NLRC Cases VS Tele(UNDER)performance Piling Up

Tele(UNDER)performance is at it again!!!

My sources from Tele(under)performance still working there have joined the recent bandwagon that had taken this call center by the heel.  There are a total of six (6) separate cases piling up at NLRC as of this writing.  One of those is a class suit.  

I was informed that those who have resigned 6 months ago, still have not received their back pay. The under performing HR specialists even told some resigned agents that utilizations from their dependents had to be deducted from their back pay.  This was told by a Tele(UNDER)performance lawyer back at NLRC after a mediation.  The same lawyer even told these resigned agents that, and I quote one agent, "even though you had been provided renewal HMO cards, it DOESN'T necessarily mean you are covered by its benefits, which would include declared or undeclared dependents," end quote.  Effin' really?  Are you serious?  All the resigned agents swear that they have declared their dependents as proven by their HMO cards under their dependent's name which by the way had just been renewed this 2014.  Now, correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't an HMO card with a dependent's name on it, enough proof that the dependent was declared? To tell you honestly, when you use the HMO card, the hospital you went to will first confirm with the company's representative from the HMO if the card user is valid and if the coverage is correct.  All availing clinics and HMO partner hospitals are required to do this.  As a matter of fact, it is the first thing that they (hospital) do if a utilization happens. It is their standard operating procedure.  The company even religiously deducts a specific amount every 15th of the month to represent the HMO deduction for the dependent/s.  Now, this may vary depending on your category because a TL, Supervisor, or Manager have different coverages as opposed to agents but what I'm driving at here is that it is an item given special or specific attention to on your payslip.

Well, as it is clearly explained in this company's handbook:

"All utilizations by declared dependents will be paid thru salary deduction on the 15th of every month"

Even the lawyer you hired to represent you probably didn't even bother to read your handbook. 

Now, every call center I've worked for in the past, including the one I'm working for now have the same premise, (well, except for the date they deduct it on because some deduct it on the 30th).  I am just soooo freaking glad that I have not worked or even applied to work in Tele(under)performance.  

Let me just reinforce to anyone reading this that I'm just retelling a story as told by friends at Tele(under)performance.  Yeah, they're my friends but this blog is open to the other side of this story.  Tele(under)performance HR or Legal, my blog is here to see your side of the coin.  

Anyway, I hope somebody who have read this blog could forward or repost this on their wall. Especially if you also work for a BPO.  Let's spread the injustice befalling our brothers and sisters in this field of industry.  Let's help each other out.

I think what we need now is to have a union that will unilaterally represent us in situations like this.

Teleperformance Inc

I was told by very reliable sources (still working and former employees) that Teleperformance is really bad in terms of handling employee exits.  OMs and TLs don't have any clue what documents need to be completed and how the whole process of an exiting employee go.  All exiting employees, per company policy, have a 90-day turnaround time.  This means that in 90 calendar days or less, the employee who left the company, is supposed to have already received his/her final pay which of course includes tax refunds, bonuses, pro-rated 13th month pay, pay for last days worked, etc.

The people who I got to talk to told me there was a whole wave or batch of employees who resigned from the company 5 months ago but still have not received their final pay.  Now, if my math serves me right, if we consider each month to have 30 days, multiply it by 5 and you will get 150 days, right?  Well, Teleperformance have this weird habit of still asking questions about the resigned employee about things that they should already know the answers to.  I mean, the HR/Recruitment should have it in their 201 file, right? Duh?

Here's an excerpt from one of their "Clearance Notification" served to a resigned employee :

Dear (enter employee name here),

Your clearance is currently being processed. Please allow 90 calendar days for us to review, finalize, and clear you from all your accountabilities and process your final pay. We hereby request you to follow up with us via email on or after (date of 60th day) by sendingan email to Philippines@teleperformance.com so you will be given further instructions on how you can claim your finals pay.

