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Please let us know what you think of the callcentres.net blog using the comments facility below, or drop us a line at info@callcentres.net Please ensure you adhere to our blog guidelines at all times when posting comments. Follow us on ....   Welcome to Asia Calling. Welcome to Asia Calling, Asia’s first dedicated contact-centre industry-related blog from callcentres.net Asia. My name is Amita Krishna and over the forthcoming months, I hope to provide regular updates and insights into our industry in Asia via an interactive dialogue with you. The blog is designed to provide you with an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with your peers across the region and what’s happening in the industry at large. Along with life in the contact centre and customer service industry across the region, I hope to share highlights of ‘what’s new’ in KL and Singapore, which is where I spend majority of my time. Having been in Asia for the last 8 years, I am sure food and shopping will feature on the blog somewhere .... In addition to this, I would like to set straight the world’s stereotypes and myths regarding Asia as just another low cost option for the contact centres/BPO industry. We have so much more to offer and it’s important to help the world comprehend all the Asian cultures and the benefits tolerance and understanding can bring for individuals, businesses and the industry as a whole. So, it’s your chance to be heard and what better way than to participate in ‘Asia Calling’ and provide feedback, suggest new topics for discussions and submit your observations about the industry at large. I hope you will find the blog valuable and tune in regularly to help make it a success for the Asian contact centre industry. All the best. Amita. Post date: 30th June 2010 Force; Do many CC's have a a 'Big Picture'? Lunch at Harrods, KL. The G's were in full force over the course of last week: The G8 and G20 summits, Ghana and Germany, however, did any manage to hit thee spot?! The leaders of the G20 and G8 summits struggled to agree on the balancing act required between bringing down deficits over time, managing financial regulatory reform whilst supporting sustainable growth. The road to recovery is still underway and the global economic outlook remains somewhat vague. As I had coffee with one of the technology vendors last week, we got into a debate about how many companies found it challenging to deliver service excellence consistently and manage the customer experience effectively. In an increasingly competitive market, what gives an organisation the edge over its rivals? Is it the technology or is it a business-led solution that drives service excellence? Here are the some of the key points of our discussion: Asians seem to love technology and there is a tendency to buy on the premise that with the click of a button if they have the 'right' technology, all will be fine, however, within months, you often hear comments like - "it doesn't work". Well, what doesn't work? What was required, was the business division involved in the decision making process, were the actual requirements defined and was purchasing supported with a transparent procurement process... Technology is like a glove, it must fit the owner. A scalable model that will grow with your business must be established at the outset. This should support well defined business needs. I have yet to come across a company that requires all the bells and whistles from day 1. So, do Asian CC's have a clear strategic plan? A consolidated, documented direction of how, what and where to enter/exit markets to meet customer requirements and achieve a competitive position in those markets. Defining the bigger picture for the CC is vital. The CC is often the first experience that a customer has with the organisation and impacts customer perceptions about the brand and image of the company. During our debate, some of the key points that arose and need to be considered as part of crafting a service strategy include: Customer and Employee research to provide you with insight. If you don't understand your customer requirements - how are you going to plan on meeting their needs? What is your core value proposition and how is this reflected through your brand essence and promise? Do you have adequate resources with a culture and organisational structure to support service excellence delivery? Is the CC strategy in alignment with the corporate strategy and planned initiatives? How is performance measured? How is the CC integrated with other delivery channels? How many CC's undertake a benchmarking exercise to ascertain where and how they are compared to their counterparts? Ownership of the CC, leadership, perception of value of the CC is crucial to ensure success of the CC. With the bigger picture defined, the operational aspects can be designed and improved to realise cost efficiencies and revenue growth. With that, even the technology vendor agreed that solutions should be business-led as it makes their lives easier! As we parted company, I was reminded that whilst Ghana and Germany had made it to the last 16 in the 2010 world cup, England had crashed out of the tournament! What can I say!!! At least one of my African teams is still in the game... Celebrating being another year older and I am sure somewhat wiser, one of my treats included lunch at Harrods with the lovely ladies from the British Chamber, Molly and Nicki. OMG - along with the company, service was fabulous and if you haven't tried it, it's worth a visit. Who would have thought it - Harrods in KL :). All the best. AK. Post a comment here Post date: 23rd June 2010 Another certificate on the wall? Malaysians more impatient than their Asian counterparts and anyone for Tennis... I had a great week as my colleagues from Australian HQ joined me in Malaysia for a couple of days. Catriona presented The Avaya Contact Centre Consumer Index for Malaysia and was joined by Maren, one of our amazing senior consultants based out of Sydney who not only has brains, but beauty and the most amazing hair just to die for! As I walked into the second half of the Avaya event, the one thing I kept hearing from the speakers was that Malaysians are more impatient than their Asian counterparts. I was rather surprised by this, as it wasn't something that I personally had experienced. The study revealed that out of 300 consumers, less than seven out of 10 Malaysian consumers stated they were satisfied with their contact centre experience. Malaysians don't like waiting for IVR's, being kept on hold and get somewhat impatient when the query is taking too long to be addressed - More impatient than their Asian counterparts. A revelation! If you would like more information on the study, please feel free to email me. As we joined the sponsors for the traditional post-event drinks, my colleagues and I got chatting about Asia, particularly, Malaysia, Singapore, our blogs, and how service in Malaysia had improved heaps from when I first arrived in 2001/2. Our discussion progressed into Service Quality and Quality Management certification. So the question I would like to ask our readers is: 'Is Service Quality a priority in the CC industry?' I remember my early experiences of the industry, many people used to talk about call centres being the 'dark satanic mills' of the industrial revolution as they were often referred to as production lines - factory like managers pushing for quantity rather than quality. Much has changed as customers demand more and the business landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The crucial challenge is to balance efficiency with effectiveness. Overall service quality dimensions in any industry should include the following: Accuracy Knowledge of Employees Courtesy Consistency Speed Responsiveness In the CC industry, much of this is translated in KPI's including, but not limited to the following: FCR - First Call Resolution Average Handle Time Average Response Time Number of Repeat Calls Average age of query CSAT Call Transfer Rate NPS CLV One of the most important factors in ensuring that your CC delivers service excellence is to ensure that perceptions and views of the people involved in the service delivery are taken into account. Employee Satisfaction = Customer Satisfaction! There are many certifications in the market today, however, many companies tend to go for certification for the sake of it - i.e. it's another certificate on the wall! Certification has many benefits and can make a difference to your company and the