No one is stopping you.

Cry if you want to, or laugh if you feel like it. There is nothing wrong in baring your emotions as you go through the challenges of a call center agent.

In this job, you experience everything – customers hurling invectives at you during a call; some rare occasions when they share their most hilarious stories; getting harassed by difficult managers; and happy situations as you remember that life as an inbound or outbound call center agent opens up limitless opportunities. Keep in mind that these situations, whether good or bad, separate losers from winners.

If you want to take this long and steady climb to “customer service” success, you have to understand that some situations can lure you to decide the other way around, like dealing with attrition, not performing optimally, and more. Because of this, one must make an effort to control his emotions (physical manifestations of uncontrolled emotions) that usually hinder us from doing the right thing.

As a human being, you are created to be “equipped” with sophisticated and diverse mind mechanisms. With such capabilities, you are obliged to make the right decisions and can control the dynamics of your mood or emotions. If not, these same emotions will literally destroy you. So relax and take a breath because that’s just how the call center industry operates, or every industry for that matter.

So how will this make you stay and grow in the competitive call center industry?

The road towards reaching your call center longevity is not easy. It requires you to sacrifice, to be selfless, to have discipline, and to show persistence. And these demands can sometimes be emotionally draining especially if there are unexpected turns along the way (unprofessional colleagues, intrigues, politics, and tough bosses).

You cannot dismiss the fact that there will be negative energies emanating from the operations floor, causing you and the people around to be irrational, close-minded, and completely in distress. These are the times when you are required to stay composed, and be in control even if you feel you cannot. There is always a way to turn this setback into a good opportunity.

Let me give you an example. Most call center employees, including myself, know that we are required to work during the holiday season. Honestly, it can be quite a drag sometimes. We begin vacillating between staying home to celebrate the holiday with our family, children and closest friends and getting ready for work.

You begin asking yourself, “Why do I have to work when everyone at home is celebrating?” Or to more vehement reactions like “This is unfair!” for moments when you harbor this negative emotion, which influences your rational thoughts. You can address this by acting on what needs to be done (go to work early, make yourself busy to stop tracking time, or do something worthwhile) to bring you closer to your goal and ultimately, stay longer with your company.

For starters, develop the right behavior to finish one difficult task a day. As you stay focused to do and maintain it, you will discover that you have withstood the ordeal by controlling your bad moods – and realize you are deserving of a great call center career future. Never let negative thoughts control your thinking. Pursue happiness because this will always give you reasons to work. It also goes to show that you are your own enemy and you’re the only one who can stop it.

Why do you have to read this? Why do you even need to plan on staying in the call center industry when you are not happy?

Remember, the issue here is not where you work; it’s about how you do your job. If your attitude keeps you from succeeding now, then even if you’re no longer a call center agent, even if you already have your own business to run… this will always be a problem, it will always be there. It’s not the industry who’s making you unhappy, but IT’S YOURSELF! Think about it. Your attitude may be the only thing that is keeping you from achieving success, and finding the job where you want to stay longer.

So, are you going to let go?

Resources:

http://www.lifetoolsforwomen.com/p/managing-emotions.htm

http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/how-to-control-your-emotions/

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_41.htm

First off, keep in mind that help desk call centers have their own key competencies. There are call centers that have experience in managing some of the world’s technology brands, backed by hundreds of top-level agents and the latest technologies, while others have worked with start-ups or mid-sized companies that are still carving out a niche in the market. There are those that can deliver a full range of services and capabilities while some specialize only in one. You will be either impressed or overwhelmed with many options around you, but the main question remains: “Is it worth the time and effort going offshore?” If you are outsourcing abroad for the first time, here are top three guidelines for selecting the most appropriate vendor:

1.    Consider a site visit. This is a must. If you are exploring an offshore customer service to handle your product or service, you should arrange an ocular inspection to see how technical support agents work. As prospect, you need to observe how these representatives talk to their customers and how they escalate issues. Do not be afraid to ask team leaders or managers in the operations floor because they can give you a strong sense of the actual help desk environment. You are there to ask and learn.