Please ensure that you type CLEARANCE on the subject line of your email and the following details must be provided:

1. Complete Name
2. Employee Number (CCMS ID Number)
3.Site where you were assigned
4. Date when you processed your clearance
5. Last account/program handled
6. Date of birth
7. Name of last supervisor
8. Hire date
9. Separation date

As a reminder, our turn-around time for clearance and final pay processing is 90 days.  Failure to settle your accountabilities might delay the processing and release of your final pay.

Thank you and we wish you luck in your future endeavors.

Teleperformance

Notes: If you are holding the position of a manager or up, final pay processing might take more than 90 days due to the financial accountabilities that need to be verified.  You may still opt to follow up on the date indicated above to check how soon your final pay can be released.

Upon your record being queued in the Exit Management System for clearance processing, our Payroll team will be putting your salary on hold.

Generated and Issued by:

(Enter name of HR A**h*** here)
Human Resources Representative

I noticed that they have an "Exit Management System" which ironically doesn't work at all.  So if you plan to work here - DON;T.  If you are a hopper - SKIP Teleperformance. And if you are already working here - Goodluck leaving!

I'm sorry but a large number of employees I spoke with who have worked here all said the same thing and are still angry.  The people I know who are still working here are also angry that they have to deal with this s*@T

If you have similar experiences with your past or present employers, please send them over to me or leave a comment.  Your predicaments need to be heard.  Let them hear our voice!

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Thanks!

Accenture Inc.

Accenture Incorporated started out as an accounting consultancy firm.  They were known then as Andersen Consulting until they progressed to a more diversified outsourcing company.  They service different companies across 3 different towers of business within the organization namely, services, technology, & corporate.  They collaborate with their clients and help them become high performance organizations.  Accenture is located around the world.  They are across Europe, across Asia, across Africa and Australia. They probably have an office in every continent except Antarctica.

I worked for Accenture for over 4 years and I must say that they are the best company I have worked for so far.  Benefits are great but will vary depending on what tower you are employed under.  They have their own cooperative called ASLA or Accenture Savings & Loan Association which, by the way, is accredited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.  That's saying a lot for this company if you ask me.  They will give you the option to own their stocks by allotting a certain portion of your salary every payday.

The company has great executive leadership, a very sound and credible corporate governance and has garnered awards time and time again from prestigious business organizations.

You can enroll in their "Death and Fire Assistance Program" if you choose to and this will benefit you in case of those two unfortunate events in your life.  When our house burnt down back in 2007, I was able to avail 8,000 pesos as financial assistance because I was a member and when my mom died a few years later, I also got around that much as bereavement assistance.  They will send you flowers for the wake as well as part of their program and I appreciate that very much.

Accenture also boasts of different events and activities where different clubs are organized to create camaraderie among peers across all towers and sites.  There's the movie club where they reserve at least 2 cinemas where employees can watch a movie for free.  Then there's the Accenture Dragon Boat Club, Dance Club for hip hop and urban dancing instructions.  There's the archery, mountaineering, photography and a whole lot more.  One time, there was a Mixed Martial Arts Club but I guess the powers that be in Accenture do not want to promote violence so the club got axed very early in its existence.  There are about a dozen more of these clubs that you can join for free.  And by the way, their gym is equipped with a rowing machine and a personal trainer to boot.

The pay is above the industry standard.  They pay not just the 13th month but up to 14th.  Leave incentives are progressive and you still get a paid time off on top of that.  Their facilities are well taken cared of and most of your co-workers and colleagues from across towers are all professionals.  I think they only hire college graduates here but from what I heard, they have recently opened their doors to non-graduates.

I can never say anything bad about Accenture and if anybody who worked for this company before have any bad experience leaving, feel free to post your comments.  My experience wasn't all pretty and nice, I have had brushes with the management but all's well that ends well.  Being part of the management team here was the best experience I had.

Check out their career website below but if you're in a hurry, I think they have re-opened their recruitment hub on the 3rd floor of Robinson's Forum on Pioneer street.

Click here: http://careers.accenture.com/ph-en/Pages/index.aspx

Convergys Inc.