bottom line, however, the fundamentals of service quality to build customer loyalty can only be achieved through; a well defined service strategy delivering the brand promise across integrated channels in a consistent manner. So if you are thinking about certification for your CC, ensure you are doing it for the right reasons and have the basics in place! The best call I had this week was from Agent X: "Miss. Amita, I got the job!" (For those of you who recall my blog a couple of weeks ago, I bumped into Agent X, a somewhat disgruntled employee who had just attended a job interview). Congratulations! The world cup 2010 continues to dominate many households ... sadly; I haven't had a chance to watch much footie, however, did catch some of the highlights of the Portugal: N. Korea thrashing 7:0!!! And poor France's saga ... Quelle Horreur! So who have most Malaysians got their bets on? I can't believe it's nearly a year since Michael Jackson passed away and Wimbledon is already here again. Time flies by when you are having fun! Have a great week! AK. Post a comment here Post date: 16th June 2010 A Paradigm Shift - "Towards Economic Prosperity and Social Justice" - Malaysia Boleh? Bafana Bafana and Dua Mat Salleh... As world economists debate whether the double dip recession will become a reality due to Europes weakening outlook, a cycle of tightening policy in China, delays in regulatory and structural reforms and potential protectionist activity; a common theme to emerge is that Asia and the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies, despite the potential deceleration in growth, are still likely to lead the global economy as economic power shifts from the West to the East. Are the Asian countries geared up for this growth and are they able to capitalise on the opportunities presented? My focus is on Malaysia this week as the Prime Minister tabled the long awaited Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) in Parliament on 10 June. This is by no means an exhaustive list nor is it an in-depth analysis of the plan; It merely highlights the salient points of the plan and what's in store as the nation strives to achieve the objective of becoming a high-income and developed nation by the year 2020. The framework for the 10MP, supported by the New Economic Model, which I covered in my Blog on 21 April and the Government Transformation Plan takes into consideration the challenges of human capital, productivity, bureaucracy, affirmative action policies and a subsidy driven mentality. These factors have contributed to a fall in Private investment and decline in FDI. Substantial funds have been allocated to realise the goal of "Economic Prosperity and Social Justice", more specifically, RM230 billion for development expenditure during the five-year period from 2011 to 2015. The plan promises to address the challenges faced by 7.1 per cent of rural Malaysians who live below the poverty line. The plan is designed to support the targeted GDP growth of 6% per annum over the next five years; slightly higher than the World Banks growth outlook for Malaysia; however, economists concur that the growth is achievable if reform, structural and regulatory, and implementation is executed successfully - with a sense of urgency. 5 key strategic thrusts underpin the 10MP: Designing a government philosophy and approach to transform Malaysia using the methodology of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) and the Key Performance Index (KPI). Creating a conducive environment for unleashing economic growth Moving towards inclusive socio-economic development Developing and retaining a first-world talent base Building an environment that enhances quality of life. A key point to note is that the 10MP allocation for non-physical infrastructure will be increased to 40 per cent, compared with 21.8 per cent under the ninth plan. The plan based on the following premises, places emphasis and the shift in focus to the Private sector. The 'ten big ideas' as highlighted in the plan are: Internally driven, externally aware Leveraging on the country's diversity internationally Transforming to a high-income nation through specialization Unleashing productivity-led growth and innovation Nurturing, attracting and retaining top talent Ensuring equality of opportunities and safeguarding the vulnerable. Concentrated growth, inclusive development Supporting effective and smart partnerships Valuing the country's environmental endowments Government as a competitive corporation. What could some of this mean for the CC and Service Industry? Leveraging on the Opportunities in the Private Sector: As the private sector comes into the limelight, based on the development of a conducive environment, investment in new areas of growth and innovation is likely. The emphasis on growth in the services sector which targets growth at 7.2% annually until 2015 will fuel the need for service excellence. This should heighten the awareness of CC and the respective channels which support much of the service industry. This presents an opportunity for the industry to enhance its image and raise its standards to compete in the domestic and global economy. Malaysia and Cultural Diversity: With the plan potentially welcoming competition and promising modernisation of reform to support this, Malaysia needs to leverage on its cultural diversity to strengthen its position as a hub for outsourcing. The 1Malaysia concept needs to be integrated and socialised. With the numerous languages, a young population, favourable infrastructure and relatively stable political climate, Malaysia has the potential to capitalise on its cultural diversity. There is an emphasis on CSR, which the industry should take on board. Higher Income: One of the key components of the plan outlines Gross national income per capita is targeted to increase to RM38,850 or US$12,140 in 2015. This presents an opportunity for the CC industry to review its position in the value chain and how it can gain support from both the Government and the private sector to achieve the desired target. The industry can support the specialisation sectors highlighted in the plan. Innovation led growth: The Government is committed to investing in creativity, including stimulating entrepreneurship, revamping school curricula, focusing on R&D and promoting availability of risk capital e.g. Mudharabah fund. The industry can leverage and support research and development activities and leverage on global partnerships to position Malaysia as a regional hub. SME's can receive support from the industry as they are developed as an engine of growth. It's all about the People: Your company is only as good as your people! This is especially true for the CC and Service industry, yet it is one of the key areas that often just gets lip service. The investment in the development of Human Capital is key in Malaysia's transformation to a high-income nation. With the promise of a review of childhood education to upgrading skills in the workforce, tertiary education needs to meet the requirements of the industry. Producing Graduates who are employable is key to the success of producing and sustaining a competitive labour force and therefore competitive advantage. There is an opportunity for the industry to further provide and develop academic qualifications, standards and accreditation for the CC industry. With attrition rates standing at approximately 38% per annum, investment in appropriate skills and the development of a career path will be crucial to enhancing the acceptance of a career in the industry, rather than it just being a gateway career - a stop-gap whilst one finds a job they want. Affirmative Action: One of the key components of the New Economic Model is based on the premise of inclusiveness for every race, creed and colour. If this happens, then the industry can leverage on the opportunities presented and achieve contract awards based on meritocracy. Competition: Malaysia was ranked at 24th position, out of 133 countries with an index score of 4.87, slipping downwards by three positions from the previous year in the recently released Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 by the World Economic Forum. This decline is essentially the result of unfavourable assessment of institutional framework* which had been exhibiting a downward trend since 2007, causing Malaysia to fall from 17th to 43rd position in this dimension in just 2 years. *The institutional environment is determined by the legal and administrative framework within which individuals, firms and governments