please? "

I'm a 'New Zealander' and if I was presented with that, I wouldn't be able to get the right spelling for that. Unless I had a list of places which could be searched by letters or common misspelling....

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#112438 23-Feb-2008 10:06

My mother, who knows everything and will just tell you to shut up if she thinks you're wrong (!!!), reckons when she worked in a call centre in Sydney, they had to look up the weather and news for the other areas (eg Perth) so she appeared to be there...

Hey, the world is at your fingertips when you have internet...

So, our friends from the philipines will have a good grasp of english, be polite, have good ethics, maybe, eg not lie, and probably be well educated. (That's a whole new topic for that country - you have to pass preschool to get to the next level...)

So, will they have a good wage by their country's standards? (The happier they are the better the service?)

I would like to think the workers weren't being ripped off.

bender

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#112464 23-Feb-2008 12:40

I really don't see the problem if Telecom want to outsource their call centre. Provided the outsourced call centre can provide the level of service that customers need, I don't think it matters. Having dealt with other call centres in Manila before (Cisco, Linksys etc) they're perfectly fine, and if anything they have better English than the majority of the idiots I deal with in call centres here.

So some jobs are lost, that's called competition - Telecom have a responsibility to their shareholders to deliver the best results they can, if it means they need to cut call centre costs, good on them. Telecom's responsibility as a company is not to keep unskilled staff who demand a high wage employed. If the call centre staff here don't like it, then offer yourselves at a lower wage rate to Telecom, or retrain and find another job.

Damager

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#112469 23-Feb-2008 13:01

cokemaster:
Damager:
Customer: "About bloody time, ive been waiting 25 minutes to get through and got lost talking to that recorded lady.. damn annoying you lot.. anyway.. its jack from dairy number 67843, old main south road, kaukapakapa, wanting to get a new account organised, sorry my spelling isnt the greatest.. kaukapakapa is spelt i think c-o-w-c-o-p-p-e-r-c-o-p-p-e-r..., the council have changed the fire numbers as well in the area so im not sure exactly what the new number is also, but we're 12.5km from the main highway junction"

123: " okay so that c o w c o p p e r... jack do you mind holding please? "

I'm a 'New Zealander' and if I was presented with that, I wouldn't be able to get the right spelling for that. Unless I had a list of places which could be searched by letters or common misspelling....

and that's my point .. a rep with the new zealand experience would instinctively know that perhaps there is no cowcoppercopper but that the "cow".. could actually be a "kau",. and make and from there you make quick inroads into the customer's query... customer service is about interpreting the customer's needs in a professional and timely fashion. customer service worldwide is generic but broad experience with own place names, culture etc makes the customer's experience a much better one.

Good Luck 123! :)

Just found out one of my mates from 123 is in Manila training, ill hit her up when she returns :)

steve98

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#112560 23-Feb-2008 21:45

bender: ...better English than the majority of the idiots I deal with in call centres here.

That's a bit unnecessary.

If the call centre staff here don't like it, then offer yourselves at a lower wage rate to Telecom, or retrain and find another job.

Of course they don't like it - they are facing the possibility of losing their jobs. You're acting like they've only got themselves to blame, because they take home a rate of pay that is more than someone in Manila would get. Do you really think individual call centre staff get to "offer" their rate of pay? And do you really think they could afford to live in New Zealand on the same rate of pay as Manila?

Unfortunately this is modern business and economics, but don't blame the people who get caught in the crossfire.

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