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Asia Telecom - ContactCenterWorld.com Blog

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5 Reasons to Outsource eCommerce Customer Support

The rise of eCommerce:
To say that online shopping has exploded throughout the epidemic is an understatement. According to the United Nations, the worldwide eCommerce market increased to $26.7 trillion as a result of COVID-19, with consumers in emerging nations leading the way. As stated in UNCTAD’s COVID-19 and E-Commerce: A Global Review reports, as well as eTrade:

  • Mercado Libre, Latin America’s online marketplace, sold twice as many things per day in the second quarter of 2020 than it did in the same period in 2019.
  • Jumia, an African eCommerce site, claimed a 50% increase in transactions over the first six months of 2020.
  • Between August 2019 and August 2020, China’s online retail sales share increased from 19.4 percent to 24.6 percent.
  • In Kazakhstan, the internet percentage of retail sales climbed from 5% in 2019 to 9.4% in 2020; and
  • Thailand witnessed downloads of retail applications surge 60 percent in only one week during March 2020.

While such growth has no doubt been welcomed by individual operators, it has also presented them with fresh challenges. Cybersecurity demands, the need for more bandwidth, and supply chain disruptions are among issues that have reared their heads, not to mention the intense pressure such demand has put on one of the most crucial facets of any eCommerce operation – customer support.

Customer service is important.
The finest eCommerce firms have a specific plan for giving their consumers the care and support they deserve, whether through contact centers, live chat, or other means. A devoted customer base is the backbone of every successful business and necessitates more than just providing a high-quality product. Organizations who invest in customer service put themselves ahead of their competition, and in a world of limited resources, it has never been more critical to be strategic in how that investment is made.

More consumers imply more customer service — and more personnel to provide it. The expense of recruiting such staff domestically is proving to be a hardship for both large and small eCommerce operators, which is why a growing number are turning to customer support outsourcing companies. Hiring a third party to manage inquiries, respond to concerns, and establish positive ongoing connections may relieve a lot of stress, especially for new eCommerce businesses on a tight budget.

Why does customer service outsourcing work?
Unfortunately, many eCommerce businesses put off outsourcing their customer support needs until it is too late. Having attempted to preserve the status quo despite increased order numbers, they are now trying to keep up with questions, requests, and follow-ups, and are soon dealing with an increasing number of dissatisfied clients. Smart business owners understand that taking a proactive approach to outsourcing may provide various benefits, including:

  1. Best Service. While customers may eventually forget about a product or its specific features, the majority will always remember the help they got, and outsourcing providers are significantly involved in providing such exceptional service. Online customers are always looking for information and answers to their problems, and eCommerce firms that respond to such inquiries swiftly and properly will be remembered for the right reasons. Quality customer service should not be left to chance, and outsourcing companies make it their number one focus.
  2. 24 Hours Service - One of eCommerce’s most appealing characteristics is the option for customers to purchase whenever they want, with 58 percent of consumers preferring to shop online rather than in-store since they can do so 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This demand extends to having access to customer service, and outsourcing allows firms to react to simple inquiries after hours and on weekends without having to pay exorbitant penalty fees. Nothing beats serving clients’ needs and desires even when you’re sleeping.
  3. Minimizing issues: Even the world’s most competent companies face angry clients on occasion. The important is how they handle them. Excellent customer service is all about mitigating the consequences of such issues, with consumers who feel their views were heard not only less likely to create more trouble but also more likely to become champions for the eCommerce firm. Working with the correct outsourced eCommerce solutions provider will help you keep your customers satisfied and reduce the need for issue resolution.
  4. Best use of resources: responding to client inquiries is a necessary part of doing business, but it should never be the main emphasis of an eCommerce entrepreneur’s firm. Outsourcing customer service helps executives and in-house employees to focus on essential company operations such as product development and sales strategy. By outsourcing less monotonous and time-consuming activities to specialized third-party suppliers, companies may devote more work and resources to actually expanding their businesses.
  5. Scale to meet demand: As the COVID-inspired surge has demonstrated, eCommerce enterprises must be nimble enough to adapt to market pressures. As sales have increased, so has the need for greater customer service, and addressing that need locally might entail massive upfront expenses for things like recruiting, office space, and IT equipment. Similarly, a rapid decline might raise concerns about what to do with so many resources that are no longer required. Outsourcing eliminates this burden by offering a cost-effective and efficient platform for scaling up and down customer support employees as needed.

eCommerce solutions that are outsourced

One of the reasons eCommerce outsourcing succeeds is that there is no one-size-fits-all policy. When it comes to customer service, suppliers can either enable complete units that operate under the supervision of a Team Leader or find specific positions that would assist a business to achieve its own needs. From Helpdesk and Technical Support personnel to Inbound (customer inquiries, feedback, and complaints) and Outbound Services (contacting customers with promotions, bill reminders, and satisfaction surveys), outsourced eCommerce solution providers are playing an important role in putting more smiles on the faces of customers – and, by extension, those of business owners.

Discover the eCommerce trends that are emerging as millions of people adopt new online purchasing behaviors and habits as COVID-19 becomes an ongoing part of our life.

