DISCONNECTED

Around fifteen minutes before I logged in for my shift, the phone system went down and all calls on the floor got disconnected. This was a big break everyone on avail are waiting for- evidence that indeed most agent on this account would rather avoid taking calls than do the job expected of them. It was a celebration of sorts as they had time at hand to chatter with those next to their stations. A supervisor informed me that it only was happening in Manila and our counterparts in Cebu are only the ones who are able to take calls, and they have only a few agents on avail to handle the massive queue. While those of us here in Manila rejoice, I was quite worried as every single second that passes by is a lost revenue for our company and that of the client. In this time of financial crisis, the agents should have realized this is not something to be happu about.

DEMANDING

It's scary how the business relationship between our company and the
client on which account I am assigned to has become sort of
sadomasochistic. The client do know very well it is the "bread and
butter" or the biggest client of the company, and that their departure
will definitely mean the break or make of the latter in the global
outsourcing industry.The former uses this fact to its advantage by
demanding seemingly impossible things in exchange for their continued
patronage of our company's services.

In just a matter of a year, the client have managed to demand at least
25% increase in the sales quota for our company while going tougher on
the requirements for incentives. Additionally, the client also have
indirectly imposed upon us calibrations on the quality standards that
have us almost begging customers for sales. It is a known fact that
they do not have the same high quota, strict metrics requirements for
incentives, and tough quality standards in their own center in the US.

I understand the position of our company on this matter-- the account
serving this client employs anything from a couple to three hundred
people; losing this client means letting go of these people. I would
like to believe that our company, especially now that it has been
bought out by a bigger conglomerate, can survive loss of such a big
client, and that it's main reason for keeping the client was to
continue providing employment for us, agents of this account.

Recently, the managers of the account came up with a mandatory 8 hours
overtime for agents to render within the month. The directive was so
sudden that it makes anyone think the spike in number of calls was
never announced by the client. We have no news about it but certainly
this should mean reduction in queue for our US counterparts,
presumably because of the bad economy of the US and they want to cut
down costs by increasing the volume of calls in the Philippine center,
as our hourly rates are less than half of their agents in the US.

I hope the client soon realizes the injustice they are doing with the
demands they have to our company. On the other hand, I hope also our
company can stand for its employees as we have done in its name. I
believe everyone do have compassion in their hearts.

FIVE, SIX

It has been a few months since the transition of management of my company from it's American upper management to Indian has been complete. Our company has been acquired by a big Indian owned conglomerate. The employees of the company though, who mostly are Filipinos, have not grown accustomed to seeing Indians from the management.

It seemed this is also true the other way around-- on my way home from work early this morning, I happened to share the elevator with an Indian national. I smiled at him and he seemed undecided whether to smile back or not. When we reached the ground floor, it was only then he smiled and asked for me to go first.

The truth is that I have always been fascinated by India and it's people since I was young. You probably can blame it to such stories as Jungle Book and Secret Garden. Indians are known for their perseverance and also as hardworkers. We have a neighboring family who are full-blooded Indians but have been living here in the Philippines for several years already. Some two years ago, their home was ravaged by fire, leaving them nothing but the clothes on their back and a few thousand Pesos of savings in a bank account. They have to start from scratch all over again, and it amazes me to see that in just two years the family is almost back to their former glory. All because they pooled their efforts. If only Filipinos have the same determination.

Most Filipinos only know Indians as the people who are in the lending business fondly called five-six-- simply, the system is called five-six from the example that if you borrow five pesos you will pay six pesos for it (I wonder why not instead one-two, three-four, or even nine-ten?). These people, or any Indian for that matter, are called by Filipinos as "Bumbay", apparently with reference to Bombay or Mumbai. The word "Bumbay" has become synonymous for Filipinos to being strict and always business-like.

These people at the office are alot more different. They are from the educated and professional lot of their country. Some of my colleagues fear of what could be the the outcome of apparent move by the company to replace people from the former management with those from their country. I understand the move, not only for the fact that the new owners of the company now are Indians, but also for that Indians have been in the BPO business longer than any other country in Asia. I'm not saying the former American management then are not experienced in this industry. It should be taken into consideration that India still is considered the number one in this industry. The Philippines certainly can use their expertise to further expand the BPO business here.

The so-called colonial mentality of Filipinos could be the culprit why most employees here in our company prefer the former American management then. Filipinos indeed are more accustomed to the American culture than Indian culture. However, we may be forgetting that their presence here may also be a culture shock to them. Yes, we do have alot in common as countries-- the humid and warm weather, the love for spicy foods, the song and dance numbers in locally produced movies. But then it may be startling for them to see our fenced highways, the presence of mall and fastfood in just about every corner, and the staggering number of gay people (discreet or screaming out loud) in the Filipino workplace (hahahahaha!).

