This is a guest post by Kaylee Megan. She is a business enthusiast who specializes in defining business models, types and strategies. She has a passion for writing and loves to cover topics related to Philippines business outsourcing and the telemarketing industry.
Using call centers in the Philippines has grown to be the leading solution to both foreign businessmen and the national dilemma of unemployment. Discover why this country made it big in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.
America is a powerful country, but that does not mean they are free from grave challenges. The past few years have been highlighted by recessions in the national and the international sphere. The stock market, in fact, the overall economy, stood on quaking ground which toyed with the cost of merchandise and later on the lifestyle of many Americans.
Business owners, above all else, felt the tremor of this instability and sought for answers that could prove effective today…and tomorrow. The strategy most of them applied is the loosening of their centralized operations and transferring responsibilities to third party organizations. Simply put, outsourcing became their primary solution, and the benefits remain so abundant that this practice is still alive today.
The spotlight has since shifted from India to a rising competitor known as the Philippines. From this third-world country came the right assistance that the majority of US companies, and now other international corporations as well – needed.
The Current State
The Philippine based BPO services takes pride in the unprecedented growth of their call center agencies. It has become their leading source of employment and dollar revenues. The high pay of call center agents is a large factor that attracts highs school and college graduates, and people from other professions who seek to earn more money.
The minimum salary they receive is P 12,000 and can increase to P 14,000. Aside from the high pay, agents are showered with numerous benefits. Health insurances and Pag–IBIG loans become accessible upon employment. Call centers promote excellent performance through incentives such as P 2000 – P2500 food and transportation allowance. That is not to mention that employees already enjoy unlimited coffee, free meals, and sometimes, lounges for naps. Appraisals are also effective motivators. Free goods like cellular phones and gift certificates urge employees to beat their personal sales capacity in one sitting. Outsourcing companies are therefore assured that work is stretched to their utmost capacity.
The Philippines remains the top US outsourcing destination. This fact was birthed by a harmony of reasons, and the following are but a handful of them:
- The low cost of Filipino labor entices off-shoring. $200 is equivalent to the minimum monthly salary of a single call center agent. Quality IT infrastructure in the Philippines does not cost as much as it does elsewhere. This means you arrive at the same exemplary results for less, allowing you to do more with your money than you ever have before.
- The proficiency of Filipinos in utilizing the English language to cater to international clients is incomparable. It is safe to say that their training began at their own homes, where English words and jargons are commonly injected in daily conversations. This is further enhanced by its strict application in every educational institution from preschool to college.
In addition, proper grammar and usage is taught and stressed in the whole duration of their schooling. You may be wondering why eloquence in the English language is given such weight. Nearly every workplace in the country uses English as the main medium of communication. Call center agencies are therefore not lacking in applicants, and capable applicants at that. Because of their proficiency, their training is less focused on improvements in their diction (they’re already good at it) and more on the product they have to endorse and the technology they have to use in the workplace.
- The aid call center agencies receive from the national government makes Philippine outsourcing easier. The Arroyo administration granted scholarships to near applicants in order for them to acquire vocational-technical training in the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The number of agencies opening in the Philippines is still escalating, as well as the aspiring call center agents and the demand for Philippine outsourcing. This is an industry that is bound to outshine many sections and claim a title in the world of BPO.
