New Protocol head focuses on teamwork, individual direction

MANILA, Philippines - The newly opened Philippine office of business process outsourcing firm (BPO) Protocol Global Solutions is focused on tapping local talent to serve the growing BPO demands in the United States.

While still largely providing voice-related services, Protocol Global Solutions Philippines is aiming to grow its services to include non-voice services as well.

At the helm of Protocol Global Solutions Philippines is John Langford, a 20-year veteran in the BPO industry.

Langford, who has also spent seven years as country head of ICT Group’s Philippine operations, says one of the key business strengths that he is bringing into Protocol is teamwork and steering the direction of their employees.

Knowing that one of the biggest concerns of the BPO industry in the Philippines is the high attrition rate of employees, Langford stresses the importance of building a coherent support network within the company, allowing each employee to be involved in supporting one.

This network is crucial in addressing the needs of customers who want immediate responses for their queries, she says.

“As everyone should know, a happy client means that their customer support has been able to handle their requirements with speed and skill. That’s because our agents will also get immediate support from their colleagues within the company, using appropriate escalation process for specific customer queries,” Langford says.

But beyond teamwork, Langford says Protocol gives focus to improving the skills of their employees. While most BPO firms look at hard numbers to promote their people, he believes that it is the inherent capabilities of people that should drive their career direction.

Langford knows the challenges faced by employees in the BPO space as he also worked as a call center agent in ICT’s US office 20 years ago.

He says he is bringing in the concept of mentoring for the agents and management team of Protocol Global Solutions in the Philippines.

“Our biggest investments are our people who give the best consumer service possible. We look after their welfare, constantly looking for the best career paths for them to take. Senior agents will give hands-on approach to new employees, giving them advice on how to stay on track with their career paths,” says Langford.

Langford envisions that Protocol will continue to grow its manpower to about 1,500 to 2,000 employees in the next three years, servicing voice and BPO requirements of clients from international and domestic markets.

Langford, who also sits as a board director of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), says the Philippines can continue to become a major outsource services hub, servicing not just the US market but also Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, where demand is also growing.

“The contact center business is at the forefront of the outsourcing industry and the Philippines is ever becoming a choice destination. As both the head of the contact center company and an organization that looks after the contact center space, I will give my best to strengthen the local outsourcing business,” says Langford.