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/5-reasons-to-outsource-ecommerce-customer-support/

Publish Date: July 12, 2022


8 Effective Outbound Telemarketing Strategies

If you’re apprehensive about performing telesales, outbound telemarketing services might be a fantastic approach to learning to cold call without having to worry about failure rates. Here are some tips to make your telemarketing strategies become successful:

  1. Make a Plan

You should build a plan before you start any outbound telemarketing strategy, be sure you know what you want to achieve. If you’re looking for email addresses, you might be able to receive them through the first point of contact for small and medium-sized firms (whoever answers the phone). If you want to talk with a decision-maker, you must persuade the first point of contact (and sometimes the second if they have a gatekeeper or Personal Assistant) to get you in.

  1. Have a Script
    Once you’ve determined your plan, you should write a little script or script as a guide to achieve it. For instance, if you need a few specific e-mail addresses, the script may be:

    “Good day!, This is Joe and I’m calling on behalf firm ABC Company. I’d like to send an introduction email about our services to your business manager. Could you kindly give me your name and email address? ”

    Your script will guide you through the initial half of your call. It doesn’t have to be followed exactly, and you’ll notice that the language will naturally change somewhat from call to call - it’s only there to remind you of what you want to say if you get stuck.
  2. Be Prepared to Have a Conversation

The person on the other end of the line may have some questions for you. You should be prepared to discuss any challenges or concerns they may have. If telemarketing were as simple as “call, get a response, hang up,” it would be a lot speedier method of marketing than it is, and we wouldn’t need to write much more about it here.

  1. Be Prepared to be received “No” or “No, Thank you”

To be honest, the answer may be even ruder at times. Don’t let it bother you. If you are confident, you can try to defend your point gently, but sometimes a “no” truly is a “no.” Consider the shoe on the other foot: you don’t always answer “yes,” do you? Allow it to go, thank the individual for their time, and try again another day. To get good outcomes in telemarketing, you must be persistent.

  1. Handling the Gatekeeper

Company gatekeepers are frequently instructed to avoid routing calls to managers or directors. They are also frequently trained not to give out information over the phone. If you’ve tried several times and are still caught at the gatekeeper (the initial point of contact), you can try to go around them. Here are two approaches to this:

  • Call before the firm officially opens or after it has closed for half an hour. Many receptionists only work during the company’s official working hours, however, many managers and employees work earlier and later.
  • Request someone lower in the corporate chain. One effective method discovered by the author was phoning a firm and asking to talk with someone on their helpdesk. Helpdesk employees aren’t trained to keep gates locked, and they’re often eager to assist - it’s in their job description, after all.

There are other ways to sneak around a gatekeeper, but they take a lot more guts to pull off. When you’re completely comfortable with telemarketing, you might want to look into these other options.

  1. Always Follow Through on the Requests
    If you claim you’ll send some marketing materials, send them. Send it right away if possible. The sundown rule states that you should never leave things till the conclusion of the working day. If you squander someone’s time or leave them hanging for unfulfilled promises, they are unlikely to purchase your services in the future. And they may spread the word about you.

  2. Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
    It may take some time to become used to telemarketing; don’t quit up if the first call isn’t ideal. Remember that the worst that may happen is that someone says “no,” leaving you no worse off than when you made the call.

  3. Follow the Telemarketing Law
    Most nations have no rules controlling business-to-business telemarketing. However, before you begin telemarketing, consult with your legal expert to confirm that this is the situation in your area.

    You must exercise extra caution if your clients are tiny home-based enterprises; telemarketing to consumers (as this may be understood) is strictly prohibited in many areas of the world. Ignoring this might ruin a telemarketer’s career—there may be legal consequences, such as penalties. Always seek legal counsel before proceeding with your telemarketing activities.

Take Away

Telemarketing is used in conjunction with other forms of marketing to help close a deal or perform market research. It is not the same as telemarketing (though the terms are confusingly often interchangeable in literature).

As long as you stick to a method and put in some practice time, becoming effective telemarketing in a short period of time will be a breeze. AsiaTel offers the best Outbound Telemarketing Services. To know about outbound telemarketing services, write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/8-effective-outbound-telemarketing-strategies/

Publish Date: June 25, 2022


Call Centers in Philippines: Top Outsourcing Choice for SMEs

More organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other developed markets are opting to use business process outsourcing services in the last few years. The advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages of managing in-house operations. There are currently call center compaines in the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and also in East European countries. India used to control the majority of the business, but over the last decade, the Philippines has grown significantly to become the world’s contact center capital. Here it is important to mention that the Philippines is becoming a leader in the voice segment while India is continuing its dominant position in the non-voice space and software development space

Why Do Offshore Call Centers Offer the Most Effective Solutions?

Prior to the development of external call center services, businesses were required to establish a customer service department to handle all client calls. Sales, follow-ups, and even complaints were all part of it. Though there are advantages to this, not all businesses have the resources to acquire, train, and manage an in-house staff. Furthermore, not all businesses have the technology and infrastructure in place to handle the influx of calls from multiple regions on a regular basis.

