Career Guide is a series of occupational briefs which aims to provide information on hard to fill and highly-in-demand occupations identified during the 2006 National Manpower Summit and the 2007 National Human Resource Conference. The Career Guides contain such information as the nature of the job, its education and competency requirements, earnings, employment and job outlook.

Call Center Agent

The Contact Center industry's workforce is led by Call Center Agents. A Call Center Agent answers all inbound and outbound calls in a professional, friendly and timely manner.

Tasks

Handle calls involving inquiries of all types; technical help desk; payment authorization; order taking and fulfillment; complaints; customer service; disputes; transcriptions, requests, sales and billing; and marketing.
Responsible for verifying all customer information; documenting all pertinent information; and expected to trouble shoot each call appropriately in order to satisfy customer's request.

Basic Educational & Training Requirements

2-4 years college education in any course;
ICT related course is required for technical support staff;
Training in the following areas of competency:
- English Proficiency/Interview Skills
- Inbound soft skills
  - accent neutralization or accent reduction which is intended to help proficient English speakers speak with a more North American or British accent
  - oral fluency and accuracy
  - culture training
  - customer service
  - business writing
- Outbound Skills
  - Sales and marketing (Product Training )

Skills and Competencies

Good command of the English language, both oral and written;
Computer proficiency particularly with reference to typing speed and navigational skills;
Knowledge of Order Processing System, Database, Spreadsheet, Word Processing and Internet Software;
Oral & written proficiency in other languages such as Spanish. French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Japanese is an advantage .

Physical Attributes and Characteristics

Customer service-oriented;
Willing to work on shifts;
Strong organizational skills with attention to details; ability to exercise independent judgement.

Salary/Compensation

P10-25 thousand (P10,000 for starters and P25,000 for the multi-lingual agents)

Prospects for Career Advancement

A Call Center Agent with 1-3 years work experience and with supervisory and leadership training can advance to become a Team Leader or Supervisor;
Promotion to Middle Manager after 2 -3 years supervisory work experience plus training in business management, account management and project planning.

Employment Opportunities

Some 98,332 new jobs will be made available for Call Center Agents over the period 2007 - 2010, or an average of 24,583 job openings a year.

Scholarships Available

PGMA Scholarship Program offered by :
TESDA accredited Call Center Companies

Training Programs *

Finishing Course for Call Center Agents
Duration - 100 hours
Cost - P5,000
School/Training Institute - BPO Training Academy