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Showing posts from 2009

14 Call Center Interview Questions & Answers

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The call center industry is one of the fastest growing in the country these days. As recently as ten years ago, there were only a few call center agents and the word call center was hardly ever used in the country. Today, almost every family has at least one member working in the call center industry. The reason for this boom is partly economics. In the Philippines, low paying jobs are very notorious and while call centers set up shop here because of the low labor costs, Filipinos decide to work for the call center industry because it pays higher than average wages. Consider this: if you are an average worker with an entry level position, you probably are getting paid seven to ten thousand a month; meanwhile, an average employee in the call center industry with an entry level position will get around fifteen thousand pesos a month, plus free dental and health benefits (HMO). Call centers also will pay your SSS (Social Security), PAGIBIG (home building fund), and PhilHealth (health ins...
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Manila Zoo Review and Travel & Itinerary Guide

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My friend and I went to the Manila Zoo on a very hot Sunday afternoon. Naturally there were a lot of kids with their parents, some couples dating, and some tourists. The entrance fee to the zoo was a bit hefty (I can't recall how much it exactly was ** around 50 pesos I believe for adults). But of course if you're a senior then you can go in for free. Although, not exactly exorbitant, I felt like they could've lowered the fees but then again, maybe animals can't live on bread alone. Once inside, I found that the landscaping is marvelous. The exhibits were placed in strategic locations. Navigating the zoo is not that hard and I found the facilities inside to be satisfactory. Now, we go to the zoo denizens. Normal people normally go to the zoo to see animals. While I did see the resident elephant, zebras, deers, monkeys, hippo, tigers, birds, crocodiles, noticeably missing were the giraffes and the lions. Now Im not exactly sure if they died already, or whether t...
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How to Handle your very First Call in the Call Center

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So you're all excited about that first call. You make sure the headset is working, your tools are up, confidence level is high, and then you hear the beep. Suddenly, everything that you've learned from training seemed to have just disappeared. This is what happens most of the time during the first call that you would be taking. But as a newbie, you have absolutely nothing to worry. 99 % of the first calls that newbies take end up like this. READ:  10 Last Minute Reminders for your Call Center Job Interview So here now are a couple of tips to help alleviate the nervousness that you would be feeling: 1. Sleep I can't stress enough how a good night sleep can help you relax more when taking that first call. If you did not have enough sleep the other night, try taking some tea. I don't suggest taking coffee or caffeinated drinks since it could cause more anxiety. 2. Sit with a person you're comfortable with Having a seatmate that you're comfortable...
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How to Win the NBI Clearance Challenge

Among the many survivor like challenges that the government throws at its people, the NBI clearance challenge surpasses the others in terms of the amount of deception involved, patience needed, physical endurance required and intellectual prowess called for. On the internet, one can read on hundreds of horror stories from people who involuntarily underwent this challenge. I always lament upon reading these tragedies. But today, a new dawn shines upon the Filipino people as the NBI renewal card is introduced to the public. I first heard about the NBI renewal card when I applied for an NBI clearance this year at the Carriedo NBI kiosk. It cost me 120 pesos and what I needed for the NBI renewal card to be issued to me was a valid (not yet expired) NBI clearance. Immediately after taking my photo, the card was issued to me. How it was gonna help me in the future though I did not have an idea at that time. Just last Friday, I went to SM Megamall to secure an NBI clearance again. I was...
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10 Last Minute Reminders for your Call Center Job Interview

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Knowing how to answer common call center interview questions is never enough. The interviewer will not only be listening to your answers but would also be observing HOW you answer his/her questions. For this matter, it is important to keep in mind some behaviors that you need to exhibit and avoid. Maintain Eye Contact On top of the list of behaviors that one needs to exhibit is maintaining eye contact. Maintaining eye contact is a good way of showing self-confidence. Averting the eyes of your interviewer may give that person the impression that you're shy, unsure of what you're saying, or that you're lying. Remember that call centers are looking for assertive and competitive individuals. So if you're not any of that, it's good to at least look like you are. Mind over matter. Maintain Good Posture Maintaining a good posture is also a good practice that one should exhibit during a job interview. As with averting the eyes of the interviewer, slouching would ...
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A Wonderful World