Further, by doing an in-house operations company has to spend much higher wage bills in its native country. The cost and responsibility of recruitment are also on the company. Recruitment in mass numbers is a complex initiative and well-populated countries like India and the Philippines take this load off from the clients in the US, UK, or other developed economies

To provide answers for this, contact centers began to crop up in the mid-1990s, when the internet was first becoming more prevalent in enterprises. Companies no longer had to educate and manage employees whose primary responsibility was to respond to customer calls. These call center firms were frequently located in a separate city or upcountry location. Then the expansion  of call centers happened to other countries such as India, the Philippines, and nearshoring countries to the US in particular

Later on, the focus of call centers became very sharp in India and the Philippines in particular. The Philippines had a natural advantage over the rest of the world in the voice and customer service segment with good English skills and accent. The Philippines thus became a preferred destination for US and Australian companies. For many years, India dominated the call center sector in terms of market share, until the Philippines emerged as the undisputed leader in customer service over the previous decade. The Philippines is generally leading in the voice segment which covers telesales and account management also

 Highlights of the Philippines Call Center Industry

Currently, the Philippines has the largest market share in offshore customer service (and overall voice segment of the industry) and has held this position since 2014. According to the most recent statistics acquired during the previous three years:

  • BPO Industry employs 1.5 million Filipinos
  • BPO industry produces about US$ 30 billion in revenue and is an important earner of foreign exchange

There are two types of companies that use the Philippines as their call center destination:

  1. Captives – Captives are large MNC companies that have huge back-office hubs in the Philippines. The captives are managed by the company and they take advantage of the Geographic expertise developed in the Philippines and pick the cost arbitrage in the process
  2. Professional Outsourcing companies – These are outsourcing companies that are hired or contracted by large enterprises and MNCs to manage their back-office or call center operations in the Philippines

As a result, many multinational corporations now rely on Filipino contact center operators to offer offshore customer care. Among these are:

  • AT&T, Amazon, Google, Citibank, Maesk, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan are some examples of large MNC’s that have major captive operations in the Philippines. These captives have seats ranging from 5000 going up to 30,000 in the Philippines
  • Then there are large BPO’s such as Convergys, Accenture, Teleperformance, Transcom, Alorica to name a few that have huge operations in the Philippines going up to 100,000 seats

As the Philippines’ offshore outsourcing business expands, the Philippine government has reinforced its rules to safeguard multinational corporations that rely on the country’s outsourced services. Some of the causes behind this are as follows:

  • To match worldwide norms, data privacy regulations have been enhanced.
  • Government-led training facilities have been established to provide individuals with free call center training.
  • The Contact Center Association of the Philippines was also formed in order to boost the country’s Information Technology and Business Process Management sector’s strategy for 2022, with the goal of accelerating the outsourcing industry’s growth even further.

It is right to choose the perfect outsourcing company partner for your business

It is critical for your firm to select the best offshore outsourcing partner. Despite the fact that there appear to be many who appear to give comparable services, not everyone is able to deliver the greatest quality and maximum efficiency despite the low cost.

The first step in learning about a company’s offerings is to visit its website. Its portfolio, history, and website content should meet international standards. Furthermore, the organization must have the necessary technology infrastructure to enable outsourced activities. To ensure the quality of job production, employees must be well-trained and have low attrition rates.

Security must be carefully considered as well. In an age where information is becoming increasingly important, organizations must ensure that corporate and client information is always safe.

Asiatel Outsourcing as your Trusted Outsourcing Partner

Asiatel Outsourcing provides unique product options that cover varied need some of the best offshore business procedures, assuring quality, efficiency, and information security. With over a decade of expertise in diverse sectors, we bring a wide range of experience. Our outsourcing is bespoke with “not same size fits all” kind of approach.

We are your team in the Philippines
For a free 30-minute consultation, write us to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/call-centers-in-philippines/

Publish Date: May 2, 2022


Essential Ways to Manage Your Remote Call Center Staff

The remote work trend has officially kicked in and has become a popular choice for different industries today, including the outsourcing and call center industry. Thanks to technology and cloud connectivity, the transition from a typical office set up to a virtual, work from home call center is made possible in just a quick snap.

Perhaps we are all aware of the savings and other substantial benefits working from home has for both companies and employees. But with all the known convenience it brings, remote work also comes with a downside. If you have a team of remote call center staff, managing and supervising them may be a lot more strenuous. Engaging with them may become more difficult and agent efficiency may not be monitored well compared to handling members that are all based in one office environment.

Whether you are already in the precipice or just worried about the possibilities, consider the below information to help you manage and improve your team’s remote work structure.

Provide better equipment

Though working remotely may save your company from equipment expenses like printers, ink, air conditioning systems and offer furniture, it is still an obligation for organizations to provide better and updated office tools and equipment for its employees, even though they are at home. Better equipment increases productivity and better work results. It will also make your employees more engaged with their work.

Create your own communication structure

Effective communication increases the speed of problem resolution. While it can easily be done in the office since employees can ask and raise questions face to face, communication can be difficult during a work from home set up. Therefore, it is necessary for managers to establish a communication structure where employees are guided with the type of communication medium to use, the virtual team communication process and ways it works.

Organize virtual events

Distance has led many workers to feel isolated and detached to the team. With the lack of sense of belongingness, an employee might experience:

  • Incapability to handle work pressure
  • Gets easily distracted
  • Reduced productivity
  • Depreciated loyalty

To prevent this from happening, most companies are organizing ice breakers and fun virtual events to help employees release stress and ignite work enthusiasm. Online events also help combat loneliness and nurture strong bonds between employees.

Focus on results

Result-driven managers trust their employees, allow them to creatively accomplish their goals and aren’t looking after the process it takes to get there. Set a reasonable goal, use the power of technology and let them be flexible to accomplish their tasks in their own way, on the agreed timeframe.

Use quality assurance tools

There are quality assurance tools and software used to efficiently manage and monitor work from home call center employees. With these tools, managers are able to track areas that need guidance and those that deserve recognition.

