Tips for newbies and career shifters in the call center industry!!

[randolfcedric01]

I decided to start this thread 'coz I've seen a lot of questions from newbies in different call center threads and it seems that only a few answers their questions and ofcourse with some bias specially those posters that are recruiters and HR employees of these said companies. Well I'm gonna introduce my job history and my experience when I changed my career to this industry.

Well before then I was a waiter when I decided to apply for a call center agent coz i've noticed that there is a big difference in terms of salary from a normal employee!! Nagstart ako magapply sa makati that time kasi yun ang call center hub way back in 2008 before pa nagsimulang kumalat eto sa eastwood, cubao, taguig and ortigas, anyway nagapply ako and I failed 6 times sa iba't ibang companies hahaha but eventually nakapasok din kasi really dati I am shy to speak in english coz hindi ako sanay but eventually kaaapply ko ng kaapply nasanay ako sa hiring process and the accent and questions ng mga recruiters. so here are the rules when applying for a call center agent post:


1. Research mo muna yung company before ka mag-apply like ano ba ang environment dito and magkano salary na binibigay nila!


2. Be prepared sa resume dapat maganda and atleast ang resume mo maximum of 2 pages lang not more than that kasi di na sya papansinin ng recruiter pag 3 pages or more!! explain briefly your job experiences like dates lang and name ng company. (kung wala ka naman experience just place mga hobbies mo and trainings that you attended) plus basic info like contact nbrs and etc...
( http://www.resumetemplates.org/custo..._agent-resume/ )

3. Dress appropriately! business casual dapat for you to look good and confident minsan kasi nadadaan sa damit yan! hahaha you have to look smart and confident! business casual means naka polo ka and slacks if lalake sa girls naman pwede na yung blouse and pants na slacks (minsan may makikita kayo nag-aapply na nakamaong and tshirt lang don't be bothered kasi mga may experience na yun sa call center). Pero kuna wala ka naman POLO then ok na din yung Shirt w/ collars.

4. Sa interview always shake the hands of the interviewer first para magkaroon kayo ng connection agad and it will ease your tension as well as marerelax ka ng kaunti! Don't be too nervous kasi what will happen mauubusan ka ng words! hahaha ok lang naman kabahan sa una pero dapat di mawala ang presence of mind mo! Mas maganda kung makikipagkwentuhan ka lang sa interviewer mo!! the best way para mawala ang kaba mo e you should ask some questions like after nia magtanong about yourself! and this is your chance na din makapagyabang ka about sa sarili mo without looking bad! hahaha


5. Usually ang hiring process e for just a day lang so pagsinabihan ka ng interviewer mo na we will call you then alam mo na! hahaha but don't be upset kasi ako ginagawa ko dati pag sinabihan ako ng ganun I'll move to other call centers in the area siguro maximum na 3 a day na callcenter ang mappuntahan mo kung magaapply ka so check out mo na din the nearby call centers sa area bago ka pumunta para may plan ka kung saan ang next at di sayang sa pamasahe. And FINALLY be prepared for the interview mostly sanayan lang yan sa pagsagot ng mga tanong nila kasi pareparehas lang yan like pag newbie ka "what are your strengths and weaknesses?" or "What is the most difficult situation you have been with? and "how did you resolved it?" Kung TSR naman aapplyan mo mostly ang tanong e "what is your favorite movie and tell me the story of it."

always remember "FAILURE TO PREPARE IS PREPARING TO FAIL." hahahaha

[randolfcedric01]

NEXT NAMAN NATIN contract signing!!!


Well sa contract signing naman you will be forced to sign that contract immediately so mas ok kung basahin mo muna ito bago mo pirmahan! always check the offer first kung magkano kasi sometimes deceiving ang pagkakasabi nila specially at the time of the interview kasi minsan sinasabi nila 15k pero pag check mo sa contract 13k lang pala basic plus allowance na 2k so dapat linawin mo mabuti yun!! ( ONE THING LANG YOU CAN ADVISE THE RECRUITER NA HINDI KA MUNA PIPIRMA NG CONTRACT AND YOU SHOULD ASK THEM KUNG TIL WHEN MO SYA DAPAT PIRMAHAN OK LANG YAN KARAPATAN MO YUN THEN IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO PUSH THROUGH JUST ADVISE THEM AHEAD)


1. check mo ang start date mo kung kelan ang training at kung ang sweldo e kasama na sa training day palang w/c is ganun naman talaga! may mga call centers kasi lalo na yung barat na training allowance ang binibigay w/c is hindi dapat wag kayo pumayag like sa KGB INFONXX sa training ang sweldo 10k a month lang wag kayo magaapply dito!!

2. check mo ano ba ang mga responsibilities and job description mo sa contract.

