New BSP circular to boost call center industry

The issuance of Circular No. 543 by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) allowing the outsourcing of call center operations for bank and credit card services is expected to boost the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. The new rule would facilitate the relegation of growing non-core credit card and bank services, particularly customer care and account management, to independent and highly cost-effective vendors of outsourcing solutions, said Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago. "This will enable global BPO providers with call centers here to make full use of their capacity, and at the same time diversify with the possible addition of local clients," the solon pointed out. While call centers usually operate 24/7, those handling calls from specific markets like the US and Canada may have fewer call volumes during daytime here — off peak hours which highly adaptable call centers can utilize for the needs of local banks and credit card companies. According to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the country’s technology-aided services, driven mainly by call centers, are projected to generate $12.2 billion in annual revenues and engage 920,764 workers by 2010. These services encompass customer care; back office; medical, legal and other data transcription; animation; software development; engineering design; and digital content, which presently employ 244,675 workers. These services are expected to create 98,338 new jobs from P20.02 billion in fresh investments next year.

Spybiz feedback: Frozen fitness

Kent Richards, the national operations consultant of a fitness center that felt alluded to in the Oct. 5 column item entitled "Profit first, fitness last," wrote Spybiz saying there might have been a misunderstanding, which he wishes to clarify with the complaining member. According to Richards, their center has a system that allows a member to "freeze" membership provided there is one calendar month’s notice in writing to the management and that the member has no outstanding balance. However, an "administration fee" will be charged for each month of "frozen" membership, the period of which "cannot form part of the member’s minimum commitment period." Spybiz, however, received several reactions regarding the Oct. 5 column, one of them from a member of a foreign publication who similarly complained of being billed while she was away. However, her case is much worse because she found out that she had been overcharged by P5,000. When the lady asked management to put the fact in writing, the fitness center suddenly made a turnaround, claiming it made a mistake and that there was no overcharging. It looks like this fitness center is drawing more questions than answers, with the recent complaint most likely another case of profit first, fitness last.

Spybiz-mis: A double-dealing life

The son of a wealthy sugar trader during the ’60s who is more successful as a singer than an entrepreneur is trying hard to portray himself as a devoted husband and a pious man, going to mass, receiving communion and giving communion to church goers. Many however are aware that this businessman-turned-singer is far from the image he wants to project and actually leads a double life — carrying on with a girlfriend to whom he has become most generous. This double-dealing life was confirmed when the singer’s mother went to a Mercedes Benz dealer to buy a car for herself. Imagine her surprise when told that sonny dearest bought two of the same kind and the same color of Mercedes Benzes, with the car dealer mistakenly believing one of them was for her. No such luck, however, for the wealthy singer bought the cars for two of his loved ones — who turned out to be ladies other than his wife and mother. Not only was this singer a double dealer, he’s proven to be a triple dealer! 

Spybiz bulletin:70 Aristocratic years

Many Filipinos have been enjoying dinuguan, chicken barbecue and other favorites from Aristocrat restaurant, but only a few know it started out as a humble "rolling store" in 1936, offering food and snacks to the Luneta crowd. Today, this brainchild of the late Engracia Reyes has become a byword in Filipino cuisine, with the grandchildren continuing the legacy which their "Lola Asiang" started 70 years ago. To celebrate, the resto is getting a trendy but classic look in new outlets like the SM Mall of Asia and other areas in Metro Manila and Subic.

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