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/essential-ways-to-manage-your-remote-call-center-staff/

Publish Date: May 9, 2021


5 Reasons Why WordPress is a Good CMS for Startups

CMS or content management system is defined as “a software that facilitates creating, editing, organizing, and publishing content. WordPress is a Content Management System. It allows you to create and publish your content on the web. Although it is mostly used for web publishing, it can be used to manage content on an intranet, or in a single computer.” (medium.com)

For startups who wish to integrate their business in a more modern way, building a website should be their first option. But how, you might ask. It should be through WordPress and here are the reasons why web designers and programmers are swearing on it.

1. Availability and Accessibility

First off, it’s free. From the words of WordPress themselves; “WordPress is an open source software. It is free in the sense of freedom not in the sense of free beer. You may ask what is the difference between these two? Open Source software comes with freedom for you to use, modify, build upon, and redistribute the software in any way you like.”

And it’s accessible anytime and anywhere. Just Google it and a few clicks, you’ll have WordPress on your desktop.

2. Safe and Stable

Of course, everyone wants a stable, and safe-from-threats website. WordPress has security plugins that assure stability and ease of use. And unlike other CMS that you have to pay for a little upgrade in features, WordPress has a lot of user-friendly features for free!

3. SEO Benefits

What’s the sense of your website and its content if Google will not recognize it, right? WordPress also contributes to the website’s race towards the top of the Google Rank as you can use permalinks that consist of keywords, add RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, create categories, optimize images, pin new posts or articles, create tags and install Google Maps.

4. There is a Community Support

This is ideal, especially for startups. It is indeed exhausting if you’re out there alone setting up your website and no one to ask for help.

WordPress has a global community where you can meet and talk with people who encounter the same difficulties and ask for a solution. It serves as a big support system that aims on creating an efficient website.

5. Customizable

Options. There are over 30,000 unique and free plugins available for everyone to use. Imagine the options, there is little chance that you and your competitors will use the same, right?

According to the W3Tech survey, WordPress’s market share is at  59%. This makes it the largest CMS. There is no doubt that WordPress is being widely used on the website and it is all because of its features. Thanks to its developers, the content management system has been easier to achieve and accessible for every starting business person.

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/5-reasons-why-wordpress-is-a-good-cms-for-startups/

Publish Date: March 9, 2020


Top 8 Outsourced Roles in the Philippines

There are a lot of business functions and roles needed to be fulfilled in order for a business to operate. For start-ups, filling up these roles up to the smallest function would be somehow impractical. Most startups in the Philippines only fill core roles focused on the business function, and the rest will be outsourced. This is a strategic and practical option proven to be healthy for their economic health.

Listed below are the top roles/business functions most outsourced in the Philippines.

1. IT Support

As the business successfully adapted technology to its core, IT support is an essential function for the business to operate efficiently. Problems may still arise from using computers, the Internet, network and such, that is why IT support personnel also plays on the productivity of the company. Technology makes everything easier and we need IT Support’s help.

2. Programming / Web Design

Adapting to technological advancement also means businesses integrating to have their own website. Companies believe that through websites, they will be reached easily by their target audience. These contain crucial information about the company like information about their services/products, its history, and how to reach them. Programming and web design skills is an unusual skill so companies really have to look out for it.

3. Content Writing and SEO

Not all smart employees can brave the blank page and a blinking cursor. The need for content actually depends on the company. Marketing copies, blogs, flyers, and digital content are the usual jobs of content writers and SEO experts. This is also an unusual skill that requires years of experience and education that is why most companies choose to outsource this function.

4. Payroll and Human Resources

This function may sound easy for others, but payroll service requires understanding and compliance with the tax withholding practices in accordance with the payroll laws of the country. Also, some businesses also outsource the function of looking for the right candidate for they believe that this third party partner knows better on what to look out for the potential candidates.

5. Virtual Assistants

Usually, business executives outsource virtual assistants in the Philippines. They are tasked to assist and run the usual errands of a business executive. Sometimes, they would handle specific tasks like accounting, content creation but mostly, admin work like travel management, payroll, data entry, etc. They are supposed to lessen the burden of the professionals in terms of tasks and work.

6. Call Center and Customer Support

This is probably the most common or outsourced in the Philippines. The country is one of the nations that have built a reputation for trustworthy call center personnel. They are in charge of customers’ queries, questions, and such. This is helpful for companies, as they will not worry about handling their customers’ concerns.

7. Financial Services

Like programming and web design, financial services require a specific set of skills. There are a lot of companies offering accounting services and everything that includes money management and finance.

8. Marketing and Advertising

No business succeeded without the help of marketing and advertising. It is all about gaining a presence in the market and reaching the right audience. Companies need experts who will strategize for them. It is not just about putting a Facebook post, but marketers and advertisers study the market, build brands, deal with platforms and media. Sadly, a lot of companies still neglect this function and don’t realize its importance.

Outsourcing is a cost-cutting tool. For start-ups, outsourcing is a viable option. Also, even big companies consider outsourcing as it helps them cut costs and be strategic. The said functions above play an important role in making the business run smoothly and thus are equally important.

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/top-8-outsourced-roles-in-the-philippines/

Publish Date: February 18, 2020


Tools for Managing a Remote Team in the Philippines

Being away from your team is a real challenge for productivity. This physical absence might affect your efficiency as a team if not handled perfectly. Thankfully, there are tools made to effectively and closely monitor your whole team. These are innovations for managing a remote team in the Philippines.

Worry no more, if your member is not working, you may now see what he’s on and monitor everyone’s work progress.

