PHILIPPINE call centers will contribute 8.6 percent to the GDP by 2016, Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo said yesterday.

“This is our estimate of the value of services that are done in the Philippines then exported by the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry,” said Gigi Virata, senior executive director of the Business Processing Association Philippines (BPAP). “Then we compared it with total GDP and came up with the 8.6 percent figure.”

“That is big,” she told Malaya Business Insight, “as big as the current contribution of Filipinos working overseas.”

The World Bank estimates that the Philippines received in 2011 about $23 billion from 10 million Filipinos working abroad.

According to BPAP figures, export revenues from the IT-BPO industry is expected to grow from $10.9 billion in 2011, or 5.4 percent of GDP, to $25 billion, or 8.6 percent of GDP, by 2016 when the national economy is expected to be worth $277 billion.

It also translates to 4.5 million jobs by then, up from 2.2 million jobs in 2011, Montejo said in a press briefing.

The industry posted a 22 percent growth rate in 2011, said Alejandro P. Melchor III, deputy executive director of the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), which is part of the Department of Science and Technology.

BPO SHARE $11B

In 2011, the BPO industry contributed approximately $11 billion in export revenues, about 640,000 direct jobs and around 1.5 million indirect jobs like construction and services, he said.

“US anti-outsourcing legislation is unlikely to pass,” Melchor said, adding the move is related to US presidential elections this year to appease American voters worried over domestic unemployment. “It is unlikely to stop outsourcing on the slim chance the bill passes,” he added.

The Philippines intends to become the IT-BPO market leader in the United Kingdom and Australia, Melchor said, adding it will expand its footprint in Europe and Japan as well.

The Philippines surpassed India in 2010 and is now the world leader in voice call centers.

The IT-BPO industry is recession-proof and resistant to the global economic slowdown, Melchor said.

“We remain optimistic with the annual double-digit growth in the past 10 years regardless of the global economic situation,” said Louis Casambre, executive director of ICTO.

“We intend to attain world leadership in four more fast-growing services,” Melchor said, pointing to health care information management, finance and accounting, human resources and animation and game development.

The country also intends to double its IT market share, engineering service and multilingual outsourcing, he said.

WHAT I.T. IS

IT outsourcing services range from analysis and design to network operations, softwate development to gaming. Business process services include contact centers, banking and insurance, telecoms, health care, oil and gas, animation and legal process and patent research.

Engineering services cover product concept, simulation and design, computer-aided design and manufacturing, embedded software, architecture design and building management models, among many other services.

“We aim to augment to triple the size of the IT talent pool by 2016, improve employability by 200 percent and develop the core skills required by the industry,” Melchor said, pointing out the size and employability of the talent pool is a key constraint to growth.

“The Philippines have matches up very well with some of fastest growing segments of the global IT-BPO industry,” Melchor said. “The demand is tremendous, and the Philippines has risen as a top contender for the demand.”

Montejo said the industry is now focusing on the countryside, in the so-called “new wave” hubs of Cordillera-Ilocos in San Fernanco, La Union, Dagupan and Baguio; Central Luzon (Angeles/Clark, Cabanatuan, Olongapo/Subic and Tarlac); Western Visayas (Bacolod and Cebu); Central Visayas (Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Dumaguete and Tagbilaran); Davao-General Santos; and Metro Manila.

Source:http://www.malaya.com.ph/01312012/busi1.html

Mary Murcott, CEO of Novo 1, a Fort Worth company that handles call-center outsourcing, was getting ready to head out of the country on vacation last Monday when she got an invite to appear at the White House.

She reworked her plans.

Murcott, whose company was a founding member last year of the Jobs4America Coalition, participated in a private White House round table Wednesday with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and several other executives, and then appeared on an afternoon panel broadcast on C-Span. (Visit our Tarrant Business blog at www.star-telegram.com for more on the C-Span broadcast.)

Murcott’s pitch: The outsourcing of U.S. call-center jobs overseas, figuring in all costs and lost revenue, is more expensive than maintaining U.S. call centers.

And Murcott pointed out that call-center jobs are returning to the United States.

“They’re coming back, but nobody’s talking about it,” she said during the panel.

Why not?

“Nobody wants to talk about the mistakes they’ve made,” she said. Also, companies may have brought back some, but not all, of the call center jobs they’ve sent offshore, putting them in a bind if they want to boast. And “a lot of companies that have come back see it as a competitive edge,” she said.

She points to statistics such as that the percentage of U.S. high-tech call-center jobs that were offshore has dropped from 30 percent in recent years to 12 percent.

Murcott estimates that her firm can save companies 15 percent on their call-center costs by bringing the jobs back to the U.S.

“The reason call centers went over there 10, 15, 20 years ago no longer exists,” Murcott said during the panel discussion. “It was the easy calls we sent over there. What’s left is the contextual, the complex problem-solving skills.”

Language and other barriers quickly get in the way, she said. It may take a customer more calls — meaning more time for the call center — to resolve a problem. Frustrated customers won’t be as amenable to sales pitches or buying other products, she said.

“I think people have done a lot of brand damage by putting their call centers over there,” she said.

Novo 1, founded in 1984 as American Airlines Telemarketing Services and sold by AA in 1999, has call centers employing about 2,500 people at CentrePort in Fort Worth; Denison; Billings, Mont.; Waukesha, Wis.; and Holland, Mich. The CentrePort center employs about 1,200. The Denison center, opened last year on a seasonal contract from Harry & David, peaked at 500 employees late in the year and now employs about 300, said Jack Wilkie, Novo 1’s chief marketing officer.

