Pinoy Call Center Agents Jobs Blog

Convergys Corporation, a global leader in relationship management, said its operations will continue to grow significantly in the country as clients specifically ask for Philippine-based customer service support. The company reported that local operations in 12 sites across the country now handle as much as 188,000 inbound calls daily.

Aside from inbound calls, Convergys serves international clients in industries such as financial services, collections, retail, healthcare, and telecommunications through web chats and email.

“It is clear by our continued growth in the country that Convergys employees in the Philippines share our steadfast commitment to provide our clients with the highest level of customer service in the industry,” said Jeff Fox, Convergys Corporation president and CEO.

Fox was in Manila recently to join senior Convergys officials in welcoming President Benigno Aquino III to its twelfth center in San Lazaro. The latest facility covers 139,000 square feet and holds approximately 2,400 employees.

Convergys is now the country’s largest private employer with over 21,000 employees in 12 sites nationwide. This year, the company was inducted into the PEZA’s Hall of Fame for having won the Outstanding Employer and Outstanding Exporter awards three times in each category. Earlier, Convergys won “BPO Company of the Year” at the 2010 International ICT Awards ceremony.

Fox also came to visit the recently launched Global Command Center in the Philippines. The state-of-the-art facility is one of three such sites for the global company. The first is located in its home base of Cincinnati, Ohio while another is in Gargaon, India.

The command center strengthens Convergys’ capacity to monitor and manage the huge call volumes coming into its contact centers and through its communications network around the world. The command center uses advanced proprietary technology to route calls with spare capacity among different locations in the Philippines and in its other global facilities.

Convergys has made significant advances in technology development to improve its information management and customer management business. The company now holds 229 patents or patents pending for advanced technology in customer management and information management. It recently earned two patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The first patent this year was for the creation of extensibility architecture that assists in the development of software programs for clients.

In the news:  Outsourcing firm Aegis PeopleSupport (Philippines), Inc. wants to hire an additional 1,200 employees as the company continues to expand operations in the country.  The outsourcing company also wants to tap the domestic market to make use of its facilities during daytime.

Revenues of PeopleSupport are expected to be at par with the industry benchmark of about a 20% increase for the year with more clients from the United States, the firm’s top executive said.

“Given the world economic environment and how fluid it is right now, I think we still remain to be bullish with the business. We are gearing for expansion,” Rainerio M. Borja, president of Aegis PeopleSupport, said in an interview.

Aegis PeopleSupport already occupies two floors at the Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas, noted Liza C. Lamzon, assistant vice-president for strategic programs. “We will exercise the intent to take an additional three floors,” she added.

Mr. Borja said the office configuration was about 350 to 400 seats per floor, which will increase manpower by as much as 1,200.

He said the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry thrives in economic ups and downs as foreign companies continuously look for more economical ways to do business.

Aegis PeopleSupport has three thrusts under its growth programs: organic growth through more clients, acquisition, and domestic market expansion. The domestic program has shown good performance, executives said.

“We just started the domestic business recently and we registered significant growth … the domestic business has proven to be a viable growth engine for us,” Mr. Borja said.

Securing local clients is expected to increase the efficiency of the outsourcing firm, he added.

Mr. Borja said the company uses 100% of facilities at night, the peak period for call centers, but not at daytime.

The outsourcing firm can also expand operations in non-real time, non-voice services, which can be done during daytime, he added. “I can see the [revenue] ratio changing over time especially in the next two to three years where the domestic space is growing,” Mr. Borja said.

Ask about the firm’s outlook for full-year revenues, Mr. Borja said: “I think you will see us grow slightly faster or in line with the industry growth.”

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines expects the industry to grow revenues by 23% this year to $6.15 billion. For the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, outsourcing revenues are expected to rise by as much as 30% to $9.4 billion.

“At some point, we want to double our business here, it is just a matter of when,” Mr. Borja said.

Services of Aegis PeopleSupport include customer prospecting and acquisition, customer care, order processing, and data management.

High-value BPO firm, StarTek Philippines, recently launched its new job site, featuring job openings from all StarTek sites in the Philippines, the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica. The recruitment portal, which is open for both internal and external applicants, provides details on entry-level to management positions.

“The goal of the StarTek job site is to make job hunting easier for applicants,” said Aleth Montalvo-De las Armas, StarTek Philippines recruitment director. “We want to share the opportunities for career growth in the Philippines, and in our other locations, which is why we created a standalone recruitment portal dedicated to the jobs available in different locations.”

The new job site features maps of StarTek locations around the globe, including the two StarTek hubs in Makati and Ortigas. Both sites are expected to hire at least 700 by year’s end, and the website is part of its ongoing efforts to ramp up and fill its seats.

In addition to job details, the StarTek job site highlights the company’s corporate environment, which is a unique feature aimed at attracting employees who not only fit the StarTek culture, but who also look for long-term growth in the BPO industry.

“The StarTek culture is the best incentive we have for hiring. Aside from job details, the website features what makes StarTek a great place to work and grow in—from benefits and opportunities for advancement, recognition, and financial incentives to our work-life balance, culture of inclusiveness, and community involvement,” added De las Armas.