Why Talent Upscaling is the Main Focus of BPO Philippines This 2021

Many call center companies in the Philippines will focus on improving their agents’ skills in 2021.

There are several ways in which BPO Philippines improves the quality of their service to their business partners.

One of these is developing their agents’ skills to adapt to changes in the business paradigm.

In this article, let’s look at reasons why talent upscaling is the main drive of BPO Philippines to attract more business partners.

Improvement of Agents’ Skills vs Integration of Artificial Intelligence of BPO Companies in the Philippines

79% of executives believe that agents’ lack of key skills threatens the development of their company.

Unfortunately, integrating artificial intelligence in many call center companies will not improve the capability of these agents. Having advanced technology means agents will soon become more reliant on it. As a result, they will stop growing professionally and lose interest in what they’re doing. With this in mind, future successful business models require a combination of human skills and technological application.

Here are some of the reasons why human interaction is still a relevant asset despite the rise of various technological advancements:

Mindfulness of Agents in BPOs

Although mindfulness is always associated with spiritual and meditative practices, it also has a great impact on the customer service operation.

Mindfulness helps develop agents’ intelligence, openness to ideas, and self-reflection. As a result, they are more sensitive to human emotions. Therefore, they can also deal delicately with customers’ issues regarding their feelings.

68% of customers said their most recent positive customer service experience was with a pleasant customer service representative who helped them with their questions. This is something that an AI cannot possibly do in the foreseeable future.

Technologies might be more efficient when it comes to solving tasks, but they lack the ability to connect with their customers. This is why many companies now provide mindfulness training for their agents. After going through an eight-month-long training, they saw an improvement in their retention rate by 60%.

Companies that Outsource to the Philippines Prefer Human Interaction Due to Their Storytelling Ability

Today, more employees and individuals struggle with writing emails and communicating effectively over the phone. These are essential skills for an effective customer service campaign, whether through inbound or outbound calls. For example, telemarketers must talk with potential customers to sell their products.

But more than 90% of them won’t answer your call since they do not want to speak with an AI or an incapable agent.

So, the best way to improve this aspect of your call center operation is to provide training for your agents. It is still advantageous if your agents know how to build rapport with your customers. On top of that, there’s a better chance of improvement on your first-call resolution metrics if you have an agent

This is because 33% of consumers don’t mind staying on the phone longer if the customer service representative is friendly and can help them. Hence, there’s a possibility that your agent can solve the issue since the customer is willing to stay on the phone longer due to their storytelling capability.

Even if your agent didn’t resolve the issue, more than 50% of customers said they would still use your company if they feel that agents help them the best way they can.

BPO Companies in Metro Manila Continue to Improve Their Decision-Making Skills

36% of customers say that one of the most frustrating aspects of poor customer service experience is agents’ lack of knowledge to resolve issues. This is because most lack decision-making skills, especially in customer service operations. They rely on solutions provided by management.

Only 20% of agents in a BPO company excel at the decision-making process. Meanwhile, executives and management also spend 30% of their time on this thought process. Therefore, management should provide skills improvement for their agents’ decision-making process.

Although AI can probably provide a more straightforward decision-making process through its algorithms, it may affect your future operation. This is because your organization will become more technologically dependable when making decisions. Thus removing any possibility of getting any future leaders for your company.

So, having this kind of training improves not only your customer service satisfaction rate but also the leadership skills of your agents. It means investing with your organization’s future team leaders and managers.

Conclusion About Prioritizing Talent Upscaling in the Business Process Outsourcing Industry in the Philippines

Generally speaking, many organizations disregard investing in their agents’ skills because they expect technology to solve all their problems.

66% of agents say they were behind in evolving from a traditional call center agent to a modern customer service representative. There are a lot of factors that come with disregarding talent upscaling.

44% of agents say that since companies focus on improving artificial intelligence, they tend to ignore their agents’ need for modern tools and CRM. Hence, these agents have limited ways of resolving customers’ issues, which results in customers’ frustration and eventually shifting to another brand.

So, you need to find a third-party service provider that values the importance of their agents by combining their skills with the current technology.

How has Magellan Solutions Managed to Upscale Its Agent’s Skills Over the Last 3 Years?

Magellan Solutions has been a consistent contender for the top spot of the best BPO companies in the Philippines.

However, these past three years have been the highlight of their experience due to multiple industry-changing circumstances since 2019.

Let’s review how Magellan Solutions’ management upgraded the skills of its agents despite these changes.

Magellan Solutions Improve Their Services Through the Integration of Modern Technologies in the Call Center Operation

Here’s the list of top BPO Companies in the Philippines 2019:

1. Helpware
2. Flatworld Solutions
3. Fusion BPO Services
4. Magellan Solutions
5. Premier BPO
6. KMC Solutions
7. WNS Global Services
8. Unity Communications
9. AnswerFirst
10. Teletech

Magellan Solutions remained among the top five BPOs in the Philippines despite the radical changes they’ve undergone.

