working in a Call Center, CHOICE OR DESPERATION? [Archive]

Masquerade

Nov 13, 2002, 08:31 PM

Originally posted by Night_Elf
Well, it seems like working in a call center is not really bad after all.

I was just wondering if you guys can give me an advice.

I work as a document analyst in a "relatively" big company. I was offered a telemarketing job in a call center. Is it worth sacrificing my job right now? considering that i will be in graveyard shift with the call center and I am having all the time in the world in my work now where there is no shifting schedule. But the pay in the call center is higher.

I am very :confused2:
If you're after the salary then by all means grab the telemarketing job. Call center jobs are becoming very lucrative these days. Aside from the basic pay (about 10-15 thousand), you get night differential, overtime pay, holiday pay, and commissions.

If you're after career advancement, hmm, at some point it could get boring. Some regular jobs could get as boring as well. It's better than having no job at all. A call center has a different culture. If you think you would fit in a call center environment, I suggest you give it a try.

BabyFATS

Nov 14, 2002, 07:39 AM

Originally posted by Night_Elf
Well, it seems like working in a call center is not really bad after all.

I was just wondering if you guys can give me an advice.

I work as a document analyst in a "relatively" big company. I was offered a telemarketing job in a call center. Is it worth sacrificing my job right now? considering that i will be in graveyard shift with the call center and I am having all the time in the world in my work now where there is no shifting schedule. But the pay in the call center is higher.

I am very :confused2:
I think it's kind of sad how a lot of us get really concerned with money matters when it comes to career management. Ang hirap kasing mag-hanapbuhay dito sa Pinas! :hopeless:

Anyway, I can understand how you can get confused with the opportunities you have. Not to be a wet blanket or a devil's advocate or what, I hope you also consider other factors when deciding. Things like the company's stability, job security, your relationship with your workmates, your compatibility with the job, your career advancement and ultimately, your happiness.

It's a case of "what makes you happy" and "what do you really want". Try to balance both and I'm sure you'll find your answers.

Good luck! :)

chltzn

Nov 14, 2002, 10:11 AM

Originally posted by BabyFATS

I think it's kind of sad how a lot of us get really concerned with money matters when it comes to career management. Ang hirap kasing mag-hanapbuhay dito sa Pinas! :hopeless:

Anyway, I can understand how you can get confused with the opportunities you have. Not to be a wet blanket or a devil's advocate or what, I hope you also consider other factors when deciding. Things like the company's stability, job security, your relationship with your workmates, your compatibility with the job, your career advancement and ultimately, your happiness.

It's a case of "what makes you happy" and "what do you really want". Try to balance both and I'm sure you'll find your answers.

Good luck! :)

Alam mo if your applying for a job, di mo naman makikita kaagad ang job security, relationship with your workmates, compatibility with the job, etc. kasi you still don't know what's in store for you. First reaction talaga ng job hunters ay yung salary then the stability of the company. Some of the things you said can be experience later pag matagal ka na. Sometimes your first impressions when applying is important. I think na you should first get a feel of the working environment kung magugustuhan mo sya then decide if you want to be a part of that office di ba!

BabyFATS

Nov 14, 2002, 12:53 PM

You're right, chltzn. Sorry I didn't make myself clear.

I was actually referring to his/her current job. I was trying to make the impression that if one is happy and content where one is now, then that should also be taken into consideration - something like weighing whether your "present happiness" will be worth risking in favor of "more future happiness" which might turn into "future disappointment".

I hope you're getting what I'm saying. :)

chltzn

Nov 16, 2002, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by BabyFATS
You're right, chltzn. Sorry I didn't make myself clear.

I was actually referring to his/her current job. I was trying to make the impression that if one is happy and content where one is now, then that should also be taken into consideration - something like weighing whether your "present happiness" will be worth risking in favor of "more future happiness" which might turn into "future disappointment".

I hope you're getting what I'm saying. :)

Ok I get your point!:)

tekkies

Nov 16, 2002, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by avonlea
i used to work in an internet company here in Pampanga... and the job paid double than what i earn in my current job at a call center... i quit my previous job because i was not happy anymore... what i like about being a call center agent is that there's not too much pressure and your work ends when you leave your office.... and it's really fun working in a call center... i really wish i had applied earlier... i chose to be in this field, i was not desperate to have a job since i had a good-paying job before...

Hi there , where callcenter in Clark are you working , how was the job there ?

Jonga

Nov 17, 2002, 06:59 AM

No offense pero.....

sa tingin ko marami ang nagcall-center kasi maraming sosing bobo na computer course graduate sa panahon ngyn, ako galing ako sa skul na madaming konyotiks(pero indi ako konyotiks ha mind you), ayon....andami sa kanila puro call-center ang bagsak, kase pano....ala sila hilig magprogram.

pero d sa pangaasar.....dahil magaling din naman sila e, lalong lalo na sa pakikiharap/usap sa iba't-ibang klaseng tao, yun nga lang ang nakakalungkot, gradweyt *** ng alang alam sa pagproprogram....ang sinisisi e ang skul kase totoo naman e, ala kaming natutunan in our 4 years of college, tapos di naman marunong magself-study ang mga sosing bobo na mga yan e...(d ko sinasabi na lahat ng mga nagcall-center ay bobo ha)

just my 2 cents

PEACE!

the_BUGS - PUTIK! nabuhay ka? ano kamusta na brad, mahaba na ba balbas mo, arabo ka na rin ba? heeheheheeh

BabyFATS

Nov 17, 2002, 07:58 AM

Kawawa naman yung tatablan dun sa sinabi ni Jonga na mga sossing bobo. :hopeless:
Hindi ako tinatamaan ha, kasi hindi naman ako sossy at lalong hindi ko tatanggapin na bobo ako... hehehe... defensive ba? :D

Anyway, hindi naman kasi ibig sabihin na pag graduate ng Computer Science o Computer Engineering or MIS eh puro programming lang ang dapat mong alam o pwede mong gawin. Napaka-broad naman ng computer/IT industry eh. Syempre depende rin yon sa interest mo talaga - play to your strengths, ika nga.

I have to share, though, na marami talagang nag-a-apply sa call center just for the money. :hopeless:

chltzn

Nov 18, 2002, 09:14 AM

chltzn

Nov 18, 2002, 09:19 AM

BabyFATS

Nov 18, 2002, 11:40 PM

"Madali" is relative.
I've interviewed some applicants here and I've come across some of them saying hindi raw pala totoo na "madali" ang mag-apply sa call center. :nope:

Apolpay

Nov 19, 2002, 08:47 AM

Good morning

about call center aba hindi madaling mag apply
ha, marami akong kilala na nag apply sabihin
nating nasa 60 clang lahat, pero ang nakapasa
only 5 o diba sobrang hirap at di ako naniniwala
na may bobo sa call center, dahil kung wa kang
brain cgurado d ka na makakapasok sa call center....

OliverWood21

Nov 19, 2002, 12:31 PM

Mind if I butt in??

How is the "graveyard shift" thing? baka naman mawalan na ako ng personal life dahil sa graveyard shift... What are the advantages and the disadvantages of working in a call center by the way? I hope someone can answer coz I really want to quit my job now and I am having a hard time looking for another one..

the_BuGs

Nov 19, 2002, 05:09 PM

Originally posted by BabyFATS
Kawawa naman yung tatablan dun sa sinabi ni Jonga na mga sossing bobo. :hopeless:
Hindi ako tinatamaan ha, kasi hindi naman ako sossy at lalong hindi ko tatanggapin na bobo ako... hehehe... defensive ba? :D

Anyway, hindi naman kasi ibig sabihin na pag graduate ng Computer Science o Computer Engineering or MIS eh puro programming lang ang dapat mong alam o pwede mong gawin. Napaka-broad naman ng computer/IT industry eh. Syempre depende rin yon sa interest mo talaga - play to your strengths, ika nga.

I have to share, though, na marami talagang nag-a-apply sa call center just for the money. :hopeless:

wag mong pansinin si jonga natutuo lang mag program yumabang na!!! lol! hahahaha well call centers sa states nde kinakahiya sa kanila ah..........sa panahon ngayon nde na mahalaga kung ano yung matutu-tunan mo sa werk... ang kelangan ngayon eh yun stability ng work.... beneifts... securities and for your future needs... yung tipong pang buhay ng family... ke call centers pa yan at kung anong ek-ek na trabaho............. basta stable..... ok na yun.......... tama rin si babyfats... nde porke IT focus lang sa programming... napaka broad ng IT....... eh meron nga ibang company dyan programmer ka nga pero contractual ka lang nde mo pa alam kung hangang saan ka hahantong?? parang nasasayang yung oras mo sa kumpanya imbes na me makukuha kang benefits... pero wala.... well ganun lang ang buhay ehehehe...

parang yung ganito

Janitor - 32K a month + Regular Benefits + quarterly Bonus + 13th month pay (me co. sa Pilipins na nag -ooffer ng ganito)

Vs.