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I hear babies cry, I watch them grow They'll learn much more than I'll never know I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do They're really saying I love you I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself what a wonderful world Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world These are photos that I took when I was at the beach at the back of the Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary in Zamboanga city. The photo captions are excerpts from Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World.
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Just Beyond The Zamboanga Sunset

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A sunset is probably one of nature's most breath taking display of beauty. One of the best sunset views can be enjoyed from the port city of Zamboanga. My collection of Zamboanga sunset photos were taken from the Paseo del Mar and the back of the Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary. Just beyond the sunset Someone waits for me Just beyond the sunset Lies my destiny Just beyond the sunset Waits someone so fair Just beyond the sunset All alone they wait there Just beyond the sunset Lies a home for me Just beyond the sunset Someday is where you’ll find me Where the world is peaceful Like a paradise should be Where the purple mountains Lie in deep tranquillity There I’ll find the treasure Of love eternally ***photo captions are excerpts from Just Beyond the Sunset by David Harris
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A Salesman Beyond His Years

This Friday, after work, I decided to go to the Great Northern Sale over at SM North EDSA. I was feeling low and empty and decided to drown my sorrows in shopping for around two hours (any longer and I would have to break the bank). I started off by looking at the small outlets standing outside the actual mall establishments. The one that sells air mattresses especially caught my attention particularly because I had been thinking of purchasing one. I was met by a not so eager salesman from Ace Hardware. I started with asking the most basic question these sales people are purposefully designed to answer, 'how much is it?' At 1,800 pesos (down from 2000 pesos), I definitely thought it was something worth buying. While standing there thinking about it, I was caught off guard by the sudden effort of the salesman to inject a sense of urgency in me probably now aware that he just might make a sale from me. He kept on saying, "Isa na lang po 'to. Sayang naman po. Nakadiscount...
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LBC: Hari ng Padala Indeed!

When my brother went home last March, I asked him to bring me back some malongs. The plan was to buy it at dirt cheap prices at home and sell it here (in Manila) for an astronomical profit. It was (to me) a perfect money making scheme. When I got hold of the malongs, I posted advertisements on two popular auction websites. I initially priced the malongs at a hundred and fifty pesos potentially earning me a profit of almost fifty percent. I mistakenly thought that the sour reception my malongs received had to do with the price. I foolishly lowered and lowered the price to the point of just breaking even. After a few weeks, I didn't give any attention to it anymore, content on the fact that the malongs will serve as unique gifts to the people here. But out of nowhere, I received a text message from a certain Steve in Tampa expressing desire to buy the malongs. He has a friend vacationing in the Visayan Islands at that time and he would be buying the malongs for that friend as a p...
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I Won!

As a child, my parents told me that I was sort of lucky and always had a good chance at winning games of chance. To date, I have won my fair share of candies, mugs, and other prizes during a school or office raffle draw. Nothing big though, nothing like an appliance or a million pesos. I can say that I was never convinced that I was lucky. Growing up, I disliked the idea of people depending upon lotteries to uplift them from poverty. In fact I hated it when my dad bought a lotto ticket. I would always tell him that depending upon chance is a very defeatist's way of living life. In my almost two year stay in Manila, I had never bought a single lotto ticket amid the ballooning jackpots. It was only more than two months ago that I had another encounter with games of chance. A friend of mine from work bought this scratch-and-win type of card wherein there were two columns to scratch, the first was your hand and the second was the other hand. If your hand won, then you win the cor...
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Worshipping the Idols

