I have transferred offices,oh make that Call Centers and I've been a trainee for two months now.
What subject matter are we focusing so much in? Customer Service and the Service Mentality that one has to psyche himself in.It is a basic tool,not a gift, a person who wants to work in the Call Center or Service industry,most especially those who want to join the bandwagon of saying,"I'm a Call Center Representative ,Call Center Agent,or a Customer Service Specialist or what title there is,needs to equip and set his mind on.
What is Customer Service?
It is what the client says it is.
It is how you make an impact on what you did for a customer or basically being responsible with a task assuring quality service to a customer. Bottom line is,amidst the different markets and niches that companies and corporations are in now, quality customer service is the sole ingredient of attracting and retainig customers. It sets one apart from the rest.It is not the low prices as a factor for competition,or the quality of the product ,but how the company representative served the client, good or bad,face to face or on the phone. Yeah, that got me thinking that as a CCS for that matter,I am the frontliner of the company.It is a make or break for the company I work in if I answer the phone sounding boring or with enthusiasm But for the newbies ,what really is the life in this industry....
Let's start from the very begginning...(sounds a familiar tune)
APPLICATION PROCESS
How does one get into the industry?
With advertisements everywhere,from the newspapers to the tarpaulins along EDSA,one best way and most common to recruit through employee refferral, Some big time ,pioneer centers offer as high as P150k for a managerial position .Call it friend to friend pirating with a bonus you both negotiate with...Going back,I remember during the job fair,I ran through a series of exam: Abstract Reasoning,Subject Verb Agreement,Reading Comprehensions,Paragraph Reading,Computer Technical Skills and Identifyng the Icons on a desktop..Don't worry no more essay writing. What's more important is how you will answer the questions during the initial and final interview.Some call centers would even record your voice.They try to listen if you have a neutral accent, not really American sounding but an accent that can be understood and no provincial slips .
What's so interesting in answering the interview questions?
They will be asking why you to expound on what is written in your resume, So one tip would be to have a concise,updated and very precise curriculum vitae. Just put bullet points on the highlights of your career. Basic question is"How do you want me to call you?"No they are not asking for your phone number ,landline or cellphone,but they are asking for your name.And don't say that when they ask you about how did you get your name,"it was given by my parents"or "my friends called me that".This question is not just a test on how creative you can be but how conversational you can get down to the smallest topic.Point is,let's get you talking!
Next stop why did you choose to work for their center? Most would answer "because I want to be part of the booming industry". I'm not really sure if it pertains to the trend or the "growing" industry or they just want to use that phrase.Just be part of the growth.Then utter some gorgeous word of mouth about the company plus your career growth and plans. At least you have a goal and you are focused even before you applied in their company. It's not really hard selling yourself but you indeed is confident,competent and self -reliant!
If a interviewer asks you "how can you get to our office from your house?" most people answer step by step,as in literally with steps. "I step out of the house,walk to the first block ,then step on a bus,step down the bus,walk to the building and wait for my turn"..Best answer would just be about what mode of transportation you take to get in here and how long the travel time would be. No more specifications on your itineraries but to them, travel time means how reliable you could be at times.
Then they will ask you if you are okay with graveyard shifts,working during holidays,not the usual weekend dayoffs. Many would answer "I'm okay with that" but no plans of continuing or not so aware how safe they would be able to travel. My God,t hink of the people from Laguna who would die to work fo a call center in Novaliches.Talk about a 3 am shift and sleeping at the office instead or the travel time and hazard pay .Talk about the determination.Whoo!
But the best part is when they tell you to count from one to twenty..Tip:try not to sound like the Count in Sesame Street but count like how the American kids in that show sounds.Or try this in it's simplest form,one that I could simplify for you..Pardon me,but this does not even comes close to phonetics.
CONTRACT SIGNING
Once you are scheduled for a contract signing ,well congratulations dude you have passed the initial screening process. I say initial screening because remember your stability in the Call Center is very much different from the government and other private offices in the country.This work has a high attrition rate up to 8%.Meanin g in every month,they would allow people to resign than terminate .And worst,if your center does not have accounts where they can deploy you,there's a thin chance of being redeployed or redirected.In laymen terms,transfer you to other accounts.