Novo 1 works with clients in healthcare and insurance, transportation and logistics, utilities, retail, government and automotive. About 90 percent of calls handled by the centers are inbound, from customers, Wilkie said.

Six Flags still has slots open for job interviews

Six Flags Over Texas is still filling interview slots for its 2012 job fairs, today, Saturday and Sunday. Interviews are by appointment only and can be set up after applying online at www.sixflagsjobs.com.

The park is hiring 700 seasonal workers. Jobs include guest services, food service, games, retail, ride operations, park services, security, entertainment and revenue control. The park employed 3,550 seasonal employees during the 2011 season.

For information contact the Six Flags Human Resources office at 817-640-8900, ext. 4200. Six Flags Over Texas will open for the 2012 season March 3.

Wal-Mart to hire 300 for new Crowley store

Wal-Mart plans to hire 300 people for its new Crowley store, 1221 Farm Road 1187, scheduled to open in March. Applications will be taken from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at its Crowley hiring center, 100 S. Texas St. For information, go to Wal-Mart’s careers site, walmartstores.com/careers. The store manager, Mark Fleming, says he’s hiring full-time and part-time employees, including supervisors. Benefits are available for eligible employees, full and part time.

Lots for upscale homes finished in Southlake

Hines, the international real estate firm behind Southlake’s Carillon development, said it has completed an initial phase of 94 home lots.

Several of the lots have been purchased by or committed to Atwood Custom Homes, Cambridge Luxury Patio Homes, Tresor Custom Homes and Atrium Fine Homes, the company said. Construction is expected to begin this month.

Carillon is a 285-acre mixed-used development at the northeast corner of Texas 114 and White Chapel Road.

“Carillon will provide the ultimate combination of upscale living, unmatched amenities and an urban community of retail, dining and entertainment,” said Jeff Kennemer, a Hines senior project manager.

The development will feature European-styled architecture, single-family garden homes and million-dollar custom estate homes, 68 acres of parks and green space, landscaped boulevards, a spalike swim center, two lakes and a community sport court.

Hines said construction has also started on elements of the Plaza District and Corporate District, the core of the community’s retail and office area that includes a $21 million Children’s Medical Center that opened in 2011.

Fort Worth Herd trail boss wins awards

Trail boss Kristin Jaworski and the Fort Worth Herd have been honored with a Patriot Award and the Above and Beyond Award from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Defense Department volunteer agency.

The awards honor employers that have personnel policies that allow employees to participate in the National Guard and Reserve.

Jaworski and the Fort Worth Herd were nominated by Jesse Hayden, a Herd drover. Hayden starting working with the Herd in May and has recently been deployed to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard.

Service members nominate employers by submitting a narrative describing the ways their employer supports their service. All nominated employers receive the Patriot Award and are eligible for higher awards based on their level of support described in the nomination. The Above and Beyond Award recognizes employers who have gone beyond the legal requirements for granting leave and providing support for military duty.

“We are incredibly proud that Kristin and the Fort Worth Herd have received this recognition,” said David DuBois, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, which oversees the Herd.

Jaworski has served as trail boss of the Fort Worth Herd since 2002. The Herd is seen twice a day in the Stockyards.

Source:http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/15/3661836/companies-no-longer-finding-call.html

Call center outsourcing provider Interactive Response Technologies (IRT) has selected HireIQ Solutions’ virtual interviewing application to support employee recruitment and acquisition processes. As part of the agreement, IRT will leverage HireIQ’s InterviewIQ to screen prospective employees in its four largest U.S.-based call centers.

The agreement also enables IRT to expand its use of InterviewIQ within its call center outsourcing operations in the future.

Officials with HireIQ stated that the company provided IRT with a one-month trial to help prove the value of its virtual interviewing technology before the company formally committed to a purchase. During this trial period, IRT reported that it was able to screen significantly more candidates and reduce the amount of time required to conduct an initial telephone interview with a candidate, a press release revealed.

“Our employees are absolutely key to providing world-class service to our clients,” said Dick Eychner, president of IRT, in a statement.

“Our clients represent some of the most recognizable and demanding names in the mobility and home entertainment markets, among others. They hold us to a very high standard of performance and our hiring practices help to ensure we constantly meet or exceed their expectations,” Eychner added.

He also revealed that since the company started using InterviewIQ, the quality of prospective employees has risen dramatically.

HireIQ’s virtual interviewing technology enables recruiters to focus their efforts on the detailed evaluation of applicants, rather than trying to get them on the telephone for an initial interview.

According to company officials, InterviewIQ uses media-rich web and voice response technologies to lead an applicant through a series of text-based and voice response questions that are configured to each customer’s unique requirements. Interviews conducted through the company can be designed to test the applicant’s customer service aptitude, critical thinking, math skills, grammar proficiency and communication skills.

Joe Gruca, chief executive officer of HireIQ said that IRT has gained a well-deserved reputation for unparalleled service by focusing on the recruitment and development of high-quality and highly motivated employees. “We are delighted that InterviewIQ is providing value to IRT’s recruiting team and we look forward to the time when IRT extends our footprint to its offshore operations.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/233957-call-center-outsourcing-provider-irt-selects-hireiq-solutions.htm

When some people first hear the term call center outsourcing, they automatically picture a facility abroad (typically in India) where locals are answering phones all hours of the day, boasting fake Americanized names and reading from a script.

However, a recent article in the Washington Post written by Rama Lakshmi highlights the increasingly popular trend of call center outsourcing operations moving away from India. Although India remains the preferred destination for IT support, the country is no longer known as the call center capital of the world since salaries and other business costs have grown significantly within the past year. Currently, a larger number of call center outsourcing employees are working within the Philippines and Malaysia rather than in India, industry experts revealed.