interact to generate income and wealth in the economy. Source: MITI, 2010 The plan highlights the target to raise Malaysia's position to be in the top 10 by the year 2015. This will assist the industry in attracting not only business as it strengthens Malaysia's position as an offshoring/outsourcing hub, but also international talent. Bilateral Trade Agreements: Malaysia is strengthening its agreements with many countries which will again assist its positioning in the global arena. World-Class Infrastructure: The investment in infrastructure will benefit the industry overall. Better physical infrastructure, enhanced broadband and emerging technologies will provide speed and opportunities for efficiency and effectiveness. The paradigm shift "Towards Economic Prosperity and Social Justice" requires more than a sudden change in perception will not happen overnight. It requires dramatic change which can be painful and altering views of the world. I am sure the question on many minds will be can Malaysia Boleh? Bafana Bafana: The world cup 2010 is finally here, and although very sadly marred by a Mandela tragedy, what better way to start, with the first goal of the tournament scored by Tshabalala placing S. Africa 1-0 to Mexico. However, this didn't last as Mexico's Marquez accord in the 79th minute. The final result 1-1. With match after match being played into the early hours of the morning, Malaysia time - I think I will wait to watch the semi's and the final match! Nadal wins the French Open and Lewis Hamilton's achieves a win in Montreal! However, Tigers is still struggling to return to his pre-marital issues performance levels :( Monday was the Queens official Birthday, so happy birthday Maam! On a final note, I generally don't watch much TV, however, lately there has been a TV ad. which has brought a smile to my face and made me realise that all is not lost with my British sense of humour in Malaysia. The TV ad. is based on 'Dua Mat Salleh' requesting to come and play football in a Malaysian household; the Dua Mat Salleh (Two 'white man') being none other than Messi and Lampard. After much pleading and requests from the daughter and the husband, the young Mum, agreed to let them in - wait for it - provided that they took their shoes off!! Hilarious!!! I loved it :) Have a great week! AK. Post a comment here Post date: 9th June 2010 Through the eyes of an Agent; Datuk, and brunch at Jarrod & Rawlins Whilst I was waiting for a client to turn up last week, I heard someone shout my name. I had arrived early, so I could enjoy my Starbucks coffee in peace. I looked around and didn't see anyone I recognised, so I continued to concentrate on the contract that I was reviewing before my client turned up. Next thing I knew, a young lady was casting a shadow over my paperwork. I glanced up, rather annoyed, peering over my sunglasses as she said with a big smile, "Hi Miss. Amita, don't you remember me?". I tried not to look totally vacant as I struggled to place the face. I took off my glasses and yeap - I definitely recognised her, however, was highly embarrassed as her name escaped me! "It's me"; I promptly responded, "Of course, how are you? What are you doing here?" She went on to tell me that she had just been for an interview. She was a very lively character, with great communication skills and attitude. I had recommended her for a job as an Agent for one of the client projects we were working on a while back. She was a fresh grad at the time. As I had about half an hour before my client was due to arrive, I asked her to join me as I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great to get an understanding of life in the CC industry "through the eyes of an Agent". It had been some 24 years since I started life as a telemarketer/researcher in a small office overlooking Oxford Street and my gosh, the business world has undergone many changes. I asked her if she would mind me asking her a few questions and using an extract of our discussion for my blog. "I would love to, Miss. Amita" she replied; so here we go, an extract of my conversation with her - An Agents perspective. (To protect the identity and confidentiality of the Agent and Company, names have been withheld). Agent X went on explain that she had just attended an interview for a centre that was expanding. Although she had been happy at the centre she currently worked at, the last few months had been difficult and she was unhappy, so she was keen to leave... AK: What specific challenges do you have? Agent: I love my team as we work really well together, however, we have little support from the Management. AK: What type of support do you mean? Agent: Lots of things. We are always pushed to know lots about our products and services and answer the calls quickly and achieve FCR. It's really hard as we don't have a knowledge base like the company I just went to see has. We get little training as we are always short-staffed, so we have to read a lot ourselves. Sometimes, we ask each other whilst we put the client on hold, which isn't very professional. AK: What type of training do you feel you need? Agent: Lots. Training on our systems. There are just too many to use. We have to toggle from one to the other and they are so slow ... so our calls end up being longer. Then we get into trouble as we don't achieve our KPI's, but it's not our fault. Training on soft skills and also team building. The Managers also need training. Sometimes, I feel that I could do their job! AK: What do you feel your management could do better? Agent: Understand and appreciate what we go through. We work hard, so they need to make sure we have the right tools We get some feedback, but not enough. They need to listen to more calls and give us feedback, so we can improve. As I am good with Excel, I end up helping my team leader work out the shifts and reports, often, after work. We should just buy a WFM tool as many companies our size have one. They need to share more information and trust and respect us, as we respect them. We are not allowed to make any decisions when it comes to the customer without referring it. I understand that they need to be involved, but if we had guidelines, we could easily deal with some of the enquiries, without having to escalate some of them. AK: Have the Directors/Senior Executives ever visited the centre whilst you have been there? Agent: Well, they always talk about it as they say it "delivers the brand promise" making the first impression, however, I have not seen anyone senior come to the centre in a long time. Only when it was first launched. I am not sure what the brand promise is, but I know our mission statement as it's stuck on my locker door. Marketing don't really visit us, unless they have to. But we support the advertising and campaigns as our toll free number is on all the marketing. AK: What makes you feel that the company where you just attended a job interview will be different and/or better? Agent: Well, its more money :). Not only that, they have a nicer environment and they have up-to-date technology. I am a bit worried as they provide service for international clients, so I think it will be harder, but I am willing to work hard and learn. If I do well, as they are expanding, I may get a chance to become a team leader. They provide training and opportunities in other parts of the company. The Team Leader and Manager who interviewed me both took time to ask lots of questions about me personally, not just my work experience. They seem really nice. Once I get the job, I am going to ask some of my old team to apply and join me. AK; Do you think you will stay in the industry? Agent: If I can learn, grow and build a career for myself. I would like to, however, my parents aren't too happy as they think that I am just a receptionist. They feel that I am not using my degree and also don't like the fact that I come home late at times. I am sure if they see more publicity in the newspapers with Ministers and important people making speeches about the centres, they would understand that I work in a great industry. At that point, my client arrived, so I had to call it a day. Agent X courteously got up to leave and as she gave me a big hug, she said "Keep in touch Miss. Amita, and thank you for getting me started in the industry". I got a coffee for my client. We went through the scope of work and contract for our project, which was to cover employee engagement. I shared selected parts of the discussion that I had just had ... and we smiled, knowing that the project would make a difference to individuals as well as