Who is Juan dela Cruz in the Call Center Inductry? April 6, 2008

It’s common knowledge for most people that anyone who works in a call center has good communication skills (English). I vehemently disagree! One major factor to get your feet landed  in a call center is learning how to speak English fluently. Really? When do you say that a person speaks fluent English? Do you gauge it by way of using highfalutin words? Is it through pulling off a trying-hard American accent? Or by being able to use the english language comfortably and spontaneously? It is true that good “English” comm skills can get you to work in a call center? Let’s face it, most call center primarily caters to international clients. The fact that there are so many call centers now in the Philippines makes it hard to look for English-speaking competent employees as they have a lot of choices at hand. The perfect candidates will most often than not consider call centers that offers high paying salary and good incentive and benefits package. Those call centers which cannot sustain the highly competitive market are the ones left with the “average Joe’s” or worse the Juan dela Cruz. But I believe even the” Juan dela Cruz” can turn out to be top ranking CSRs (Customer Service Representative) provided that the company has a strong Training team. And for as long as this “Juan dela Cruz” has a tongue that is not made out of hard wood, and is still considered trainable despite the poor pronunciation a (p & f; B & v) and  few grammar lapses, a miracle is not what’s needed to make it happen, because it will happen. However, there are some cases that even after having a strong league of training team, if this “Juan dela Cruz” doesn’t seem to work on his own, he’ll end up living in the mediocre call center society or maybe live within the boundaries where all the Juan dela Cruz retreats! Training is no use if there’s no contribution on the CSRs/trainees part.

Before I became a Training & Quality Supervisor, I was once a Quality Assurance rep and a Trainer. During my Trainer days, I am appalled by the thought that our company cannot get a “John Doe”. Most are average “Joe’s” and “Juan dela Cruz”. But these “Juan dela Cruz” had proven me wrong. True, they had a rough start during training. Their long and short e’s and i’s are terrible. Their P & F’s-B & V’s are like text messages that’s so hard to ignore. And let’s not forget their grammar. It makes me want to pull my leg off so at least I have something to throw at them and scare them off a bit. Exaggerating as it may sound, but that’s the best way I can describe how ill-fated it is for me to train these people. I don’t mind people having regional accents for as long as they are able to pronounce “English” words correctly. Saying this reminds me of “Ken Lee”… I just Ken Lee without you! So funny! Let me just include this on my list…Kolehiyala english! “If you know what I mean naman noh. What I’m saying is dahil it’s so nakakainis the way they make gamit of the english language eh.” I beg your pardon? Again, please.

Here’s a glimpse of the-”Juan dela Cruz” 1st week call center training:
(Read it in a very Pinoy accent)

Tell Me About Yourself

“Hi ebryone! My name is  __________. A presh grad of __________. I don’t hab call center exfiriennce dat’s why Im nerbious. I’m twentypor years of age. I’m the older boy in the pamily. I expect dis training to help me spik english and I hope to enjoy dis training from wiks and wiks from now on.”- Ano daw?

Applogizing from being absent

“Mam, I am sorry por I’am not here last night. I porgot to call because I went out op probince to go to attend my sick lola’s house.” - Teka, paki ulet nga?

Q&A on Houserules

“Here’s my question Mam. Ip the cellpone is ringing and ringing. And it is bery important, because it’s my mother in the states is working . Is it okay to answer the cellpone then go out the door so I won’t make noisy sounds here in this classroom while I talk my mom?”- Ay! And dame mo namang sinabi.

Operating the System

“Mam, I habing a problem wid my computer. When I click and click, I only see dis fage color blue. But my seatmate have picture in the color blue. Why me I don’t have?- Ok. Ok. Stop talking gets ko na.

You may be laughing now, but these are real-life experiences. Wait! I just read your thought. You’re wondering what happened to these trainees, right? Others made it big outside ACS, and some maybe are still struggling. I don’t know. Practice and hard work is the key. Don’t stop until your tongue can move as if it has a life of its own.

Having an American accent is not what really impresses me. For as long as you have a neutral accent, proper pronunciation & liaison, comfortable and spontaneous in speaking in English, you’ll survive the call center world. Believe me, I’ve made miracles to these trainees. “Tenyk you por koling.”