The Ideal Call Center

With all these nuisances in call center, it’s difficult to find nowadays an ideal job much more for an ideal workplace.

It all depends actually on your tolerance level.

For me, here are the characteristics of an ideal work place:

(1)          At least a basic salary of 16,000 pesos

If you view my previous computation for hourly rate, 16,000 pesos basic salary is actually equivalent to 14,769 pesos only which is somehow close to 15,000 pesos. If it is lesser than that, you may still want to accept the job especially if the account belongs to the “Fab Four”. Charge to experience is everything. But if you already experience the same type of account, then you may want to find another job.

Other companies offer a salary below 16k but the perks and incentives is almost the same as the basic salary. You could still accept that one but be mindful, “Nothing comes free.” The higher the salary, the greater the challenges.

(2)          No dress code policy

Sitel popularized the “normal not formal” approach when it comes to employee’s choice for dressing up. This is in part one of the influence of one of their UK based Telco account which is known for its “maverick” style of running a business. And it is somehow effective. I’ve got an officemate before where he comes to work every day just wearing a cargo short and a shirt & his metrics is undefeatable.

Other call center will initiate a dress up policy especially if there are clients on site which I find to be so plastic!! Clients are more focus on whether a site could deliver the service or not and not based on what you wear!!! Likewise, you are being judged based on your capability as an individual to deliver a service and not based on what you wear.

With a salary of 14,769 pesos per month, magpapaka–bongga ka pa ba diyan para lang umumpo at mag–take ng calls!! For managerial position, it’s mandatory for them to wear corporate dress because they have “meet & greet” with clients but for agents, for the sake of vanity of the call center that I find shitty!

We all know that our country is a favorite place for vacation for typhoon and tropical depression or monsoon rain. Imagine yourself wearing slacks, leather shoes and polo shirt in the middle of a slippery street and when you reach your office your sock is soaking wet and the back of your shirt is spluttered with water, the scenario is not good for your health neither for your mood on the floor. It’s very uncomfortable. There are call center by which it is an automatic “dress down” if PAGASA declared signal number 1 but what if it is a “tropical depression” and the intensity of which is somehow close to Signal number 1, eh di patay ka na!!!

There are call centers also implementing a so called “dress down ticket” wherein if you don’t want to wear formal dress, you have to buy a ticket which is good for one month for you to just wear casual wear. The proceed of the sales of the ticket goes then for public services such as gasoline for transportation & day care center for those mothers who doesn’t have household help thus bringing their kids to work is a necessity. The concept is not bad at all: “You get what you want and at the same time helping other people too,” a “win–win situation”!!!

The reason why I’m putting this one here is because in some call center, “dress code policy” is a major HR case, “binibigyan nila ng malaking issue yan.” Likewise, may mga balahurang TL’s na hihiyain ka and will tell you, “gumagawa ka ng sarili mong policy” if you didn’t follow the dress code kahit na obvious na basang–basa na yung kalye because of rain!!

No “dress code policy” doesn’t mean you will just wear anything you want, it has to be within the limit of the so called “descent attire or HR appropriate.” A definite “NO–no!!” on dressing down are the following:

For girls: sleeveless shirts & blouses, “pek–pek” shorts, open toe shoes & flip–flops, see–through blouses, micro–mini & leggings.

For guys: sleeveless shirts, tattered jeans, body–hugging shirt, CROCS footwear. Men’s wear are not really that demanding. Technically, wala namang pakialam ang lalaki sa kapwa niya lalaki as to what they are wearing at ang mga babae wala rin naman pakialam kung ano yung suot ng lalaki. Guys wear almost the same thing over and over again: a shirt and a jeans. Sa babae lang naman demanding ang “descency” of clothes sa sobrang dami ng variation.

“Casual wear” is technically a jean and a shirt and a sneaker. “Smart casual” is technically a long sleeved shirt paired to a jean and a leather shoes. A “business attire” is technically a long sleeved shirt tucked in to slack pants. “Business attire” is yung suot ng mga manager ng Jollibee at McDo, mapa–babae man o lalaki. Kung ang rate mo per hour is less than 150 pesos per hour at ang call center na pinagtatrabahuhan mo eh required na

mag–business attire, huwag mo na pirmahan yung contrata!!! Mas mahal ang business clothes kesa sa casual clothes and let’s face it, most of our clothes are the casual clothes because that is what is comfortable to wear and affordable. Ano? Magwa–wash & wear ka kung dalawa lang yung business attire mo? O bibili ka ng maraming long sleeves when after six months hindi ka naman na–regularized.