1. Google Drive and Platforms

Google Drive is one of the most popular tools out there, especially for file management. It allows dispersed employees across the globe to access the files whenever colleagues are cannot be reached.

Also, platforms like Google Drive and Google Sheets are user-friendly for light and not so complex tasks. It can allow you to work on the same project in real-time.

2. Zoom

Zoom is considered as one of the best video conferencing app. Its rapid growth and popularity prove its functionality among the professionals. We all hate those instances where the screen freezes with no sound or a lagging appearance of our co-workers in a video conference.

3. Slack

This is a team communication app that is most widely used by remote teams. Companies like Zapier, Buffer, and Help Scout even consider Slack as their virtual office. Through Slack, remote workers can immediately give feedback and inputs on a specific project. One special feature of this is that the team will be notified if there’s a new email subscriber or a product review.

4. Trello

Its simplicity is its unique selling point as it will not require a lot of information (that overwhelms users) and just gets the job done. This is a project management software that is fast-paced and flexible for the team to be more productive. Bonus, it’s visual approach on tracking progress and work makes it more appealing and easy to use.

5. 10,000 ft.

Using 10,000 ft. is like being 10,000 ft above the sky and seeing the ground. (Oops, that’s a terrible comparison.) Seriously though, it allows everyone to look at the bigger picture while working on your own and being on the same page. It can show everyone who’s working on a specific project and give you detailed analytics on the profitability of workers and projects. Sounds about right, eh?

Nope, this blog is not sponsored by those apps. Those are what we and others have been using and proven to be effective.

One secret in managing a remote team in the Philippines is to just treat them like how you treat your workers who are present in your office. They are not robots, as there is a human being behind that monitor working, so treat them like one. They are also capable of friendships and they can feel exhaustion and as well.

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/tools-for-managing-a-remote-team-in-the-philippines/

Publish Date: February 6, 2020


Working or Not: Supervising Virtual Assistants

Hiring someone to help you with the usual day-to-day function in your office is indeed a good decision. In the promise of efficiency, a virtual assistant in your professional career still doesn’t mean that everything will go smoothly. Just like in the usual office scenario, problems may still occur among the employees present.

Lack of physical presence can make you wonder if he/she is really doing the job. But thanks to technology, there are tools and ways to assure if they are really working or just watching a YouTube tutorial video. Here are ways of supervising virtual assistants.

1. Direct Communication

Direct communication would be the easiest way to do so. You can just contact your virtual assistant through messaging apps like Skype, Messenger or Outlook.

If you want to hear their voice, there’d be no harm in calling them so you’d know if he/she is lying. Remember that not all people are good liars.

Checking on them from time to time is not as bad as you pay them for their service. Just ask them what are they on, request a progress report, demand real-time information on the project or task you handed down.

2. Time-Track

If you find communicating directly time-consuming and unnecessary and you’re quite unsure of the accuracy of the information they gave, you can use several tools to track what they are doing.

There are useful platforms like Hubstaff, Velocity, and Tracklabor.com created to time track virtual assistants. Hubstaff can show the mouse clicks and keyboard strokes and also random screenshots so you can view what your virtual assistant is working on or what movie is playing.

The dashboard feature allows you to have an overview of the projects the team is on, who’s online and what they are on.

Velocity works like a speedometer measuring and predicting how fast a task can be done. Lastly, tracklabor.com works like Hubstaff. It tracks apps, web pages your virtual assistant has visited so you’ll know if they are really working.

3. Changing of Passwords

Now, this is quite tricky but is proven to be effective. Change the password every day or any random day of every site, mail or application you require your virtual assistant to work on. Through that, he/she will be forced to ask you every day what’s the password. If there’s a day they did not ask for it, then it is easy to conclude that the virtual assistant did not work. Tricky, right?

To have a productive employer-employee relationship, trust and honesty are required. Now, if you’re still on the lookout for a virtual assistant in the Philippines you can rely and trust, we got you! Did you know that ATHL can provide you the best virtual assistant that is not only deserving of your trust but also best suited to your needs? Yes! Interested? If you want to know more, you can write to us at bd@athl.com.hk. We are excited to talk about your corporate needs!

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/working-or-not-supervising-virtual-assistants/

Publish Date: February 3, 2020


Virtual Assistant in the Philippines: What They Can Do For You

Every Virtual Assistant is different. Some handle specific work as a virtual assistant solely for bookkeeping tasks and some are versatile like general virtual assistants. Now that you’ve sought help for your tasks and functions because you realized you were wearing too many hats, the question will now be what tasks can you usually hand down to your Virtual Assistant in the Philippines?

It’s normal to ask yourself if this particular task is too heavy or too light for the VA. Should you be the one handling task? Or maybe just let the Virtual Assistant handle that for you?

Here are the common types of virtual assistants and what they can do for you.

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/virtual-assistant-in-the-philippines-what-they-can-do-for-you/

Publish Date: January 19, 2020


Freelancer or Outsourcing Firms – Pros and Cons

Which is better - to outsource or hire a freelancer?  This is the most common question many companies ask when needing additional human resource in the picture with their company solidity and growth at stake. It is a major decision that must align and serve the organizations primary goals and growth-centered values. Cost, security and long-term feasibility must be carefully assessed to ensure arriving at the best possible option available. None of them must be compromised. Each should be factored carefully to ensure demands and needs are met on a timely and orchestrated business strategy.