Convergys is one of the biggest names in the call center and BPO industry and they probably have the most diverse list of clientele ranging from communications to automotive, from cable & satellite to retail, from financial services to travel & hospitality, as well as from technology to healthcare, they service everyone.  They started in the US and had been operating for over 30 years overall and 10 years now in the Philippines and with offices located across the globe.

I don't know if you've heard that Stream Global Services, after buying out eTelecare, also bought APAC, who in turn, bought out NCO.  Now, Convergys bought Stream Global which in effect consolidated all 5 companies making Convergys very huge in terms of infrastructure and head count.

Anyway, Convergys doesn't pay as much.  They are included in the Top 10 lowest wage providers in the top name BPOs category.  Benefits are ok and their HMO starts on day 1 upon getting hired.  You can enroll up to 2 dependents after getting regularized.  Their night differential is at a measly 10% which is also among the lowest.  Their facilities are top notch though and the work culture and environment is worth a nod of approval even to the most discerning call center vets.

They probably have the most sites in the country with Convergys San Lazaro, Baguio, Starmall, Sta. Lucia, Imus, Makati, Ortigas, and their latest - Megamall.

I encourage all call center virgins to try it out first at Convergys.  The pay isn't a lot but when you think of a long term goal like building a career and moving up in this industry, this is a good place to start it. You will learn a lot.

Visit their career website here: http://www.convergys.com/index.html#joinourteam

IBM Daksh Business Process Outsourcing Inc. (formerly IBM Daksh)

IBM Daksh was an indian-ran company when I started working here. The company manages customer care services and back office processes for leading global organizations in the domains of banking, insurance, financial services, travel, technology, telecom and retail. Their services include customer care, technical support, data conversion, collections, telesales, transaction processing and other value additions.

I was a CSR for a wireless telecommunications company based in the US.  I perform customer service, upselling, activation, plan and other feature modifications and first tier troubleshooting.  On top of these, I need to pass the toughest QA I ever had to deal with. Their software where we do our magic is called P2K.

Below are the two sites that they have here in the country.  I worked in the latter.

18F CyberOne Building,
Eastwood City - Libis
Quezon City Philippines

30/F PBCom Tower
6795 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, Philippines

Their recruitment process back when I started was tedious.  The exam can rival Mensa's.  It was tough!  I started with a 14k base salary and HMO card will be provided after 6 months.  I took the job.  VA training was for two weeks and this is where accent neutralization and American culture steps into your psyche.  Product training was about 4 weeks so I had about almost 2 months of non-toxic work days before I became a full pledged CSR.  I had the distinction of making the first ever sale in the history of that account being part of Wave 1 (some centers call it batch) and the first ever top seller. It got me a lot of perks because of that distinction.

IBM Daksh paid wages and commissions on time.  The downside is the HR process when you leave the company so my advice is, stay longer and you will see your self move up.  I only stayed here for over 2 years and the people I worked with back here all got promoted or have moved up the corporate ladder in different roles.

The pay isn't as much but the benefits are ok.  Commissions and incentives are paid regularly if you do your job properly.  No company or system is perfect.  You wouldn't have to worry about IBM closing down because it will never happen.  Not ever!  Bottom line is, whether it's being managed at the helm by an expat or not, IBM is the best 3 words you can put on your chest like a badge. 

I suggest that if you are able to get in IBM, stay longer. Trust me!

Bank Of America (BA Continuum) is shutting down operations in the Philippines

Hey guys, listen! This just in...

I got word about this yesterday when I went to BGC (Bonifacio Global City to some).  I crossed paths with a former agent of mine who is now (still) working at BA Continuum. BA Continuum is what's printed on his ID lace anyway but the mother company they are working for is Bank of America.  BA Continuum Philippines Inc. is a nonbank subsidiary of Bank of America that provides business processes, business support functions and IT enabled services.  The different LOBs or line of business include back office transactions, customer support and service functions, technology support and services, general human resource functions, business planning and general financial services.