IT Programmer - 20K a month contractual + no benefits + 13 month pay lang

saan ka???

ako...... janitor shempre... saan ka makakakita na janitor na marunong mag IT lol :D pwahahahahahahahahahhahaahhaha

sharing lang ba

OliverWood21

Nov 20, 2002, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by the_BuGs

wag mong pansinin si jonga natutuo lang mag program yumabang na!!! lol!
sharing lang ba

Ouch...

Anyway, the problem with most Techy people is that they somehow are not that good in communication.. Its is rare to find a person who are both good in technical skills and communication skills. Nonetheless, I think that being good interpersonally can be more lucrative than being a shy bookworm.. ;)

GilmoreGal

Nov 20, 2002, 04:34 PM

In addition to oliverwood's question...

You're in a graveyard shift right? How long do u sleep after? till what time?

And regarding your customers.... isn't it hard to communicate with them since most of them are foreigners right?

Masquerade

Nov 20, 2002, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by GilmoreGal
And regarding your customers.... isn't it hard to communicate with them since most of them are foreigners right?
At first you'll experience shock especially of you're not used to being shouted at. Some customers are nice though but most clients are very hard to handle. You should have a training on how to handle irate callers. I think standard ito in all call centers.

Just remember that you are representing your company and you are trying your best to assist customers to get what they want. Don't take what they tell you personally especially when they start throwing expletives at you. They are not mad at you but at the situation they are in. Pinoys could be so sensitive sometimes and this sensitivity is what you should leave at your house when you come to work for a call center. You should always keep your composure when dealing with clients. It will be hard at first but you'll get used to it in no time at all.

Kumbaga, trabaho lang ito, walang personalan.

BabyFATS

Nov 21, 2002, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by GilmoreGal
In addition to oliverwood's question...

You're in a graveyard shift right? How long do u sleep after? till what time?

And regarding your customers.... isn't it hard to communicate with them since most of them are foreigners right?

Graveyard shifts usually start around 9 or 10. Depends on the work schedules set by the company. Where I work, we have 3 graveyard schedules - 8p-530a, 9p-630a & 10p-730a - but these are for the agents. For officers, we only have one - the 9p-630a sked.

When I'm on that shift, I sometimes end up going home at 8. Minsan kasi nag-e-extend ako to do stuff pa. Then I sleep as soon as I get home and wake up around 3pm. Hirap kasi ako matulog sa daytime. Others can sleep til about 6pm.

As for the customers, we don't have as much of a problem with it as those who do voice support. Mas mahirap yon eh, you'll hear them screaming and cursing in your ear. Pag chat/email support kasi like what we do, there's not much of a pressure. However, one still has to learn how to pacify irate clients. :)

Jonga

Nov 22, 2002, 05:02 AM

Originally posted by the_BuGs

wag mong pansinin si jonga natutuo lang mag program yumabang na!!! lol! hahahaha well call centers sa states nde kinakahiya sa kanila ah..........sa panahon ngayon nde na mahalaga kung ano yung matutu-tunan mo sa werk... ang kelangan ngayon eh yun stability ng work.... beneifts... securities and for your future needs... yung tipong pang buhay ng family... ke call centers pa yan at kung anong ek-ek na trabaho............. basta stable..... ok na yun.......... tama rin si babyfats... nde porke IT focus lang sa programming... napaka broad ng IT....... eh meron nga ibang company dyan programmer ka nga pero contractual ka lang nde mo pa alam kung hangang saan ka hahantong?? parang nasasayang yung oras mo sa kumpanya imbes na me makukuha kang benefits... pero wala.... well ganun lang ang buhay ehehehe...

parang yung ganito

Janitor - 32K a month + Regular Benefits + quarterly Bonus + 13th month pay (me co. sa Pilipins na nag -ooffer ng ganito)

Vs.

IT Programmer - 20K a month contractual + no benefits + 13 month pay lang

saan ka???

ako...... janitor shempre... saan ka makakakita na janitor na marunong mag IT lol :D pwahahahahahahahahahhahaahhaha

sharing lang ba

Well sabagay depende na yun sa tao kung ano ang priorities nya, kung mukha ba syang pera o ang magamit ang kanyang pinag-aralan.
parang sinabi mo na rin na magdruglord na lang tayo dahil importante ang pera.

atsaka d ako mayabang, sinasabi ko lang ang nakikita ko, brad alam mo kung san ako galing. Anlakilaki ng tuition ng mga IT courses tapos d rin pala magagamit ang pinagaaralan, dapat nag mascom na lang sila or something tapos kumuha ng short courses sa mga computer schools dba?

to all callcenter workers, em not discriminating or saying it's a bad job, all i want to say is that if u think it's not for u, dun trap urself in it, go find something else that's worthwhile, i just think that anybody that can speak good can do such job.

sige brad, magsimula ka na mag-mop nga CR....hehehehe

GilmoreGal

Nov 23, 2002, 10:28 AM

Originally posted by BabyFATS
As for the customers, we don't have as much of a problem with it as those who do voice support. Mas mahirap yon eh, you'll hear them screaming and cursing in your ear. Pag chat/email support kasi like what we do, there's not much of a pressure. However, one still has to learn how to pacify irate clients. :)

So it seems like your life is totally gone because you're asleep when everybody's awake and ur awake when everybody's asleep:rolleyes:

Ohhh its much better when ur on chat/email support. What company offers that kind of job? Most call centers bA?

the_BuGs

Nov 23, 2002, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by Jonga

Well sabagay depende na yun sa tao kung ano ang priorities nya, kung mukha ba syang pera o ang magamit ang kanyang pinag-aralan.
parang sinabi mo na rin na magdruglord na lang tayo dahil importante ang pera.

atsaka d ako mayabang, sinasabi ko lang ang nakikita ko, brad alam mo kung san ako galing. Anlakilaki ng tuition ng mga IT courses tapos d rin pala magagamit ang pinagaaralan, dapat nag mascom na lang sila or something tapos kumuha ng short courses sa mga computer schools dba?

to all callcenter workers, em not discriminating or saying it's a bad job, all i want to say is that if u think it's not for u, dun trap urself in it, go find something else that's worthwhile, i just think that anybody that can speak good can do such job.

sige brad, magsimula ka na mag-mop nga CR....hehehehe

Bata ka pa kasi at Binata pa.... eheheheheheheheh shempre minsan ang tao nde naman nag re-rely lang sa pera yan eh.... iniisip nila yung pamilya nila eh....... kapag nagkapamilya k ana nde mo na iisipin kung ano yung matututunan mo sa trabaho mo eh... ang una mo ng iisipin yung securities ng family mo eheheheheheh.... ako nde ko pa ren masasabi dahil me pride pa ren naman ako eh ehehehehehehe......... and besides kung maabilidad ka at medyo kapalmuks at gusto mong umangat magagawa mo rin yan eh... like na nangyare sa iyo... di ba parang nsa call center ka lang dati at implementor ka sa mga sales office... then 1 day pinalilipat ka na ibang division na puro programming...... o di ba?? nde naman kasi habang buhay din call center at programmer ka...... ikaw rin kasi gagawa ng paraan para umunlad..... shempre sa una hirap tangapin nsa call center ka lang eh kung maabilidad ka.. sabihin mo sa boss mo papalipat ka ng ibang dept dahil gusto mo matuto ng ganito at ganyan..... shempre makikinig din naman yung amo mo sa iyo....maiintindihan ka.... it takes time.... pero nde yung asal STAR SCREAM pare ah!! nde tayo ganon!!! pwahahahahahhahahahahhaha yung tipong mangagamit ng tao para sya ang sikat ehehehehehehhe

teka napahaba yung type ko... bili muna ako ng Lysol para sa CR dito sa opis ehehheeh tsaka yung kape at tsaa sa mga tao dito balik ako eheheheheh