But, why the sudden drive for call center outsourcing operations in the Philippines and Malaysia? Companies are beginning to see multiple benefits including reduced costs, a large pool of English speakers to choose from, and increased government incentives, the article revealed.

“India absolutely cannot take the voice-based call-center business for granted anymore,” said Sujit Bakshi, president of the corporate affairs and business services group at Tech Mahindra, in a statement.

To combat companies relocating their call center outsourcing facilities, some Indian companies have take certain actions including hiring less expensive workers from small Indian towns or even switching to high-end back-office work. However, it seems these steps may have not been enough as the National Association of Software and Service Companies stated that within the past three years, 13 distinct Indian call center companies have opened offices in the Philippines.

“The growth in the Philippines is also being driven, to a large extent, by Indian outsourcing companies that are setting up operations there,” Sangeeta Gupta, the association’s senior vice president commented.

Some other countries that have seen recent expansion in call center outsourcing operations include Indonesia and Vietnam, two countries that boast a large number of English speakers as well as a high amount of government support that will pull in several outsourcing businesses. Analysts add that these countries could also see significant in the next few years.

Furthermore, the Philippines earns about $5 billion annually from call center outsourcing. This is largely due to the fact that Filipinos and Americans share common cultural distinctions, which makes it much easier for outsourcing centers to get adjusted.

“They think like Americans,” Bakshi added, adding that Filipinos “drive on the right side of the road, sing American songs, watch American boxing and play basketball.”

“Many of these decisions about who and where to outsource these operations are still being taken in India, because of the experience and expertise we have,” Gupta concluded. “India continues to be the hub. We are even providing training to centers in the Philippines and working with their universities to develop six-week courses. This signals the maturing of our industry.”

To see where the future of the call center outsourcing industry heads, stay tuned to TMCnet.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/230291-companies-moving-their-call-center-outsourcing-operations-away.htm

VMC, a technology consulting and call center outsourcing company, announced it will add 40 new jobs this week at their Customer Care and Technical Support Center at Brooks City-Base.

The company is on a hiring spree and it also plans to add 120 new jobs to be filled by the end of September in San Antonio.

In April this year, VMC Consulting announced the opening of its Customer Care Center in San Antonio, Texas. The call center outsourcing center, located at 3300 Sidney Brooks Rd. Bldg. 532 in San Antonio, is a 35,000 square foot state of the art, 600-seat call center on the Brooks City-Base campus.

The call center outsourcing company is creating several opportunities to the people in San Antonio. The Support Center provides call center customer support services to consumers. VMC will be hiring Tier I support agents and quality assurance agents to begin working in a call center outsourcing environment, company officials said.

The growth of VMC has been significant over the past few months. The call center outsourcing company opened the Brooks City-Base location in December 2010, and started full-time call center outsourcing operations in January 2011.

“We continue to grow our operations to support our customers, and are happy to bring more new jobs to the San Antonio area,” said Kristin Carrico, chief operating officer at VMC, in a statement. “We have had great cooperation and support from the community, and continue to invest in our operations here.”

The 35,000 square foot facility is a newly furnished, 600-seat call center with expanded cafeteria on the Brooks City-Base campus.

VMC partners with businesses for competitive advantages through the effective application of people, process and technology. Using proven methodologies and talent and resources, VMC delivers targeted solutions for the unique business needs of its customers.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/212948-call-center-outsourcing-provider-vmc-adds-new-jobs.htm

One of the biggest transformations seen in today’s call center outsourcing industry lies with the increasing usage of home-based agents. It’s really a paradigm shift, changing the whole dynamic of the call center and providing businesses with access to a broader scope of talent.
As more agents move into these home settings, this trend is met by several internal and client concerns, around security, agent training, quality control and technology. Fortunately, the market has matured to a point where these concerns are not morphed into challenges or inefficiencies, as call centers possess the technology and controls to make work-at-home agents a win-win proposition.
Traditional concerns fall under four areas:
1). Data privacy and security: Many clients fear home-based environments lack lower levels of data control and security over in-house settings. While it’s understandable, it’s not a realistic concern. As long as the proper infrastructure is in place, the same level of security can be reached within the home settings as it is within the four walls of the call center.
Today’s call centers place stringent controls over the type of data at-home agents can both access and view. In many cases, an agent, whether at home or in the call center, will lack access to potentially vulnerable business data in the first place. Furthermore, comprehensive background checks of potential agents ensure you’re hiring the right people, with the right mix of talent and skills to succeed at home.
Strict policies around dedicated work environments are also commonly implemented. Examples might include requiring a separate office space within the home dedicated to the agent’s work, as well the restriction of children, pet and outside noises that may compromise a professional environment.
2). Employee training/coaching: Skeptics might question whether an at-home agent is equipped with the proper skills and background knowledge to effectively focus on client objectives, especially if they live hundreds of miles away from the call center. Yet as technology continues to evolve in today’s connected world, this concern can be eased.
A multi-faceted approach to training gives home-based agents the skill set and familiarity with clients to serve the most dynamic customer service needs. This can be achieved through instructor-led or self-paced training with online assessments and test and knowledge checks. Role playing and simulations can also be beneficial. Keeping open dialogues and regular coaching sessions is key.
3). Technology: The call center industry is rapidly evolving from a technology standpoint, with the four walls of the call center adopting new, innovative technologies each day. Clients might worry at-home agents lack access to the high level technology needs that drive better business.
Call center technologies, including core ACD/Dialer, CRM and WFM applications, are now accessed through centralized data centers within the enterprise or through SaaS (News – Alert) providers over the Internet. The at-home agent now has as much network and computer power available through broadband Internet and consumer PCs as the in-center agent, providing ready access to the same new innovative call center technologies.
4). Quality performance: Some might question whether a home agent is continually focused on the task at hand, free from the distractions and background noise of their own home environments.
The reality, however is far from that. At-home agents fall under the same quality control processes employed within call centers, with the same mechanisms that control the customer contact distribution. Management can listen into calls, monitor activity or run real-time performance reports at any given moment. And as stated above, at-home employees can be subjected to stringent dedicated work environment policies.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/210472-call-center-outsourcing-home-agents-qa.htm

Becoming an Accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau is an honor not accorded to all businesses; because not all businesses meet eligibility standards. The RCCSP Professional Education Alliance is pleased to announce today that it has met all BBB standards and is now an Accredited Business.