Anyway, after exchanging pleasantries, he blurted out that BA Continuum will be shutting down totally by the end of this year.  Two LOBs had already been cut and his LOB will be the last to go (back office).  The reason that their bigwigs gave them was, and I quote, "we don't want to teach and transfer how we really do our business."  CRAP!  There's a reason why they're pulling out, I told my friend off and I believe that's not the B.S. that his company told them.  Teach and transfer!?  Effin' really??! C'mon!?

The good thing about what's happening though is that all the other financial companies within BGC, namely, Wells Fargo, Barclays, JP Morgan, etc are already lining up for the fallen precious headcount.  Everybody will get their severance/separation pay and they were all given additional goodbye blues benefit pay for sacking everyone.  It's also good to know that they are no longer required to come in on the last 30 days of their operations but will still get paid for it.  My friend who stayed there for the full 3 plus years will get more than a hundred thousand pesos by December.

Now, what I'm pretty sure about, come December is, my friend's Christmas is gonna' be way better than mine.

s and IT enabled services. This includes back-office operations and transactions, customer support and service functions, technology support and services, general human resource functions, business planning and general financial services. - See more at: http://careers.bankofamerica.com/asia-pacific/our-company#sthash.C06TtODS.dpuf

s and IT enabled services. This includes back-office operations and transactions, customer support and service functions, technology support and services, general human resource functions, business planning and general financial services. - See more at: http://careers.bankofamerica.com/asia-pacific/our-company#sthash.C06TtODS.dpuf

eTelecare Philippines

If you have been around the block, you definitely heard about eTelecare.  They started in 1999 in the US and took the front seat in the call center scene here in the Philippines back in the early 2000.  Technically, they are no longer around since they had been bought by Stream Global Solutions but I won't focus on that for the meantime.

Moving on, the company provides a range of services, including technical support, customer service, sales, customer retention, chat and email from both onshore and offshore locations. eTelecare’s first call center went live with inbound telecommunications and financial services programs in September 2000.

The first two sites were in Eastwood City (when Eastwood was still in its infancy) and at the PBCom Tower on Ayala Avenue in Makati City.  I had the privilege of being in both sites back then when I handled outbound calls for a DSL giant in the US.  The sleeping rooms in both sites didn't separate the male employees from their female counterparts so you can just imagine the enjoyment every couple had during breaks which cause them to go on overbreak (hihihi).  They didn't have beds.  What they had were single sloping arched ottomans that would favor couples who really want to get close to each other (at least, that's what I think :) It could really get cozy most of the time and you could blame the air conditioning that is set just about right around 19 degrees (insert naughty thoughts here).

Anyway, in some centers like Sykes, they call it account, some call it program, others call it project but at eTelecare, they call it campaign.  This is where I first encountered spanish-speaking agents (because we serve Latin American customers too).  And you can bet your dirty dollar that all the agents here speaking spanish fluently are our very own chavacanos from Zamboanga.

eTelecare had grown since.  From just two sites, they are now also located all over the country.  They were probably one of the very first who headed to the rural areas to start new sites.  They have a site in Pampanga, Cebu, and Davao aside from sites in Mandaluyong and Muntinlupa.

Honestly, their base salary is at an all time low nowadays but they provide bonuses and commissions, medical and dental coverage, 401k retirement plan (applicable to US employees only), paid time off, tuition reimbursement, paid training programs, transportation allowances, and night premium rates at 10%.  Overall, they have a very comfortable work environment.

In May 0f 2004, Phase 2 Solutions was acquired by eTelecare International. Phase 2 Solutions was the 8th largest independent wireless reseller in the US.  By February 2005, eTelecare International became known as eTelecare Global Solutions.  In December 2008, Ayala Corporation and Providence Equity Partners acquired all of the outstanding shares of eTelecare in the Philippines and all of the outstanding eTelecare American Depositary Shares in the United States.  By October 2009, Stream Global Services has acquired EGS Corporation - the indirect parent company of eTelecare Global Solutions in a stock-for-stock exchange.  eTelecare Global Solutions is now known as Stream International Global Services Philippines, Inc. and is still a major player in the call center/BPO industry.