the company. Lessons for managers/senior management; its imperative that you engage your employees. Employee satisfaction = Customer satisfaction! For CEO's and Directors, do make a point of visiting your call centre and understanding the issues faced at an operational and emotional level. The frontliners make or lose your money and impact your reputation with every interaction. They are also a source of valuable information - if asked and listened to. Meanwhile, it was the King of Malaysia's birthday on Saturday, and the Kings Birthday Honours list was released. I had the pleasure of enjoying a few celebratory drinks with some newly titled Datuks ... Congratulations! On a final note, Sunday brunch was at a place called Jarrod and Rawlins which is famous for its selected meat dishes, so a bit strange that being a vegetarian, I ended up there. I had heard many good things about it, however, I was rather disappointed. It's a place where many patrons would go on a Sunday, with the family to have a relaxed brunch/lunch, however, it appeared that the staff had adapted the same relaxed approach, with service taking forever. The rest of the gang seemed to enjoy their food, veggie was OK. So with a couple of days to the World-Cup Kick off, I am hedging my bets as I am disappointed that the England team have so many injured players.. :(. All is not lost; having been born in Uganda, I can always go back to my African roots :) All the best. AK. Post a comment here Post date: 2nd June 2010 Opening doors, Social Media and the Winners are.... It was a short week last week, and as many S.E Asians celebrated Wesak Day, (for those of you who are unsure what Wesak day is: (Buddhist celebration, which marks three momentous events in Buddhas life - his birthday, enlightenment and achievement of Nirvana), the Indonesian call centre association was hosting its annual industry awards. I caught up with the Andi Anugrah, who has been doing a fabulous job of leading the association for many years. Andi enlightened me with an update on the industry in Indonesia, the challenges faced along with an overview of the awards winners. Indonesia is the largest national economy in Southeast Asia. It has a population of over 230 million in over 17,000 islands. Although it is home to people of many religious faiths and beliefs, it is often referred to as the world's largest Muslim community. Indonesia is ranked 54 out of 133 countries according to The Global Competitiveness Index 2009-2010 rankings from the World Economic Forum. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Indonesia expanded at an annual rate of 1.90 percent in the last quarter. Indonesia's GDP is worth 514 billion dollars or 0.83% of the world economy, according to the World Bank. It has a market-based economy in which the government plays a significant role by owning more than 164 state-owned enterprises. The Indonesian contact centre industry has approximately 40,000 seats; 90% of which serve the domestic market. Nearly 70% of customer contacts are handled by the contact centre, majority serving inbound calls. Over 60% of Agents in contact centres in Indonesia are predominantly female, with majority of them being under 34 years of age. Highlights of my discussion with Andi are as follows: AK: Andi What do you love about the CC industry in Indonesia? What does Indonesia do well? Andi: Enthusiasm, collaboration and creativity of people. AK: What are the 3 biggest challenges CC Managers face in the industry today? Andi: Manage Turnover or people availability, manage cost and performance, manage increase in business requirement and business contribution AK: What are the challenges that Agents face? Andi: Customer demanding more, availability of information, technology (too many applications), lack of knowledge and up to date training. AK: What do you anticipate the future holds for the Indonesian CC industry? Andi: Outsourcing may become an issue for employment. AK: How will the Association make a difference to the industry in the next 2 years? Andi: We want to have more activities and collaboration, and we will see more contact centre activities for government and many industries. AK: If you could - What would you personally change about the industry in Indonesia? Andi: I want to have a contact centre academy, more jobs for the contact centre industry, more contribution for the business and more permanent job for contact centres. AK: What will be different about the APPCAL event in Bali this year? Andi: You will see some difference, we will have more best practice, speakers from end user community. I think people love to share, and we will give a change to share and collaborate. I think they will love Bali. I love Bali too! For those of you who are unaware, APPCAL will be hosting the regional CC industry event in Bali in October. So watch this space! Over 650 people attended the awards dinner, and before I reveal the winners, I had to ask Andi about the fashion for the evening; as you can imagine he was rather perturbed, however, Catriona would have sleepless nights if it didn't get a mention...ladies adorned in beautiful colourful silk gowns and dapper gentlemen in black ties :), enjoying local dance performances. Thank you Andi! With numerous categories to cover and so many deserving winners, I feel bad that I only have room to cover the top spots - a complete list can be obtained upon request. And the winners are..... CORPORATE: THE BEST HR RETENTION PROGRAM BELOW 100 SEAT: PLATINUM : PT. ANUGERAH PHARMINDO LESTARI THE BEST HR RETENTION PROGRAM ABOVE 100 SEAT PLATINUM: PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk THE BEST CONTACT CENTER ABOVE 100 SEATS PLATINUM: PT. TELEKOMUNIKASI SELULAR THE BEST CONTACT CENTER BELOW 100 SEATS PLATINUM: PT. BANK RAKYAT INDONESIA (PERSERO), Tbk THE BEST BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION PLATINUM: PT. BANK MANDIRI (PERSERO), Tbk THE BEST TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PLATINUM: PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk THE BEST TEAM WORK PLATINUM: PT. INDOSAT, Tbk THE BEST VIDEO CONTACT CENTER PLATINUM: PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk THE BEST VENDOR OUTSOURCING PLATINUM: PT. INFOMEDIA NUSANTARA THE BEST VENDOR TECHNOLOGY PLATINUM: PT. INFOMEDIA NUSANTARA EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENT PLATINUM: PT. INDOSAT, Tbk INDIVIDUAL: THE BEST AGENT INBOUND ABOVE 100: PLATINUM: DWI NOVITA ANGGRAINI COMPANY: PT. INDOSAT, Tbk THE BEST AGENT INBOUND BELOW 100 PLATINUM: YOSINTA SUWASTIKA COMPANY: DITJEN PAJAK THE BEST BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS PLATINUM: MUHAMMAD ZULFIKARULLAH COMPANY: PT. INDOSAT, Tbk THE BEST TEAM LEADER ABOVE 100 PLATINUM: JEKKY NORTON COMPANY: PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk THE BEST TEAM LEADER BELOW 100 PLATINUM: ERNI SYLVIANE PURBA COMPANY: PT. INDOSAT MEGA MEDIA THE BEST AGENT OUTBOUND PLATINUM: SUGIHARTI COMPANY: PT. INDOSAT, Tbk THE BEST SUPERVISOR ABOVE 100 PLATINUM: RISA HERLAMBANG COMPANY: PT. INDOSAT, Tbk THE BEST SUPERVISOR BELOW 100 PLATINUM: ANTON SUPRAPTO ADI COMPANY: PT. PLN (PERSERO) THE BEST QUALITY ASSURANCE PLATINUM: VIA RAHMA DIAN TINAS COMPANY: PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk THE BEST MANAGER ABOVE 100 PLATINUM: FRIDA ANANDANI COMPANY: PT. BANK MANDIRI (PERSERO), Tbk THE BEST MANAGER BELOW 100 PLATINUM: TJATUR SUKMA SETIAWAN DONNY COMPANY: PT. ANUGERAH PHARMINDO LESTARI THE BEST BACK OFFICE SUPPORT PLATINUM: SUCI APRILUSI COMPANY: PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk A hearty congratulations to all the winners and I am sure all are grateful to Andi, the association and the team for putting in all the hard work and effort to make the event a great success! Meanwhile, for those of you on Facebook, changes are coming....Ongoing criticism forced Facebook to review its privacy settings and use of personal information. Users will be notified of changes as they log on. Some of the key changes expected include; Changes to settings; providing options for overall settings as well as granular settings; Less information available to the public e.g. interests linked to your profile and Less updates for privacy settings. With social media becoming an emerging channel in managing customers, how will you and your organisation be affected? How many CC's use social media tools as part of their overall service strategy and how well is this channel integrated? On a final note, many Asian and emerging economies conduct business where opportunities to 'open doors' is part and parcel