Monday, December 29, 2008
Free SMS Through Your E-mail
Monday, December 15, 2008
BPO's Moving Forward in 2009
Monday, November 24, 2008
My Top 10! Call Center Interview Questions
Now the inevitable: common call center interview questions that you need to hurdle in a typical call center interview. Looking around the net, here's my top 10 questions and I want to share some tips to you. It might come in handy... 'coz there's lotsa new call center opportunities out there... hehe. Read on!
1.) Tell me about yourself? – please don’t say: 'I am a hardworking and patient person' but tell why you are well qualified for the position that you are applying for.
2.) What are your greatest strengths? - you should have a list and mentally prepared your greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements.
3.) What are your greatest weaknesses? Assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications.
4.) Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position? - If you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present post, don’t be afraid to say so. Since you have a job, you are in a stronger position than someone who does not. Never lie about having been fired. It’s unethical – and too easily checked. But do try to deflect the reason from you personally.
5.) Describe your ideal company, location and job. - The only right answer is to describe what this company is offering, being sure to make your answer believable with specific reasons, stated with sincerity, why each quality represented by this opportunity is attractive to you.
6.) Why should I hire you? - If you know the employer’s greatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big advantage over other candidates because you will give him better reasons for hiring you than anyone else.
7.) Where do you see yourself five years from now? - Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a long-term commitment. As for your future, you believe that if you perform each job at hand with excellence, future opportunities will take care of themselves.
8.) Why do you want to work at our company? - Best sources for researching your target company: search online for corporate newsletters, advertisements, articles about the company, contacts you know at the company or its suppliers.
9.) Why have you had so many jobs ? - First, before you even get to the interview stage, you should try to minimize your image as job hopper. If there are several entries on your resume of less than one year, consider eliminating the less important ones. Perhaps you can specify the time you spent at previous positions in rounded years not in months and years.
10.) “The Salary Question” – How much money do you want ? - Never bring up salary. Let the interviewer do it first. Good salespeople sell their products thoroughly before talking price. So should you. Make the interviewer want you first, and your bargaining position will be much stronger.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Pacquiao - De La Hoya HBO 24/7 Video, Episode 1
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Group Interview
Now the turn of the second applicant, almost feeble, a man on his late 50's tried to speak but his voice lacked enthusiasm. He was applying for a technical support position, and his credentials were decades of working as an engineer for a big television station and claimed that he was a pioneer crew of the now defunct Bataan nuclear power plant. The old man also mentioned he once owned a small automobile shop back in 1987, but the hard times hit and he was forced to close it down and the have the space rented to have a monthly income. The interviewer then asked if he know anything about CISCO; the poor old man was so puzzled that it’s like the first time he heard the word.
The third applicant was a lady on her early 30's and she boldly told the group that she was a former OFW, an entertainer in Japan. Now forced to go home because of restrictions in Japanese laws for foreign entertainers, she is now in need of a job to help support her family. In halting english, she tried to explain why she was qualified for the job in a truly courageous fashion, but for the interviewer, it was almost certain that her eagerness is not good enough for her, to qualify for the job.
This story left a lot of questions on my head. I hope that I'll find the answers as I go along, working, in a call center.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Callwork: Something We Can Finally Call Our Own
Friday, October 24, 2008
Car Loans For Call Center Agents
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Classic TV Commercials
Now try to remember these commercials: Seiko wallet (ang wallet na maswerte), YC bikini brief, RA home vision, Juicy fruit gum (mas malinamnam), Caronia nail polish, Master Sardines, Family tootpaste, Lux soap, Gee my hair smells terrific, Sunny Orange, Encarnacion Bechavez, Royco Alphabet Noodle soup, Rhea rubbing alcohol, Bear Brand Sterilized (look at my mole), and the good old cowboy in Dragon katol and have a good laugh.
Tisay Girl: “Ang daming lamowk!”
Pekeng Koboy: “Teypowk sila ngayon… sa dragon katowl…”
Dragon katowl!
Dragon kung umusowk, lamowk seyguradong teypok!”
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Effective Recognition For Call Center Agents
Managers sometimes use a recognition presentation as a time to talk about how far someone has come, or how they could have done even better. This is not the time or place. Comments must be positive and upbeat. It is also a time to point out specific behaviors that reinforces key values.
I noticed too often by the time an employee is recognized for a job well done, weeks if not months have passed. I think the closer the recognition to the actual performance the better.
Recognition is best presented in the employee’s work environment among peers. Invite the person’s team members and work friends to attend. One good idea is also doing it in your team building activities.
Recognize agents with a cash bonus. (Alright, I made the last one up. hehe)
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Graveyard Shift
After kicking the alarm clock, I started to get up, but still I sat and stared at the wall. After a few minutes I had the urge to lie back on my bed and also started to think of a good alibi for not going to work.