It's a great company to start your career with and would add credibility to your resume when you plan to search for greener pastures afterwards.  Their training department are full of credible people. I would have stayed longer if not for the lame pay grade. :)

You may visit their career website here: www.etelecarecareers.com The site could already be down though so visit Stream Global's site instead which I will review in a future post.

ePerformax Contact Centers and BPO

I didn't work for ePerformax but I had the chance get inside their office when I applied for a job back in 2003.  The account that they only have back then were directory assistance (411) and IP Relay for the US market.  Directory Assistance is pretty simple but very tasking in terms of the volume of calls you can get in a day which is around 700 - 1000 calls.  IP Relay is a relay service for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to place and receive text-based relay calls from their personal computer (PC) and/or mobile device. An IP Relay operator will connect an IP Relay caller to a voice party which means there are 3 individuals in this transaction where the operator is in the middle. This was the position I was applying for and their paramount requirement is that you should be a touch typist with the ability to type around 70 words per minute (wpm) with at least a 90% accuracy.  They pay an added premium for this job but I didn't take it.  Why?  Please read below:

You only get an allowance of around 200 pesos a day for the next two weeks of training

I had a child on the way that time so I had to bail out.  Although the salary was quite attractive, I can't be with a fast food pay package for the next two weeks at that period in my life.

There are a number of expats roaming around in their office, same with Sykes, so you need to practice EOP or the English Only Policy which is enforced throughout the building.  Well, at least in the premises.

My wife got in as a DA operator and the pay grade was around 13k when she started.  You naturally would have to work the night shift because you serve the US market.  Night differential was at 15% only but all government-mandated benefits are in place.  The only downside at this time for ePerformax was a female Operations Manager who didn't know a thing about what she was doing and got the account axed by the 411 management.

The office is at the old BPI building along Gil Puyat avenue and beside Pacific Star Plaza on the corner of Makati avenue so some of the facilities were just upgraded with design and new cubicles.  The pantry and locker rooms were okay but not really affable.

What's nice about the company though is that it's being run at the helm by a filipino and supported by a mix of other pinoys and american expatriates.  This info I think is important in gauging what your salary pacage would be. :)

Here's my score for this company:

Base salary for a call center virgin: Good
Work Environment:  Good
HR & Management: Good
People Culture: Good

You have to understand that the ratings I provide here are based on the situation at that time hence my objective is purely to give call center newbies an idea of what they can expect.  You may visit their career website here: www.eperformax.com/careers.html

ICT Group

ICT is located inside the RCBC Plaza on the corner of Ayala avenue and Gil Puyat.  The pay is really nice and they give out big commissions on some sales accounts but the account I got into was for a mortgage company based in the US.  It was really tough computing escrow among other things on top of your DOS-based application to process everything.  They have a very nice office though and the sleeping room is quite comfortable.  They have verbatim accounts here (accounts or programs that only require the agents say the required scripts word for word).  The pantry is spotless and their employee services (agency personnel who do janitorial work) are very courteous.

Here are my assessment for each category:

Base salary for a call center virgin: Good
Work Environment: Very Good
HR & Management: Very Good
People Culture: Very Good

There are a lot of different centers and BPOs calling RCBC Plaza their office.  Probably around 16 and there could be more.  The best thing about the place is, you will find a lot of places to eat in and specialty shops that you will truly enjoy. If you are coming from North or South area, take a MRT ride to Buendia station; take another jeepney ride going to Pasay and alight near Zuellig loop or Makati Post Office; and take a 5-10 minute walk towards RCBC Tower to reach ICT Group Makati. Alternate route is via MRT ride to Ayala station; take a jeepney ride going to Ayala and alight in front of RCBC.

