I’m studying the IT-BPO industry for almost half a decade now. I am still a part of it. Many people still ignoring how much this industry contributes today into our society. This private sector is too young but making this nation more beautiful and fun. I heard a couple of people why IT-BPO employees (Call center agents) keeps on earning large amount of money compare to others while just sitting around in front of a computer and talking to someone over the phone.
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| Image source Data Bazaar |
1. This industry is the biggest driving force of the economy – We are bankable as a country and the workforce is totally designed for it. BPO industry is the largest contributor to our economic growth aside from remittances from our OFW’s. According to Department of Trade and industry, that this is the fastest source of employment and revenue. BPAP, an organization that monitors every IT-BPO company that by 2016 with the support of the government the revenue can reach up to 20-25 billion dollars. Considering that this industry will have 1.3 million full time employees by 2016.
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2. Real Estate won’t boom too much - Imagine the country without IT-BPO industry; you won’t see too much rising condo on the city today. Real Estate development is so hot right now because of offshore companies leasing those office buildings. Most of the clients of that real estate companies are from IT-BPO industry as well, who is maneuvering our country to become the new tiger of Asia. The generous employers of call center agents also help IT-BPO employees start investing to condo units, foreclose properties and increase their assets while young.
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3. We are getting a lot of curses over the phone - Where can you find a person who went to college and ended up listening to the rant of another person over the phone multiply it sixty times per day? That’s how a normal scenario of BPO voice agents nowadays. The Vampires are the shock absorbers of many irate customers of overseas companies. It’s hard for us to just listen and don’t take those curses personally. It is draining sometime but it will take a lot of conscious effort not to retaliate to the other person knowing you are being recorded over the phone. Where can you find a job aside from BPO industry wherein people are shouting and cursing at you for the next 8 hours and you don’t feel so drained?
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| Image Source Jared Wellman |
4. We are exchanging our day job over our night job – 6 years of night job, that’s going to take out your health from you. We are so called Batman and Vampires. We have an abnormal sleep patterns because of the time zones that we follow since we are catering people from western world. Our safety and security is being on the line every single night as we go to work.
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5. We are all professionals – Majority of IT-BPO employees were nurses, teachers, former entrepreneurs, IT’s, PT’s, psychology license, business ad, marketing and communication science graduate. We deserve the same treatment with other industry experts and look at the way we adapt with the change in the management. A quarterly transition with the grading system and performance metrics keep us on our toes. A globally competitive group of people is making a wave to help our nation grow more economically.
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6. We are making a difference indirectly to other nations - Currently as of this writing the Philippines is the number 1 in Voice and rank number 2 in Non Voice when it comes to outsourcing destination . No wonder because we are the 3rd largest nation in geography that can speak fluent English. That very skill can make a long way. Filipinos are adaptable that’s why we can easily mimic the accents of every nation. As of the moment my workplace can cater 20 thousand calls per day and since there are currently 1,100 BPO sites in the county right now and projected 1.3million full time employees by 2016 (Source: BPAP) we can help at least 22 million people a day. 803 billion help every year. We are consistently putting the Philippines as the universal soldiers of customer service.
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| Image Source RCM Central |
7. We are too educated to ignore– The skill sets of the IT-BPO employees like technical, language, effective communication and right attitudes is superb. In addition to it with process specific expertise, knowledgeable groups in innovation, we can beat and eat the competition. Other industries are doing their job but you can’t ignore the fact that BPO agents are super agents because of multiple disciplines we acquired in the past. With the help of coach, trainers and environment of excellence we are all recognizable.
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8. We are under valued compare to our counterparts from the United States. Are you serious? As of July 25, 2015, the average salary of a call center agent in the US is 27,000 thousand dollars a year 1,188,000 php (http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Call-Center-Agent-l-United-States.html)
According to Payscale. Com,the average Filipino Customer Service Representative only earns 203,569 php or 4626.56 dollars a year. The reason why offshore companies will go to the Philippines is not just to invest but to cut cost. Expenses are too heavy especially when the company is expanding. They can see that this country is a goldmine, they can get a cheap labor but the quality of the customer service is good to great. Again, skills will follow when attitude of the employees are willing to learn. That’s why BPO employees should get more perks and benefits from the offshore companies. The more employees felt that they are appreciated they will stick more to the company.
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| Image source Roseville |
David Isaiah Angway is a Financial Evangelist
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