Consulting firm offers to help provide manpower needs of RP call centers

TeleDevelopment Services or TDS, a global consulting, recruiting, and training company for contact centers, offers to help the local contact center industry arrest the declining acceptance rate of call center agents during TDS’ recent launching of its local office operations held at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel InterContinental, Makati City. Serving as partner of TDS in upgrading the quality of call center agent is the De La Salle University, Professional Schools, Inc. Graduate School of Business (DLSU-PSI, GSB).

TDS, whose office is located on the 7th Floor of The Oakwood Premier, Glorietta 4 Ayala Center, Makati, expects the local call center industry to continue its fast growth. Jon Kaplan, TDS president, predicted, "Today the Philippines roughly have 20,000 workstations by the end of 2004.

In terms of revenue, Jon Kaplan added, "Last year call center revenues in the Philippines reached $200 million. Based on an estimated 20,000 seats, this represents $10,000 in revenue per workstation. Using a similar calculation, if the number of workstations grows to 35,000, then we can expect about $350 million in revenues for 2004."

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is equally optimistic about the future of the contact center industry in the Philippines. According to Trade and Industry Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, "We are confident the contact center industry will continue to grow. Our own prediction is that it will reach a 40,000-seat operation this year and 80,000 next year. Hence, in the next two years, we should not be surprised if the Philippines becomes one of the major contact center destinations in Asia."

To achieve this goal, contact center companies have to address the low acceptance rate of call centers agents now threatening the industry. Currently, the acceptance rate is at one percent, which means that for every 100 applicants, only one is accepted or hired. If this acceptance rate is not addressed, local contact centers would need to screen a staggering four million applicants just to fill the projected vacancy of 40,000 contact center agents for this year alone.