Night_Elf

Nov 23, 2002, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by Jonga

Well sabagay depende na yun sa tao kung ano ang priorities nya, kung mukha ba syang pera o ang magamit ang kanyang pinag-aralan.
parang sinabi mo na rin na magdruglord na lang tayo dahil importante ang pera.

atsaka d ako mayabang, sinasabi ko lang ang nakikita ko, brad alam mo kung san ako galing. Anlakilaki ng tuition ng mga IT courses tapos d rin pala magagamit ang pinagaaralan, dapat nag mascom na lang sila or something tapos kumuha ng short courses sa mga computer schools dba?

to all callcenter workers, em not discriminating or saying it's a bad job, all i want to say is that if u think it's not for u, dun trap urself in it, go find something else that's worthwhile, i just think that anybody that can speak good can do such job.

sige brad, magsimula ka na mag-mop nga CR....hehehehe

My friend, just to clear out things, I think na isa kang taong ma-pride, I don't want to diss you off or anything pero don't worry, hindi ka nag-iisa. Ganyan din ako dati, ma-pride din ako sa trabaho, siguro dahil the pressure from my peers was getting over me. Being a very good student when I was in college (this needs not to be mentioned ), my peers feel like kailangang mag venture ako entirely sa programming dahil COMSCI grad ako. Pero since napakaliit ng entry level salary sa programming, I wanted to venture into sales, kahit hindi ko na masyadong magagamit ang pinagaralan ko pero the financial rewards are way much better than being a techy. Pero in the end, I felt like I can be best in doing something that I enjoy, not something I am expected to do. Dapat sa market ngayon is maging flexible ka ng husto at hindi ka dapat mag sticjk sa isang field. I now do end user dbase progrmaming pero I am not satisfied with it. Actually, I am planning to try to work in a call center since medyo okay naman ang communication skills ko (I am not boasting or anything) pero thank God at hindi ako katulad ng ibang programmers na balubaluktot ang English kaya nga they are buried in a corner to debug and create programming syntax.
Sa call center lang kasi ako nakakakita ng salary satisfaction lalo na sa mga bata na kagagaraduate pa lang.

In the end, I felt like the fastest (but not necessarily the easiest) way in fulfilling my dreams is to have a lucrative job that would cater my finacial burden. Sabihin na ng iba na mukha akong pera but the heck, you can't say that I am greedy since I am not working for myself but for the ones I love and I wanted to give them the best in this world.

I myself don't want to be an employee for the rest of my life. After all, ITS NOT WHAT YOU DO, BUT HOW YOU DO IT. Ang main goal ko talaga is makapagipon para makapagbusiness ako ng sarili, and I have to take the fastest steps just to get there..
Kaya nga napag-isip isip ko that call center is an option, after all, not all people are blessed with flexible english and PR complemented with competent technical skills...

CIAO...

BabyFATS

Nov 24, 2002, 09:09 AM

Originally posted by GilmoreGal

So it seems like your life is totally gone because you're asleep when everybody's awake and ur awake when everybody's asleep:rolleyes:

Ohhh its much better when ur on chat/email support. What company offers that kind of job? Most call centers bA?
A lot of people think you can't have a (social) life when you're working shifts, especially the night shift. I say it depends on how much time you want to spend doing the things you like. Me, I get to go out pa rin with family and friends, sometimes several times a week. Nasa time management din yon eh. Of course, sometimes you need to make sacrifices, and more often than not you find yourself tired from lack of sufficient rest or from too much socializing/working. It all depends on what you want and what you'll do to achieve it. Shifting always has advantages and disadvantages, but so does working the regular 9-5 job. :)

As for the chat/email support centers, I can't say exactly which ones offer those. I just know ours (Hellocorp) does, Sykes too.

GilmoreGal

Nov 24, 2002, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by BabyFATS

As for the chat/email support centers, I can't say exactly which ones offer those. I just know ours (Hellocorp) does, Sykes too.

Where's Hellocorp? any website that i can visit?

BabyFATS

Nov 24, 2002, 11:59 AM

You might want to check out www.hellocorp.com.

Local offices are in Ortigas.
If you're interested in applying, you can check out the ff. job ads at JobsDB.com:

http://www.jobsdb.com/PH/EN/JobAds/adslist.asp?pagename=adslist&searchtext=hellocorp

P.S. I'm not from HR. Just trying to share here. :)

Jonga

Nov 27, 2002, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by Night_Elf

My friend, just to clear out things, I think na isa kang taong ma-pride, I don't want to diss you off or anything pero don't worry, hindi ka nag-iisa. Ganyan din ako dati, ma-pride din ako sa trabaho, siguro dahil the pressure from my peers was getting over me. Being a very good student when I was in college (this needs not to be mentioned ), my peers feel like kailangang mag venture ako entirely sa programming dahil COMSCI grad ako. Pero since napakaliit ng entry level salary sa programming, I wanted to venture into sales, kahit hindi ko na masyadong magagamit ang pinagaralan ko pero the financial rewards are way much better than being a techy. Pero in the end, I felt like I can be best in doing something that I enjoy, not something I am expected to do. Dapat sa market ngayon is maging flexible ka ng husto at hindi ka dapat mag sticjk sa isang field. I now do end user dbase progrmaming pero I am not satisfied with it. Actually, I am planning to try to work in a call center since medyo okay naman ang communication skills ko (I am not boasting or anything) pero thank God at hindi ako katulad ng ibang programmers na balubaluktot ang English kaya nga they are buried in a corner to debug and create programming syntax.
Sa call center lang kasi ako nakakakita ng salary satisfaction lalo na sa mga bata na kagagaraduate pa lang.

In the end, I felt like the fastest (but not necessarily the easiest) way in fulfilling my dreams is to have a lucrative job that would cater my finacial burden. Sabihin na ng iba na mukha akong pera but the heck, you can't say that I am greedy since I am not working for myself but for the ones I love and I wanted to give them the best in this world.

I myself don't want to be an employee for the rest of my life. After all, ITS NOT WHAT YOU DO, BUT HOW YOU DO IT. Ang main goal ko talaga is makapagipon para makapagbusiness ako ng sarili, and I have to take the fastest steps just to get there..
Kaya nga napag-isip isip ko that call center is an option, after all, not all people are blessed with flexible english and PR complemented with competent technical skills...

CIAO...

YAKS! parang nabubulul na rin akong magsalita!!!
ayoko maging kagaya ni the_Bugs hehehehe

well yun na nga, like what i've said, it depends on our priorities.
one of my priorities in life is to be happy in this life, and one of my principle is that money will never give you TOTAL happiness (i said total kasi money CAN give you temporary happiness hehehehe)

nababanas lang talaga ceguro ako sa mga sosing bobo, at marami akong school mates na may potential technically pero wala lang talagang hilig.....and kasi parang bagay na bagay sa mga sosing bobo ang pagcacallcenter e:

sosi = bongga kasi pag 'international' at siguradong sanay ang mga ito sa pakikipagchikahan or usapan in english.

bobo = neglected the hardship of studying the technical side of IT. I dun think u need brains to do a callcenter job, this job requires only good communication skills and confidence.

no offense...:)

the_Bugs: brad nakakasawa na nga rin **, kahit sabihin natin na almost 1/3 ng sistema e ako gumawa, d kona nakikita yung importance ko sa grupo, sabagay gawa na ang sistema e, parang wala na akong silbi, naknampuhca, feeling ko mas mataas pa ang rank ng mga sumunod sa akin, konsidering na senior ako sa grupo kasama si Teach. o well, hehehehe ginawang kuwentuhan tong thread na to a....

the_BuGs

Nov 27, 2002, 09:30 PM

Originally posted by Jonga

YAKS! parang nabubulul na rin akong magsalita!!!
ayoko maging kagaya ni the_Bugs hehehehe

well yun na nga, like what i've said, it depends on our priorities.
one of my priorities in life is to be happy in this life, and one of my principle is that money will never give you TOTAL happiness (i said total kasi money CAN give you temporary happiness hehehehe)

nababanas lang talaga ceguro ako sa mga sosing bobo, at marami akong school mates na may potential technically pero wala lang talagang hilig.....and kasi parang bagay na bagay sa mga sosing bobo ang pagcacallcenter e:

sosi = bongga kasi pag 'international' at siguradong sanay ang mga ito sa pakikipagchikahan or usapan in english.

bobo = neglected the hardship of studying the technical side of IT. I dun think u need brains to do a callcenter job, this job requires only good communication skills and confidence.

no offense...:)

the_Bugs: brad nakakasawa na nga rin **, kahit sabihin natin na almost 1/3 ng sistema e ako gumawa, d kona nakikita yung importance ko sa grupo, sabagay gawa na ang sistema e, parang wala na akong silbi, naknampuhca, feeling ko mas mataas pa ang rank ng mga sumunod sa akin, konsidering na senior ako sa grupo kasama si Teach. o well, hehehehe ginawang kuwentuhan tong thread na to a....

