by John Borillo . November 19th, 2010
Many of today’s retailers are capturing a bigger market share, thanks to the web. While the doors of brick-and-mortar stores will remain open only during business hours, the trend is now seeing more customers researching and buying online – from cell phone accessories, jewelry, books, shoes to clothing – anytime of the day.
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.”
by John Borillo . November 15th, 2010
Customers in the UK are likely to spend more money buying online if web-based retailers give them better customer service, according to the survey by Swedish firm Avail Intelligence. The online survey was conducted between June 29 and July 1 to 2,107 adult consumers.
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
by John Borillo . November 11th, 2010
Small businesses can do more with less. The simpler their operation workflow, the better they can get rid of unnecessary things that affect bottom line and performance. For a huge segment that contributes 55% of GDP in the United States, finding new ways on how to work efficiently has never become critical.
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.
by John Borillo . October 28th, 2010
Keeping customers these days is becoming more important than ever. Despite all efforts to ensure they stay, you still hear stories about the most loyal customers going elsewhere. A bad service can turn away customers who generally look for a product or service that is backed by great customer support. The root of the problem often comes from the company’s inability to connect with them regularly.
There’s never been a better time than now to put together a meaningful customer retention program that starts with the end in mind.
Delighting decreases losing
Entrepreneurs and marketing executives know it is more expensive to win than to keep customers. Lost clients can be future buyers – people with a network of friends who might benefit from the products and services you offer.
If your brilliant marketing has acquired a significant number of customers, your creativity should crank into gear to keep them intact.
Be consistent. The sale does not stop once you acquire it. You need to be in touch with both new and existing customers through communications such as e-mail marketing, customer satisfaction surveys and printed newsletters. Share with them the latest happenings and upcoming offers. Social media has opened up a new avenue for staying connected 24/7. Make sure your brand is always-on, always top of mind.
Offer great deals. Many businesses promote themselves by considering seasons and celebrations. Thanksgiving might be a great time to raffle off a nice gadget for their continued patronage. In the summer, give them a free ice-cold beverage with every purchase of your product.
Build a database. Keep active and inactive records of your customers. If people left because your offers do not meet their needs, you may want to bring some of them back by promoting a new set of products.
Have a solid customer support team. Call centers are now playing a big role in keeping customers satisfied at all times. Clients are grateful that there are people on hand every time they call. Your inbound call center should be well-trained, ready to answer questions and more importantly, can up-sell.
Remember that client appreciation programs excite customers. It also makes them feel good about their decision in choosing you. Satisfied customers will talk about your product, winning you more customers through referrals or word of mouth. The key to keeping them is to connect with them always – understanding their needs, and what they can expect from you in the future. Today’s customers are smart enough to know if your business is doing everything it can to make them your no. 1 priority.
by John Borillo . October 22nd, 2010
Many enterprises have performed badly with customer service that they are missing out in its potential to drive more growth. In these uncertain times, you cannot afford to lose a single customer and keeping is a privilege.
Your best alliance
When budgets are becoming tighter than ever, small and medium enterprises will find an ally in customer service – whether in the form of a technical support or order taking call center. Any business can significantly increase revenues through service that draws customers rather than driving them away. Size is not an issue. Whether you run a large chain across the country or a mom-and-pop store, customers are customers, and their views and opinions about you will differ.
When you take customer service up a notch higher, there is no doubt about igniting customer retention. Outstanding service can keep your customer acquisition costs low.
Do you have money for advertising? Customers become your walking brand representatives. Regardless of what ad campaign is being rolled out, they will still talk about the kind of stuff you offer. Consistency in both product and service impacts your performance. Not only you have launched word of mouth advertising thanks to your clientele, it makes your business life easier.
Start looking for a Customer Service partner
Now is a good time to shop around and look for an outsourced inbound call center to help you manage customers effectively. Search for those that serve your specific needs to help you handle customers properly. Best of all, hire a provider that values long-term relationships. You will go a long way in cultivating your market and keep them especially in these times that making more is vital.
by Magellan Solutions . September 27th, 2010
by Arthur Kevin Rabago
Funny work quotes provide a welcome change from our usual (serious) posts on call center interview tips and call center career advice. There have been many quotes from famous individuals about the trials and tribulations of work.