of the way business is done. This week, Fergie (Sarah Ferguson) faced ongoing media criticism as she had been caught on camera by a reporter posing as a businessman. She is allegedly said to have 'sold access' to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew for financial gains... what are your views on 'opening doors' in this manner as organisations globally face challenges with transparency... Would love to hear from you! Have a great week ahead! All the best. AK. Post a comment here Post date: 26th May 2010 The Land of Smiles; a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and First Call resolution Thailand has experienced political challenges in recent times, however, visions of Bangkok burning and the Army being called in to bring order to the capital reported by the worlds media over the last few weeks has tarnished the "Land of Smiles" image. As citizens return to the streets of Bangkok to restore a sense of normality and resurrect their businesses, the opposition Puea Thai Party has filed impeachment and censure motions against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and five cabinet members. In a turn of events, a Thai court approved an arrest warrant for fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges in connection with the recent deadly street protests in which it is reported that more than 50 people died and according to the Bangkok Post, the cost of damages from the torched buildings alone is estimated to cost the country some 40 million baht (1.2 billion dollars). Thaksin is being accused of inciting the unrest and funding the mass protests in Bangkok by the anti-government "Red Shirt" movement. It would be easy to assume that this battle is about the colour of Shirts - Red shirts vs. Yellow shirts or a pure class war, however, it is more than that. Issues regarding real democracy and Lese majeste laws underline some of the deep-rooted problems which have instigated various riots and protests over recent years. As the country faces political challenges and confidence in Thailand erodes, how will the country's economic growth be affected by the worst riots in modern Thai history? How will the CC industry be affected? What do we know about the overall CC industry in Thailand? Our research and benchmarking reports over the last two years reveal some of the following key facts: Market Profile: 89% of the respondents' in our research and benchmarking studies for contact centres in Thailand were in-house (captive) centres. Thailand had an estimated 29,500 seats in 2009. 70% of contact centres operate 7 days per week and almost half (45%) operate 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. The vast majority of contact centres in Thailand service locally within the country, with a small percentage servicing international markets. 84% of all customer contacts in Thailand are handled by the contact centre channel. 77% of the customer interactions in Thailand involve providing Customer Service HR - People: Agents in contact centres in Thailand are predominantly female, making up 77% of total agent numbers. 85% of agents in Thailand are less than 35 years old, 65% being between the ages of 25-34 On average, in Thailand the ratio of Contact Centre Manager/Supervisor to Full-Agents is 1:8 Based on turnover - the triangulated calculation of agent turnover, the average full time agent turnover rate is 22% per annum and the part-time agent turnover rate is 28% per annum. Performance measurement: Most common KPI's: Abandonment rate; Average Talk Time; First Call Resolution; Average Speed of Answer; Occupancy and Average Outbound Talk Time. Technology: The most commonly implemented technologies in Thailand are: ACD - Automatic Call Distributor Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Call Recording Systems. Challenges: Respondents in Thailand believe that the major challenges facing contact centres over the next 12 months are Customer Service and Human Resource Management According to Thai Government officials, Tourism is expected to fall from 16 million to 13 million visitors, impacting the GDP. Does the "Land of Smiles" have the resilience to recover and rebuild its reputation? Back in KL, I realised how a little knowledge is a dangerous thing in our industry when I was in discussion with a small Government contact centre this week. As one does, we started mooting why service matters in Government and the importance of appropriate KPI's and First call resolution (FCR). I asked the individual concerned how they measured FCR. I was somewhat aghast at the response. "As long as we get back to the customer with a solution - we class the ticket as closed". I went on to seek clarification and if this was actually during the first call, or a specific time period, or what.... " "Well, as long as we get back to them and resolve the issue, it doesn't matter how long it takes...". Hmmmm..... You manage what you measure and in order to do that you need to understand what and how you measure. First call resolution (FCR) is the benchmark those in the know in the industry strive to achieve. Improvement in FCR can bring many benefits to individuals and organisations. These include the following: Improvement in customer satisfaction Decrease in customer complaints and churn Significant savings in operating costs Enhancement of brand image and reputation Better staff morale and employee satisfaction Opportunities to sell where appropriate There are a few definitions of FCR, "getting it right first time"; "one and done"... however, they all point to one thing: "resolving the customers query or problem in one call". In order to improve FCR, you need to understand the current situation regarding FCR in your centre; what it means to and for your business; the value it brings and how you will measure the improvement. Some of the key things you can do to improve your FCR: Awareness: Define FCR and ensure it is understood within your organisation Management Commitment: Ensure there is management commitment to FCR improvement Recruitment: Recruiting people with the right attitude and attributes to deliver FCR Call Monitoring and Evaluation: Positive feedback from call monitoring can enhance FCR by providing opportunities for feedback, improve skills and capabilities through highlighting training requirements Processes: Ensure that you have a detailed process architecture with process maps and complete and effective call flows A single view of the customer: Appropriate CRM systems enabling a single view of the customer Product Knowledge: Improve product knowledge so that your frontliners have access to up to date accurate information. Integrate and work with marketing before campaigns are launched Coaching and Empowerment: Provide ongoing coaching and empowering your agents to take accountability, ownership and focus on resolution outcomes; avoid unnecessary escalation processes Ongoing Measurement: Ensure that FCR is measured frequently, consistently, and the focus remains on the customer. Consider mystery shopping and benchmarking. It's all about the customer - quantity vs. quality. If you don't measure FCR appropriately, it can cost you dearly, some estimate the cost to be up to 30% of a call centres operating cost. The damage that it can cost your brand and reputation may be immeasurable! On a lighter note, The French Open is well underway; some 16 days to the World Cup and Asian markets which were at a 10 month low last week are likely to rebound this week! Have a great one and Happy WESAK day! All the best. AK. Post a comment here Post date: 19th May 2010 "The Sunshine Industry", Red Shirts and Industry Awards Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III (Liberal Party), the son of former president Corazon Aquino, secured victory in the Philippines presidential election held last week. Despite enduring technological problems with the new automated voting system, and some local questionability of the accuracy of the results, the elections are deemed to have run much better than expected delivering quick results and avoiding political instability. Current President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was successful in her bid for a congressional seat at parallel legislative elections is scheduled to hand over power on June 30. Aquino contentedly defeated early leader Manuel "Manny" Villar (Nacionalista Party), and former president Joseph Estrada (PMP); Imelda Marcos, Manny Pacquiao both won seats in Congress. The Philippines Call Centre and BPO sector is regarded as the "sunshine industry" by the government because of