“Accreditation in the BBB is by invitation only,” says Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. “And only those businesses that meet our high standards, and pass the review process are approved by our Board of Directors.”

As with all businesses that are Accredited by the BBB, the RCCSP Professional Education Alliance has committed to the BBB Code of Business Practices. The Code is a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices on how businesses treat customers. These standards call for building trust, embodying integrity, advertising honestly and being truthful. Bernas adds “To maintain their Accreditation a business must be transparent, honor their promises, be responsive to their customers, and safeguard their privacy.”

“We are proud to be a BBB Accredited Business,” said Nina Kawalek, CEO of RCCSP. “As the call center industry’s accreditation and certification organization, it is imperative that our customers know how seriously we take our commitment to excellence and good customer service. Our achieving BBB Accreditation exemplifies that goal.”

RCCSP, celebrating its sixteenth year of service to the contact center and IT support communities, provides access to the world’s most comprehensive network of call center, help desk, ITIL, telecommunications, and outsourcing training and certification providers. The RCCSP Professional Education Alliance brings together the world’s biggest and best training companies from the United States, all with long-standing and deserved reputations for quality content, experienced instructors, and outstanding customer service, through a single point of contact.

Source:http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/16/3841846/call-center-certification-body.html

Sitel, a leading call center outsourcing provider, announced the launch of their first call center-themed book for children.

The book titled, “Agent D, Can You Help Me?” is a tribute to Gordon F. MacPherson, Jr.’s original call center-themed children’s book, “Frankie at the Call Center,” according to Sitel officials. MacPherson is the founder of International Customer Management Institute (ICMI).

Inspired by “Frankie at the Call Center,” Sitel management called upon its artistic employees in the Company’s Asheville call center outsourcing site to write and illustrate the 32-page book.

“As Sitel strives to mean more to our employees, we are always looking for new and creative ways to inspire them, and share our exceptional customer service culture in our call centers,” said Bert Quintana, president and COO of Sitel, in a statement. “I’m personally so proud of our talented Asheville team who developed a unique way for our employees across the globe to share with their children the great work they do on a daily basis.”

“Agent D, Can You Help Me?” targets children ages 2-8. The book emphasizes the importance of customer service representatives, while teaching them to help others. Sitel officials say the book presents customer service to children in a way they can relate to.

For the employees in Sitel’s call center outsourcing center, the book presents the theme of overcoming the challenges of sharing the specifics of their jobs while also building an academic foundation for their children through reading.

In the foreword section of the book, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam wrote, “‘Agent D, Can You Help Me?’ is not only a well written and colorfully illustrated children’s book that parents and children will enjoy reading together, but also a user-friendly resource that will help parents who work in Sitel’s global call centers teach their children about the far reaching merits of their work as customer service agents.”

The Asheville, Tennessee-based call center outsourcing unit is also celebrating continued growth and success within the region. Sitel’s Tennessee unit also announced it is honoring its employees at the second annual “Employee Appreciation Luncheon,” which coincides with the launch of the book on August 17.

This event comes on the heels of Sitel’s announcement to expand its staff by 60 associates at the Asheville site, driven by an ongoing engagement with a financial services organization.

Back in June, the call center outsourcing provider also announced it has added 130 new positions at its customer care call center located in Lake City, Florida. The company stated that the new hires will provide inbound customer care support and services for a global satellite TV client.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/208571-call-center-outsourcing-provider-sitel-unveils-call-center.htm

In call center outsourcing news, Sitel’s Don Berryman, general manager of the Americas, gave a recent interview where he discussed nearshore locations, expansion plans, the ideal employee, plus how to build a good team, according to the industry journal Nearshore Americas. Obviously this is of interest to those involved in call center outsourcing, since Latin America is an increasingly attractive area for the industry.

When assessing a country for call center outsourcing, Berryman said, “The single-most important element is the employable workforce. That they are smart and we will be able to have long-lasting relationships with them. We assess the infrastructure, stability of government, the ease to get in and out of the country.”

He noted that they can train employees for the job, but they look to hire people who “think well, handle client situations, work on computers, have good typing, have good comprehension skills, or a certain skill set like technical abilities.”

And it’s not just fluent English speakers they’re looking for, Berryman said, noting that bilingualism is important in some markets such as “in Nicaragua where most of our products are for English-speaking clients. We went into Colombia to support our Spanish offshore clients and we found that we could service a number of North American clients from there.”

Discussing the Latin American market overall, Berryman observed that most countries have limited resources, as opposed to call centers in India and the Philippines, but that “Nicaragua and Colombia are outstanding, Chile is a little different because of the tax structure and cost of doing business. A number of our competitors have moved to Peru. We are mostly serving domestic clients in Chile. In Panama we have about 4,400 employees. It is very competitive with a low unemployment rate.”

He said operating costs in Nicaragua and Colombia are good, adding to their attractiveness. “Things like rent and telecom are good. The infrastructure in Bogota is good and the mass transit system, Transmilenio, is great for our employees.”

