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, think 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.

One=Wan

Two=Tuu

Three (enunciate the soft th)

Four=For

Five=Fayv (vibrate the v)

Six=do not replace the "i" for an "e" or else you'd end up at the MTRCB

Seven (remember to vibrate the v)

Eight=eyt,you know as if you're saying I just ate.

Nine=nayn

Ten= again,try not to replace the "e" for an "i"

Eleven=vibrate it

Twelve=vibrate it more

(for 13-19,teen as teeeeen and stress on this second syllable)

Thirteen=soft "th" again and a stress on "teen" with a lonng eeeeee

Fourteen=produce the "f" and "teen"

Fifteen=produce the "f" and stress on the "teen"

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

and the key factor to pass counting

Twenty as in tweny,tweniii

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.