I'm sure it's not just me-- I do love Indians, and as a matter of fact I am a big fan of M. Night; and well, yeah, Kumar Patel of Harold and Kumar fame (potentially also I may love Slumdog Millionaire with so much buzz about it, but I have yet to see it). I love their perseverance, steadfast faith to their religion, and let's just say everything that Mahatma personified. They said in every Indian lives a little Mahatma, so what's not to love there? Mother Teresa couldn't possibly be wrong, could she? My opinion is that if Filipinos are to emulate a particular race, it should be none other than Indians.

India is bullish about its future as a developed country. It has strategically positioned itself in the technology world, in basically subcategories like BPO that are largely unexplored before, and emerged as a stronghold for talents and skills that are required in the global community. Philippines have only been in the business for several years and could certainly learn from India. With the acquisition of our company by the bigger conglomerate, I sort of am having a vision of the two countries helping out each other-- with India providing the knowhow, and the Philippines augmenting the need for talents and skills.

The decision of the management to sell the company was largely due to the bleak forecast for the US and global economy in the coming years. Our CEO then must have known best to have decided about it. The conglomerate certainly is at a better position to absorb any impact of the global crisis to the operation of the company until everything gets better. The name of the subsidiary of the conglomerate, true to itself, swooped in to protect the company and the thousands it employs. The economics is that it is better to lose managment of the company (and get compensated for it), than have thousands of people lose their jobs (insert here the warming "aaaaaahhhhh").

All these said and done, I think the Philippines should look at Indian BPO industry not as a competitor, but rather a partner with whom we can grow and have a song and dance number with (with M. Night directing).

SEEING RED

On the way home from my cousin's wake in Sucat near midnight last week, I decided to just take the bus as I figured traffic will not be too heavy. I took the very first aircon bus that went by near the Sucat exit from the South Superhighway. I was going through the seats to select the best location when I saw a familiar face right near very end row of the bus. He smiled at me and I was trying to remember his name, but I do know that he was on the same account I was on before at the company I work for.

He seem to have sensed me struggling for his name so he volunteered it. He was the same as before, always smiling, although he seemed sick this time and evidently he lost so much weight. I remember him being a bit on the chubby side, and let me just say that it's a far cry from how he is now. We talked for awhile about what happened with our lives since the time he left our company. Nothing has been changed with both our lives, except that he now is earning almost double than I am. He's with another call center in the south.

Everything's well, until I asked him how come he trimmed down his weight. He jokingly said it was not intentional, and that he actually is sick. I was not about to ask him what's wrong, but he said he has AIDS. The revelation almost had me falling off the seat, and he most likely noticed how surprised I was. He just chuckled and said for me not to worry as he is on medication to maintain his health. I can see he's trying to be brave disclosing me all these. AIDS is a fatal disease, and sexually transmitted most of the time nonetheless.

I have know him before to be discretely gay. Until he admits to you, you really will have no idea about his sexual preference. We go the same route even before, and the trip can be around one and a half hour duration, so we have alot of time in our hands to talk. He admitted to have been hooked into unsafe sex almost immediately after leaving our company, and that certainly was what led him to his demise. The sad thing is that his family have disowned him and he's currently living on his own. He also is afraid he may lose his job if his company finds out about his condition.

What's even more tragic is that he has two children and he used to be married too back in his province in the northern part of the Philippines. Despite having been separated, he remained friends with his ex-wife, and he continued to support his children by her. However, his ex-wife only found out he was gay when the news about him having contracted the disease spread in his hometown. Since then, he have been denied visitation nor even just to see his children as his ex-wife and her new husband moved to another place.

It may be rude, but then I was not able to hold myself back to ask him the question-- if he has regrets. He looked down and then shortly he broke into sobs, still trying to hold back his emotions. I know this is something really big, and evidently it has changed his life thoroughly. To comfort him, I patted him on his back and apologized for popping the question, and that I know it was stupid for me to ask. He lifted up his face, he smiled and still with tears asked me if I still do want to know his answer anyway. I said yes.

He said he doesn't regret anything that he has done, and whatever the consequences were for his actions. He believes we always should stand by our actions. Sex in the workplace (or outside) is always a possibility anywhere in a corporate environment. Much more in the call center industry, as most people here have liberated mindset about sex or sexuality, owing probably to the colonial mentality allowed by constant exposure to the western culture. Additionally, call centers also have the largest ratio of gay population in the workplace.

We continued to talk some more until it was finally my stop. I watched the bus roll away, filled with thoughts on really how things can change for the worst almost in an instant if you are not too careful.

BE REMINDED: AIDS DO NOT ONLY AFFLICT HOMOSEXUALS OR JUNKIES, it also can any of us.

I'M COMING HOME

After much deliberation and weighing of the pros and cons, I finally have decided that we should come home to Virac for Christmas, my wife and I. Our workforce management team has decided to declare the 23rd and 24th of December as critical workdays, so it will be a big offense, earning a step in the progressive counselling, to be absent those days. I guess I don't care that much anymore about the job, what with all the politicking on the floor. Besides I have an alibi on standby, and it is that I will sprain my ankle on a trip to Virac and won't be able to come back to Manila until after the 28th of December. I will have a medical certificate from our family doctor to back it up.