Brad.............. nakakasawa na rin kase ang mag program eh... yun at yun na lang... well sabagay 10 taon na ako dyan.... ehehehehe

OliverWood21

Jul 7, 2003, 08:22 AM

It is a choice..

Lahat naman ng ginagawa natin dito sa mundong ito is a choice...

Una_dagmar

Jul 7, 2003, 10:59 AM

I like to say that the answer to this relative.

In my situation, I have had four jobs before moving on to a call center. It was neither a choice nor an act of desperation. It was probably a whim. It turned out to be a pretty good whim, too.:D

cmax

Jul 7, 2003, 09:26 PM

Working in a call center tends to get boring after sometime. You need to be fit for the job also. I know a lot of people who are very eager to take a call center job only to realize they are not built for the job. It is a very stressful job contrary to the common notion that you are just answering phone calls. Aside from the physical stress of working on unholy hours, there is also the emotional stress. For me, working on a call center is an act of desperation. If I can be somwhere else, I would gladly leave the job. But please don't get me wrong, I am happy with my job. I am after the long term career growth. :D

thehitman

Jul 7, 2003, 11:55 PM

Both.

It's a choice if you are a fresh graduate and looking forward to working at once. Pay is very good, and beats working as a bank teller for a measly P8,000. It's an act of desperation if you've been unemployed for quite some time now, or if your course can't find you a decent job.

As for career growth, there are also career growth opportunities in a call center. Many people just don't know it. And depending on the person, he can take two paths. If you want to stick it out with customer service, you can go up to a supervisory position up to middle management position. If you want a different path, the support departments are there. Here in PeopleSupport, with 1,300 reps (and still growing), do you guys have any idea how huge our HR department is? We have an entire team dedicated to recruitment, another team for compensation and benefits, and another team for employee relations. Our training department is huge as well. We currently have three huge accounts, and each account has it's own set of trainers. And we have a fourth account that's in need of trainers. And here in PS, as much as possible, we fill up new and vacant positions with people from inside. So you see, there are various opportunities for growth even in a call center. You just need to see it.

:cool:

syk_man_agoqui

Jul 8, 2003, 09:17 AM

Ey ey ey... alam mo dito sa Philippines napaka discriminitaory sa work tindi pag sinabi mo you work sa call center, teller, sales lady etc... parang ha call center ka, ha teller ka lang.. tindi eh.. pero kung sa USA ka or even Japan if you are a sales lady a factory worker heck a garbage collecor they don't give a **** as long as you earn money the right way. Di ko talaga ma-intindihan na pag sinabi call center parang ang baba ng tingin ng ibang tao dyan. I work for a call center too and I'm happy with my work at least I earn money the right way walang sinasagasaan na tao or may nasisirang buhay to earn!!!! dignity of labor thats what is it!!!!;)

Leo_Wyatt

Jul 8, 2003, 10:48 AM

Working in a call center is my last resort. I am desperate to find a job that suits my field. Pero lagi akong minamalas either sa exam or sa interview. :(

mushy24

Oct 23, 2003, 08:23 AM

ay naku mahirap **** maghanap ng wrk na inlined sa filed of studies mo nung college. normally kc mas mataas ang mga hinahanap nialng requirements lalo na pag programmer or IT wrk ang hanap mo.

ilan lang sa may mga wrk ***** ang happy sa wrk nila at *** mga taong ang wrk eh inlined sa course nila.

OliverWood21

Oct 23, 2003, 12:20 PM

Of course its a choice. Call center peeps have higher E.Q. than the average (It takes a lot of it to improve your people skills and to handle difficult customers.. )
:D

HoRnY4NiE

Oct 23, 2003, 01:20 PM

yes...its a choice (ata?!!! hehehe) im an IT grad pero networking yung specialization...hindi talga ako kagalingan magprogram...wala akong hilig...okee naman kasi techsupport eh related sa course...ikaw ba naman magset up ng buong network (wired or wireless man) at me kasamang vpn...endi naman ***** kabobohan to d ba? at sympre gagamitan mo yan ng utak...

Orange_Bottle

Oct 23, 2003, 11:06 PM

in fairness hindi pala madali makapasok sa call center. when i applied, ang daming hindi pumasa na kabatch ko and they are actually fluent and from UP pa.

before akala ko last choice na ang call center. but now nagbago ang tingin ko when i actually applied for a call center. i resigned from my job(which is a realatively good one) and start ako this monday. in terms of career advancement marami ka namang patutunguhan eh. and people who needs money to start a microbusiness pwede din. :-):D

LinuxMandrake

Oct 24, 2003, 01:56 AM

share ko lang:

undergrad, kicked out of 2 schools and hindi nakagraduate sa 3rd school... after 2 years of call center-ing (if there's such a phrase), earning 35-40k a month as a training officer...

graduate, sometimes with honors pa, working in a non-call center environment. after working for 2-3 years, pay is around 13-16k... starting lang ng agent to sa call center...

i'm the former here. at 28, naiingit ako sa manager ko who's only 24, yet making more than i do. on the other hand, kahit undergrad ako, nakakatuwa because people who are younger (and sometimes older) look up to me because of my achievement in life.

if the question here is choice or desperation... eto ang side ko. with a wife and kid to support, choice talaga to. kasi if i work in a non-call center environment, given my educational background, baka *** 35-40k, kitain ko ng 6 months.

just my two cents...

OT: hey thehitman, musta? ako *** nagbenta sayo nung ram before. dunno if you remember me. also i was in PS for a joint account with C3 for VS. musta mga tao dyan sa inyo? dami nyo na ah. give my regards to aaron and gil, kung nandyan pa sila. from alan cruz, VS/C3. thanks!

LinuxMandrake

Oct 24, 2003, 02:03 AM

@leo_wyatt, try to view it as a choice, rather than desperation... then it's gonna change the way you answer those interviews kasi ur gonna view the call center in a different light.

love, peace and menudo grease!

LinuxMandrake

Oct 24, 2003, 02:10 AM

@syk_man_agoqui, nakana mo ser!!!

*** ibang tao kasi, masyadong apektado sa sinasabi ng iba na bigyan ng justice ang pinagaralan sa school... eh kung pipilitin na related sa course ang work, maraming kalaban na di hamak mas magaling and more qualified. *** iba nga kahit overqualified kinakagat ang trabaho para lang makasimula. a call center is no different. ang maganda eh sweldo mo kaparehas ng bisor sa non-call center environment, and you're just starting. do the math. sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, few people can afford to choose a job that gives justification to their course.

ang akin lang, justified na *** pinagpaguran ng mga magulang ko kahit hindi ako tapos kasi alam nila na medyo ayos nako financially, which is the main reason why we go to school, to make sure we have a bright future ahead of us. un lang po. bow!

jiggybabymiggz

Oct 24, 2003, 02:30 AM

i worked in a call center before for 2 years as an Admin Staff. As part of the job, i was tasked to monitor a system that we have to implement on one of the new US accounts. Imagine, going to work at exactly 3:00 am (very strict attendance), putting-on a headset for 7 hours of work (once i tried and it really made my ears turn red) . If your account is Inbound, so much the better because you'll just have to wait for a call (but if traffic is high i guess, ubos din laway mo) but if outbound, you'll be doing telemarketing for 7 hours speaking tapos you'll really have irate customers. Breaktimes are controlled, you cannot extend beyond your time as you have to go to your post to replace a person bound to take the next break time. I have a great respect for CSRs who can really control their temper....pero minsan they put a dirty finger on the screen for "not-so-friendly" callers...reality na ito sa call center

the bottomline is, it's easy to go to call centers today mass hiring sila. kung talagang you need a job immediately with a nice pay, it's a place for you. Kung admin ka, naku swerte ka pag CSR kasi ikaw ang frontliner at earner ng company. Kaya target-in mo yung Supervisor kasi tagapalakpak ka lang dyan at issue ng memo sa subordinates, ewan ko ba...medyo radikal din minsan ang org ng call centers e.

jiggybabymiggz

Oct 24, 2003, 02:36 AM

at ang promotion...kung malakas ka sa head...otherwise, wag mo na asahan...