3. check mo kung may BOND at kung gano katagal to kasi di ka pwede umalis sa company pag may bond within a certain period of time kung hindi babayaran mo to w/c will happen sa backpay mo meaning ala ka na makukuha pera sa last pay mo kung umalis ka ng may bond.

4. benefits and allowances check mo din kasi dapat nakahiwalay to sa basic salary and kung may hiwalay pa ba bukod sa DE minimis na tinatawag w/c is mandated ng batas!

5. Kelan ang regularization kasi dapat automatic sa ika-6 months mo e regular ka na! nakalagay yan sa labor code ( http://www.philippinejustice.com/laborstandards.htm )

[randolfcedric01]

SA SALARY NAMAN TAYO!!! (THE MOST IMPORTANT)

Sa sweldo ang standard offer ng callcenter for newbies w/o experience e 13500 basic pay + allowances na 2500 meal and transpo na yan w/c is not taxable!! bale ang basic lang ang taxable! pero minsan kasi nagiging taxable ang allowance kung nakahiwalay ito sa tinatawag na DE MINIMIS w/c is mandated allowance yan ng govt. for health and Social security and clothing allowances, tandaan nio na ang allowance e nagiging taxable lang if lalagpas ang total nito sa 35k per year!! anything less than that should be non taxable!


Well that is the standard offer for customer care ha? pero in terms of financial accounts naman like Credit cards, Phone banking, Mortgages and Tax accounts naman sa call center ang standard offer is 16,000 to 18,000 plus allowances anything less than that wag nio iaccept kasi mahirap ang trabaho na to pero masaya sya at well paid ka! at isa pa eto advantage mo pag nagsimula ka sa financial account pag lumipat ka ng call center sisiw na sayo ang ibang account kasi galing ka sa mahirap! like me I started w/ a mortgage account and wala ako IDEA bout US FINANCIAL AND HOUSING MARKET pero natututo ako during training at sa operations na kasi sa training 5% lang matututunan mo mostly sa actual ka na gagaling once your taking calls! wag ka matakot kasi tutulungan k naman ng mga tenured at supervisors! hehehe

[allandsundry]

this is really helpful. thanks for starting this thread!

[randolfcedric01]

this is really helpful. thanks for starting this thread!

YOU'RE WELCOME! AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR JOB HUNTING!! basta SPREAD THE WORD "DON'T ACCEPT OFFERS NA 12K BASIC SALARY STAY AWAY SA MGA COMPANIES NA YUN".

[voltstagger]

thanks dito! malaking help to saating mga newbies
wala akong experience sa call center, pero now masasabi ko maswerte ako kasi mataas yung sahod ng napasukan kong company.
Collect and collect then select. maganda rin yung namimili ka. ika nga nila, call center narin lang aaplyan mo, dun ka na sa may mataas magpasahod para sulit yung paghihirap mo

[randolfcedric01]

thanks dito! malaking help to saating mga newbies
wala akong experience sa call center, pero now masasabi ko maswerte ako kasi mataas yung sahod ng napasukan kong company.
Collect and collect then select. maganda rin yung namimili ka. ika nga nila, call center narin lang aaplyan mo, dun ka na sa may mataas magpasahod para sulit yung paghihirap mo

GOOD JOB! and Congratulations! yan ang right attitude wag basta basta tanggap lang ng tanggap ng offer just para magkatrabaho lang! SHARE THIS TO YOUR FACEBOOK WALL to help others gain more confidence!! REMEMBER BE AN ADVOCATE OF JUSTICE WAG PUMAYAG SA 12K NA SALARY SA CALL CENTER!!!

[randolfcedric01]

TO BE or NOT TO BE?? hahaha or in other words TO DO AND NOT TO DO IN AN INTERVIEW NAMAN TAYO


1. Well first things first! ask yourself kung gusto mo ba talaga tong trabaho? kasi if not then wag ka nalang magpainterview kasi it will affect you and it will show up during the interview! PERO kung naattract ka ng INDUSTRY and your just curious then magpractice ka muna at magresearch mabuti like what I did nagtanong tanong ako sa mga call center agents na talaga kasi that's the best thing you can do ask dun sa talagang nakakaalam wag sa mga istambay mong KAPITBAHAY lang kasi mali mali ibibigay nun info!!


2. During the interview na ha? Ofcourse speak english at all times mas maganda before ka dumating sa interview or bago ka palang matulog the day before you should think in english na para macondition ang utak mo! and pagpasok mo palang sa pinto start speaking in english w/ the receptionist! CONFIDENCE is the key! coz really if you're not confident kahit gaano pa kataas ang grade mo sa ENGLISH nung highschool or college waley ka pag nagsalita na! hahaha I remember my isa kong officemate na talagang mali mali ang english nia pero sige lang confident na confident sya kaya lage sya natatanggap sa mga call center!! hehehe
and besides kung wala kang confidence you will lose your presence of mind. NEVER SPEAK TAGALOG W/ YOUR INTERVIEWER AUTOMATIC BAGSAK KA NUN!!

