Of being a customer service representative

       This time, I'm gonna write about my call center experience though it's not a good-to-brag XP for I did not stand to make it until regularization for the reason that I found out that I am not for nightlife.

       Well it was Monday morning back in October's last week of 2012. The night before that day I was very nervous and scared to death for it was the very first job interview ever that I will experience. So what I did was trained and practiced myself answering all the possible questions to be asked by the interviewer. I merely had a good sleep 'cause that is what I really am when nervous. Insomniac! 

       I woke up 4:00 am and left Las Pinas at 5:00 am for 7:30 am was my schedule for a job interview when I applied online. When I got off the jeepney going to MRT Taft, I don’t know how to describe myself when stupidly, I left my envelope with five copies of resume inserted, inside the jeep. I’mma certified little stupid-moron-fool-brainless-idiot and whatever terms you call it. Good thing, I’m prepared! I printed 10 copies so I have five left. So all I have to do is buy one more envelope (which I realized afterwards is unnecessary). I was the very first applicant to arrive in the office. After 30 minutes, applicants started to increase until the receptionist arrived as well. Just then that I found out that it is an agency. She said it is a one-day process hiring which is favorable to me so it would be less expense for food, fare, clothes and make-up to use up. Such a really big cost cut for me! We were more than 50. Each and everyone of us will be going through Screening. Afterwards, the interviewer will be asking for pieces of resumes from you. The more pieces they request, the more chances of you getting hired because that is also the number of the Contact Center Companies that they can refer you to. For example you were asked to submit four copies, then you have four chances. If you failed your initial, behavioral and final interview to one company, then you still have three more companies where you can try your luck. If you are asked to pass only one resume, meaning you have only one chance, good luck and pray harder because you should do your very best! Lucky me I was asked to submit three however I used up only one.

        After that we were trained by the administrator on how are we gonna respond to interviewer’s questions on the next three more interviews: initial, behavioral and final. The technique is, you never have to be real on your answers. You should answer questions the way the interviewer wants to hear it from you. It’s easy. Sometimes it’s close to lying. Example: Do you have a plan to continue your studies? (If you are an undergraduate like me). In reality, of course you do. But here, your answers should be “No, I don’t”, because they can see it as a hindrance on your call center career in their company. Some Centers provide part-time careers in which you can still have time to study, in fact they offer scholarships but some don’t. If they will hire you, they want you to prioritize them more than your family and your religion. I’m not kidding. But don’t worry, that’s only in interviews. You don’t have to do it in actual. As my coach once said, “We are not tyrants here”. Of course we work for our family! Going back to the story, after we were taught of how’s, do’s and don’ts, we were given a chance to eat our lunch. So my buddy and I ate our lunch at Jollibee and went back. Those who were left there are the first batch to be undergoing initial and behavioral and those who took lunch will be the second batch. We waited so long until the first batch was done. If I can recall, it was 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM. From the first batch, only four made it that made me shivered more than earlier. But of course since I am in black heels and in black pencil-cut office skirt, I carried my confidence with me. The interviewer introduced himself but I can remember his name no more. He is from DLSU from Sitel Recruitment in Eton. A well-versed speaker. Confidently speaking, there was no mumbling when he instructed us. “I will interview you all one-by-one and if I say Please step out of the door, means you did not make it. And if I say please take a seat at the back means you made it and after that we will proceed to behavioral.” That is not precisely what he said but that is what I can bear in mind. At first the room was full until we’re down to four that makes 8 out of 50+ applicants passed and are one step closer to their goal.