A few weeks after arriving in Manila, I was invited by a friend to attend the worship service of a religious group called the Church of Christ. This group pride themselves in being very consistent with bible teachings. For one, they don’t use any musical instruments when singing worship songs as is the case in biblical times (as stated by my friend). They actually claim to be THE church that Christ himself established during the (Pentecost?). Their worship service is also on Sundays. It usually begins with prayers and songs, and then a preacher gives a homily. After that more songs are sang, then a familiar ritual wherein members take the Eucharist (in their case it’s grape juice instead of wine) takes place. A donation basket is also being passed after the communion then members say the last prayer and sing the final song. I have been attending their worship service for quite some time now. In fact it has been my only formal communication with God for about five years now. Yes, th...
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Winning the DFA Passport Application Challenge

First Tip: Do your research! Don't go to the battlefield unarmed. There are numerous blog posts/articles on the Internet that talks about the requirements, tips, and real peoples' experiences. It is important to learn from these people's experiences so that you know what to expect. Doing your research can also minimize the need to ask questions from people (who might just turn out to be fixers). Remember that asking questions from strangers (except guards or the MMDA people) can make you easy prey. Second Tip: Beware of Fixers! As I have mentioned in a previous post ,I was conned by these people. One thing that might put off these people is an mp3 player. Using earphones, fixers would hopefully be discouraged in trying to con you. Also, if you are a person who find it hard to say no or find it hard to ignore other people, then using an mp3 player would definitely help you. This is exactly what I did earlier when I went to the DFA office to claim my passport. Even wit...
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The Philippine Gold Rush

At the turn of the century, this country experienced a great deal of US companies outsourcing their business processes. This cost cutting measure drove a gold rush into this country ushering in changes and numerous developments. The call center industry managed to make people acclimatized to graveyard lifestyles, keep the peso afloat, but most significantly it increased the purchasing power of Filipinos involved in the call center industry. The idea of credit cards, postpaid phone plans, laptops, endless parties, and out-of-town vacations is usually connected to big income families, rich kids, and high wealth professionals. The call center industry changed all of this. It made its employees feel financially bloated, endlessly splurging, and not sparing anything for a rainy day. Because of the high salary being given to call center employees, the gold rush days saw an influx of credit card, post paid phone line, and internet subscription applications, and an increase in laptop, cellp...
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A Hundred Peso Life Lesson

Recently, I encountered numerous problems in opening bank accounts, applying for internet service, and etcetera because I do not have any government issued primary IDs. I had then decided to apply for a passport (this being the easiest and fastest way of getting a government issued ID). From the LRT libertad station, I hired a trycicle to take me to the DFA nearby. I saw a signboard which said that trycicle fare going to the DFA is only 7 pesos. That prompted me to just take a trycicle instead of asking strangers for directions until I arrive at my destination. That turned out to be a big mistake! The trycicle driver dropped me off in front of a small stall which looked like a pawnshop. There was a guy who asked me if I had an application form already. I said no. He ushered me inside their office and gave me one. He then proceeded to question me about requirements. He inspected my pictures (which I had done in a mall) and told me that they do not comply to DFA standards. He asked m...
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Grass Residences (Actual Photos)

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These photos were taken in February 2009.
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Tips when Buying a Digital Camera

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Buying a digital camera can be a headache. With all the choices that you have out there in the market, how would you know which to buy? Recently, I decided to buy a digital camera with a budget of 8000 pesos. When buying electronics, I normally scour the web for bargains. I never go to malls for my tech needs because mall stall owners usually would place a high mark up on their products. Places like green hills and the like are out of the question because I don’t know how to go to those places. One of the advantages of shopping online is that you could subsequently search for reviews on the cameras which caught your eye. For instance, when I found the Canon Powershot A470 on eBay being sold at 6000 by an ebayer, I immediately used Google to search for reviews on the Canon Powershot A470. When reading reviews of a certain digital camera, you might find yourself not understanding the meaning of what’s written on the reviews. A good alternative for you would be to just search for sa...
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Pancit Canton Toppings