2.    Look at the company’s track record. When in doubt, go for a provider that has experience in your line of business. You do not want to end up in the obsolete and inefficient company.

3.    Ask for references. Call a current or a previous client regarding the call center’s performance. Interviewing referees validates initial impressions and removes apprehensions. More importantly, previous and existing clients can provide you with opinions to help you make the right choice.

The role of technical support has increased in importance around the world. New products and services surge every year, and they are bought by thousands of end-users. There are cases when customers cannot afford to return to the store where they bought the device. They rely on help desk call centers for solving technical problems. Companies that outsource to the right technical support call center have better customer satisfaction and higher success rate in retaining existing customers. Start looking for the right provider today.

According to Fred Chua, chief executive officer of Magellan Solutions, businesses have long been intimidated by their notions of an inbound call center as expensive. “A full-time staff answering phone calls will cost you over $1,500 per month. This does not include your standard employee benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation and sick leaves. Magellan Solutions makes telephone answering services reasonably priced for businesses through flexible call plans, which can only be as low as $130 per month. Best of all, Magellan won’t charge you extra for overtime, sick or holiday leaves.”

Magellan’s call plans, according to Chua, are customizable to the needs of each client. Business customers do not have to worry about additional charges as call packages remain best value for money. All service plans include productivity and call log reports, weekly one-hour syncing, four-hour product specific training, and a simple entry form.

Many call centers in the market only care about acquisition and profit. Magellan Solutions ensures clients that they get the best business answering service possible. “With Magellan Solutions’ telephone answering services, you get well-mannered and professional agents, all industry-trained to handle different types of calls for different types of industries. Best of all, they are available for your customers 24/7/365,” Chua said.

Service packages are also offered to order taking services, and call reservations like hotel reservations and booking requests.

To find out more about Magellan Solutions’ affordable call plans for telephone answering services, call our business development manager today at +1 800 371 6224 or Contact Us.

Although customer support remains a flagship offer, Magellan has been attracting companies requiring lead generation, telemarketing, inbound surveys, call reservations, and message transcription. The company will soon be introducing customized price packages designed to suit the budget of each client.

Fred Chua, chief executive officer of Magellan Solutions, said that more small and mid-sized businesses have been considering outsourcing their inbound customer service to the Philippines. “One inquiry from a company in the United States asked us how it can move its entire customer care department to the Philippines,” he said enthusiastically. The Philippines he said continues to enjoy a reputation in the international community as the world’s offshoring destination. Voice-based services remain popular.

Setting higher standards

The economic meltdown is a major learning not just to Fortune 100 but all types of businesses everywhere. Chua said organizations are becoming stricter by demanding more efficiency coupled by a high level of professionalism. He said this has been Magellan’s achievement, as evidenced by clients who have stayed with the company since it began operations in 2005. “We always strive to exceed our client’s expectations. We have been gifted with talented and fluent agents who are properly trained to meet their requirements and are motivated to do more.” To date, the company has 275 employees in 2 locations and still expanding.

Magellan Solutions today offers inbound call center services such as technical support, order fulfillment, complaints handling, after office hours support, dealers locators and multi-lingual support. Chua is encouraging more business owners abroad to take advantage of these services. Magellan Solutions after all provides the same level of service usually offered by multinational call centers to small and medium businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Are you interested in partnering with a high-quality inbound call center? Contact Us today for more information.

The company for this year chose White Cross Children’s Home as beneficiary. White Cross is a child welfare institution catering to children of parents with tuberculosis.  The center today also provides shelter to children of unwed mothers, physically incapacitated parents, prisoners and victims of rape.

Joining this civic cause were team members from Operations Support, Telenational (Omnitrix) and Human Resources.

Magellan Solutions’ human resources manager Jenice Chua opened the program with an invocation, followed by a short introduction of guests and participants. Parlor games later ensued, bringing delight to the children as they participated in Bring Me, Stop Dance, Stacks of Cups, Heaven and Earth, Pass Around games, and even a singing contest.

And to make the visit more memorable to the children, gifts and other exciting surprises were given and Jollibee meals were served.