More2lyf

Oct 24, 2003, 09:08 AM

I also work in a call center. We do chat support. Baba nga lang ang salary :-(. I'd like to try voice support kasi masmalaki ang sweldo but I still don't have the courage to handle irate calls. Di ko like masigawan, atleast sa chat pwede mo silang sigawan din without being heard by your client (hehehe!).

OliverWood21

Oct 24, 2003, 01:04 PM

Originally posted by LinuxMandrake
share ko lang:

undergrad, kicked out of 2 schools and hindi nakagraduate sa 3rd school... after 2 years of call center-ing (if there's such a phrase), earning 35-40k a month as a training officer...

graduate, sometimes with honors pa, working in a non-call center environment. after working for 2-3 years, pay is around 13-16k... starting lang ng agent to sa call center...

i'm the former here. at 28, naiingit ako sa manager ko who's only 24, yet making more than i do. on the other hand, kahit undergrad ako, nakakatuwa because people who are younger (and sometimes older) look up to me because of my achievement in life.

if the question here is choice or desperation... eto ang side ko. with a wife and kid to support, choice talaga to. kasi if i work in a non-call center environment, given my educational background, baka *** 35-40k, kitain ko ng 6 months.

just my two cents...

OT: hey thehitman, musta? ako *** nagbenta sayo nung ram before. dunno if you remember me. also i was in PS for a joint account with C3 for VS. musta mga tao dyan sa inyo? dami nyo na ah. give my regards to aaron and gil, kung nandyan pa sila. from alan cruz, VS/C3. thanks!

Way to go Linux Mandrake.. :handsdown:
;)

Ang laki naman ng sweldo sa Call Center nyo. :)

nwebediseotso

Oct 24, 2003, 02:22 PM

to all who posted: *** call centers r u in?

DukotKing

Oct 24, 2003, 04:46 PM

Call centers are big because these companies do not ask for TORs. You can say that this setup is heaven sent to undergrads, kickouts, didn't finish their course on time, and people who had a good frequency of low grades during college. It is the painful truth that if you are a fresh graduate, companies tend to "choose" people with higher grades because that is, for them, a very strong basis on why they hire applicants.

By the way, I work for a call center. And I am very happy despite not finishing my course on time and with a great collection of failed subjects.

mikeabundo

Oct 25, 2003, 02:09 AM

A call center is where lethal verbal combat becomes a videogame played out on your computer screen. That's a thrill you can't find anywhere else. :D

jiggybabymiggz

Oct 25, 2003, 02:57 AM

Call Centers dito nag-boom. 2 yrs ago, it was just a little lower than 10...ngayon? kaya competition is very stiff...it's either the call center you're working at gets all the good accounts and the not-so-good CCs get the "one-shot" or "short-term" accounts. Ang alam ko e mas profitable and Inbound calls at less pressured ang mga Agents.

Sa Call Center, test ng patience talaga sa agent. Kutakot-takot na murahan talaga sa irate na customers. Minsan nga kwento sa akin e minamanyak pa sila.

LinuxMandrake

Oct 25, 2003, 04:53 AM

@918, itouchpoint ako nagwowork

@mikeabundo, tama ka dyan igan, nagiging laro na lang. the good thing is, you get paid a $h!+l0ad of money for "playing games".

@jiggy, hiring naman ang maraming call centers ngayon because the industry is so young, lahat ng galing sa isang kumpanya eh kilala ng isang taga kabila. ganun pa lang sa ngayon. at lahat naglilipatan, always looking for the quantum leap. given the stories of some here (that includes me), many people aspire to reach the position some are already in, pero gusto yata eh walang hirap at sipag. i had some trainees before na 2 months lang nasa floor tapos apply na ng higher position. pag hindi tinanggap eh sasama ang loob then resign. i don't think it works that way.

mikeabundo

Oct 25, 2003, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by LinuxMandrake
@mikeabundo, tama ka dyan igan, nagiging laro na lang. the good thing is, you get paid a $h!+l0ad of money for "playing games".

Thanks, Linux. Glad to hear from a fellow playa. :cool:

LinuxMandrake

Oct 29, 2003, 02:25 AM

uy, na-offend naman ako sa sinabi ditong "you don't need brains to work in a call center". i'm a training officer with a DA company in libis. besides the fact that i study the clients' needs and wants, i handle, or rather "oversee" 2 totally different accounts. inbound sales and directory assistance. may reports pa and meetings that require brainstroming to further enhance the knowledge of trainees. each batch learns something new, kasi we think of ways on how to make the training (which is difficult as it is) a little bit easier for them to breeze through it.

about money, whether we like it or not, is something that we really need.

if securing your family's future the soonest time possible is not true happiness, then i don't know what is...

if you can give your kid the best education your savings can afford, then that's true happiness. if not, i don't know what is...

if you can chip in with family expenses to ease the burden of your parents' hardships in life, then that's true happiness. if not, i don't know what is...

sa ayaw natin at sa gusto, kadalasan ng away eh dahil kulang sa budget, kulang sa tuition fee, kulang sa pang-araw-araw na gastusan. you may not be able to give your loved ones what they want, but if you can help them with what they need, isa lang masasabi ko... true happiness un.

working in a call center helped me realize that my dreams are feasible pala. and makakatulong ako sa pamilya ko, tapos may natitira pa para sakin. un ang tunay na kaligayahan. bow!

2 cents lang po.

the_BuGs

Oct 29, 2003, 02:44 AM

Tanong lang... ano ba ang ginagawa sa call center? i mean puro technical ba pinaguusapan? tulad sa hardware or something

OliverWood21

Oct 29, 2003, 07:18 AM

Dapat siguro nag work din ako sa call center para na polish naman itong English-carabao ko.. Hehehe.. :D

CLY

Oct 29, 2003, 07:46 AM

nobody has to be stuck or forced into a job that is relevant to their course. im a COMSCI graduate but im not practicing it. Truth is i dont want to be programming in front of the computer 24X7 because i simply do not enjoy programming. So i start my own business. In the real world, there are many ways on how to make money, you just have to find one that fits your shoe. something that might not even be related to your course.

The bottomline is all of us work to make money and enjoy our life. If you had enough money to last the rest of our lives, would you still work? I wouldnt. I'd probably be doing something i enjoy and some social work of course. just to give back to society.

sbydef

Oct 29, 2003, 08:03 AM

It depends on the person.

In my case, it was some sort of a desperation move because I can't find any real job at that time. That's the reason why I opted to work for a call center. And because it was more of a last resort choice, I was poorly motivated and as expected I left the job as fast as I was hired.

I think it's the other way around to those who see call center jobs as a career.

cupcake

Oct 29, 2003, 08:29 AM

tama si sbydef it depends on the person. some people opt to get a job in a call center because call centers offer better salaries and benefits and jobs than any other IT-related companies, some people naman they choose to work in a call-center because they can't find a real job that suits their skills and courses.....and of course in-demand ang mga call-centers ngayon...

pero for me, di ko ata kayang magwork ng graveyard sa call centers....kelangan din kasi healthy and matatag ka....

eto ang question, if you're working in a call center, is there any probabilty that you may get promoted after working for several years for examples from tech support to sys. analys.....like that.....:confused:

jiggybabymiggz

Oct 29, 2003, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by cupcake
tama si sbydef it depends on the person. some people opt to get a job in a call center because call centers offer better salaries and benefits and jobs than any other IT-related companies, some people naman they choose to work in a call-center because they can't find a real job that suits their skills and courses.....and of course in-demand ang mga call-centers ngayon...

pero for me, di ko ata kayang magwork ng graveyard sa call centers....kelangan din kasi healthy and matatag ka....

eto ang question, if you're working in a call center, is there any probabilty that you may get promoted after working for several years for examples from tech support to sys. analys.....like that.....:confused:

It would depend. If you are in Operations (meaning an "Agent/CSR/TechSR), you can be promoted to a supervisory level also on Operations i.e, Team Leader, QA Supervisor, Workforce Mgt. In a call center kasi that's the pattern of growth, if you work in the Operations, your promotion will also be there since you already know the ins-and-outs of the Operation.