its vast expansion, growth and its contribution to employment in the country. Centres are located in Metro Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Pampanga to name a few prominent locations. Due to its high standard of English language proficiency, competitive labour costs and growing telecommunications infrastructure, The Philippines consistently ranks amongst the top 5 offshoring locations. According to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, the industry sector generated more than $7.2 billion in revenues last year, a 19-percent increase from $6.1 billion in 2008 and created 70,000 new jobs, bringing the industry total to some 442,164 employees. Voice BPO, or regular contact centre operations, contributed the bulk of 2009 revenues at $5 billion, a 22-percent rise from year-ago figures and accounted for some 280,000 people in the industry. Back-office/non-voice BPO sector, which contributed over $1.1 billion in earnings, represented a 35-percent rise from the previous year. So, what does a new Government mean for the industry in the Philippines? The Commission on Elections (Comelec), states that roughly half of the 50 million registered voters in the country were in the 18 to 33 years old age group. Our research indicates that 84% of agents in the CC industry are less than 35 years old, however, there appears to be no direct premise that the shared interests of employees in the industry would translate directly to shared candidates. Some of the 'older' candidates, e.g. Enrile and Estrada, 73, may have had challenges connecting with a generation buzzing about Facebook and other social media networking sites. The Arroyo government had proactively been supportive of the industry, placing high hopes in the ICT-enabled services sector for the development of the economy. The Government designated over 96 special economic ones and incentives to attract FDI and promote the Philippines as a global call centre hub. Emerging from the challenges of the GFC, will the new Government continue its support for the industry? Mr. Aquino appears to hold a reputation for integrity. The country has innate competitive advantages that make it the preferred destination over other leading Call Centre/BPO hubs, however, how much more needs to be done to build on this foundation... What do we know about the overall industry? Our research and benchmarking reports over the last two years reveal some of the following key facts: Market Profile: Over 71% of the respondents' in our research and benchmarking studies for contact centres in the Philippines were in-house (captive) centres. The Philippines had an estimated 159,000 seats as at the beginning of 2009, with an anticipated growth rate of approximately 23%. According to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, the industry accounted for 280,000 people as at the end of 2009. 43% of contact centres operate 7 days per week and 28% of centres operate 24 hours a day/7 days per week. 47% of contact centres in the Philippines service international markets 82% of all customer contacts in the Philippines are handled by the contact centre channel. 44% of the customer interactions in the Philippines involve providing Customer Service and 27% of interactions are sales. HR - People: Agents in contact centres in the Philippines are predominantly female, making up 59% of total agent numbers. 84% of agents in the Philippines are less than 35 years old. On average, in the Philippines the ratio of Contact Centre Manager/Supervisor to Full-Agents is 1:5 Based on turnover - the triangulated calculation of agent turnover, the average full time agent turnover rate is 24% per annum and the part-time agent turnover rate is 41% per annum. Performance measurement: Most common KPI's: Abandonment rate; Average Talk Time; First Call Resolution; Average Speed of Answer; Occupancy and Average Outbound Talk Time. Technology: The most commonly implemented technologies in the Philippines are: Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Call Recording Systems. ACD - Automatic Call Distributor Challenges: Respondents in the Philippines believe that the major challenge facing contact centres over the next 12 months is Human Resource Management. Technology and Customer Service are also a concern for over two in five centres. The wish-list from the industry to the new Government is likely to entail passing of some pending bills to boost the industry's growth. These include laws pertaining to data privacy, cybercrimes; some labour laws and the creation of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT). Regulatory change can assist in enhancing the global competitiveness and support sustainable growth for the country's "sunshine industry"! In the meantime, a neighbouring country is still experiencing political unrest; According to Reuters: Anti-government protesters poured bottles of their own blood outside the Thai prime minister's office on Tuesday, a "sacrifice for democracy" after demands for elections were rejected. With the death toll rising and the "red shirts" still hanging in there, it would be good to hear from professionals in the industry to get their views and ascertain the impact on the call centre industry in Thailand. It's that time of year when many of the industry associations have already commenced their annual awards initiatives or are about to launch them. Do ensure that you keep an eye out for the details and participate as appropriate. Have a great week ahead! All the best. AK. PS: Please note that the WFO optimisation benchmarking report survey has been extended to 28 May. In order to receive a free copy of the results, all you need to do is participate, survey link here: http://www.callcentres.net/wfosurvey Post a comment here Post date: 12th May 2010 Mothers Day, A Hung Parliament and the importance of Research! What a week for 'poll dancing' displayed during the UK General Election. As the votes were counted into the early hours of the morning, no clear leader emerged and for the first time since 1974, UK delivered a hung Parliament. After 5 days of being in limbo, Gordon Brown resigned and a New PM finally emerged at 10 Downing street, the youngest in quite some time and interestingly, his opposition leader selected as the Deputy PM in an unprecedented coalition Government. The Exit Polls had indicated a hung parliament, so could the leaders have been better prepared and it begs the question "Do Governments really listen to their citizens?". Industry and academic research, including much of the work we do globally, indicates that Service does matter in Government as it does in the private sector. Understanding your citizens needs and wants is akin to understanding what your customers need and want. However, like Government, many organisations, often become complacent about conducting appropriate research to gain adequate insight into their own or competitors customer base and this is when delivering a branded customer experience becomes 'lip service'. How many of you commit to undertaking research initiatives to improve the service that you deliver and use the insight for your NPD strategy to gain competitive advantage? There are many types of research that organisations can conduct and customer research is probably the most common in the contact centre and service industry. It is absolutely crucial to have ongoing insight; If you don't understand your customers, how can you deliver the desired customer experience and ensure they remain loyal? The strategic objective of most research is to gather data, information and insights from customers which enables companies to: Measure the customer experience with the respective organisation Have a detailed understanding and insight into the customers relationship with the organisation Accurately identify areas of customer service improvement and, Have a baseline measurement of the customer experience so as to be able to measure the success of service improvement initiatives. The measure of the customer should go well beyond just the cognitiave measure of customer satisfaction and should also measure attitudes and emotional responses. In addition to this, research, if conducted comprehensively, can assist in identifying which aspects of the customer interaction process can drive the future behaviour of a customer. Measuring customer loyalty based on service experience should include the following suggested loyalty indicators: "likelihood to recommend the company" (customer advocacy or promoter) and "likelihood to re-use the service" and "likelihood to re-use the channel