If you are applying in a call center and want to know whether they have a “dress code policy” you may want to ask that directly from the recruiter or you may do some “cold reading” if you doubt the answer. Tignan mo yung mga empleyado, “Are they wearing jeans? Is it Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday when you saw them wearing it? If the answer is “Yes” then walang dress code yung company.

Some call centers has a “company shirt” as in the case of TPG. They have a violet polo shirt with the company logo on the upper left of the shirt. It’s like a “walking advertisement.” The only disadvantage of this is if the agent did something horrible publicly, it’s immediately identified that the culprit belongs to that company. Actually, call center should issue a company shirt to all its regularized employee, however, it should be surrendered once the employee resigns.

(3)          A spacious lounge to relax

Sometime after lunch, you may want to unwind a little. Others do it by smoking but what if you are not a smoker then a lounge would be your fortress. There are some sites wherein they even have a recliner chair with large television on their lounge. Others who are “miser” has no lounge at all but a pantry itself.

The ideal lounge should have a large seating capacity with a large television playing different movies which is good if you come in early or if you are passing by a time to escape traffic before you go home or if you just want to have a nap.

(4)          A pantry with multiple concessionaire

Most of this concessionaires in a call center are not actually paying for the space. Call center could no longer care for more to take responsibility of what agents needs to eat thus this concessionaires exist for that purpose.

The good thing with multiple concessionaires is that competition brings out the best in anybody which is contrary with monopoly wherein you have no choice but to take what they are offering.

Let me give you two example of two call centers. One is located in Tiendesitas and the other one is located at Tektite. The one in Tiendesitas has four concessionaires on site, some of its concessionaires come and go because they fail to deliver what agents are looking for a quality meal which is palatable and affordable. Those who stay offers large serving of meal that’s why they don’t run out of customers. The one at Tektite has one concessionaire only thus agent has no choice but to take what they are offering, a cup of rice and a three piece of pork (you’ll get four if you are lucky!). The common thing about this two concessionaires is that they price their food at the same price but what makes the difference: the serving size!!

The importance of having a good pantry is this. If you live from a far place or if you are single, you may want to eat first before your shift starts thus it is important that you have plenty of options to choose from. Having no choice at all is somehow annoying and if you start your shift or lunch without a quality meal and you take in calls or you are on a coaching session, I don’t think you will absorb something.

Having said that concessionaires are not paying for the rent, it is for the same reason that most call center implement the “Clean as you go policy” or “CLAYGO”. Oftentimes, this concessionaires are the one cleaning up the mess of the agents especially those na mga “walang modo” or “edukadong squatter” na ahente. The responsibility of the General Manager or Site Director here is to be sure that eating utensils conforms to safety standards specifically hygiene. Are the spoon, pork & plate properly washed? Are the foods sold on the right temperature to prevent diarrhea or secondary disease from the employee?

What is the worst case scenario here? Let me share a scenario. Team Magellan go for lunch altogether and there were 12 of them. They eat at the pantry. One hour after they logged in, their stomach started aching. One buy one they request for Aux to go to the bathroom. There are 20 calls waiting when they requested for Aux. After their medical, the diagnosis was food poisoning from the one they purchased at the pantry.

Analyzing, it jeopardizes the operation of the account because 12 agents has to log out thereby increasing the call volume because there are lesser staff on floor. Second, the site has to shell out money to have the agents treated. Third, a possibility of legal matter for accountability for what happen. See the picture!

The above specifications are just the “face value” if you would like to pursue your career in this industry. It’s better that you have a baseline than nothing at all. What comes next would be the environment and or the culture that you will be working for. Discussion on that one is too broad to itemize but as you read along, you will be able to assimilate the ideal one.

Did you work in a call center which has the above characteristic? Share it, with the following format:

Example:

Name of the call center & site: Diamond call center, Ortigas

Basic Salary and account: 16k, a “Healthcare account”

Lounge: “what makes it comfortable for you?” (e.g., airconditioned with cable with recliner chair, etc)

Pantry: “How much is the price per serving?” “Does the food has quality?” “Was it served hot?”