Pero sa admin naman e they get outside especially kung Sys. Ad talaga sya o Dbase Admin sya by profession.

jiggybabymiggz

Oct 29, 2003, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by the_BuGs
Tanong lang... ano ba ang ginagawa sa call center? i mean puro technical ba pinaguusapan? tulad sa hardware or something

nope, kung may technical support account yung call center na papasukan mo. pero mostly e telemarketing o outbound, yung tipong mag-benta ka ng satellite dish (example lang naman) :D Ito gagawin mo for 8-hours

sbydef

Oct 29, 2003, 03:14 PM

Originally posted by cupcake

eto ang question, if you're working in a call center, is there any probabilty that you may get promoted after working for several years for examples from tech support to sys. analys.....like that.....:confused:

If you're really good then you don't have to wait for years... that is if you're working in a call center that gives importance to equal opportunity promotion and not politics. It's all in the performance! :)

otakusenshi

Oct 29, 2003, 11:25 PM

Hi everybody, mind if i join in :D

btw, ahehehehe first time ko magpost dibuh?!
newbie here... just heard this forum from a friend whos working in PS, well, malamang um... i'm also working in a call center... its located in Global City... i dunno if any of you guys have heard of it

anyway... being in a call center for me is more of a choice... or should i say a decision for me...

im a grad of a IT related course but since that its faster to get a job as a CSR compared to an IT course PLUS i get to improve my communication skills, but i wasn't expecting i would be aggravated with mykind of work... (that's a diff. topic aheheheh)

my reason working as a CSR is to improve my comm. skills - that's it... its better to have a job rather than having an "employment gap" - you know getting stuck in the house... (tabi-tabi po...)

As of now, this is my first job and still looking for another job, its not that i don't see any future with my position but the demands(tasks) are WAY TOO MUCH as compared to other agents from different companies....

luckyenriquez

Oct 31, 2003, 05:56 AM

tama ka linux....sweldo naten now sa call center can anytime beat a regular 8-5 na work...for me its not desperation. i think its more of lifestyle para saken...im a happy go lucky person...night person and ayaw ko tawagen mga superior ko na ser!!! maluwag sa skeds and everything tapos kita ka pa major big bucks in a few years time!!! pagdating ng araw people will see that call center work is also a job and i know pagdating araw yayamen den ako dito sa industry na to...hmmmm ngayon 40k na ko 5yrs time ano na kaya?! linux lagariin na naten tong industriya na to at magpayaman!!! kilala mo ko! qdesk to workforce sup in itouchpt den sup ulet dito sa convergys!!! rock on!!!!:yum:

my_SeBaSTiaNnE

Oct 31, 2003, 01:17 PM

hello!!! both *****.. asa tao lan yan...

i quit my first job as a programmer a year ago (financial probs w/ the company, laki naman sep pay e.. heeheehee), and after that i had problems with getting a new one since i've been with the company for a year only (alanganing entry-level, alanganing pro-hire)... many friends and relatives suggested i try a call center...

ok naman ang communication skills ko... pero ayaw ko talaga... i've always said that i didn't go through four years of college (comsci) just to answer phone calls... gusto ko magamit ko un pinag-aralan ko.. (tsaka syempre big salaries din)
i wanna do programs.. i wanna debug them.. i wanna hear people are using what i made... i wanna hear their reactions, criticisms, good feedbacks...

i was unemployed for 9 months... 9 months!!! you had no idea what it did to my self-esteem.. :) i was thinking na mas ok un tambay ako kesa mag-call center... siguro nga ma-pride lan ako...

anyways, after that i worked as a contractual programmer sa GSIS (hmp... kaya me prob un computerization prog nila kse hindi pinagplanuhan ng mabuti... kulan un hardware..) for 4 months then dito na ko sa current work ko...

kun iisipin, mas malaki ang sweldo ko ***** kesa kun nag-call center ako... more than twice the entry-level salary of other call centers... regular pa.. hihihihih

minsan tyagaan lan yan... kun magaling ka and u feel confident na dapat mas mataas ang salary mo kesa sa offer sa yo, say no...

i have nothing against call centers (***** un mga coño lan na kala mo me sinabi)... i sometimes recommend it to some people... pero if i think those persons have potential, i dont dare tell them na mag-call center na lan sila... gamitin mo un potential mo iho... hahahaha :)

spidervein

Oct 31, 2003, 07:55 PM

when i was first toying with the idea of working in a call center because the job paid really well and because i wanted 'a change of environment,' i sort of thought it was an act of desperation on my part. i knew that people who knew me would question my decision, as i am a licensed professional who graduated with honors from the top university in the country.

now that i've experienced firsthand the application process for CSRs in the top call centers, i have a newfound respect for everyone who works in this industry. i now realize that it isnt that easy to get accepted into a good call center. you have to hurdle several exams and several interviews before even being given a fighting chance. the truth of the matter is, not just anyone can be a call center representative. you have to be fluent in english (or whatever language your job requires you to speak), have excellent grammar and good diction; you have to be sharp-witted and quick; you have to have excellent listening skills and good comprehension skills; and most of all you have to be confident and have a pleasant personality, and you have to do this without even being face to face with the person you are dealing with.

the problem is, people like my_sebastianne have certain preconceived notions about the call center industry, such as, working in a call center involves "just answering phone calls." i'm sorry, but if you work in a call center you have to study really hard, as you have to know everything about the product or services that the your company offers, and you have to know it like the back of your hand. you have to be sharp and quick witted in order to answer the customer's questions in a snap, and you have to be able to express yourself very well in order to explain things to the caller and answer all his queries satisfactorily, and to placate him if he is angry or irate. yung iba dyan say that they have nothing against call centers or those who work there, but in the same breath make comments like, "ma pride lang siguro ako." which is just tantamount to saying that working as a CSR or TSR requires one to swallow his/her pride. the sad thing is, people who look down on working in call centers do so only out of ignorance.

i will be working for a call center very soon, and i do not know how well i will adapt to this new environment, if i will love it or hate it, if i will stay or if this will just be a temporary job for me. but i am keeping an open mind and am willing to give the industry a chance. if need be, i can always go back to practising my profession. but at least i can say that i tried something new, and this early i am certain that working in this industry will teach me many new things and help me grow in many ways. i am sure i will come out of this newfound experience a much better person. when i start working for a call center, i will be doing so by choice and with a whole lot of pride. :)

gemgem

Nov 2, 2003, 04:39 AM

its a choice, but i would say that it would be a good choice than to work with normal hours and get paid for a minimum salary...

my_SeBaSTiaNnE

Nov 2, 2003, 09:05 AM

Originally posted by spidervein

the problem is, people like my_sebastianne have certain preconceived notions about the call center industry, such as, working in a call center involves "just answering phone calls." i'm sorry, but if you work in a call center you have to study really hard, as you have to know everything about the product or services that the your company offers, and you have to know it like the back of your hand. you have to be sharp and quick witted in order to answer the customer's questions in a snap, and you have to be able to express yourself very well in order to explain things to the caller and answer all his queries satisfactorily, and to placate him if he is angry or irate. yung iba dyan say that they have nothing against call centers or those who work there, but in the same breath make comments like, "ma pride lang siguro ako." which is just tantamount to saying that working as a CSR or TSR requires one to swallow his/her pride. the sad thing is, people who look down on working in call centers do so only out of ignorance.

hmmm... i'm not saying na people who work for call centers don't have pride... that's kinda dumb...

in my point of view, i would say that if i worked in a call center then i kinda lowered my standards (again, my standards).. i wanted to be a programmer that's why i took up the course i did...

now other people would think, money is better than their standards (everyone has them... and they vary also)

everyone here said that the money helps feed their families... i would like to point out that there are other 8-5 jobs that pay more than call centers.. it's just that there are very few of them and the competition is stiff.. you really have to be good...

if you're good (in IT that is... whatever expertise it may be) then you have to get a job that will put your talents to good use... that's choice... why settle for something less? now if you think you're not cut out for the job then do the next best thing...

spidervein

Nov 2, 2003, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by my_SeBaSTiaNnE
hmmm... i'm not saying na people who work for call centers don't have pride... that's kinda dumb...

in my point of view, i would say that if i worked in a call center then i kinda lowered my standards (again, my standards).. i wanted to be a programmer that's why i took up the course i did...

now other people would think, money is better than their standards (everyone has them... and they vary also)

everyone here said that the money helps feed their families... i would like to point out that there are other 8-5 jobs that pay more than call centers.. it's just that there are very few of them and the competition is stiff.. you really have to be good...

if you're good (in IT that is... whatever expertise it may be) then you have to get a job that will put your talents to good use... that's choice... why settle for something less? now if you think you're not cut out for the job then do the next best thing...

i'm sorry, but you're still sooo missing the point. anyway, better we all just move along. sayang lang ang oras. :lol:

the_BuGs

Nov 2, 2003, 09:16 PM

As long na masaya ka sa ginagawa mo ok lang... kahit call center pa yan o ano

mikeabundo

Nov 3, 2003, 12:12 AM

Originally posted by my_SeBaSTiaNnE
now other people would think, money is better than their standards (everyone has them... and they vary also)

if you're good (in IT that is... whatever expertise it may be) then you have to get a job that will put your talents to good use... that's choice... why settle for something less? now if you think you're not cut out for the job then do the next best thing...