Anyways,when signing the contract,which they will not allow you to bring home and read with family,make sure you understood it well or if you are still in doubt,return the next day.see how much is basic salary plus all the incentives.Look deeper if you will be regularized if after being in probationary period.Also read between the lines.See if you have to pay a bond or how much you have to pay if you will leave the company.some centers still have that though.
Most trainings start with the Accent neutralization training,It aims to debunk all the things our teachers taught usremember when ee means to produce the long e sound?Well,it's not what we really think.Some words even with the "ee"still sounds as "e" or "i" as been against bean and so on.They will teach you the American English and other filipinisms that when used with Americans,the latter won't be able to understand.for example,"please buy me a softdrink" The americans would say ,"please buy me a soda."
They will also tackle American geography,culture and traditions.No ,they are not making you Americans but they will just make you aware of how the American ways are so that when you hit the floor,production,take in calls,when the callers begin their small talks,you would be able to respond appropriately. Speaking of which,some call centers would say to their customers they are located in the Philippines while others do not.It depends on the confidentiality of the account.Tip is,braze yourselves for racism....
From the words itself,this simply means that you have passsed the accent training,you now sound neutral and can be understood by a caller on the other line,so now welcome to the client's account.For example ,if your account is for an airline,then you will be trained for all the jargons,softwares and systems used by that particular department of the airline.It will prepare you for the answers on every call during your "nesting" or some call it "laboratory" period.but be reminded that this still does not ensure your stay in the company.If during a call,you did not follow a company policy or did not submit to an account procedure,they will warn you and if worst comes to worst,instead of termination,they call it,resignation....
FLOOR:smile,words and attitude
When the phone rings,pick it up the first time you hear that sound.Try not to dread the ringing because that is the bread and butter of the company with ripple effects on you.When a call comes in,your client pays the company and in return, your company pays you.So bear in mind that every call is a dollar or two.Call avoidance,like hanging or dropping the line is a big no no and a ground for termination.
And when you open your mouth and say your greeting,we call it opening spiel,smile.or better yet,smile before you answer the call.In this industry,our VOICE is the tool we will mostly need.Take care of your voice and everything follows.Not that you have to sound good as deejays,but you have to sound friendly and professional.It taking a business call as a representative of the client for the company and helping the customer with your "personal touch" so to speak.Point is, be in the middle and be too extreme close to being too nosy .Americans consider age,sex,religion and personal life as taboo.Gee,I hope filipinos would carry on that trait so no nonsense chats develops.
Nothing beats carrying a positive attitude.It is how you choose to react on a particular situation.Always remember that you must not be affected by every call.Try not to take it personally.Be calm and stay cool.The callers don't know anything about you and there's a fat chance you'd be able to see them!Let them vent ,let them shout at you and when they're done,that's your turn top talk to them logically.Remember that an irate caller or angry one is not really mad at you but because of the situation.Your goal is to provide solution to the problem.Tell them what you can do.Afterall, the customers called expecting your help and a resolution. Remember once you are on the floor taking in calls,and even in real life,try to rephrase these statements or better yet avoid saying sorry,i do not know,wait a minute,no.Never say I don't know or the caller will start cursing you for wasting their precious time.Saying "You need to is better than letting them do or have them do things.Wait a minute takes forever for you searching but on the other line,a minute is equivalent to sleep. And saying NO is not acceptable everywhere.Remember even when dealing with children never say no or stop.This is a blunt excuse of us explaining and giving other possibilities.And try to think of someone telling you these phrases face to face it. It's a lot of rejection and negative vibes if you hear these. And it leaves a mark that you are not knowledgeable and credible at all. Always be confident and competent yet courteous.
Choose your words,listen not just hear and solve the issue why the customer called you-that is doing service with quality!
Then welcome to the industry of the GLOBAL PINOY.
Ready to conquer the world with the accent and a helping hand.