Their training rooms are reminiscent of classrooms in the US where each row is assembled like inside a cinema and you literally are looking down at your professor.  It gives you a different feeling when you are seated there.  It's kinda' cool, y'know and I don't know of any other center whose training rooms are arranged the same way.

Their website is currently down but try to visit it from time to time to find out more about them:
www.ictphilippines.com

Just a little bit more information, last I heard, Sykes Inc already bought the ICT Group. 

Oh by the way, you can go downstairs to smoke at the center ground floor of RCBC Plaza that we call "Lung Center" and trust me, you would know why when you get there :)

Sykes Inc.

As far as I know, Sykes Inc holds the distinction of being the first ever call center that was established in the Philippines and if my memory serves me right, it was in mid 1996.

I started my career here (but I won't tell you when).  I was a customer service representative handling a landline communications giant in the US.  This is where I got to learn how to say english words properly.  American accent training where ceremony and inventory sounded nicer if pronounced right, if you get my drift.  My base salary back then was Php 11,500 and I was like WOW!  Coming from a conventional office earning minimum back then made me feel special with my new wage but enough of that.  I will provide a very objective review of Sykes below so pay close attention.

Sykes Inc. overall is a fairly nice company to work for.  They have 3 sites.  Two in Makati (Robinson's Summit on Ayala and Burgundy Corporate Tower on Gil Puyat) and one in Mandaluyong (One San Miguel Ave).  I worked at Burgundy and unlike your fly-by-night call centers that have proliferated around the metro, at Sykes, all the government mandated benefits are in place and some more are provided by the company.  Back when I was there, we had 1.5k food allowance, 30% night differential, and a transportation allowance that would depend on how far your place of residence is from the office.  Back then, we had a 3-day, all expense paid activity in Subic complete with hotel accommodation, catered food, booze that would last two full nights with a music fest as entertainment.  All happening on the beach of boardwalk.  (Your Woodstock imaginings here please) And Sykes just called it a picnic! All sorts of incentives were being thrown like confetti on the fourth of July.  You'll get 4K if you hit all your metrics and double that amount if you pass your QA.  You got sales incentive too that would rival the Great Wall.  I was earning money more than I can spend it! That was how grand Sykes was back in the day.  Now however, I heard that the base salary being offered at Sykes is just 10K, night differential is at 10% with 1K as an all-in allowance.  Why I know the current status?  My wife worked there a few years back and some of her team mates still feed us with some info.

I would recommend Sykes to anyone who would like to start a career in the call center industry.  They have great trainers and exceptional material to boot.  Sykes will provide you with the necessary tools to become a better representative. My advice is, if you want to learn, learn from the pioneer who started it all. View their career website here http://www.sykes.com/careers.aspx

I will write about ICT (Intercon at RCBC Plaza) some time soon so keep it here.

By the way, post your comments here if you feel like I haven't covered enough or if you want to add and discuss more information.

Why this blog?

This blog had been in my head for the last 6 years or so.  It's just now that it came to fruition due to the spare time and DSL connection I have recently enjoyed. I am a huge fan of open source whether it may have something to do with apps or what not, hence, I will share with you more than a decade of being in the BPO industry.

The information you will read herein are my reviews for the BPOs or call centers I had the privilege (or curse) of getting hired by.  Just to clear things out, these are my personal views although I will try to be as objective as possible for my readers' (YOU!) benefit.  I will retell past experiences and as we move forward together, I will also post reviews of real-life agents and higher-ups who became part and/or; are still part of the BPO/Call Center they have worked for and/or are still working with.

Honestly, it's 11:57pm and I'm still waiting for my wife (who by the way is also working for a bully company's in-house BPO).  I will take advantage of my free time tomorrow and tell you all about my first call center experience at a company called SYKES Inc.

I am looking forward to a great shared experience with all of you and if you have good or bad experiences with past BPOs you've been with, don't hesitate to share it here.

DISCLAIMER:  To the centers and BPOs who will be mentioned here, consider this as history.  Be good to us and write a good story. It's nothing personal :)