BPO companies in the Philippines had long solved this mind-boggling task most company decision maker take time to dwell upon. They have in their roster of manpower skilled talents capable of rendering efficient and cost effective virtual assistant services on demand that possess and match the skills you require. From as simple as call taking to as complex as project or program development, professionals are readily available to jumpstart the work.

Managed Services Philippines does not simply manage people for you but act as a business partner that guarantees win-win scenarios in every angle of the business. Your success is equally their success. This reason alone is the pillar your business can lean on for the processes your in-house staff may not effectively execute.   Asiatel Outsourcing is not just a BPO company. It is the silent partner focused on growing your business.

Unlike other BPOs in the Philippines, Asiatel Outsourcing serves as the heart, the strongest muscle that directs opportunities to your companies in all directions both vertically and horizontally with recognized strong presence in the Philippines and Indonesia. Years of experience and the seasoned management backs your business up with world class industry leaders who will ensure that key functions are done; deadlines are met, and profits pour in.

Freelancers flock the market. They offer various skills and cost less which add to their market appeal. They can be hired simultaneously with others and have their own software and hardware capable of delivering the service you need. However, not all turn out to be the professionals they advertise themselves to be. Some turn out to be unprofessional. Others are revealed as mediocre or lacking when it comes to skill or talent. Many just last the drive or commitment you need. There are also a few social engineers who tap and leak confidential information of your company out in the open that harm businesses exponentially. All these affect your production and profitability.

With Asiatel Outsourcing our standards and quality control ensures that the scenarios mentioned above are non-issues. Every detail is reviewed, assessed and maintained. You can expect the best results on time and on demand exactly when you need it.

Further, rest assured that strict compliance to confidentiality is also mandated in all levels in Philippine BPOs. This ensures that your proprietary right is given maximum security as an internal ethics code. Protecting your business interest is integrated when you enter into contract thus, ensuring that any breach is highly unlikely.

Want to know more? For inquiries, you can write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/freelancer-or-outsourcing-firms-pros-and-cons/

Publish Date: August 12, 2019


Staff Leasing and Staff Augmentation in Philippines

The BPO industry in the Philippines solved the concern of many businesses globally about directly hiring a staff into their organization. Employing workers is a vital necessity in any business. However, keeping workers long term is truly very costly. As an employee gains tenure, keeping him and in many cases, them, becomes very expensive over time. Government-mandated wage increases, benefits, company-promised perks and employee demands eat a chunk off the profits. In the long run, capital becomes insufficient or limited for expansion and growth purposes.

For typical and career-oriented worker, compensation and benefits are the key elements they base their energies and dedication upon. Companies in all parts of the world offer different packages to attract desirable workers. However, the pay scale in different world economies vary. Why hire an employee in your country when you can outsource someone with the same skillset elsewhere for a fraction on the price and with no fringe benefits attached when offshore staff leasing does not tie you up at all. Outsource to Philippines’ outsourcing industry resolves and innovates your organizational chart with the most skilled workers there are.

Staff Leasing Philippines offer you the flexibility when it comes to your people resource. You don’t need extra effort and invest hefty sums in recruitment, training, monitoring and payroll.

RECRUITMENT

Recruiting people is strenuous work. Philippine BPOs have topnotch recruiters who see the recruitment process from start to finish. They source out through rigorous advertising campaigns, referrals and job fairs to gain access to the manpower resource from new graduates, starters and shifters. They interview and screen out applicants and make them readily available for you to maximize.

TRAINING

Professional trainers and coaches readily start prepping new recruits for your job specifications. Various test and metrics are set for applicants to meet and excel in to ensure that you get the best of the pack. Recruits that do not meet your standard are screened out so you are assured that the quality work you deserve is delivered on the dot.

MONITORING

Industry veteran managers monitor the progress and production of your workforce. They ensure that the staff keeps up with their task whether it is in sales, customer service or back office work. BPO Philippines also ensure the retention of your most productive workers for the purposes of continuity, stability and growth of your business. 

PAYROLL

Keeping a bank account and payroll you are also handled by your Philippine BPO partner. No longer do you need to have your in-house financial department scrutinize over individual payrolls. Your trusted BPO will handle payroll and all bank related employee concerns on your behalf.

Payroll Outsourcing Philippines has recently been the innovative offering of the industry. Not only does it save your company time and money, but it opens opportunities for your financial department to focus on its’ key functions to service your core goals.

Want to know more? For inquiries, you can write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/staff-leasing-and-staff-augmentation-in-philippines/

Publish Date: August 8, 2019


Seat Leasing as a Quick Start to your Contact Center in Philippines

All businessmen know that starting a business requires space whether it is for a start-up or expansion. This vital area is a major consideration in growing an enterprise. To intelligently do so, all factors are carefully studied to arrive to the perfect business location. This task is highly essential to attract potential desirable employees and other stakeholders that’ll help you grow your business. Cost for such has hindered multiple businesses from outsourcing in the past. It is a roadblock which BPO Philippines have solved to meet the demand of many companies in various global regions. One solution is seat leasing services in the Philippines.

This service is catered to businesses on a limited budget or conservative financial outlay limit. Leasing an office space ties you down to a long-term financial commitment of five to ten years. This involves a huge lump sum for advance rental payment and security deposit even before you start earning from your venture. Failure to commit to the contract also involve legal burden which most business analysts would advise you to try to stay clear from.