When asked which nearshore countries offer the most favorable incentives and investment climate, Berryman explained that none really offer many incentives to come into the country, but “Nicaragua made it very easy to get established. We have been in Brazil for a long time. Colombia has a good business environment. Chile – if anything – has become a little bit more difficult over time. The strength of the labor unions makes it a little difficult. But the employment and people there are really strong.”

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/203465-assessing-lat-america-market-call-center-outsourcing-options.htm

Companies with a global reach and keen focus on customer service have been known to leverage call center outsourcing business models to cost-effectively support a growing client base. While not all stories are rooted in happiness, those offered by Sitel generally have proven success stories that support the move to call center outsourcing.

As captured in this case study, Sitel partnered with one of the world’s largest direct sellers of personal computers in 2000.The two worked together to deploy a global sourcing strategy that called for call center outsourcing locations in the Philippines, India and the United States. The facilities offered high quality support for multi-channel technical and warranty issues, as well as IT management and hosting, IVR-based self help and faxback solutions.

This approach to call center outsourcing helped the personal computer seller to drive revenue growth, strengthen its brand, build customer loyalty and deliver operational cost savings as a result of the global sourcing solution. The results from this call center outsourcing initiative demonstrated the strength of the partnership and the effective reach Sitel has in the marketplace.

As a result of the call center outsourcing agreement with Sitel, this computer marketer has been able to increase its revenue per call by 100 percent in just three months; bring average handle time to 10 percent below target; reduce service costs by 70 percent with its up-sell strategy; increase customer satisfaction by 16 percent; increase customer issue resolution by 20 percent in a 12-month period; and honor Sitel with a quarterly vendor award recognizing globalization, flexibility, cost and quality three times.

In the call center outsourcing space, Sitel offers a unique service model to create business process outsourcing solutions that appeal to businesses throughout the global market. The company offers an integrated talented global workforce, proprietary and proven processes, as well as a world-class infrastructure.

There are three key components to the call center outsourcing offered by Sitel. First, the global sourcing element enables the company to select the best option for its clients from more than 135 centers throughout the world. The main focus in global sourcing is flexibility so that the most appropriate talent and skills are leveraged to fit the needs of the client.

Second, the company takes a global approach to standard operations. Sitel’s proprietary set of processes and methodology ensures the delivery of exceptional customer experiences. The company’s operating standard is focused on applying 32 years of experience supporting 2.5 million customer interactions a day to deliver consistent service every day for every client.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/201123-sitel-delivers-excellence-with-call-center-outsourcing-methods.htm

New York’s dBusiness News website has a useful list of points to keep in mind when looking for a call center outsourcing provider.

“Do they have the right technology?” This means financial soundness and the correct technology, as well as the ability, experience and institutional stability you’d expect from somebody you’re going to trust with such an important part of your business. As the article suggests, this should really be your starting point, not a later consideration: If a possible vendor fails this test that’s all you need to know about them, better find it out earlier than later.

“Are they helpful?” Don’t underestimate this one – especially for a call center, whose entire mission is to be helpful. As the article observes, if it is not helpful to you, chances are that it won’t be of much help to your clients either. How do you determine their level of helpfulness? As the article sates, check their management operations and talk to them to find out if they actually understand the nature of your business.

“Who is recommending them?” Again, don’t underestimate this one and don’t shirk this step as busywork or time-wasting. As the article says, when you talk to any VoIP providers, of course they’ll say they’re the best thing in the world, and of course you know what that’s worth. Get a much clearer picture by asking them for some recommendations. Yes, they’ll give you clients they know will give them a good word, but the key is to look for ones that are in roughly the same line of work that you are.

“What is their culture?” Visit the call center, look at the people working there – “are they smiling and relaxed? Or tensed and rushing? If the employees seem happy and helpful, this would be a good sign.” You do know, of course, that happy, satisfied employees are the #1 factor in happy, satisfied customers.

And as the article says, once you put potential vendors through these paces, you will “have a really thin list of VoIP call center companies. There will most probably be just one company that would satisfy all these criteria. Hire them.”

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/199282-call-center-outsourcing-provider-selection-checklist.htm

It’s the end of another week, and it was a good one for call center outsourcing news. So sit back and relax, and let us recap it for you.

TMCnet’s Jamie Epstein wrote that while the call center outsourcing market in Europe continues to expand, users that have consistently looked at cost as the greatest benefit of outsourcing are now looking at other factors including high-quality and value-added services. A recent article from BusinessIntelligence Middle East said that industries, including the public sector, travel/hospitality and retail/consumer packaged goods, will all continue to show record growth from the period 2011 to 2017.

TMCnet’s Susan Campbell wrote that in the customer service space, it’s not uncommon for a company to deploy call center outsourcing as a means to reduce their overhead and ensure optimal customer service delivery. The concept of call center outsourcing can mean a number of different things, including partnering with a company that leverages at-home agents through a virtual call center or moving operations to a site offshore.

TMCnet’s David Sims wondered this week what intelligent Web engagement might look like. David summarized a new white paper on the topic by Sitel, a call center outsourcing provider, called “Sitel Intelligent Web Engagement: A Social Engagement Model for Incremental Return on Customer Investment.”

Said David, “Basically if you’re using social media to either attract or interact with you customers, you need to read this white paper. And if you’re not, well, you probably need to read it even more.”

