Why do I have to give a deposit? What assurances do we have that you won’t run away with my money? - We get these questions all the time when potential customers ask about payment terms. (We require full upfront for 10 and fewer locations, and 50% downpayment for more than 10 locations. A popular choice is pre-payment of 5 machines at a time)
Vendors, Permits…madness
When we set up our first call center in Ortigas Center, it wasn’t hard - we rented a place, bought cubicles and network equipment, then moved in. No permits, no hassles, no nothing! Recently, we’ve expanded like crazy and we’ve only begun to experience the bureacracy of setting up a somewhat larger office. Setting up a call center definitely is NOT an easy task. Not only do you have to search for the lowest-priced contractor or vendor at all times, but you have to haggle and sometimes conceal your business identity. For example - buying bandwidth as a siopao factory vs buying bandwidth as a BPO company. If you go ask for quotes from the Tier 1 providers (Eastern, Globe, Bayantel, PLDT, etc) and represent yourself as a local marketing company, or perhaps a siopao factory owner - they will give you normal rates, or let you negotiate downwards. However, if you say you are from a BPO, Call Center, or another type of dollar-earning company, they will immediately give you rates that are through the roof. Amazing! The same goes for basic office equipment like chairs and cubicles. Also for carpet installation and general contractors. And last but not least - the networking guys - I was asking for quotes for someone to setup a Linux Server with Samba - I got quotes ranging from 4,000 to 40,000 bucks!! What the?! In the end, our internal IT guy did it instead.
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Working the graveyard shift
We’ve only ever had to let go of (read: fire) two employees due to sleeping on the job. And by sleeping, I don’t mean dozing off - I mean really sleeping to the extent that snoring was bothering the person in the next cubicle. Anyways, the first guy sheepishly admitted he was working two jobs and only got 2 hours of sleep a day (in our lounge, at that!). The second guy vehemently denied he was sleeping, even if I personally observed him both on the camera AND live (standing behind his chair). He claimed he was just “dozing”.
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The Evil Dogbert Management Consultant
The Evil Dogbert Management Consultant outsources to India… BWAHAHAHA
Outsource to the Philippines
WHY IS YOUR CALL CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES? - We shopped and traveled around the world before putting up our center in the Philippines. We find that it is not only that labor rates have to be low to be competitive, but our callers would have to match the marketplace as close as possible- in terms of accent and even thinking. The Philippines is unique amongst other business process outsource countries like India, Pakistan, Jamaica and Bangladesh, because it shares a long history with the United States. For 50 years it used to be under the governance of the United States, like Hawaii and Puerto Rico. After the Second World War it was granted independence from the US. The US legacy is still much alive and the official language is still English (American English) and Hollywood dominates local pop culture.
vending machine locations
Are you the proud owner of vending machines, or attracted to the allure of high profit margins, and an all cash business vending machines provide? Yes, vending machines are the proverbial money making machines. The secret is to find a good location and fielding enough units to make it worth your while. Most people are very content with the income of 30 machines working for their money. This seems to be the ticket to financial freedom for many retirees or individuals who want to supplement their existing income or jobs.
Outsourcing Telemarketing and Cold Calling
Why outsource your cold calling, telemarketing, and appointment setting? -“I can pay a temp or intern $10 an hour to do my cold calls! Why should I pay you more?” This is a question often asked by prospective clients who inquire about telemarketing programs for their products or services.
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Why Telephone Surveys are Important
Why telephone surveys - customer satisfaction and market research surveys are important - In business, regardless of the place you are located or the industry you operate, competition exists. The fact is, your business’ ability to adapt in the midst of competition will largely determine its success. While there are some people who allow competition to hinder the growth of their business, there are also those who use it as their reason to create new points of advantages.