Here is a selection of my (personal) favorite quotations. Hope they will put smile in your face when you’re done reading them.
1. “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one”. Oscar Wilde
2. “Hard work never killed anyone, but why take a chance?” Edgar Bergen
3. “I always arrive late to the office, but make up for it by always leaving early.” Charles Lamb
4. “Nobody notices what I do until I don’t do it.” Quote seen on coffee mugs.
5. “It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” Harry S. Truman
6. “I like work it fascinates me I can sit and look at it for hours” Jerome K. Jerome
7. “Many people quit looking for work, once they find a job.” Author unknown
8. “People are still willing to do an honest day’s work. Trouble is they want a week’s pay for doing it.” Joey Adams
9. “If a train station is where a train stops, what is a workstation?” Author unknown
10. ”The difference between a job and a career is the difference between 40 and 60 hours a week.” Henry Ford
by Magellan Solutions . September 24th, 2010
by Arthur Kevin Rabago
Contact centers initially emerged in the Philippines as a major provider of front- and back-office support such as voice, e-mail, order processing, shared services and many more to global businesses. They provide outsourced services ranging from telemarketing, travel services, technical support, education, customer care, financial services, and online business to customer support (B2C) and online business to business support (B2B).
Call center on steady course
The industry first emerged in the Philippines in 1997. Since then, it has grown into a $13 billion industry in 2010 with no signs of slowing down.
The Philippine government has tagged the call center industry as the “Sunshine Industry” because of its massive expansion over the last 10 years. It is considered one of the fastest growing sectors within the economy. Call center companies require candidates who are extremely fluent in English, and (for technical accounts) possess excellent IT skills – which are quite abundant in the country.
The Philippines was in the spotlight in 2000 when the “Love Bug” e-mail virus wreaked havoc globally, infecting millions of computers that year. Reports said the virus may have originated in the Philippines.
The incident had a positive aftermath. It eventually earned the country a reputation as an emerging tech support hub for many companies including AOL, Sykes, Trend Micro, IBM, and Accenture. It also acted as a catalyst in the formation of local call centers and other outsourcing services.
Majority of call center facilities are located in first-tier cities Metro Manila and Cebu. Second- and third-tier cities are located in regional areas such as Bacolod City, Baguio City, Cagayan de Oro, Clark (Angeles City), Dagupan City, Davao City, Tacloban City, Dumaguete City, Lipa City, Iloilo City, Legazpi City, Iligan City and Urdaneta City.
The country has remained an outsourcing favorite among various countries abroad. More companies in the United States and Europe are coming to the Philippines to take advantage of the low cost yet high-quality call center and outsourcing services.
And there you have it, the history of Philippine call centers in a nutshell.
by John Borillo . September 23rd, 2010
by Arthur Kevin Rabago
We now delve on the lighter side of call centers. Nowadays, call centers and their employees have been portrayed on TV, movies, and YouTube. They range from the informative to downright funny depictions of call center life.
Here are my best picks of call center portrayals:
5) Call Center (2008 USA)
This movie follows the story of Eric Barnett, a lowly customer service representative for SuperCom Telecommunications. When he thought that the day is another day, his world suddenly changed when he realizes it is the last day of the quarter and he has yet to reach his quota. When a technical glitch occurs in his favor, Eric is soon presented with a chance to save himself.
4) Wanted (2008 USA)
This movie features Wesley, a frustrated call center employee when he learns that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father’s superhuman killing abilities.
3) Outsourced (2010 USA/India)
Outsourced is an American sitcom in an Indian workplace. It is based on the movie by John Jeffcoat and is adapted by Ken Kwapis (In Cahoots Productions) and Universal Media Studios for NBC. It is an adaptation of the feature film of the same name.
Outsourced is set in a call center based in Mumbai India where an American novelties company recently outsourced its order processing. A lone American manages the call center, and must explain the American culture to his employees while finding ways to understand Indian culture.
2) The Wedge (2006 Australia)
The Wedge was an Australian TV sketch show created by Ian McFadyen and produced by Network Ten. The show ran for two seasons, airing 2006 and 2007. It featured skits about “Wedgetel,” a fictional Call Center. The Wedge pokes fun at and is inspired by the large number of Australian call centers located in India.
