What are your costs?
There are a lot of variables that determine cost. Like the number of seats you will you be running, the hours they will be running, the specific requirements of the agents. But if I were to "ball park" it, you're looking at around $8 - $14 per hour. Remember, this is not just labor cost, this is an ALL INCLUSIVE cost. When you factor in all the overhead costs of a domestic office in the US, Canada, Australia or UK you could be talking anywhere from $20 - $50 an hour.
Can I hear how the agents sound?
Philippines is the #1 destination for English speaking call center Reps. That's why major blue chip companies like Dell, Microsoft & Sprint just to name a few, have relocated their customer support services here. Voice samples are available on the web site. Click here for samples >>
As an additional quality control measure - you'll have the abiltiy to approve call center agents BEFORE they go live on your campaign - this ensures you of 100% satisfaction with the quality of agents you'll have handling calls on your campaign.
Why is it a good idea to outsource to the Philippines?
With call centers springing up all over the world there are more choices now than ever for outsourcing. Why the Philippines?
Well there's actually alot of great places to outsource with a lot of great people running them.. But there's one reason why we're located in the Philippines and that's because there is a higher concentration of fluently speaking, western culture aligned agents here than anywhere else in the world. For specific reasons on why the Philippines is better than India, I suggest you read Richard Mills Challenging Mckinsey. Just click the link.
"...a survey by the Michigan-based global staffing firm Kelly Services Inc. and the Singaporean market research outfit ACA Research Inc. showed that Filipino call center employees worked harder, were easier to train, had better language skills and were more devoted than their counterparts in India."
What kind of cost savings can I realize by outsourcing?
We discussed this at top, but for example, a 25 seat customer service operation moving from the US to the Philippines could reasonably expect to save $600,000 or more. That's a pretty hefty incentive for outsourcing.
How do I ensure that the same management controls are maintained when the process goes offshore?
This is a great question, and often the most critical. The first step is analyzing your current situation. Often very complex operations can be streamlined with software or some "outside of the woods" thinking, in other words - someone with a fresh new perspective. The second step is forming the plan of attack. Prior proper planning prevents poor performance - or something to that affect. *smile*
What kind of lines are you guys using, IPLC, VOIP or TDM? (If you don't know what any of those acronyms mean, don't worry.)
We're using VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). Yes I know, a few years ago it would have been unheard of. But with the recent advancements in the technology its actually better than some of the dedicated IPLC lines we've used in the past. Quite stunning really. VOIP is changing the world of outsourcing rapidly.
What is the line quality like?
Well, we wouldn't be in the business of call centers if we offered anything less than a quality line connection. Toll quality lines (the calls you make from a traditional phone) transmit at less than 200 ms, so you don't notice a delay. Well, our VOIP is now trasmitting at less than 200 ms, which means - you guess it, no noticeable delay.
I treasure my customer database, how do I make sure that my data is secure?
Great question. This is a major issue in outsourcing. No matter how many iron clad non-disclosure agreements you try to have a vendor sign, unless you can really trust who you're working with - there really is no other way to protect your data. Once you've got your data in the hands of a company you trust there are other measures you can take to keep it secure. Like simply having your database stored onsite in your office and having a few of our designated agents draw from the database to make or handle calls. There is also the option of transporting the data to our location, and having it stored on a secure, firewalled server to prevent break ins or any chance of data theft. If you have highly sensitive data like credit cards and social security numbers we can plan out your security needs accordingly and have them addressed before you outsource.
Will my customers know that I'm offshoring?
If they are Filipino yes. But for the most part, unless you want to tell them, customers will not know that you're offshoring the work. Filipino agents have accents that could pass in any major city, with a melting pot of immigrants and diverse ethnicities. To further assure you on this issue, I've included voice samples of agents below.
What kind of services do you provide, is it just inbound or do you do outbound as well?
Primarily inbound customer service, but we also do outbound services as well. But honestly, because outbound can be a real resource hog, we are VERY selective about the outbound accounts we bring on. Performance only campaigns have a slim chance of making it unless they've been proven elsewhere. For outbound we mostly offer hybrid models such as a base hourly + performance.
Is it possible to run a trial campaign?
Yes. But before we run a trial we want to make sure there's long term potential. We analyze every project on a case by case basis.
What kind of software are you guys using?
Well I could tell you that we're using a $2 million dollar, state of the art PBX, and a full loaded predictive dialer that only costs us $2,000 per seat - but instead I'll just tell you that by capitalizing on the latest open source software (Asterisk) and upgrading the code over a period of months with a very talented crew of developers, we now have essentially the same thing.
What kind of attrition rates do you guys have?
This really depends on the campaign you're running. If it's inbound, attrition rates at Global Sky are extremely low. These campaigns have relatively little pressure and Filipino agents by their very nature, fit the customer service role like a glove. If it's outbound, that's a different story. There are things you can do to prevent high attrition rates like having some kind of training and customer loyalty program from the very start. If your program is very demanding with high expectations however, still expect high attrition rates. One point to note however, attrition rates are not NEARLY as high as they are in places like the US, Canada, Australia or UK where qualified job seekers have many options. In the Philippines for a good sales person or customer service representative, a call center job is the highest paying job, you therefore find some of the best sales people in the country working in call centers.
Will you bill me from the US or from the Philippines?
We could bill you from both locations. We are incorporated in Delaware and have a US bank account for easy payments by wire transfer. We also have US representatitives available for handling payment in the beginning as well. We will have bank accounts and represenatitives setup in Australia and the UK shortly, which will make payments from these countries more convenient.
One note on billing - we only accept bank wires.
How long have you guys been in business?
The combined experience of the customer service transition team is more than 30+ years. Global Sky started in the later part of 2004.. The outsourcing industry is relatively young so you find a lot of relatively young players. Global Sky is an "outsource with certainty" operation based on team experience.
What kind of equipment are you guys using? (Skip this if you're not real tech savvy)
All of the equipment we use is top of the line, and based on VOIP technologies. US, Australia and UK voice termination is setup for the most direct routing of calls to those destinations or receiving points. Quintum Gateways to convert digital signal into analog. Cisco switches ensure optimum network performance. The traditional seven-figure setup for call centers no longer applies with VOIP technology. Optimum network performance is key. If you have more questions about our network you can consult with one of our technicians.
Will I be able to see when my agents are online?
Yes! Our software reporting allows you to actually log in and see a little green light next to all of your agents that are logged in.
Will I be able to listen in on calls?
Yes! You can even take it a step further, click on the green light and hear the conversation!
Will I have access to reports? How about daily?
Yes! We have a web based reporting system with snazzy charts and graphs for both right and left brained people.
Is there a setup fee involved?
We generally don't charge a setup for long term campaigns.
Do you have references?
Yes. Upon request. We do have testimonials on the site as well.
I'm not the one who makes a final decision, do you have a brochure that I can take to my boss?
Sure! Just click the "I want more info" link below and request our brochure.
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