of contact". Just imagine what you could do by having this type of insight... Some of the measurements one can expect as an output of the research include: Customer Engagement Index Customer Behaviour Index Customer Experience Index (Engagement + Behaviour) These indexes can be tracked on a regular basis and if required, can also be used to compare performance across regions. It's amazing how many organisations risk their reputation and brand! As I mentioned last week, you can't improve what you don't measure! So do review how much insight you really have into your prospect and customer base before your competitor does :). On a lighter note, what a week for sports: Red Bull taking podium places at the Spanish Grand Prix, The 20:20 cricket underway; Tiger's aspirations of making a come back shattered as he takes leave due to a pain in the neck; Chelsea's emphatic win beating Wigan 8:0 to win fourth premier league title and the S. Africa world cup only a month away.... A Happy Mothers day for all the beautiful mums out there and I know Lily, who is the lynchpin of CCAM in Malaysia also manages 3 children, a 6 year old, a 20 month old and her most recent addition, a 10 month old and yet, she is always smiling and doesn't look a day over 20! All the best. AK. Post a comment here Comments: Unprecedented....big claim, it would mean there had never been a coalition government in the UK before, but actually this is the fifth coalition government they've had (the most recent being during the 2nd world war and the first was way back in the 1600's).  On a more local note (especially for all of us in Asia who don't give a hoot about British politics) the Philippines had their Presidential, legislative and local electiosn this week.  40% of voters are between the ages of 18 and 35 - and there will be up to 3 million first time voters.  A fair proportion of these young voters work in the contact centre industry, and the Philippines itself (with Government support) promotes itself as one of the two main English-speaking offshore destinations.  I know I would be very interested to read in a future blog some insight into the election and how its results might affect the contact centre industry there and also whether any of the main political rivals used contact centres to drive votes. Ian Hi Ian, Thank you for your correction. Let's hope this one works well and I too was amazed at how many people in Malaysia/Singapore had expressed an interest in the UK Election, including those who didn't have the right to vote. Philippines: You stole my thunder... it’s the topic of my blog next week. With Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III celebrating victory, I am hoping to cover how the CC industry may be affected. AK. Post date: 5th May 2010 Subway at the Great Wall and the shift of cultural change in the worlds 3rd largest economy China: As I leave Beijing, I remain staggered at the vastness of the country which is slightly smaller than the USA, housing a population of an estimated 1.3 billion and with official figures reporting the economic growth at an annual rate of 11.9% in the first three months of this year, China represents 10% of the worlds GDP. The rest of the world is watching cautiously as the crisis heats up in Europe with Greece presenting austerity cuts needed for getting budget deficit back in line, however, these measures are likely to impact over 60,000 businesses; Unemployment reaching approximately 20% in Spain and England heading for the polls this week in the closest run general election in 30 years all have the potential to impact the economy. China appears to remain relatively unscathed by the GFC. Having hosted the spectacular Olympics in 2008, China is allegedly reported to have spent an estimated $58 billion for the Shanghai expo, which will last 6 months and has representation from over 150 countries. Whilst Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, is under pressure to revalue the Yuan, consider raising interest rates and manage the economy to prevent it 'over-heating', surely one must wander "is China's growth sustainable and what does it mean for the Service industry and the rest of the world?" What do we know about the Contact Centre industry in China? Please find below some of the information revealed by our research (Source: callcentres.net China Contact Centre Industry Benchmarking Report 2008) over the last 2 years: Market Profile: Over 80% of the respondents' in our research and benchmarking studies for contact centres in China were in-house (captive) centres. China had an estimated 343,000 seats as at the beginning of 2009, with an anticipated growth rate of approximately 20% predicted for 2010/11. 99% of contact centres in China operate 7 days per week and almost half operate 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. 61% of total calls handled by contact centres in China focus on inbound, serving the domestic market. Approximately two in five customer contacts in China are handled by the contact centre. 37% of the customer interactions in China involve providing Customer Service, followed by Technical Support and then sales. HR - People: Contact centres in China, along with Thailand, have the highest proportion of female agents compared to other countries, with 77% of agents being female. 96% of agents in China are aged between 18-34 years, including half (51%) who are under 25 years of age. On average, in China the ratio of Full-time Agents to Contact Centre Manager/Supervisor is 10:1. In China, three in five agents (58%) do not view their role as a full-time career. In China, the agent attrition level: approxiamtely38%, higher compared to the other countries, with the exception of India. Performance measurement: Most common KPI's: Abandonment rate; Average Talk Time; First Call Resolution; Average Speed of Answer; Occupancy. Technology: The most commonly implemented technologies in China are: Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Call Recording Systems. Challenges: Respondents in China in 2008 stated that the top challenge facing contact centres over the next 12 months was Human Resource Management (recruitment & turnover, training, workforce management and managing headcount). Technology concerns and sales were also commonly cited challenges, however, as a result of the GFC, these were highlighted as: People/HR Finance Customer Service Having an insight into the China CC market, is the shift of cultural change being embraced by the worlds 3rd largest economy? There is a need to balance the requirement to provide better customer service vs. High pressure on agents & more agents who are trapped and disengaged. As Market liberalisation in China has brought its vast economy forward by leaps and bounds - inequality has increased over the last decade and the disparity between rich and poor is widening, and rural China still remains poor, even as its cities increase in affluence. The shift of cultural change has to focus on employee engagement. With customer advocacy high on the list as the industry serves a more sophisticated audience, the need to understand the link between employee engagement to customer engagement is imperative in todays' fast moving world and altered landscape. On a final note, you can experience Vibrant Beijing in a weekend, however, being a vegetarian in China proved to be a little challenging, so you can imagine my excitement when I found a Subway at the base of the Great Wall at Mutianyu and enjoyed my Subway veggie delite :)! The biggest question still remains; will the front runner in the CC industry be China or will it be India? Or neither? The answer surely lies in the fact that it's all about the people and how they deliver your brand promise, outsourced or in-house. Which country will manage its risk better because unhappy employees will lead to unhappy customers. Make sure your employees are engaged, afterall, how can you improve what you don't measure! All the best. AK. PS: If you are interested in EnployeeEngage©, please email me: akrishna@callcentres.net Post a comment here Post date: 28th April 2010 'Voice of the Member' and Industry Associations Having had a week of catching up with some industry associations, meeting prospective customers and renewing a couple of our own subscriptions for industry bodies, I began to wander ... what are the expectations members have of industry associations and are members getting value for money from their respective membership(s)? The first question that has to be asked is: How many of you are aware of the industry associations in your