Well, I'm looking forward to basking in the sun on a beach in our island home, if the weather will permit. It was long time coming as I was supposed to come home last May this year. We don't have much money to bring with us, but then we won't be needing that much as my brother whose a bit well off than most of us sibs will be home too.

I need to getaway from American callers who more often than not are spoiled brats, from one of our team managers who's a fashion roadkill, from my supervisor's really sweet sheepish smile, from my bullying team mates who are "pitikeros" and "pitikeras", and most of all from an Avaya callmaster. My head is spinning from the pressure and stress on the job, and that's what I need a quick break from. Well, alongside my daily doses of fastfood meals, road pollution, the more than an hour commute to and from work each working day, addiction to malls, and the sight of the crowded Metro Manila itself.

I have to do this. Not only for myself but for me to get myself together-- I have not been performing good at work lately. Largely because of too much stress and the insensitivity of the client on our plights, which is the refusal not only to upgrade our salaries and incentives to be at least a fourth of our counterparts in the US. I guess being in the third world country doesn't deserve you at least half the respect of what people from the first world get.

Come what may now, I'm going home for Christmas.

YES To Offshore BPO

US President-elect Obama have explicitly said in his speeches about his being against the offshore BPO industry. He view the industry to be anti-American as it provides employment opportunities to other countries instead of keeping it within the US soil. This pronouncements have sent ripples throughout the outsourcing world, especially in India, and have earned varying reactions ranging from concerns to affirmations.

For the past few weeks, I have been monitoring the situation and particularly am after the response of companies who outsource some aspects of their business offshore. None of them have issued a statement regarding Obama's apparent plan to give tax holidays only to companies who keep all their businesses and human resource needs within the US only. With the current economic condition of the United States, it is quite vague how the government can offer tax holidays; yet it still is something to ponder upon for those companies trying to project an image of being patriotic of sorts.

Well, tax holiday is not that big a break compared to how much these companies can save by outsourcing offshore. Definitely that is a huge factor to consider-- it is known that outsourcing offshore saves these companies at least half the cost of what they otherwise have to spend if they are to stay within the United States for the same services. The Obama administration will have to shell out something more than just tax holidays to entice these companies to return using services from within the US, such as lowering the minimum wage to compete with those offered in BPO giant India, or even the Philippines.

Another question to consider is will Americans be amenable to taking up such kinds of jobs, which they otherwise consider to be less desirable? Whether these companies admit it or not, the main attraction of outsourcing countries are that the human resource are more hospitable than Americans. Americans regards highly of themselves and would not take flak from say a customer raging about a service that was not much to their liking. Filipinos exudes in patience that they will try and continue working with a customer who's impossible to reason with even if the latter themselves have caused the trouble to begin with. Many Americans do consider working in a call center below their threshold, which on the other hand is the exact opposite here in the Philippines. Or at least this is the case for now.

Another thing that'll be hard to compete with offshore for the Americans is the persistence in the case of telemarketing services-- I have read somewhere that the main difference between American and Indian telemarketers is that it is hard to teach the former to at least give one rebuttal and the latter to stop after the third rebuttal. Teaching a certain demographic something it is not accustomed to can cost time and money as it can be likened to learning a new language, or even new culture altogether. It wouldn't be a good thing to invest to knowing that afterwards you still have to cover for higher salary standards.

All in all it boils down to that BPO caters to businesses, and business could only be mixed with so much politics and patriotism-- it still has to survive and be able to generate income. On top of priority of any business is to be able to operate at lesser cost and more returns. Such could not be sustained right now by opting to be inshore, it simply follows the logic of "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush"-- the infrastructure and skills are already set and running offshore, why risk on something you're not too sure about?

*picture taken from http://www.cca.com.ph/

FIRST LINE

I have started a blog about two months ago and promised on the posts that I will keep it running for sometime, unlike the countless blogs i have started before. But then, it met the same fate as the others; and worse, I even forgot the password I used with it.


Here I am, starting another, and hopefully this time I will keep it. Starting this blog has its significance to me because I am back to Blogger, who hosted my very first blog years ago; and I also have recently gone back to using Sony Ericsson phones after some years with either Nokia or Motorola. My new phone has direct acccess to Blogger, which I think now is standard with most SE phones, wherein I can upload pictures immediately as I shot them using the phone. With that convenience, I don't think I will have a lot more reason to keep this blog.



With this very first post, let me just give you the things you can expect from this blog. I am a recluse person and I mostly write random thoughts that cross my mind for the time being. Subjects could be anything from music to short stories. I will try to be candid or open with my emotions, as my wife is anything but techie, and I may write some things that she may be otherwise be indeffirent about, if she gets to read them. I care about here more than any other person, so her not knowing about this blog will give me so much freedom about my thoughts, for there are some things about me she'd better not know about-- some dark secrets that only a handful people and God Himself knows.



Here I am, blogosphere.