CALLWORK COMICS

CALLWORK COMICS
Callwork Comics by Hazel Manzano is the Philippines' Premier Call Center-Themed Comics! FREE DELIVERY NATIONWIDE! ORDER NOW!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Free SMS Through Your E-mail

Out of load? Hey, share-a-load or pasaload may not be the only solution for you to SMS someone when your prepaid load is at zero balance. Now just an e-mail away, and there's no need to download and install any application with Mail2Mobile, the newest free SMS messaging service. This service is made possible by MegaMobile, the wireless services subsidiary of publicly-listed IPVG Corp.

Cool enough, I was able to send 4 free SMS for the day. There should be a daily limit on this… I will try to send some SMS again tomorrow. hehe. Here’s how: to send an SMS, just type-in @m2m.ph (ie., 09204658532@m2m.ph) in the email recipient box ("To:"), write the message and send; just like any regular email. You may need to wait for the confirmation message in your e-mail and click on a confirmation link to complete the process. The message is then forwarded as an SMS to the recipient's mobile phone. Recipients can respond by simply replying as they would to any SMS. Their messages are then forwarded to the originating email address. Initially available to Smart and Globe Networks, I think messaging to Sun Cellular subscribers will soon be made available.

With M2M, mobile subscribers can also now send SMS messages to any email address. Mobile users simply text in M2M (ie., M2M whoever@yahoo.com Hi. Wazzup?) and send to 2948 for Smart, Globe, and Sun networks. M2M messaging from emails is free while messages from mobile phones are charged P2.50 per SMS.

I can’t wait to try this out in the office, while on ACW. hehe.


Monday, December 15, 2008

BPO's Moving Forward in 2009

Despite the global economic slowdown, I still believe that business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the Philippines will come out strong for the incoming year 2009. Recently, NCO announced with the ongoing construction of a 4,000-seat call center facility in Taytay, Rizal, becoming the biggest call center facility in Rizal. StarTek, a US-based business process outsourcing (BPO) company, will be hiring an estimated 1,000 employees for its newly-opened Makati City facility.

In a survey done, approximately 98 percent of BPO companies said that revenues and workers will keep growing for 2009, the Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philippines and Outsource2Philippines said. For me it’s quite simple: companies in the U.S. will further utilize outsourcing to minimize costs, and is evidently working well for them, bringing good businesses to BPO’s.

Attracting highly-skilled workers—and not the effects of the global credit crunch—remain the number one concern of Philippine BPO’s. Now that’s the real problem and the government should extend more free call center trainings, to help and encourage qualified workforce. As a contribution, I also provide free tips to call center applicants on how to pass interviews and exams.

Let's all move forward to a more prosperous 2009 for the BPO's!


Monday, November 24, 2008

My Top 10! Call Center Interview Questions

Aha! Looking for a new call center job? Well, obvious reasons are higher salary packages, promotion, living near your work place, etc… I can suggest that job hunting is at best when the current year is about to end, because you get to have 13th month pay and the coming January is the first month of the year and it’s a new year- new opportunities, new job, new hope… am I making any sense here? hehe.

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

The fight we are all been waiting for: Pacquiao versus De la Hoya. Let’s see a glimpse of their everyday training, all for one purpose- to be the best man on top of the ring. Got this video from macuha.com and lets watch it. Mabuhay ka Manny!


Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Group Interview

In a group interview of three call center agent applicants, the interviewer started to ask questions on the first applicant. A guy on his middle 20's, clearly a call center veteran by just looking on his resume, just breezed thru the common questions of the interviewer with less effort and much confidence. Having mastered his pronunciation and voice modulation, the first applicant even sounded much "american" than the robotic interviewer who may be asking these questions everyday to her applicants.

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

Our everyday life in the call centers working as agents are laden with different scenarios and experiences that we can describe to be as weird, sad, happy, outrageous, and the list goes on. As a result, people from the outside may find us acting strangely; but as this call center industry continuously grows, I can say that call centers are now eventually beginning to be a part of the Filipino culture and society.

In a perfectly candid, untowardly funny, and creative manner, Hazel Manzano started to conceptualize the “pinoy call center culture” into drawings two years ago and made Callwork comics. Being part of the call center industry herself for more than six years, she started out as a call center agent but then climbed the stairs to succeed, being a call center manager currently in a top BPO company down south.

Callwork comics can be read every Sundays in the Manila Bulletin, and it will surely make your day, or night, hehe. Now released as a book, “Callwork, A Call Center Life”, this is something we can finally call our own. Truly reflective of our unique lifestyle as call center agents, the comic book “Callwork, A Call Center Life” is something that we can be proud of as part of the bustling pinoy call center industry.

It’s hot!!! Get your own copy now!

(Initially available in Comic Odyssey Robinsons Galleria or you can e-mail Hazel Manzano at hazelmanzano@yahoo.com or me at aftercallblogs@gmail.com to get a copy.)


Friday, October 24, 2008

Car Loans For Call Center Agents


Jeepneys, buses, taxis are the most common mode of transport for call center agents and the night time shift exposes us to danger in going to work. Criminals are bolder these days and its tragic to know what happened to Tara Santelices and to a call center supervisor Rue Ann Salvador, who were victims of public transport hold ups. May the ruthless perpetrators of these crimes be brought to jail and be punished.

Why not call center companies or the government start giving car loans to call center agents? It is not only providing safe transportation during night time but it may also lessen the instances of tardiness among call center agents. Cars can also be used during day offs to be used for family leisure use or for business use to earn extra income. BPO companies that will be offering this may find long term benefits to them like lower attrition rate, and more productivity from their employees because they are happy and secured in going to work.