The bounds of cooking are endless. We are free to create and recreate dishes according to our every whims and desires. We are encouraged by great chefs to experiment and go beyond the normal and the traditional. This evening, after watching a Lucky Me pancit canton commercial, I decided to do just that. Since two of my favorite instant foods are the pancit canton and canned tuna, I thought of having pancit canton and the tuna as a topping. Sounds yucky? Well, I must admit that before trying my pancit canton topped with tuna, I was also skeptical. The judgment? I’ve created a gastronomical delight! Yes ladies and gentlemen, top your pancit canton with tuna. The end result is heaven. Why is this perfect? Well, remember how many people are saying that pancit canton is very unhealthy and is very fattening (talk about sinful)? Well, the tuna on top of it can make you stop feeling guilty. Remember omega 3? This dish though is like bagoong. You should only eat it once or twice a mont...
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Learning a New Language

When I was around 10 or 11 years old, I knew I could write relatively well in English. I remember my teacher reading my works to the entire class. Today I can say without reservations that my written English is good at the very least. When it comes to spoken English though, I am far from being fluent. Yes I do work in a call center and I do deal with American clients however, I speak English almost always in a very robotic manner (due to scripts being provided) and only around 6 hours a day (removing the breaks and the idle time). It’s interesting to note that I learned to read in English first before learning to write in the same language. In fact it was my interest in reading that encouraged me to try writing in English (by writing I mean write stories). In learning Spanish, I am trying to develop my reading skills first because I am trying to follow the same path that I took with learning English. It’s unfortunate though that my brain isn’t like what it used to be. It is a fact t...
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My Air21 Nightmare

It started when I bought a digital camera from an ebayer from IloIlo. I thought that everything was gonna run smoothly until the time came when I was supposed to pick up the item from the Air21branch (where I had the item delivered to). When i got there, the Air21 employee told me that the item wasn't there yet. He asked me to call up the Air21 call center (washing his hands off of my case). That was the first thing that ticked me off. Ownership is a very important part of customer service. This guy made me feel as if he wanted to run away from me! When I did call up the Air21 call center, the agent told me that it'll be delivered within the day. That afternoon I came back, got the same reception from the employee of Air21 and again called up their call center (since my item wasn't delivered yet). This time, I was already a bit skeptical about the veracity of the agents' answers so I asked the agent if it's guaranteed to be delivered within the day. She told me yes....
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Woe is me!

This morning I decided to go banking. First stop was China Bank. I decided to open a Time Deposit Account with them since i did not like the thought of my money being dormant. Of course, I had to put aside some of it (in another account), because I need at least few thousands liquid. I was not at all interested about the interest rates, taxes, and all that. For me, I just wanted to at least reduce the effects of inflation on my hard earned money. When I went home, I decided to do some computations. I was actually under the impression that the way TD works is that whatever amount you put in is just multiplied by the interest rate, and that's it (e.g. 10 000 X 4% interest rate [0.04]). That was when I became so excited. I was exhilarated! Imagine, being able to pay my rent out of the interest earned if I will just save more money! But alas, this is not the case. After being very excited, my (still) rational side decided to do some research. For the benefit of those people who do no...
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Being Anti filipino

The USA is composed of different nationalities, each with different cultures , languages, and beliefs, however united in a single vision and a sngle dream. There’s an American president (during the period wherein the US saw mass migration from Europe ) who said that Europeans who wll set forth on American soil should bare their European skins. This American president is talking about assimilation. This I what makes America a great nation despite the fact that it is made up of so many kind of peoples.  The Philippines is also made up of various diverse kinds of people, each with its own belief, culture, dialect or language, and history. Yes it does sound very amusing and rather dandy in books and tourism advertising campaigns. However as a nation, it causes serious damage.  Being a Promdi in Manila is like being a Filipino in another country. You’re either too proud of your province or ashamed of it. I belong to the former. I always say nice things abou...
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