Aside from this, you will be responsible for furnishing and refurbishing the rented space. This adds up to your expenditure. It will eat up more of from your capital which you can use in production. These furniture and fixtures also depreciate in value, are subject to wear and tear and damage; a foreseen long-term loss. IT installations and wiring entail a lot cost both seen and unseen which is by far very pricy.

Further, maintenance will be an issue such as business permits, plumbing and upkeep of the facility’s electrical and overall physical structure. Most contracts stipulate that these responsibilities fall on the shoulder of the lessee. 

BPO companies in the Philippines offer both co-working and shared services to multiple clients on both long term and seasonal contract solutions. How does each differ from each other?

Co-working

Different businesses share portions of an office space with people in the same environment sharing the same facility and equipment.

Shared Services

This involves a parent company with different departments performing different functions to meet the need of the company and its customers.

 Seat leasing allows you to rent seats that come with a complete workstation and a fully furnished facility that comes with rest and recreational areas that will keep your workforce happy. The work environment not only meets government standards but gives your employees extra which reflects highly on the standard set by your company. It is important to note that happy and healthy staff produces the best results. 

The burden of long-term financial commitment, maintenance, furnishing and strenuous budget restrictions are taken off your plate as well.  Call centers in the Philippines like the shared services in Ortigas offer seat leasing for as many workstations your business demands.

 Want to know more? For inquiries, you can write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/seat-leasing-as-quick-start-your-contact-center-in-philippines/

Publish Date: August 7, 2019


SME’s changing Outlook Towards Outsourcing

Cost reduction and foreign exchange rate are key selling points outsourcing vendors use in closing deals with outsourcers. SMEs like big businesses see the promising possibilities that come with outsourcing. Who wouldn’t take advantage of opportunities that not only minimizes overall cost but also helps in reaping the benefits of growth and globalization?

Small companies and startups want to take a piece of the pie which years ago was exclusive to big corporations. The day to day operations of small business are challenging. The acute number of staff performing multiple functions slowed down growth and hampered expansion possibilities. They either succumb to competition or content themselves with limited options.

Now, SMEs refused to have their backs pressed against the wall. SMEs aspire to expand their business by penetrating new markets in wider territories or go global. They want their growth potential realized. They target for brand recognition in the marketplace. They aim to explore marketing channels and enter niche markets. They turned to outsourcing as their means to achieve these.

Here are 10 reasons why SMEs have resorted to outsourcing:

  1. Vision Achievement

The task needed to operate and run a business independently limits the execution of vital tasks that pave way to innovation and growth. SMEs usually do more than they can handle thus, clouding the company vision and stunts horizontal growth. Outsourcing takes care of the non-essential loads that keep SME owners on the horizontal track.

  1. Attuned to Market Trends.

To stay competitive SMEs need to stay up to date with what is going on in the market. Changes like new competitor schemes or products, software, payment systems or government policies disrupt operations. These are costly and would entail a lot of catching up. Outsourcing assists with transition or takes some of the load away.

  1. Cost Efficiency

Outsourcing vendors remodel the SME’s business model to lower down operational cost. They give SME owners a “Fixed Menu Pricing” that covers cost-cutting strategies on wages, rental, utilities, sales and marketing campaigns while giving the business market visibility and a better position.

  1. Risk Management

Outsourcing vendors rely on marketing metrics and key performance indicators (KPI) to monitor the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and campaigns. Fluctuations allow them to spot the competition and threats that will be relayed to the client for counter measure formulation.

  1. Flexible Scalability

Outsourcing companies are able to scale the amount of job needed in a quick and timely manner. They manpower backup so SMEs may consider this operations factor, a negligible part of the business as the vendor is charged with handling it.

  1. Security

All companies keep trade secrets that give them an edge over competitors. Outsourcing companies execute security protocols that keep sensitive information like trade secrets, financial and client information safe and secure from both internal and external influences.

  1. Legislation and Industry Compliance

Outsourcing companies stay on top of legislation issues and amendment. They ensure that they and the clients comply with regulatory standards and take care of all documentary requirements needed by statutory agencies. They keep businesses compliant and free from fines or sanctions.

  1. Accurate Financial Reports

Outsourcing vendors have competent financial analysts and advisors that provide SME owners sound financial information to help them make informed business decisions that aligns with their objectives.

  1. Market Expertise

Outsourcing companies serve multi-industries. Their vast experience gives them knowledge to vital information that SME outsourcers gain access to along with a team of experts and specialists that will help innovate and improve their business internally and externally.

  1. Continuity

SMEs have one to three people handling the financials. Having to cover the cost of multitudes of task can be taxing and reflected by poor or inaccurate reports, damaging to the company. Outsourcing solves that issue as bulk of the accounting workload is taken away from the SMEs each month. SMEs only need to analyze and consolidate this detailed report with their overall financials.  For inquiries, you can write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/smes-changing-outlook-towards-outsourcing/

Publish Date: February 23, 2019


Why SMEs need Telesales & Appointment Setting?

In recent years, the BPO business model appealed not only to startup companies and conglomerates but also to small and medium scale enterprises (SME). Having few employees doing in-house call center functions limit the company growth. It overworks the staff which usually leads to burnout or loss of motivation as productively innovative workers.

Outsourcing lets SME business owners define the scope of work assigned to each core employee who can then perform their prime duties effectively without any distractions in achieving the company’s goals, vision and mission.