But until this happens, we can all just hope and pray, and hope some more.


Sunday, October 19, 2008

Classic TV Commercials

Do you still remember those TV commercials during your childhood days? ( I’m presuming that we are on the same age group here, hehe) There were no cable T.V. yet and you simply can’t avoid them back then. Watching them once again after 15-20 years, made those commercials really hilarious.

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

Yup, it feels good to be recognized for your job well done. Coping up with your daily, weekly and monthly metrics is not that easy. But did you ever feel that you were not recognized for all of your hard work? I believe it’s not all because of money (yeah because of hard times, it is, hehe.) that call center agents leave for another BPO company but maybe because of lack of recognition from the management. I got some ideas from the net on how to effectively recognize 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

One thing we have to live with in a call center agent's job: the graveyard shift. Back in 2006 when I was still with Teletech, work schedules were the weirdest they could get… like 3:00 am shifts. Just imagine what kind of courage and will power you must have, just to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, and go to work.

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

What's more annoying are some Filipinos saying that protest actions launched by Filipino communities in the UK is “over reacting”. I watched the video in You Tube and the sketch in question is from the “Harry and Paul” TV show and I found it relentlessly distasteful and racist. Sad to say, this is a portrayal of the real situation of our Filipina OFW's being exposed to discrimination and exploitation.

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

It was about past 2am and I was off the phone as my manager and I was discussing about my "performance bonus" computation. Then suddenly my chair rocked forward and backwards like someone is pushing it from behind. A slight commotion on the floor took our attention, it was a tremor! It stopped after making its presence felt for about 8 seconds, amidst the usual buzz of a busy call center.

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.

Remember this guy, Jucelino Nóbrega da Luz? I texted him about this, but got no replies yet as of now... hehe. yeah, right.


Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Ice Cream!

I simply love ice cream. You too? Hehe. Then let’s head off to the nearest Mini Stop store to buy that big cone of ice cream that will cost you 15 pesos but would satisfy you for 15 minutes. But before these fast times I still remember the familiar bell clanging that will tell you that the “mamang sorbetero” is around and you would rush out and stop whatever you’re doing just to buy his delicacy- “dirty ice cream”. Wow, how I miss the Avocado flavor! Nah, who told you it’s really dirty? I haven’t heard of someone die because of eating “dirty ice cream"... yet. Hehe. It’s part of the Filipino culture, I should say. Family gatherings or birthday parties will never be complete without it. I also thought nobody hates ice cream, it encompasses the rich and the poor. The socialeras would reach for a Haagen Dazs, middle class will go for Selecta, and everybody else will have other choices for their ice cream.

It’s freezing in a call center office… now, how do you explain call center agents eating ice cream on their breaks?


Saturday, September 27, 2008

Sponge Cola Live in Eastwood City

The date is September 26, Friday night and its been awhile since I watched and heard some good headbanging stuff in Eastwood City, as Sponge Cola did their album launch for the self-titled album “Sponge Cola”. Led by frontman Ysmael “Yael” Yuzon, this band performed to the crowd’s delight some songs from their new album and its carrier single “Puso”, which is UAAP’s official song for the Ateneo-La Salle Finals. The band, with a sound clad with crunchy guitar riffs, booming bass and melodic vocals, also played “Jeepney”, “Bitiw” and my personal favorite “Pasubali".

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

Just imagine kung wala kang trabaho sa panahong ito. Mayroong iba na kuntento na sa current daytime job nila pero minsan ay kulang talaga ang sahod sa pangkaraniwang non-BPO companies. Ang sagot sa kahirapan sa panahong ito: Call Centers. Para sa mga nagbabalak na maging isang call center agent, basta ka nalang ba mag wo-walk in at mag apply para sumubok sa ganitong larangan? Unang una siguro ay tanungin ang sarili kung may sapat ka bang kakayahan para matanggap or aminado kang wala kang ka ide-idea talaga. Siguro nga marunong ka mag english at mag computer, kasi magaling ka mag chat sa Yahoo Messenger at IRC. Pero still in doubt?

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

Mas prefer nyo bang magwork sa province sa mga bagong international call centers? Di kasi katulad sa Metro Manila na napaka congested na, mahal pa ang cost of living, compared sa province almost sure ka na mura ang bilihin, at hindi pa polluted. Ang nabalitaan ko is sa Tacloban mayroon nang bagong tayong APAC, located sa Leyte ICT Park. I grew up in Metro Cebu at alam ko na mostly ng mga nagpupunta sa Cebu ay galing sa mga karatig probinsya sa Visayas at Mindanao, kaya it’s a good idea to decongest the urban areas by creating more jobs in the provinces. Pero pano kung sobrang baba ng basic pay ang i-offer ng APAC sa mga agents sa Tacloban? Ang napag alaman ko na sa Teletech Bacolod, ang basic monthly pay ay 8,000 pesos. Sapat na ba yun para bumuhay ng isang medium sized family? Eh di parang ang bagsak nun ay luluwas din ang mga agents to Cebu or Manila for a better pay. I remember na may kaibigan ako from Cebu City na nag-apply papuntang Manila to try her luck here and she was offered a one-time relocation package by e-Pldt. She was single then so it was a good deal.

I often think what if ako naman ang mag relocate to Cebu? I lived in Cebu for 9 years and I saw the city boom from a sleepy city to a bustling urban center. Ang alam ko mas mura ang basic commodities, tuition fees ng private schools at hospitalization na more or less an advantage sa mga nagbabalak bumuo ng isang family. We will see if any other cool call centers will sprout in the provinces, and let's try to think if it's worth to be called "promdi" again.


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