3. Don't be intimidated! before kasi nung first time ko nainterview dati sa convergys sa initial pa lang group interview sya magexplain kayo and you will introduce yourselves ang nangyari sa akin malas kasi nasabay ako sa mga tenured na talagang magagaling and ready na ready ako that time pero when they started talking na na-intimidate ako and WHEN ITS MY TURN NA nagkabulol bulol na ko hahahaha kakahiya pero natatawa na lang ako pag-naalala ko to it is my personal achievement that I will cherish for a lifetime hahahaha so always think positive para hindi ka maintimidate isipin mo nalang ikaw ang PINAKAMAGALING SA LAHAT ng nagaapply para makondisyon ang utak mo.


3. Always look at the interviewer EYE TO EYE wag naman masyadong titig ha kung guy ka baka isipin manyak ka ahahah pero that's one way of connecting yourself w/ the interviewer and ofcourse it will ease your tension and it will relax your muscles and normalize your breathing!! Naalala ko tuloy yung kwento sakin ng friend ko nung first time daw niya magpainterview sa sobrang kaba niya di sya nakapagsalita at sabi sa kanya ng interviewer "are you ok? do you need some water?" hahahaha funny it happens from time to time!


4. Rest well the night before the interview para active na active ang utak mo sa kinabukasan minsan kasi pag inaantok ka you are unattentive and mangyayari sayo ma mental block ka! tsaka eat ka breakfast ng madami and magbaon ka ng skyflakes and candies kasi one whole day process nga to so minsan you will hindi ka na makakakain ng lunch kung talagang madami nag-aapply!!


5. FINALMENTE! spanish yan for lastly hahaha always thank the interviewer after your interview to show courtesy! and shake the hands of your interviewer before and after your interview! that's it for now folks! magdagdag nalang ako pag may naisip pa ko!! GOOD LUCK IN YOUR JOB HUNTING! REMEMBER DON'T ACCEPT 12K BASIC SALARY!!!

[farmerboy2012]

WoW! Thanks tol!

[randolfcedric01]

Please post your questions or interview related problems here so we try to work out the possible solutions that we can advise to you guys!!

[randolfcedric01]

INTERVIEW PROCESS - HOW TO ANSWER THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AT THE RIGHT TIME>>>

It is important to be honest when asked a question about a past experience, interviewers will ask for more and more details and it would be impossible to keep a lie going on. THe best way to prepare yourself for these questions is by doing all possible research: What the company wanted and what skills are required for the position.

ETO NA ANG TECHNIQUE AT MGA SECRETO (READ, ABSORB AND PRACTICE)

THE 'S.T.A.R' TECHNIQUE IN ANSWERING A QUESTION
S-Situation - Describe the situation.
T-Task or Problem - What dilemma or problem did you face?
A-Action - What action did you take?
R-Result - What was the result of your action?

Types of Questions naman:

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS- Are used when they expect more than a yes or no answer so eto ang lageng ginagamit 'coz you need to expound more and show your interviewer that you are fluent enough in english to get hired. example are: What can you tell me about yourself? or Can you tell me something that is not written in your resume? ayan so paghandaan niyo yan mga tanong na yan para di kayo "nganga" pag natanong sa inyo yan! hahaha and think other possible questions pa! much better kung kabisado niyo nakasulat sa resume niyo!! USUALLY DAPAT SAGOT NIYO DITO E MORE THAN 2 OR 3 SENTENCES PER QUESTION OK??


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS - Are used when they need to know a specific piece of information usually tinatanong lang ito sa mga dates, names, places that is written in your resume just to confirm the correctness of it.

HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS - used by interviewers to assess your problem-solving skills and your reply speed meaning kung spontanious ba kayo sumagot and hindi kayo nagstutter or natataranta eheheh so relax lang sa mga ganitong questions "presense of mind" ang kelangan ALWAYS!! and the best way to face these questions is by having all the required information so you do not give plain, meaningless answers mas maganda kung i-clarify mo muna yung tanong before you answer or irephrase mo yung tanong para malaman mo kung naintindihan mo talaga yung tinatanong sayo for example "If you are given a chance to have a million peso, what will you do with it? and Why?" then rephrase it by a follow up question "Do you mean if I will win a million peso in lotto how will I spend it?" yun bang ganun and its only another way to show your attentiveness!!


"FAILURE TO PREPARE IS PREPARING TO FAIL."

[olh8red]

While you're on the subject, you might want to touch on behavioral interviews as well.

Se7en
http://sevenh8reds.wordpress.com

[randolfcedric01]

While you're on the subject, you might want to touch on behavioral interviews as well.