Magellan Solutions’ general program for 2019 is to introduce as many BPO services as possible. So, they created programs in data management, eCommerce, and omnichannel. On top of that, they also provide several services in the 3D industry, such as CAD outsourcing services.

Of course, inbound and outbound call center services are still their specialty. Most of their clients saw a 40% increase in their inbound sales conversion rate.

Magellan Solutions also participated in some international conventions to improve their business processes and technology solutions. During the second quarter of 2019, they participated in ConnecTech Asia 2019 in Singapore. Participation of Magellan Solutions in these international events opens up many opportunities for a possible partnership.

The management also feels that healthcare BPO will become a trend in 2020 because of the worsening situation of the new coronavirus. As a result, they improve their HIPAA-compliant protocol to provide better service for their business clients.

All these improvements give their agents a new set of skills to use in the following years. The management gave training and coaching sessions for their agents to develop their multitasking skills. Magellan Solutions integrated a blended call center where agents can work for different companies simultaneously. This way, they can exercise their abilities and gain new knowledge.

Magellan Solutions Immediately Shift to Remote Work During Pandemic to Continue Their Business Operation

Here’s the list of top BPO Companies in the Philippines 2020:

1. Teletech
2. Magellan Solutions
3. Global Sky
4. KDCI Outsourcing
5. Propelrr
6. Loft
7. Main Source 365 Tech
8. D&V Philippines
9. TaskBullet
10. 7th Media Digital

The management reacted quickly after the government announced a nationwide lockdown. They started providing working tools for their work-from-home employees after a month of lockdown. The transition from an office setup to remote work is not as smooth as anyone can imagine. However, Magellan Solutions management assisted all their agents throughout the process.

On top of that, they also provide internet incentives to alleviate the workload of their agents. Meanwhile, for those who can’t work in their home, they offered a staff house with free accommodations and a shuttle service for easy transportation.

As a result, 80% of their account becomes fully operational just a couple of months after the transition. To top it all off, the organization sustains the number of clients it receives monthly, which adds up to its growing international business partners.

The changes in the working environment did not stop Magellan Solutions from providing skills training programs for their agents. They have online meetings that include coaching agents on areas where they can improve. On top of that, the management closely monitors all their operations despite working remotely. They teach their agents how to operate software and navigate independently without supervision.

Magellan Solutions Continuously Take Care of Their Agents Through a Series of Training and Fun Activities

Here’s the list of top BPO Companies in the Philippines 2021:

1. Magellan Solutions
2. Six Eleven Global Teleservices
3. Cloudstaff
4. Infinit-O
5. Support Services Group
6. HireSmart Staff
7. AS White
8. Helpware
9. Office Partners 360
10. Teletech

Transitioning from office work to work-from-home is one thing, but sustaining it for a couple of years is another. Maintaining the quality of work will be hard without minimal supervision, especially in the call center industry.

That’s why trainers consistently implement weekly coaching and training through online meetings. This way, agents can maintain their excellent quality even with minimal supervision.

Magellan Solutions also provides monthly supplies that protect agents from COVID-19, such as face masks and alcohol. In addition, they create stricter health protocols to ensure the safety of agents working in the office.

Fred Chua, the company’s CEO, has a monthly Town Hall meeting to address issues concerning their agents. It makes decision-making easier as everyone in the organization is involved in the solution. As a result, agents can participate in the organization’s decision-making process.

Based on this course of action, Magellan Solutions provides all the support it can to maintain the drive of its agents working from home.

Partner Now with One of the Best Outsourcing Companies in the Philippines

If you are a small or medium business looking to outsource your call center and back office service, go to Magellan Solutions.

We have more than 18 years of experience providing services for SMEs from different industries.

Here are some contact support services we offer:

• 24 7 Answering Service
• Phone Answering Service
• Customer Support Outsourcing
• Outsourced Technical Support
• Multilingual Call Center Services
• Lead Generation Services
• Cold Calling Services
• Outsource Telesales

We are an ISO-certified BPO company that strictly follows a high standard of service from recruitment to the onboarding process. We also guarantee fortified protection for your data. Our tech support team uses different security protocols to prevent online breaches.

Our Business Developers can help you set up your key performance indicators (KPI). KPIs will guide you and monitor the progress of your business with us.

We also offer guaranteed flexible pricing options based on several factors, such as service and the number of agents you need. Magellan Solutions understands that start-up businesses have limited funds for outsourcing services. More than state-of-the-art technology, we value our people and ensure they have the best skills available for your company.

Contact us today and get a free 60-minute business consultation. Please fill out the contact form below.