1) Hello, Taliban! (2001)
This is a lighthearted poke at the telemarketing industry. It is a recording that features a supposed Taliban agent and the voice of an FBI agent reminiscent of Sgt. Joe Friday asking for Bin Laden’s location or “you must face the consequences.”
Taliban agent: “Leave us alone. We know nothing of this Bin Laden.”
FBI: “We think you do. Listen, Mr. Taliban Person, do you realize that this is your final opportunity or we must lash out with an assault of which you do not have the technology to handle?”
Taliban agent: “We do not fear your weapons.”
FBI: “We know that, but you don’t have answering machines.”
After which, the “Taliban agent’s” phone is bombarded by nonstop telemarketing calls.
Honorable mentions:
Slum Dog Millionaire – Jamal Malik as a tea server working in an Indian Call Center
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Features an outsourced call center agent, asking Major William Lennox if he “wants to avail of a premium plan” during a critical moment
Spiral - A movie about a telemarketer who has only one semblance of a friend: His telecommuter boss. But the telemarketer’s social circle seems to improve greatly when a whimsical co-worker enters his life.
by John Borillo . September 21st, 2010
by Diane Cuaresma
Work in an inbound call center is fun but requires a sheer amount of patience. Callers are of garden variety, some of which may not be the type you want to speak with.
To succeed in the actual “work”, here are some of the things I apply:
Stay alert – all the time
Before I go to work, I take a bath to keep me wide awake. For coffee drinkers, have a cup first before logging on so that the caffeine takes full effect. Just imagine the aroma and the hot sip. But be careful: Your cup of coffee might spill, makes you jump out to seriously wake you up!
Be tolerant
We Filipinos are polite and respectful, but the world does not revolve around us. The world is so diverse we have learned to adapt in the way other people respond or react to certain situations.
As a call center agent, I learn how to smile even if the caller does not see me (and it shows in my tone of voice). Take a deep breath. Learn how to be open-minded to make it easier for you to deal with customers, whether they are rude or not.
Read, read, read
Read the newspapers. That way, you are abreast of the world around you. There are times when a customer asks about a current event. If you are informed, you know how to take that discussion further. The call becomes a great way to connect and thus make that interaction a pleasant experience.
Exercise
Working at night time is not an excuse for you to neglect exercise. Flex those sleeping muscles, and shed off those unwanted fat! Not only does it maintain your weight but it keeps you stay awake because of the blood pumping in your veins.
Laugh
Laugh. Don’t frown or get mad. A positive attitude affects your productivity. It just feels good to be happy all the time!
Learn to have empathy
Love your work for it brings food on the table. Take care of your customers, whether you’re doing outbound calls or a technical support. Care for the people around you too.
Most of the people I know ask me, “Why don’t you go back to teaching?” I tell them, “I have a life here. I love my job and I am happy.” With all the detours I have made in my work journey, I know I will return to teaching. In the meantime, I am taking advantage of the unique opportunities the call center industry offers me, and loving it every moment of the day.
by John Borillo . September 20th, 2010
Magellan Solutions Outsourcing, Inc., one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing call centers, expands its operations with the opening of a new delivery center at Summit One Tower Building along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City. The new office is set to be completed by November 2010.
Frederick D. Chua, Magellan Solutions’ chief executive officer, reports that the latest facility will accommodate 285 “capable” seats and will house the CEO’s office, conference room, training rooms, recreation area, sleeping quarters and more. More development projects in the center are now underway.
Chua said the expansion is a strategic step toward providing first-class back-office support for businesses worldwide. The company remains committed to serving global small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs and professionals. “Magellan Solutions Outsourcing has gone through measured growth from its first site in San Juan City, which presently has 245 seats,” Chua said. “We are extremely delighted to see more businesses considering us to generate increased operational efficiency and for cost reduction.”
Magellan Solutions Outsourcing, Inc. was established in 2005 starting with only 14 agents. It is presently staffed with 250 employees and continuously growing. To date, the combined delivery centers in San Juan and Mandaluyong provide operational seating of over 500.
For further information, contact Fred Chua, Business Development – fred.chua@magellan-solutions.com
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