Se7en
http://sevenh8reds.wordpress.com

Ok man! here's regarding behavioral interview


BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW - Is used by interviewers to check the behavior of a candidate. This type of question states that the best way to know what a candidate will do is by knowing what he/she did in a similar situation in the past. Usually this type of interview e ginagamit lang sa mga may experience na sa call center and seldom for newbies unless the company is very strict on hiring process pero don't worry guys as bihira lang talaga to! most of the time instead of behavioral interview e mock calls! I will discuss mock calls some other time and techniques on how to pass it!!

hahaha I forgot you will not encounter behavioral interviews in the initial part of hiring process kasi this is done by Operations Manager or supervisor! Behavioral interview aka Final interiview hahahaha but don't worry guys in order to pass the final interview the only thing that you need to do is to be honest and consistent in what you're saying!! yun lang wag contra-contra ang statements mo sure way pasado ka!

[randolfcedric01]

)))))MOCK CALLS((((((

These words sometimes terrifies an applicant sa call center specially when someone experienced it the first time and failed!! Im gonna advice you guys on how to pass one!!

First things first for those who doesn't know what MOCK CALLS is: It is sometimes called a call simulation where you need to act or pretend that you are a call center agent and your interviewer is a customer well DEFINITELY YOU WILL FAIL this if hindi mo talaga alam kung ano ang ginagawa sa call center hahaha it happened to me before nung talagang first time ko nag-apply at konti lang idea ko 'bout being a call center agent! first time ko nag-apply sa PEOPLE SUPPORT back then talagang napakahirap para sa newbie kasi typing palang yari ka na and before final interview yun nga mock calls sabi sakin nung interviewer go explore this made-up website and somebody will call you after 10 mins. well the website is all about gadgets and prices then the phone rang then I answered it nagulat ako kasi yung interviewer e american accent talaga so I was terrified talagang halos hindi ako nakapagsalita she asked me a lot of things and really I LOST CONTROL of the conversation and she ended up hanging up the phone kasi hindi ko nasagot mga tanong niya about sa product na binebenta ng website!! hehehe here are the pointers

1. If the situation is like that go browse the website one by one but not all just focused on one single item and try to sell it! gumawa ka nalang ng kwento like if the caller likes blackberry just say its out of stock and try to focus the conversation back to the item that you really know.

2. the other scenario naman that I've experienced e yung interviewer is asking bout why the package is did not arrive on time! well ganito yan para hindi ka mataranta during the mock calls ang secret e PUT THE CALLER ON HOLD as in ask the caller (interviewer) if you can PUT HIM/HER ON HOLD so you can check the problem. GANUN ginawa ko hehehe ang nangyari kasi sakin nung una dun sa PeopleSupport e hindi ko sya na place on HOLD so the thing is nataranta ako while nag-iisip ako ng isasagot e naririnig ko nagsasalita at tanong ng tanong si caller!! nakakapressure yun masyado and you will end up losing your focus! kasi pag na place on hold mo si customer may time ka para makapag-isip ng dahilan as well as you will smoothen out your english grammar!! ang technique if you want to practice mock calls try niyo tumawag sa GLOBE or SMART or any other customer service and speak in english then try to examine kung ano ba ang ginagawa nung agent na kausap mo hehehe ok?? GOOD LUCK GUYS DON'T ACCEPT OFFER NA 12K BASIC SALARY coz YOU DESERVE MORE!!!

[LoneTiger08]

Thanks for these useful tips. Keep them coming guys.

[inframagus]

Before the interview date: Get enough sleep,

Interview Day: eat light, hydrate and never neglect to pee.

[LoneTiger08]

True. Get enough rest.

[voltstagger]

more!

[randolfcedric01]

more!

well do you have something that you can add here?? how about your experiences guys??

[Onatopp73]

Another helpful tip para di nahahassle lao na pag nasa training na o a week later ang start ng cc work, bago mag-aaply, kumuha muna ng nbi clearance, lalo na na walng renewal, puro back to zero at mahaba ang pila, at malas mo pa kung me ka hit ka, after 10 days mo pa babalikan yung clearance at gagawa ka pa ng affidavit of denial para patunayan na di ikaw yung taong me kaso dun sa records nila. Pag me nbi clearance ka na at least tuloy tuloy ang pag-aaply at makakapag jo ka agad at start ng training,tuloy-tuloy training mo di ka nag-aalala na kelangan mo pala kumuha ng clearance, me mga cc kasi like sykes na di ka papipirmahin ng jo habang walang nbi clearance at medical.Also dun sa mga new grads, kung masesecure nyo yung tor nyo the better,pazerox kayo ng ilang copies and aothe pre-employment docs.Maganda yung at the very first day complete yung requirements.