Contact center work is not "the next best thing". I am very good at what I do -- merciless, relentless verbal combat with hundreds of murderously hostile opponents night after night. I choose to put that talent to good use.

"Now other people would think, money is better than their standards" (sic). Bull$#!+. I did not choose the contact center I work for because of a high salary. I chose it because it is the most multi-awarded contact center in the Philippines. I chose it because at least one agent every year dies of stress-related illness. I chose it because I want to work with the best, with people who are willing to die for their mission.

Are you willing to die for your mission, my_SeBaSTiaNnE? If not, shut up.

DukotKing

Nov 3, 2003, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by mikeabundo
I chose it because it is the most multi-awarded contact center in the Philippines. I chose it because at least one agent every year dies of stress-related illness. I chose it because I want to work with the best, with people who are willing to die for their mission.

Shameless plug brought to you by Etelecare. :D

my_SeBaSTiaNnE

Nov 3, 2003, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by mikeabundo

Are you willing to die for your mission, my_SeBaSTiaNnE? If not, shut up.

o.. d kita inaaway... anong problema mo?
ala akong inaaway sa inyo... opinions are opinions.. bakit kyo masyadong affected? :lol:

and besides, the next bext thing i was referring to was for people who wanted to be programmers (took up computer courses) but can't find jobs.

most high school grads took up comp courses to be programmers
and not work for call centers...

if u wanted to work for call centers in the first place, you should have taken up communications as it would help you with ur job...

spidervein

Nov 3, 2003, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by mikeabundo
Contact center work is not "the next best thing". I am very good at what I do -- merciless, relentless verbal combat with hundreds of murderously hostile opponents night after night. I choose to put that talent to good use.

"Now other people would think, money is better than their standards" (sic). Bull$#!+. I did not choose the contact center I work for because of a high salary. I chose it because it is the most multi-awarded contact center in the Philippines. I chose it because at least one agent every year dies of stress-related illness. I chose it because I want to work with the best, with people who are willing to die for their mission.

Are you willing to die for your mission, my_SeBaSTiaNnE? If not, shut up.

:lol:

mikeabundo, cool ka lang. ganyan talaga. some people will just not get the point even if it ran them over in the street and hit them smack in the head. :D

angelbutterfly

Nov 22, 2003, 06:05 AM

For me working in a call center is a choice. I'm also an undergrad. I had a minimum paying job before at one of the most prestigious universities here as a marketing officer. I opted to transfer to a call center and there I got paid big $$. There is career growth in call centers. And since, it's continuously expanding, promotions are very fast. I got promoted after barely 2 months as a trainer. Looking back 2 years ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity to get paid 10,000 pesos a month. Now if a company offeresd me 17,000 I smirk at the idea.

working in a call center provided me a good background and further enhanced my skill.

Ei Mike! FireA here. So you also post here at PEX. By the way, I might start working for a call center again as a training people. By next week, I'll know if we'd come up with a deal. If ever I get on board, I'll recommend you for the new account that we'll be setting up.

beefeater

Nov 22, 2003, 12:32 PM

Originally posted by DukotKing
Shameless plug brought to you by Etelecare. :D

Hahahaha. Now I'm more proud to say that I'm out of that joint :p

And to think that I'm now affiliated with the contact center that powers e-customer care :D

cococola

Nov 22, 2003, 03:27 PM

I am not working in a call center, pero I think those who look down on people working and applying in call centers are just pissed off kasi talo sila in terms of suweldo. Kahit ano pang explanation ang sabihin nila whether its career growth or being able to practice the skills blah blah, eto lang un ---> PRIDE. Everybody's working because of money ---> for the future, secondary na lang ang self-fulfillment. Super okay kasi sa fresh grads *** call centers, pero sa mga may work experience na, they feel na madedemote sila if lipat sila sa call center kaya what they do na lang is say crap loads of sh*ts about the call center industry. Oh grow up!

Hay naku, to all people working in call centers, save your HUGE SALARIES. After a year or so, buy stocks or put up businesses of your own then hire nyo *** mga ma-ppride na yan as your employees!

Hello! Ngayon pa kayo naging ma-pride, now that our economy is falling.

:)

jiggybabymiggz

Nov 23, 2003, 01:33 AM

Again, If you have a thing for Customer Service and at the same time you've had prior experience as a Telephone Operator, then being a CSR at a Call Center would surely be a good thing for you. One thing that I liked with Call Center Agents, though i haven't been an agent, is that once their shift is over they don't have to worry with work afterwards. You don't have to worry about cramming or beating the deadlines because they don't have deadlines to beat. Though, it's not really a "Desperation" because Call Centers fill-up much of the country's unemployment problem. It's a noble profession but we don't really know how long this call center trend will last. Let's just say that it's not for a long-term career. Nothing really beats-up practicing one's career but with call center booming, it is a choice nowadays coz pay is good and really good for the GenXrs who prefer to work during the unholy hours.

jiggybabymiggz

Nov 23, 2003, 01:37 AM

Originally posted by beefeater
Hahahaha. Now I'm more proud to say that I'm out of that joint :p

And to think that I'm now affiliated with the contact center that powers e-customer care :D

Why? what's the problem with E-telecare? I turned down a job as a Tech Support Rep there sometime this year but I have a friend who works there. I can say that they have a good compensation package.

mikeabundo

Nov 23, 2003, 10:55 AM

mikeabundo

Nov 23, 2003, 11:01 AM

Originally posted by angelbutterfly
Ei Mike! FireA here. So you also post here at PEX. By the way, I might start working for a call center again as a training people. By next week, I'll know if we'd come up with a deal. If ever I get on board, I'll recommend you for the new account that we'll be setting up.

You're a great trainer, angelbutterfly. They'd be lucky to have you on board. :)

beefeater

Nov 23, 2003, 11:03 AM

Originally posted by jiggybabymiggz
Why? what's the problem with E-telecare? I turned down a job as a Tech Support Rep there sometime this year but I have a friend who works there. I can say that they have a good compensation package.

No problem in general; it's just that their focus of their operations suddenly shifted from providing customer support to outbound sales. But with the things that are happening lately (that occured after a friend told me about that last night) they might do something about it.

Another, although they do pay good, with my job description and performance, if I stay there, I won't go anywhere.

My 2 cents.

mikeabundo I agree on that statement; that constitutes a brain drain. Because walang Internet access, they resort to talking to their seatmates para lang ndi ma-OP.

genesis1218

Nov 23, 2003, 09:30 PM

Hi peeps!. any one here working at ortigas. Nakakamiss yung place, I used to work there, near galleria. It is a call center, so sad because sarado na yung account sa company.:rolleyes: I miss my former co-employees.

genesis1218

Nov 23, 2003, 09:38 PM

For me working on a call center depends upon a situation, if the company pays well, but the environment itself is not friendly well, wala rin. :( okay lang kung maganda ang bonding, you work as a team. Walang crab mentallity.

LinuxMandrake

Nov 25, 2003, 05:23 PM

my sister works in etel. siguro when she has the experience already, huhugutin ko sya to work here samin...

@lucky, da/\/\n right you are there! san ka makakita ng ungas nung high school and college, tapos makes more money than the average employee? hah!!! if i'd die and be reborn, call center pa din ang kukunin kong work... hehehe. sana sa second life ko, grumaduate nako. ahihihi...

jiggybabymiggz

Nov 27, 2003, 01:48 AM

Siguro nga call centers really are the salvation for the umeployment problems that we have. And shall i say that between working in banks as executives and working in call centers as superviors, mas malaki pa yata ang income ng supervisors sa call centers. But since call centers are Operations type of business, ang mahirap e yung may pasok ka ng christmas at new year when everybody else is on holidays. So, these are the things that you'll consider when going for call centers...fat pay but you'll be working in shifts and working during legal or declared holidays. So, given these conditions, it'll be a CHOICE na din!

mark_mark

Nov 27, 2003, 04:47 AM

its ok lang pero minsan naiisip mo din parang sayang yung inaral mo sa college but its better than being a pabigat to your parents.

angelbutterfly

Nov 28, 2003, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by jiggybabymiggz
One thing that I liked with Call Center Agents, though i haven't been an agent, is that once their shift is over they don't have to worry with work afterwards. You don't have to worry about cramming or beating the deadlines because they don't have deadlines to beat.

