All work, all play

In Batch 2003, the call center industry is bound to rank high among their fields of choice. Consider the following benefits offered by the industry, perhaps the only one in the country now hiring fresh graduates in droves: salaries that are higher than average starting levels, plus allowances for meals and transportation; on-the-job training; no prior experience needed; quick promotions given the fact that the industry is growing rapidly.

It does not matter that four years ago, most of those who will be applying for jobs at call centers over the summer had never been to one or even heard of the industry. What’s important is that the sector posted revenues of $173 million in 2002 and is projected by the Contact Center Association of the Philippines to generate revenues of up to $864 million in 2004.

"There are over 12,000 Filipinos working in export-oriented call centers like ours," said Ambergris Solutions chairman and chief executive officer John Suits. A medium-sized organization based in the Ortigas business district, Ambergris handles outsourced customer relationship management work for large American companies. Its call agents handle account inquiries, inbound sales, technical support, and generic customer care.

"The number will rise to at least 200,000 within five years. Given the multiplier effect, that would mean a million new jobs for the Philippines. It can’t be discounted that the industry is poised to transform the Philippine economy," he said.

Unusual perk

Call centers offer the fresh graduate a perk few other industries can offer – the chance to work with many other his or her age in flat organizations where rank is not always accorded all the privileges. Never mind if office hours are from 10 p.m. to about 5 a.m., a call center’s regular work day that follows that of its customers who are mostly based in the United States.

Despite the hours, energy levels remain high. This is partly due to the medium age of 22 years old. With most of them in jeans, T-shirts, and other casual wear, it is difficult to differentiate the supervisors called team captains except for the fact that the captains move from work station to work station, listening in to the agents who stay in place as they talk to customers through cover headsets. In the few precious moments between calls, bantering on the floor is the order of the day and the light mood is matched by conspicuous slogans and streamers that have been put up by the kids to keep themselves motivated.

Fun environment

It is, however, in the employees’ eating areas where it is most obvious that youth dominates the industry. Very unlike your typical Makati office canteens, one of the two Ambergris employee lounges could pass as a sizable playroom in a sleek Metro Manila subdivision with its bright red-orange walls and huge entertainment center. This is where Ambergris employees stage their Playstation tournaments during breaks.

In contrast, another lounge in the floor above could very well pass as a tony restaurant patronized by the smart set. One part of the room allows seating in booths upholstered in tufted leather while another area offers bar stools and high counters to diners. In an adjacent area, canopy sleeping bunks allow workers a quick snooze at break time.

"In addition to the usual benefits, we have identified the work environment as an added come-on to our image-sensitive work force," said Ambergris board member Jack Tuason.

Ambergris contracted the services of Manila-based designer Isabel Berenguer-Asuncion of Asuncion-Berenguer Inc. to create employee areas that would appeal to the youth. Bidding against regional players, Asuncion fused functional and aesthetic requirements in a contemporary setting highlighted by clean lines and playful touches.

Call center work is, of course, far being being mere play. "A call agent is basically a problem solver. Few, after all, would ring up a call center to express gratitude for work well done. On behalf of a company set on keeping its clients through effective customer relations, a call agent has a daunting goal each time he or she takes a call: to turn an irate client into a satisfied one within a limited time frame," said Tuason.

Unlike popular expectation, it takes more than just an American accent to achieve this goal. More important are patience, good listening skills and a lot of tact – qualities which Filipinos have in abundance and which could win the country a new niche in the global market.