Also this week, the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) announced the 2012 Outsourcing World Summit to be held February 20-22, 2012, at Disney’s (News – Alert) Contemporary Resort & Conference Center in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The 15th annual summit will focus on the future of outsourcing, especially in the present scenario when the financial and economic crisis has reshaped and transformed the outsourcing industry.
AP Telecom, a facilities-based telecom consulting and service company that provides call center outsourcing and cable system management, this week revealed some significant milestones the company has achieved since it launched in January, 2011. To start with, the company has added leading brands in the telecom space as well as consulting services segment. They include several call center outsourcing contracts and ISP customer wins. Some of them include Guam Telecom, Wharf T&T, Global Telecom Solutions and an Indonesian carrier, company officials said.

On the expansion front, call center outsourcing services provider StarTek has announced it plans to open a new call center in Honduras later this year. This will be the fourth foreign contact center StarTek has opened since 2009. The company already operates two call centers in the Philippines and one in Costa Rica in addition to more than a dozen in the United States and Canada.

Finally, TMCnet’s Brendan Reed wrote that in researching and deciding on whether to go hosted or premise-based for key contact center components: IVR, dialing and routing, one of the best sources of information could be your call center outsourcing provider, especially if they offer hosted platforms for in-house contact centers in addition to live agent services. To learn more, TMCnet.com reached out to global BPO firm TeleTech, which supplies onshore – including at-home – nearshore and offshore plus automated customer contact and hosted solutions for enterprises.

That’s all for this week. Visit us again next week for another recap of all the news in call center outsourcing that’s fit to print.

Source:http://call-center-outsourcing.tmcnet.com/topics/call-center-outsourcing/articles/197467-tmcnet-call-center-outsourcing-week-review.htm

An ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services ) company, Faith Call Center, is offering business process outsourcing services. The company services can provide your business a lot of saving and also allow you to focus on your core business. Services provided at Faith Call Center also includes data entry services and software development services as well.

The spokesperson of the company said, “ Today, outsourcing is the order of the day. Business process outsourcing services hand over an entrepreneur certain advantages. More and more global companies are choosing to outsource today. By outsourcing your business, you can focus on core business activities, get cost savings, staffing flexibility, access to specialized services, competitive edge for business and so on.”

India has evidently become one of the ideal offshore places where you can outsource your business. Factors such as high-end technology, best-of-breed infrastructure and time zone edge have facilitated India in easily becoming the hub for offshore business processes outsourcing. Faith Call Center is one of the service providers with a flawless track record.

The spokesperson stressing on the advantages of the service added saying, “We can give you reasons why you should select us from Indian business process outsourcing companies. Faith Call Center assures swift response and precise solutions with a dedicated handling of customers in line with their requirements. We provide round the clock and all round the year customer service using only state-of-the-art technology. To ensure high accuracy and data security, every Faith Cal Center client is assigned a dedicated team. We assure all these and a rigorous and multi-tier quality control.”

Extensive training and constant quality monitoring at the company has produced highly competent staff guarantying high professionalism and efficient handling of any business. To know if the company can render your business with the most cost saving and efficient outsourcing service among various business process outsourcing companies, you can contact Faith Call Center and let them run a requirement analysis.

Source:http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/114636-1299740792-faith-call-center-offering-business-process-outsourcing.html

The news will come as a surprise to observers, since it flies in the face of the announcement in August that RBS Insurance is to close two Glasgow offices with the cost of 440 jobs as part of a wider consolidation ahead of a probable flotation.

It has nevertheless been confirmed by two separate sources that the banking giant has been in negotiations for most of the year with Vertex, the company that was unveiled several weeks ago as the recipient of an IT outsourcing deal for Tesco Bank’s mortgage operations in Glasgow that will bring 200 jobs.

This was followed by an announcement by the Scottish Government last week that Vertex was to receive £1.7 million in regional selective assistance funding to create 368 jobs in the city – even though the group denied that such an announcement was imminent when it was contacted two weeks ago by the Sunday Herald. According to one well-placed source, negotiations would be “well down the line”.

The deals involve 4 Atlantic Quay, a 10-storey office block that overlooks the north side of the Clyde in the city centre. Vertex was last week close to signing a 10-year leasing deal for the seventh floor to house Tesco. It also has an option to lease the eighth floor, also for Tesco, and has earmarked the ground and upper ground floors for a deal with RBS. It expects to reach an agreement – which would also be for 10 years – with the bank by early next year at the earliest.

A further intriguing note is added by the fact that RBS is in the throes of vacating 6 Atlantic Quay, from where it has run its Direct Line operation for many years. Together with the closure of another office in St Vincent Street, it is retrenching the insurance operation to Cadogan Street, adding 200 to the existing staff to take the Glasgow total in the division to 1300.

The moves are part of the wider closure of 14 offices around the UK, reducing the insurance portfolio to 13 offices after the European Union ordered the company to offload the division by 2013 as part of its investigation into state aid to the banks. RBS announced at the time that the decision would lead to the loss of 2000 jobs UK-wide.

While Tesco is contracting Vertex because it does not have the IT infrastructure required to get permission from the Financial Services Authority to offer mortgages, it is not clear why RBS would be looking to outsource part of its operation. Other brands in the portfolio include Churchill, Privilege and Green Flag.

A spokesman for RBS Insurance said: “Pitched against an ever-competitive market, we are constantly exploring options that will help us achieve greater cost efficiencies. However, we do not comment on speculation and have a commitment to our staff that we will always tell them first if we are announcing any changes that affect them.”

A spokesman for Vertex said: “We don’t comment on speculation or rumour.”

Source:http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/corporate-sme/rbs-insurance-set-to-create-160-call-centre-jobs-in-glasgow-1.1064872

The aim of the deal is to set up world-class call-centres in East Africa in Kampala and Nairobi.