But with one quick motion I shrugged off all thoughts of iniquities and jumped on my way to the bathroom. Arctic cold water splashed into my body and I shivered to the harsh realities of this world. What the... ?! hehe.
In 10 minutes I got dressed and went out… to the starry night, or dawn, I should say. I sat inside the jeepney and the driver revved up to the fast lane. The cold breeze on my face made me slumber and I went to lala land. Then after almost falling off my seat, I saw bright lights and I was nearing my destination.
The next thing was the gallop! I ran and found a vacant station, set up the pc and plugged in my headset in a flash. It’s 2:59 am and I’m about to click the “auto-in” button… I whispered to myself “Yesss! 9 hours nalang, log out na!”
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Filipina domestic helpers insulted in a BBC show
You can watch the video here and tell me what you think:
Monday, October 6, 2008
Here comes a new challenger! The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
Got the title from the good old arcade game, Street Figher, hehe. But anyway, there was so much excitement when the Apple iPhone 3G was launched couple of months ago, by Globe Telecoms here in the Philippines. I got a chance to try it when I visited a Globe store in Shangrila, and I found it really sleek and cool. Well, Apple has been dominating the digital music market for quite some time now, while Nokia is still king for mobile phones. Nah, just as I thought, the latter would not just let his “territory” be invaded that easily.
Nokia, the world's top mobile phone maker launched the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic in London and Singapore to rival Apple's popular iPhone and it should not take long before it conquests Philippine shores. I made some little research and here’s the tale of the tape:
· The iPhone’s screen is a little bit bigger (3.5″) compared to Nokia 5800’s 3.2”. But the Nokia phone has more resolution 640×360 compared to iPhone’s 480×320.
· The iPhone is bigger, on average (a little bit longer 115mm vs 111mm, thinner 12.3mm vs 15.5mm and larger), that means the Nokia is about 25g lighter.
· While the iPhone comes in two versions, 8GB and 16GB internal memory, the Nokia is offering the expandable option through a 8GB and 16GB micro SD card. Which for me, I think is much more flexible than having a fixed memory.
· The Nokia is provided with a 3.2MP camera with Carl Zeiss Optics and dual flash. On the contrary, the iPhone mounts a very basic 2MP camera. You can record videos with the standard Nokia application and make video calls, something not yet possible on the iPhone.
· Battery life: Nokia claims up to 35 hrs. of music time against 24 hrs. of the Apple iPhone.
The price comparison for these two? I’m sticking to my old Nokia N73 Music Edition, hehe.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Call Center Shaker
According to the news, it was an aftershock of a "major" quake that happened Saturday last week that rocked parts of Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila. It registered 6.5 magnitude in the epicenter located near Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. The October 2 predawn shaker mustered a force of 5.3 magnitude near the same epicenter, while Intensity 2 was felt in Tagaytay City, Makati City, Quezon City, and Muntinlupa City.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ice Cream!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Sponge Cola Live in Eastwood City
For a good seat and entrance, one must buy their CD album that is selling for a good 320 pesos, but some girls just don’t give it damn and bought their way to the front seats. Sneaky me, I was able to squeeze in the sidelines to watch, hehehe. I felt weird being surrounded by teen girls. Too bad I cannot make “pa-cute” as I was with my… you know who! She is a big Sponge Cola fan and that’s the primary reason why I’m more than willing to watch the show, and it turned out to be a nice, rocking treat for the both of us.
Unfortunately, only armed with my not so, but almost obsolete Nokia N73 Music Edition, I was able to steal some cellphone cam shots off the mini-concert. Hey, I also saw Ms. Jennylyn Mercado when I’m on my way to the back stage and whew! she’s so hot and skinny..not to mention she just gave birth almost a few months ago. That took my attention for awhile, but darn I was not ready to take some paparazzi shots. Oh well, now I know why should get a decent digicam!
I surely miss getting on stage with a noisy crowd, screaming girls… any call center battle of the bands brewing up soon?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Free Call Center training
Magandang hikayatin ang mga friends and family natin na gustong mag-call center agents na i-take advantage ang mga free call center trainings available. I heard sa Manila, project ito ni Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, na nagbibigay ng “Call Center Career Development Program” sa mga qualified residents ng Manila. I’m sure may mga similar programs din sa ibang metro manila cities, na makakatulong ng malaki sa mga aspiring call center agents. May isa pa akong nahalungkat sa net: ExcelAsia is offering 10-days FREE CALL CENTER TRAINING!!! No Fees, absolutely FREE !!! Aba, ok to. Sana nga free talaga kasi kawawa naman mga kababayan natin na gusto lang ng isang high paying job para sa kinabukasan ng kani-kanilang pamilya.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Call Center Sa Probinsya