            Then, picked up by the shuttle service of Sitel, we were ready for our last push! The Final Interview! We were designated in Ortigas I think because I said that I wanted to be assigned there. When we arrived, I saw many applicants still in queue. Then we were called to have our examinations taken. CSR exam is different from TSR exam. Using computers, you will be tested if you can really do it. Math test, Grammar test, Computer Applications test, Personality test, Typing test and more. If you failed, you can try again. Many were asked to try again for they failed initially and passed the second try. And I was surprised that after a more-than-a-decade test, I was asked to wait at the lobby. I thought I’m going to repeat. Afterwards is the Phone Simulation. I was given a laminated brochure in where information about a mobile product should be reviewed  understood and internalized and one of the recruitment  personnels will pretend as the customer inquiring about the product. I was very nervous as hell. I think I did it well, it’s just that I know she could hear my loud breathing. HA-HA! Then after that, she congratulated me and instructed me to go to the 12^t floor of Wynsum and I was designated in Cricket account. I thought at first, is it the Cricket lighter? Well I thought wrong. It’s a wireless service provider in US of A. It’s already 1 am and I’m dinner less! It took me two hours waiting in the pantry until my name was called for the FI. Again, I passed it and got home 5:00 AM in the morning. How was that? It’s one day hiring literally.

            So after one week, I received a call that invites me for the orientation. There, the manager explained the rules and regulations of the company and tomorrow will be the start of the first phase of training which is called as FST- Foundation Skills Training. It’s a one week training. The basics of customer service, team work is what will be taught, and also how to improve your communication skills. Happiest part of Call Center Life it is! Games, Activities, Team Work. At first we were 28 in our wave- Wave 46. At the end of the one-week training, we’re down to 24.

Captured during FST break. FST is 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Enjoying the night life.

         Sadly, four did not make through the mock calls. So 20 remained. Second phase is PST- Product Specific Training. Here, you will be familiarized with the product of the company as well as how to use your tools in the computer. It is a two-week fun training. Mercifully, all of us survived. 

When we're happy, we celebrate! Right after passing PST, we party!

               The Last Phase of the Training called as OCP. It is a four-week training in which you'll be lively speaking with your customers in US. First week allows you to work four hours phone time only then the remaining four hours will be for group activities and meetings. Second week, six hours phone time then third and fourth week is full eight hours phone time and, Voila! It's graduation time! 15 made it through while others voluntarily quit.

Wave 46's Graduation, Awarding, and Pizza Party. All in one Celebration.

          Then comes in the reality that you are a certified employee. Good thing for our wave, we ware not scattered and distributed to other teams and we remain as one fighting team. It's a hooray if your coach yelled "Okay, guys go on Meeting!" but it's only possible if the callers minimized in numbers or what they call AVAILING time, not on a QUEUING time. Hooray for times when there is a massive CONNECTION DEGRADED on your screens, but it's a loss for the company. But be careful in following your schedules or you'll be micro-phoned by the Real Time Analysts saying "Your name, Overlunch/ Overbreak/ Coaching/ Hold time, go back to your customer!". But don't worry, it's not very embarrassing 'cause everyone experienced that. You'll be just laughing when you hear it, however don't be abusive.

         To strengthen team's bond, you'll be experiencing Team Building once a month or once every two months I think, and a lot of Pizza Parties that makes all the cholesterol really stuffed in your core. How was that? Anyway it's still fun and delighting! 

One of the most silly games I've ever played

Our first ever team building is over night. So there we are, knocked down! Am I thumb-sucking?

Me and my husband-to-be in the pool :)

         When you enter call center, you will feel that the team will be your second family. The attachment is very deep that it's really more than colleagues you treat them. They are the ones you can entrust your secrets with. The willingness to help one another really stays there, because you bear in your mind that you are a team. Each and everyone of you are helping each other, not competing. It is not you within the team who compete. It is also not team vs. team. It's site vs. site. 

         I will never regret and forget this experience of mine. Especially being complimented, commended, thanked and loved by your customers from the other country with other language, accent, culture and attitude. It's very nice to feel that despite the differences of two people talking on each end, they agree at the end of conversation. Americans are very expressive. When they are happy because you've been a very good agent, they will say "Thank you honey, I appreciate your help. You made my day. You've been very helpful today. Can I talk to your supervisor and I will tell them how wonderful worker you are?". Commendations from them is once in a blue moon but them being happy for what you did is already enough. Commendations don't increase your salary.