September 6, 2021
I hope everyone's safe and comfortable. If you're outside, or on the road, please be careful. Practice minimum health standards for yourself and for your family.
I've always been a workaholic- I have to render OT so I can have some extra amount to send to my daughter and mother. But I've always been on call whenever there's an extra head needed in the office even before I became a mom.
I loved working in the BPO or Call Centre companies and I missed it so much. I love the culture, the diversity of the people, the knowledge, and the training. I love meeting people from different walks of life. I've encountered architects, engineers, business owners, nurses, students, etc. And I asked the same question over and over again, "Why in the BPO?". Some said they got curious, because of the salary, the benefits, the hiring process, and it's what's available.
So let's talk about the pros and cons of being a "Kolsener" agent.
The Pros
You can wear a jacket every day- A what? A jacket? What's the big deal? Hmm, hello? We are living in a tropical country. The Philippines is hot but BPO workers need to wear jackets because of ACs (air conditioners). Yes, the floor is too cold fellas. And you can't wear just an ordinary jacket, it's got to be stylish and branded.
You can wear shades too- The darker, the better. Our eyes are most of the time, focused on the screen. For those who are night shifters, the sun's rays hurt the eyes a lot so we gotta wear shades after the shift. Just like the jacket, they better be on-trend.
You can afford Starbucks/Coffee Bean/Seattle's Best- Sociaclimbing 101 is real. Of course, you can buy it because you deserve to treat yourself! I'm just kidding with the social-climbing stuff. I hope I didn't hit home?
You can speak English anytime, anywhere- Yes, and this includes even when you're drunk or dreaming, or answering the phone. Just make sure you're enunciating properly.
You got to eat at fast-food chains more often than before- Because time is gold and you should always be punctual, eating at Jollibee or Mcdo is the best option. Unless you're dining with your TL or TM, then you have an excuse to be late. (Shrinkage is life, make sure you're friendly with the Workforce peeps).
Oh let me share this personal experience about one of my calls:
Customer: My customer number is A0D5 (My made-up number)
Me: Thank you. Just to be sure that's A for Alpha, 0...Is that "Oh" for zero or "Oh" for orange?
Customer:..................
The Cons of being a Call Center agent
Forget about your social life- Especially if you're a newbie or a "Call Center virgin". You'll get addicted to the money you'll have when you render OT. Just don't mind the tax though. You will have to file a leave so you can have extra days off aside from your 2-days rest days. Sad news, you won't be able to file a personal leave until you're regularized. But soon, you will learn that you can file a sick leave if you've had a hangover lol
You have to be punctual- Time is money and your company cannot afford to forgive your tardiness. It's a mortal sin. Except if you're good at persuading your TL. If not, get ready to make a good story on your NTE (Notice to Explain) form.
Becoming a great pretender- "Authenticity" sometimes does not apply to BPO agents. You have to pretend that you're having a great day, otherwise, it will reflect on your calls. On your scores. On your performance which will greatly affect the team, the whole company. So hold on to your emotions until the shift is over and go to your team leader's cubicle and cry.
You need to strive hard- You'll be graded every month according to your Quality score, tardiness, attitude, etc. Failing means you might lose your job. Tough, right?
Unlawful practices-Office politics and extra-marital affairs are just one of these. You'll be shocked to find out how "open-minded" these people are.
Have you worked in a BPO company? What did you like and not like? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
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**Credits to Unsplash.com for all the images
**The rest of the content is mine
Haha good thing I never saw much of those having extramarital affairs. I'm not chismosa but I also heard abt a few people who had an affair. Tsk tsk. It's sad when it happens but if they want to do such sins then it's their souls that would suffer anyway. If we hang out with the wrong people then what else do we expect? Hehehe.
I've left that industry and learned a lot too. It's a great place to know more about the American/Western culture as well.