Outsource vendors handle all the telecalling, monitoring and reporting required by SMEs. Here are some reasons SMEs should resort to outsource their various telemarketing’s functions like appointment-setting, telesales and telecalling to experts:

  • Cost Effectiveness
  • Skilled Professionals
  • Language Proficiency
  • Culture Adaptability
  • Service-based Orientation and Training
  • Data Mining and Lead Generation Avenue

Outsourcing companies handle the intensive recruitment process from interviews, hiring and training. They have a team of recruiters who recruit qualified skilled professionals without disrupting the core operations of the outsourcer.

BPO telemarketers have been trained not only in the telesales, appointment setting and other telecalling activities but also in speech modification exercises to develop a neutral tone that customers will find audibly coherent.

English language proficiency is carefully scrutinized along with culture adaptability that prevents miscommunications with customers. Aside from a specialized script, agents have a rich word bank which enables them to effectively communicate, set appointments and achieve sales targets for outsourcers. This is a huge advantage. Speedy transactions with minimal agent slip ups mean more lead coverage and potential sale. Language is a non-issue.

Agents are also capable of servicing their clients effectively. Their training and office culture cultivates their ability to blend into different cultures. Outsourcing companies ensure that agents are able to deliver a brand’s vision out in the market during the sales process. They are flexible to receive feedbacks from customers which will be later reported to the outsourcer who can apply innovations to better serve the public and discover new perspectives that will aid in product development in achieving continued growth.

Workwise, absenteeism will never be a work disruption issue. Outsourcing companies have sufficient manpower to handle the demands and workload. Aside from supervision and management, skills and product update trainings are conducted by qualified trainers to keep each agent up-to-date with client requirements and market trends.

Agents are also capable mediators. They can relate to clients easily and offer the best allowable pre-designed solutions allowed by SMEs to its customers. The outsourcer, then, wouldn’t have to endure the stress of pacifying unhappy customers. From surveys, outsourcers reported savings of 50-60% on operational cost, customer retention along with above-average marginal growth rate resulting to improved market and KPI metrics results.

Minimum wage is cheaper for entry level positions ranging between US$300 to 400 dollars. This is 40-60% cheaper when compared to the pay rate in industrialized countries. The low labor and cheap rental cost incentives are among the main reasons for outsourcing. For businesses, this is a win-win opportunity. Savings will always mean increased profit margin. For inquiries, you can write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/why-smes-need-telesales-appointment-setting/

Publish Date: February 22, 2019


Emergence of Metro Manila as Outsourcing Capital of the World

Through the many call centers and outsourcing hubs situated within and outside Metro Manila, the Philippine Outsourcing Industry was able to showcase Filipino professionalism and talent globally. In 2018, Goldman Sachs, the leading investment banking, management and financial firm named it as among the Next Eleven Economies. The firm projected the country to be the 14th largest economy in the world by 2050. Currently an emerging market economy, it is exponentially drawing investors in. Multinational firms like Toyota, IBM and Intel had been mainstays in the Philippines for several years. Investors use them as markers in their feasibility studies before venturing. From them, economic and business analysts are able to quantify investment profitability in the country.

Kittleson & Carpo Consulting recorded that 3 new BPO companies were registered weekly in the Philippines in 2018. The country is still the desired location of many western-based firms for inbound offshore outsourcing operations shown by the $14B in earnings and 1.9M jobs produced last year.

The allure of lower operational costs, low domestic wages and a proficient English-speaking workforce tighten the country’s pull. The Philippine peso’s foreign exchange rate value and wage inflation restrictions also stimulate the influx of foreign investments. A single US dollar investment is multiplied fifty two times as of 2018. Further, the Philippine focus shift from agriculture to service industry in the past decade made Metro Manila the business process outsourcing (BPO) leader and outsourcing capital worldwide; selling quality services and products to developed markets.

According to the 2018 report of the Texan global consulting firm, The Everest Group, the Philippines takes 16 to 18% of the global outsourcing market share. Six of its cities made the 2018 Tholons Top 100 Global Outsourcing Destinations.  Manila ranked second place. This ranking is based on business catalyst, operational efficiency, digital adaptability, financial infrastructure, scale and talent availability, cost effectiveness, quality, functional capabilities and sustainability. The country’s top universities offering multiple disciplines are found in the city so there is abundant availability of highly skilled workers. This attracted the first BPOs to set office in the city.

BPOs in Manila are already mature and well-established. From pioneering, outsource vendors here have developed deep expertise in servicing global corporate functions for over a decade. This maturity led to the expansion of these Manila-based BPOs to other logistically and financially advantageous neighboring cities and provincial metro locations. Multiple outsourcing hubs are currently operating in Makati, Pasay, Muntinlupa, Ortigas Center, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Cebu, Davao, IloIlo, Bacolod, Sta. Rosa and Baguio.

The robust and lucrative information technology and business process outsourcing sector in these major areas ensure horizontal business growth to buyers as the BPOs goal is to meet their deliverables for mutual benefit. Outsourcing companies see to it that the service they provide level, if not, exceed world standards. This mission concisely serves the outsourcer’s vision.

Out of the 851 registered BPOs in the country 65% of the outsourcers are US firms. Others from Europe, Australia and New Zealand are also growing in number. Half of these companies purchase medical transcription, data entry, IT-related and animation production services while the other half are call centers. The well-organized and collaborative effort of the government and industry players who coordinate closely in keeping the country’s spot in the global scene made this possible. For inquiries, you can write to bd@athl.com.hk

Source: https://www.asiateloutsourcing.com/metro-manila-outsourcing-capital-of-the-world/

Publish Date: February 21, 2019

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