Managing Contact Centers through the Pandemic

Philippine contact centers operate largely in state-of-the-art buildings, with hundreds of employees taking thousands of calls daily. But this brick-and-mortar office model has had to undergo overwhelming change, in light of government response to the pandemic, including restrictions on transportation, physical distancing, and curfew hours.

As a result, only 10% to 15% of contact center employees are now able to work from offices, with more and more people taking calls from home. This threatened a huge disruption to not only contact center management, but the Philippine economy.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and the Philippines

Contact centers form the largest segment of Philippine BPO, which is regarded as an important source of income and foreign exchange for the country, constituting a massive 60% of the Philippines’ overall economic growth. At the center of the country’s BPO success is our highly-educated, English-speaking, digitally-literate workforce. Per recent data, BPO sector employees comprise approximately 1.3 million workers, contributing 9% of the country’s GDP.

Considering this substantial contribution to the economy, the sector was therefore recognized as an ‘essential’ industry and permitted to continue operations, when Metro Manila – the center of Philippine business – went on lockdown due to the virus. Yet this permission came with strict requirements: no more than a skeleton workforce onsite, temporary accommodations near the workplace, shuttle service to and from work, and, in lieu of all of the above, remote work arrangements, to ensure business continuity.

Rising to the Challenge

So, with thousands of employees across the globe, how did Inspiro meet this unprecedented challenge?

An effective and well-managed organization builds a strong, connected workforce, over years, with efficient skills, business acumen, and industry knowledge. This enabled us to be quick and agile in setting up a work-from-home model for our employees, facilitating equipment transfers, ensuring data security, and providing high-speed internet access, along with clearance requirements from clients. We also managed increased software and hardware costs, along with rising compliance and security risks.

Further, with malasakit – the Filipino word for genuine care and concern – ingrained in Inspiro as an organization, it was a given that we would not just meet but exceed targets, when it comes to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our people. Among numerous efforts, we have implemented both government and World Health Organization guidelines, even in our minimally-staffed offices; extended financial assistance to those few of our employees unable to work either onsite or from home; and are maximizing social media and other online tools to keep connected with our vast workforce, not only for work itself, but to maintain morale, camaraderie, and unity.

We also help our clients transition, like us, from 100% brick-and-mortar to a safer, smarter work-from-home setup, which we’re able to do in just 48 hours from client request. More than 50% of our agents are now empowered to work from home, continuing to serve our clients and their customers, as well as ensuring business continuity for our company and country.

Mindful of our responsibility as a social citizen, we’ve enacted all these endeavors and more, to not only sustain customer experience excellence through the pandemic, but make a difference in this time of uncertainty.

For more info, check out our webinar: Scale an Agile Workforce During Massive Disruption: How to Successfully Prioritize agent needs in unprecedented times, now available on watch on-demand.

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Japan

HEAD OFFICE

Kanto Head Office

Odakyu Southern Tower 16F 2-2-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-8583

*with our parent company, Relia

BRANCH OFFICE

Hokkaido Branch

Sapporo Sosei Square 1-6 Kita-Ichijo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 060-0001

*with our parent company, Relia

 

Tohoku Branch

Sendai Honcho Bldg 2-3-10 Honcho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi2-3-10 Honcho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi 980-0014

*with our parent company, Relia

 

Chubu Branch

Nagoya Lucent Tower 6-1 Ushijima-cho, Nishi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 451-6007

*with our parent company, Relia

Kansai Branch

Harvis ENT Office Tower 2-2-22 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0001

*with our parent company, Relia

Chugoku & Shikoku Branch

Hiroshima Diamond Bldg 7-19 Hondori, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima 730-0035

*with our parent company, Relia

Kyushu Branch

Tenjin Twin Bldg 1-6-8 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka 810-0001

*with our parent company, Relia

Okinawa Branch

Naha Shintoshin Media Bldg East 1-3-31 Omoromachi, Naha-shi, Okinawa 900-0006

*with our parent company, Relia

OPERATION CENTER

Sapporo Center

ORE Sapporo Bldg 1-1-7 Kitanijo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 060-0002

*with our parent company, Relia

 

Sapporo-Kita Center

Sapporo Kita Bldg 2-8-1 Kita-Shichijo Nishi, Kita-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 060-0807

 

 

Sapporo Mega Center

Maruit Sapporo Bldg 1-1 Kita Nijo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 060-0002

 

Sapporo IT Front Center

Sapporo IT Front Bldg 15-28-196 Kita-kujo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 060-0009

China

DALIAN

Room 502, Building 23, Dalian Software Park, No. 40 Software Park East Road, Dalian High-tech Park, Liaoning Province

*with our parent company, Relia

Thailand

BANGKOK

3rd Floor, Siripinyo Bldg, 475 Sri-Ayudthaya Rd, Thanon Phayathai, Rajthevee, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand

*with our parent company, Relia

Vietnam

HANOI

Floor 10, Detech II building, 107 Nguyen Phong Sac Street, Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District, Ha Noi, Viet Nam

*with our parent company, Relia

HO CHI MINH

222-226 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ward 12, Tan Binh District, HCMC, Vietnam

*with our parent company, Relia

Philippines

PASIG CITY

Robinsons Cyberscape Alpha

5F Robinsons Cyberscape Alpha
Sapphire and Garnet Roads
Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600
Metro Manila

Robinsons Cyberscape Beta

23F Robinsons Cyberscape Beta, Topaz and Ruby Roads, Ortigas Center, Pasig, Metro Manila

MAKATI CITY

Global Headquarters

6F LV Locsin Building
6752 Ayala corner Makati Avenues
Makati City 1200
Metro Manila

 

Insular Life Building

Ayala cor. Paseo de Roxas Avenues
Makati City 1209
Metro Manila

 

QUEZON CITY

Mega One Building
España Boulevard corner Mayon Street
Quezon City 4329
Metro Manila

 

Jackman Plaza Muñoz
4th Floor, 1038 Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Bago Bantay, Quezon City 1105, Metro Manila

MANDALUYONG CITY

Mandaluyong

418 Domingo Guevara corner Arayat Streets,
Mandaluyong City 1550
Metro Manila

ILOILO CITY

Molo

2F Iloilo Supermart Building,
San Jose corner Avanceña Streets,
Molo, Iloilo City 5000

DUMAGUETE CITY

LP Information Technology Park
Jose Romero Sr. Street, Bagacay
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental 6200

Australia

SYDNEY

Suite 3, Level 27

Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

Romania

BUCHAREST

Headquarters

3 Avrig Street, First Floor, District 2, 021571 Bucharest, Romania

*with our partner, Global Remote Services

PIATRA NEAMT

Office

11 Republicii Boulevard,
610005 Piatra Neamt, Neamt County

*with our partner, Global Remote Services

SUCEAVA

Office

Str. Narciselor, nr. 33, Suceava, Jud. Suceava

*with our partner, Global Remote Services

Nicaragua

MANAGUA

Invercasa

Centro Financiero Invercasa Torre 2,
4to Piso, Managua

Cobirsa

2nd floor, Edificio Cobirsa I, KM 6 1/2 Carretera A Masaya, Plaza Santo Domingo, Managua

 

United States

COEUR D’ALENE

Coeur d’Alene

Silver Lake Mall,
200 W Hanley Avenue,
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815

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