I beg to disagree :) . I guess what you are saying is true for most L1 working peeps working in a call center or not. But when you are on a higher level, you get to bring home work or extend hours as well. I work at a minimum of 11 hours a day for 5 days. I can remember a time that I was confined at a hospital due to pneumonia (I got it from working my *** off) and they brought me some stuff that I have to finish.

Some people just have to realize that working in a call center is no joke. We work when most people are either asleep or partying. We miss out on Holidays. I, myself have to work on the eve of Christmas and New Year. We are more prone to respiratory diseases. And everyday, we try our best to take care of ourselves from the evil elements that lurk at night. :)

DukotKing

Nov 28, 2003, 03:13 PM

Originally posted by mark_mark
its ok lang pero minsan naiisip mo din parang sayang yung inaral mo sa college but its better than being a pabigat to your parents.

Silly...but TRUE!!! :D

olechflakez

Dec 2, 2003, 10:56 AM

I love call centers, and given the chance, i would still like to work for one. I'm a night person kasi, so I think I work best at night. And since I am a trainer, I think mas fun and exciting ang responsibilities ko knowing na I get to meet groups of people from time to time. I like to teach naman kasi po talaga, and flattered ako na though 24 pa lang ako, trainees trust and believe in me.

But...I have to consider my parents' decision pa din, ayaw na kong payagan ng daddy ko because nakita niya yun hirap ko before na walang tulog and pahinga. 4 pm pa lang nasa office na ko kahit ang training ko is 8 pm pa, then after nun ng 5 am, I will stay pa to do call monitoring and verbatims. And then call conference from US, then mancom, pagod talaga!

I turned down 2 offers na, nanghihinayang ako kaso wala naman akong choice, I'm now employed in a much stable company eh.

GaEl23Mla

Nov 18, 2004, 09:03 AM

I wouldnt call it desperation. Working in a call center is fun and it pays a lot more than what you call "normal" jobs. If you happen to be good, you can be promoted easily. I know of managers who are earning as high as over a hundred thou every month. I definitely wouldnt call that desperation.

ayu00

Nov 20, 2004, 04:00 AM

I began working in a call center when there were only a handful... I initially didn't know what I was getting into, but I learned a lot. 3 years later, I have no regrets on my decision. The pay is there and I'm able to save up and invest on real estate.

Having a social life was never one of my priorities. I have friends who I eat lunch/dinner with from time to time so I'm fine with that.

aina_crazy_girl

Nov 20, 2004, 04:41 AM

It had always been a choice for me. Ako pa.

FendeR_21

Nov 20, 2004, 02:49 PM

desperation

bUrAoT

Nov 21, 2004, 03:25 AM

My first job was in a Call center back 1999. As a techie guy, I began to feel that it was a desperation move after working more than a year. It's like I'm not growing professionaly or technically for that matter. I left the call center and accepted a job in web development which I love to do even 3K lower than my call center salary. Years have passed and I witnessed the instability of IT industry here in our country. There is no such thing as the best I.T job in the world. For every Pros there's always Cons. Some typical scenarios are: you love the job but it forces you to take home your work and lose quality time for yourself, you got a high salary but the company is unstable due to our country's economy, you have the best job in the world but literally underpaid and etc... Where am I now after experiencing all of these? I'm now working as a freelance where my passion for my craft is being paid fully by international clients and back in a call center (same company) for benefits sake (medicard, sss..etc) and enhancing my skills at the same time while being paid because I was lucky enough to have a job related to my freelance work. I admire people who stayed in a call center and got promoted because they made the right choice. For me nothing beats working in a stable company and go home leaving everything in your office...

incognito_15

Nov 21, 2004, 05:17 PM

never been a choice for me.. actually didn't want to get into a call center after finishing college, at lalong hindi yung nasa ortigas. nagkataon lang na may tumawag, pinuntahan ko and in a week hired na ko.. ganun! e since la naman ako ginagawa at try lang naman.. tinuloy ko na. ang problema naman ngayon e kapag nag-resign ka na at balak mo ng maghanap ng "normal" na trabaho, either manghihinayang ka sa difference ng sweldo or puros call centers pa rin ang tatawag sa'yo.. hanggang umabot sa time na desperado ka na dahil kelangan mo na ng pera at di mo na maiintay na tawagan ka ng mga "normal" na trabahong gusto mo. lekat!

AiSugiyama

Nov 22, 2004, 08:05 AM

For me, sadly it was more of Desperation I think. I first started with PeopleSupport when I graduated in Dec. 2001. I was really attracted with their offer back then that I grabbed the opportunity and forgot that I was a newly grad and maybe needed some rest for a while to clear my mind and think of my options first. So there it was, I've stayed with the company for almost 8 months, feeling really tired, burned-out and stressed, I decided to resign. They were not yet through with me yet coz they wanted me to work part-time at least and being a practical person, I said what the heck, i'll go ahead coz i'd get half the salary with half working hours. I found a new job, with an e-commerce company, very minimal stress, relax but turned out to be oh so boring work environment. After 7 months, feeling really hopeless, I decided to move on and try working in a Cruise Ship. Turned out to be, maids are much better off here than the people who work there because 12-14 hours of work, 24 x 7 for 8 months is just plain and pure TORTURE for me. After less than 1 month, i'm back in the country so desperate to start over again. I've made several applications and an outsourcing company famous for its credit card here in the country, hired me as a call center specialist. I was sent to the US for a couple of months (which was great) but had to endure stress and depression for one and a half year.
Right now, I'm more than halfway through my contract with the company and only now I am realising that I was so DESPERATE to get out of the hole where I've landed back then but instead of getting out and starting over again, I've landed into a much deeper hole. But hey, as what they say, life has to go on. This too shall pass and hopefully I will come out of this as a much stronger person and with hope that I will never be back in this same industry again.

ezeboy

Nov 24, 2004, 04:27 AM

Its all about the money!
No matter what you say i can slap you with huge wads of call center money...hehehehe...no kidding guys.

dragonrower

Nov 28, 2004, 01:31 AM

so AiSugiyama, ano ba ang gusto mo na work na sa tingin mo ok ka?

RIGOR

Nov 29, 2004, 10:53 AM

for me it is a desperation.just signed my contract with convergys 2 weeks ago..i dont have any plans to be in a call center for the next 3 or 4 years,maybe 2 years will be enough for me to save money.. i am planning to take my masters and be a college professor and being in a call center can help me raise the needed money and at the same time train myself to be a good speaker...it's just you have to plan as early as now on what you want to do with your life...people working in call centers are overwhelmed by the amount of money they are earning and they tend to forget on what their plans are for the future...

well, di pa naman ako nagsstart sa convergys,***** kung nagenjoy ako and be promoted in a short time e bakit hinde, choice ko na ang call center...
nasa tao lang naman yan..basta sipag lang and dont lose track of your goals in life...

cybernaut

Nov 29, 2004, 11:59 PM

choice for me at the beginning because i wanted to experience "life" in a call center industry. but after a few months, i came to realize that the nature of work does not satisfy me. yes, the money does, but 8 hours of taking phone calls and troubleshooting the same problems of truly defective electronic products over and over again does not equate to self-development at all. tech support might be intellectually stimulating at first, but as weeks pass by you get calls having the same queries and same problems that providing solutions has become as mechanical as it can be! i feel like an automated answering machine.

i have no regrets at all working right now at a call center. everything's just an experiment for me anyway. i applied, i got the job, i was trained, i started taking calls, it was crap, i'll leave! at least, i had already experienced it, and learned from it . i have never been desperate for high paying jobs anyway. i would gladly choose a normal low paying 9-5 job that fulfills me over this kind of job, anytime. i am not discouraging anyone from taking a call center job. hopefully, may you find the fulfillment i never did and never will while being a call center "slave" :glee:

btw, anyone who says they're doing it to offer service is a pathological LIAR and completely bullshiiting us! if your intention was to be of service, then go be a teacher, or a social worker, apply in an NGO. now that is service! service not to whining and techniacally challenged americans, but service to your fellow filipinos!