Over 700 jobs will be created in the first phase of the project and will lead to further employment. The call centre is aimed at providing vital support services to the telecommunications, financial services and government sector. The new company will operate under the name Spanco Raps.

“After seeing the success of call centres in India which employ millions, educate the youth and provide a base for them to kick-start their careers, we wanted to replicate this model within the ICT sector in East Africa,” said Mara’s Managing Director, Ashish Thakkar.

Raps Uganda has been providing superior IT services for 15 years in Sub Saharan Africa and incorporating world-class HR practices enabling them to attract, train, and retain among the best talent in the industry.

The knowledge and expertise of a highly skilled and trained workforce is the bedrock for delivering superior service quality to their clients.

Spanco employs over 10,000 people in call-centres in India and Mara has an in-depth knowledge of the local market conditions and how to train staff in Africa.

The combination of these talents will drive the growth of the business in the region. Spanco Chairman, Kapil Puri firmly believes that the strength and know-how of Spanco in the sector will send a signal that East Africa is ready to do business.

“Building a world-class call centre business here will allow us and our partners at Mara to lay the groundwork for opportunities in the private and public sectors,” he said.

The Mara Group sees the partnership attracting international clients to the region and by so doing create more and more local jobs and lead to investment in the ICT sector throughout Africa.

The Mara Group is a young and dynamic brand synonymous with professionalism, integrity, innovation & entrepreneurial flair.

They have a 15-year track record and has grown from a small IT shop to an international multi sector business to include Information technology, real estate, financial services, hospitality, energy, packaging, retail and media, spanning four continents.

The Mara Group has been selected by the World Economic Forum¹s Community of Global Growth Companies (GGC), as a dynamic high-growth company in 2010.

Spanco on the other hand was established in 1995. Spanco Limited is a public limited company on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

An ISO 9001:2008 certified and CMMI level 3 Company; Spanco is an active player in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with dedicated System Integration and BPO arms besides strategic investments in the related field of ICT.

The various business activities/divisions under the single corporate entity of Spanco actually complement each other, thereby resulting in provisioning best of the breed solutions and services to the end customer to enhance their business competencies.

Source:http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/Kenyabusiness/World-class-call-centres-for-Kampala,-Nairobi-4926.html

According to the research, ‘Call Centers: A Global Strategic Business Report,’ conducted by Global Industry Analysts (GIA), global call center service revenue is bound to reach $189.3 billion by 2015. The comprehensive report provides insights into market trends, issues, drivers, company profiles, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities.

Call center revenue in developing nations reached a low-point because of reduced demand of products and services in major markets along with cancellation of key sales contracts in 2009.

Other factors governing the fall included bleeding corporate balance sheets, tight liquidity and customer budgets, fall in service tariffs, skepticism over infrastructure investment and many others.

The most discouraging was the recession induced contract renegotiations, as a result of large contracts bifurcated into smaller contracts at lower values, as well as shorter turnaround time. Consequently, several small call center agencies in developing Asian countries were shut down.

Another reason for the downfall was the U.S. government’s protectionist stand on outsourcing that resulted in stringent business environment for offshore, overseas players.

However, economic viability and business imperatives being the most governing factor in the call center industry, outsourcing call center services will continue to grow despite the U.S. government’s attempts at incentivizing MNCs to employ within the domestic shores.

Given the cost advantages and efficiency benefits offered by outsourcing, recession is unlikely to exert a medium to long-term impact on outsourcing.

As a strategy move to attain stability during deepening economic woes, companies have temporarily cutback on customer service; however, prolonged cuts may result in poor customer retention since customer may chose to migrate towards other competitive services.

With the possibility of economic recovery on the tables, call center industry is bound to experience optimistic escalation.

As per the research report, U.S. and Europe are following a ‘U’ Shaped recovery pattern while developing countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China are following a faster ‘V’ shaped recovery pattern.

Post recession, companies are planning to re-focus their attention towards improved customer retention along with customer acquisition to ensure faster recovery and growth.

The post recession period will bring out the importance of customer service and contact centers as the last means to retain customers and consequently outsourcing, off shoring, and in-house call center revenues are forecast to increase.

Source:http://outbound-call-center.tmcnet.com/topics/outbound-call-center/articles/111551-outsourcing-off-shoring-call-center-revenue-increase.htm

Sitel,a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) provider, and SATMAP, a world leader in technology for matching customers to call center agents based on real-time analysis of diverse personality attributes, today announced a partnership to offer clients optimal call center routing solutions based on customer and agent characteristics. This collaboration is a part of Sitel’s continuous investment in new call center technologies, building on the company’s innovative call center solutions to drive a better customer experience at a lower cost.

Working with neural networks and artificial intelligence technology used by the CIA and NSA, SATMAP pairs call center agents with customers through an extensive list of more than 100 demographic, psychographic and geographic variables. Everything from gender and age to location and education are analyzed in billions of combinations to optimally connect calls with specific agents who are most likely to succeed with a specific customer.

“At the end of the day, Sitel is driving a higher return on our client’s customer investment needs by aligning our customer service strategy through partnerships with leading technology and process companies,” said Amit Shankardass, chief global marketing officer of Sitel. “Our partnership with SATMAP ensures that we are getting the right call to the right agent at the right time and building personal relationships for some of the world’s most renowned brands.”

SATMAP gains intelligence by continually analyzing outcomes and updating agent information and performance after each unique customer interaction. The technology is used in millions of interactions every day by Global 500 companies to increase sales, decrease costs and enhance customer satisfaction.

“Leading call center providers such as Sitel know that a customer or an agent should never be randomly selected as the ‘next one in the queue,’ but handpicked and aligned to the best agent to effectively address the customer’s unique needs,” said Bruce Wolff, EVP of Business Development at SATMAP. “Sitel and SATMAP are teaming up to demonstrate how technology continues to evolve the call center and enhance the customer conversation and experience.”