The participants came home feeling a sense of satisfaction knowing that this once a year undertaking brought happiness to the children who attended the event. Aside from growing its inbound call center business, Magellan Solutions understands its obligation to the society by sharing its blessings to those who have less.

According to the Call Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), the country is considered Number 1 in providing call center or “voice-based support” services. CCAP said the industry now commands over 350,000 professionals working in call centers, versus India, which presently has 330,000-strong workforce.

The annual contact center industry revenues are estimated to reach $5.7 billion for its 24/7 support to small and large businesses in the United States, Australia and Europe, compared to India’s $5.5 billion earnings. There are already 68 call centers that are active members of CCAP.

India, on the other hand, remains on top of the business process outsourcing space, earning a total of $70 billion in revenues, compared to the Philippines with only $9 billion. The BPO is wider in scope as it goes beyond voice-based call centers. This can be as varied as business back-office operations, which include finance, logistics and accounting; software development; gaming and animation; engineering design; and medical and legal transcription.

The Philippine outsourcing sector now has a total of 530,000 employees and contributes 6% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Data sources: Trading Markets, Bloomberg Business Week

Fred Chua, chief executive officer of Magellan Solutions, said customer service plays a big role in any web-based business, whether it is a small merchant or a global manufacturer. “Consumers may be looking for Internet retailers to buy specific products, they’re also expecting them to provide a highly sophisticated shopping experience supported by a high level of customer support.” Inbound call center support means receiving their inquiries through live chat, e-mail, voice and social media. “Although the most advanced e-commerce platform is impressive, customers still want a ‘human voice’ on the other line that can help them in their decision or make recommendations on the latest offers,” Chua said.

Magellan Solutions has done a wide range of call center services, particularly order taking, telephone answering services, technical support and reservations, for several businesses with established online presence. “The quick replies to e-mails and call center agents on stand by can generate strong awareness. Outstanding inbound customer support gives them a good reason why business success is achievable.”

As an advice for online retailers wanting to provide a better experience to customers, this is what Chua has to say – “Don’t ever think you can do ‘everything’ alone. Customers these days want answers – and they want them fast. Extend your assistance wherever and whenever it is convenient for them.”

Here are the rest of the firm’s findings:

• 35% of respondents would buy online if supported by a better customer service like product advice and recommendations
• 30% of respondents prefer shopping in brick-and-mortar stores
• 47% of respondents would rather go to a store than shop online because stores offer better customer care
• 35% of respondents say the reason why they choose physical store visit is because sales associates give more advice and support than online retailers.

In all, the survey clearly shows that customers will consider shopping on the Internet if they experience the same kind of assistance offered in a physical store. Customer service, whether through inbound call center or live chat, is fast becoming a necessity to succeed in the ever-changing marketplace.

Source: Avail Intelligence

Business owners always strive to see their business operate better than the day before. Here are simple tips that offer a one-two punch for small enterprises:

• Do more without adding more

A dilemma among business owners is whether they should hire additional people when they see an increase in workload or not.

You can (still) increase business productivity without hiring additional people. Outsourcing to a call center is an enviable solution small and large organizations now utilize to get things done without straining capital. Call center providers now have a vast array of services designed to meet everyone’s requirement. These services can range from virtual assistant, live chatting, message transcription to technical support.

• Putting more focus on the customer

Your business goals should be geared towards providing better service to the customer. The hotline numbers that can be remembered easily or a single e-mail address can ensure they get that much-deserved attention. Your business should be synonymous with great customer service.

Running an efficient business is possible if you know how to play your cards right in these times. Not only does it recession-proof your business but you can also look forward to its great payoffs in the long run.

This is the third time the country has won the award since 2007.

The Philippine outsourcing industry has been enjoying steady growth despite the effects of the economic meltdown experienced in the US and other countries.

In 2009, the industry earned a total of $7.2B in export revenues. This makes the Philippines the second biggest BPO provider in the world, next only to India.

The BPO industry is expected to register $9.5B in revenues, up 26% from the previous year, by end of 2010.

Reference: Philippine Star