Source:http://www.outsourcingage.com/?p=874

SOCIOECONOMIC status should not hinder an individual’s goal to finish college, according to a contact center and business process outsourcing (BPO) company which has opened a program for employees to finish tertiary education while working the graveyard shift.

Javier Infante, president and chief executive officer of Telus International Philippines, Inc., told reporters in a press briefing yesterday helping his employees finish college education was not just a clear investment for the company but also on an individual’s future.

The program called “Telus International University” is a partnership with five universities.

“The company will subsidize the tuition of the beneficiary. The classes will be held in the two centers of Telus located in Cubao in Quezon City and Taguig. The professors of the universities will teach the standard curriculum but during schedules most suited for our employees who are working at night,” he said.

Mr. Infante said there would be 50 employees in the initial wave of the program, which aims to reach 1,000 workers in the next three years.

The employees can choose from courses including economics, entrepreneurship, management, information technology, and humanities.

“Like a usual applicant, the employee still has to pass an entrance examination. We will help to prepare for that by conducting review sessions,” he said.

The company has 8,500 employees located in three sites — Ortigas Center in Pasig, Cubao in Quezon City, and the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“Sixty percent of our employees are college degree holders while there are 40% who are not,” Mr. Infante said.

Mr. Infante said the company would not require employees to sign a bond or contract as a condition before joining the program.

The employee also has the liberty to resign shortly after enrolment, the Telus chief executive said.

“We are not doing this to force them to stay with us. But we would be happier if they decided to grow with the company. Through this program, we are encouraging them to be at their best,” Mr. Infante told reporters.

Mr. Infante also said employees who finish the Telus International University program would be encouraged to apply for a higher position.

Source:http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=19034

n this time and age of globalization, there is a high demand for quality services that are targeted to address the needs of the company no matter how small or big the business is. You need to find the right services for your company.

It is very important to find the best services that exude the strongest payoffs for the company.

Outsourced customer support is extremely beneficial for the company.

Any business is in need of a high quality service for the customer. You should take advantage of the services that are offered for the business.

You need to take advantage of a 24 7 call center service.

Why call center?

A 24 7 call center is a high quality service that is offered by many third party call center servicing centers.

You need to take advantage of the services since we are all at that point where the needs of the business are meant to address the customers more than ever.

The customer is a very vital force for the success of the business and with communication lines becoming more open, businesses are finding ways of determining the best services for their own needs.

Outsourced customer support is very popular right now.

This is because if you make a separate call center for your company you will be spending way too much for your business.

If you commission a call center service center, you are saving more on the services and getting more bangs from your buck.

Outsourcing

Many businesses go for call center outsourcing since we are at that point where we need to find more cost effective ways more than ever.

With the bad economic conditions, a business tip toes to getting more services.

You need to get the best service for the best value and there are many 24 7 call center providers offering impressive services.

It is important for the company to find the best value for their money. There is a high demand for call centers up to this moment and it is your task to find the best services for your business.

Getting the right outsourced customer support is needed.

You can go for overseas services or you can also go for a local service depending on your preferences.

Some go for the overseas 24 7 call center since many of them are capable of handling a huge volume of calls while still retaining the desired quota and results.

That is a feature that you want for call center outsourcing. Just because they work as an independent body doesn’t mean that will not work coherently with your needs.

You need to find the right services that will match your needs and your company’s mission.

You have to take advantage of the needs of your business and the needs of your customers.

In this day and age where communication has become the language of success, a business needs to be in the cutting edge of the business so call center outsourcing is the way to go for a successful business.

Source:http://www.24×7-livesupport.com/news/finding-the-best-service-investment-through-call-center-outsourcing.html

If your fast food business is starting to be flooded with huge volumes of calls from customers and suppliers alike, maybe it is time for you to consider outsourcing your call requirements to a professional call center company. Basically, call center outsourcing is a less complicated and affordable way to create an efficient customer service to your loyal and or prospective clients even if your business is on a shoestring budget and you have a shortage of manpower to handle all the calls that come in on a daily basis. For small to medium fast food business, outsourcing provides a lot of benefits because not only will you be able to provide an efficient round the clock customer service, you can also make your small scale fast food business appear large.

A lot of fast food businesses who are experiencing expansion and sudden increase in pool of clientele often experience a major shortage in manpower and in order for them to establish their own customer service, they need to have their employees multitask jobs in order to cater to the growing demand of customers. With this drawback in the business operation, a lot of business owners often do not realize how important call center outsourcing will be for them as an effective solution for the growing market demand and efficient customer service. A call center also makes your business appear more professional because call center agents are trained on entertaining customer calls professionally.

There are different levels of outsourcing services that are offered by call center companies. The pricing structure usually depends on the volumes of services that need to be accommodated by the outsourcing company. But regardless of the variety of services you may want to include in your outsourcing requirements, the fact remains that call center outsourcing can significantly help your company improve your public relations and establish a more reputable and highly regarded customer service. And since you know you have a professional company handling all your calls, you can now concentrate your manpower in doing more specified types of work that can be converted into profits.

A good call center outsourcing solution can provide you with a team of professional agents that will handle all your calls around the clock making it an inexpensive approach in keeping your business doing what it is really designed to do and leave all your calls to a professional staff that are trained to do this particular type of work. Not only will you be able to improve your customer service but you can also make your small scale fast food business look more like a large corporate business entity in the fast food industry.

Source:http://www.lonad.com/2010/09/09/call-center-outsourcing-for-small-to-medium-scale-fast-food-business/