country and across the region? Some of the call centre/contact centre/CRM associations across the region include (but are not limited to) the following: Australia: ATA - Australian Teleservices Association CCMA - Customer Contact Management Association China:  CNCCA - China Contact Centre & CRM Association Hong Kong: HKCCA - Hong Kong Contact Centre Association Indonesia: ICCA - Indonesia Contact Centre Association Korea: CIRC - Call Centre Information & Research Centre Malaysia: CCAM - CRM & Contact Centre Association Philippines: CCAP - Contact Centre Association of Philippines Singapore: CCAS - Contact Centre Association of Singapore Thailand: CCIA - Contact Centre Industry Association Taiwan: TCCDA - Taiwan Contact Centre Development Association In addition to the above, there is APCCAL, a co-operative between in-country contact centre associations for the development of the industry regionally. As the CCAM in Malaysia is the 'chair of APCCAL' this year, there is an opportunity to leverage on the growing industry in the country, gain support from the Government and share ideas with the enthusiastic newly elected committee. I believe that the annual APCCAL event will be hosted in beautiful Bali this year... What do associations do? In short, many offer the following: Awards: Annual awards are a major feature for the associations and members. Apart from an opportunity to dress up, awards provide a chance to credit the efforts of individuals and companies for their hard work and efforts. With selective winners going onto to regional and global award events, award nights are like the Oscars of the industry! Networking: Associations provide professional and social networking opportunities to enable members to meet with their peers to discuss issues, challenges, solutions and/or thrash each other at activities like bowling. Training, Development and Accreditation: In a people business, ongoing development is crucial. Associations generally offer training courses, with some offering accreditation. Political representation: One of the key benefits of working with your association is that they generally have a voice with the Government. With the industry across the region making a substantial contribution to GDP, employment and impacting other key economic indicators, government ministers are open to engaging in interactive dialogue sessions to understand how the industry can be supported further. Knowledge Base: Learning and sharing is key in any industry. Many of the associations have a library of white papers, research reports, media updates and articles. Keep up to date by ensuring that you have access to these. Events/Conferences: There are regular events and conferences hosted by industry bodies and associations. Many include presentation of case studies and talks from international speakers as well as site visits. The GFC has brought unprecedented changes to the corporate world. As we emerge from economic uncertainty, the landscape for the contact centre industry has brought about some changes. From an operational, cost-reduction focus, senior executives are recognising that the contact centre should form part of an integral strategy as part of the overall business. With the market in South East Asia anticipated to grow at an estimated 17-20% in many of the ASEAN countries, associations can play a crucial role in the image, growth and sustainability of the industry which potentially impacts each and every CC practitioner in the region. So are members making the most of their membership with the associations and as a member do you feel that you are getting value for money? Please share your thoughts with us ... you can make a difference! One of the challenges that associations face is, like many customers across Asia, they don't often express dissatisfaction. They just leave ... Being a professional in the industry, let your voice be heard and let your association know what other benefits you would like to see from the association. And finally, If you are a sponsor or a supplier – please share your views and thoughts. Have a fun May Day!! AK. PS: Last chance to get the special discount for our Malaysian and Singaporean 2009 industry benchmarking reports! Please email me to order your copy Now: akrishna@callcentres.net. Post a comment here Post date: 21st April 2010 Volcanic Ash, lunch with Ministers and liberalisation of the service sector in Malaysia – should we burn our bras? Back from London: As most of Northern Europes air space witnesses empty skies, airports are deserted as an Icelandic volcano has brought an unprecedented crisis which is costing the airline industry millions every day. Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been stranded at various locations around the world. I luckily managed to leave England just before it all happened!! I wonder if stranded passengers will get refunds and how this ‘act of God' will affect ongoing customer service in the airline Industry? If you have been caught in this disaster, we would like to hear your customer experience. Meanwhile, back in KL, the highlight of my week was attending a BMCC, a British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce luncheon which was sponsored by Grant Thornton. The guest of honour; YB Dato' Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry. It was an impressive turnout with 180 business leaders and professionals sharing their views and opinions in the two way, interactive open dialogue. It was great to catch up with many of the familiar faces I hadn't seen for a while; Datuk Dr Paddy Bowie, doyen of PR in Malaysia was as ever, full of energy and humour; the delightful BMCC team, Stephen Foster, Nikki, Gabriel, Amanda, Shahila and Molly were welcoming as ever and I got to meet some great new business people. I had the pleasure of joining the esteemed guests at the top table and as protocol dictates in Malaysia, I had to behave myself, however, I couldn't resist asking the Minister a few pertinent questions about affirmative action under the New Economic Model and support for SME's. During his discourse, Dato' Mukhriz highlighted the importance of strengthening the relationship between international and local governments with the business community. The New Economic Model is designed to forge a new way of conducting business to create a high income economy which was stagnated by the 1997 crisis. As Malaysia embraces the need to undergo a vibrant transformation through harmonious diversity, it has the potential to become a market-led, competitive force globally. Malaysia is well geared, and the 2020 strategy supported by 1Malaysia – people first; The Government Transformation Plan; New Economic Model and RMK10/11, if implemented effectively, will lead to the desired development, a culture which supports entrepreneurship, innovation and will result in sustainable and competitive growth. The potential for Malaysia is supported by the World Banks recent statistics for the country, which is expected to rebound and experience growth of 5.7% in 2010; The medium-term growth outlook is favourable, with growth at 5.3 percent in 2011 and 5.6 percent in 2012. For the call centre industry, there are many components of the NEM which have the potential to impact and transform the industry. In 2010, the industry in Malaysia is expected to grow by 20-25%, compared to 17% in 2009. With a market size of US$27.52 million (RM94 million), there is huge potential for growth. The total number of seats in Malaysia is expected to reach over 32,000 this year. Are we geared up for the growth? Is it sustainable? What needs to be done? Will Malaysia still rank in the top 5 in the Global Service Location Index? A.T.Kearneys GSLI™ analyses and ranks the top 50 countries worldwide as the best destinations for providing outsourcing activities, including IT services and support, contact centres and back-office support. If some of the areas covered in the transformation plan and the salient points of the NEM fail to be realised, Malaysia could and will lose out. Key components covered by Dato' Mukhriz which are likely to affect our industry include: People challenges: Nurturing local talent and investing in appropriate skills and moving up the value chain to create a high income economy. The plan is to increase per capita income to US$15,000 by the end of the decade from US$7,000 currently, Education: Meeting the industry needs. Dato' Mukhriz outlined that the Government is committed ensuring that all sectors of the education system receive the required funding. R&D: Dato' Mukhriz highlighted the need for R&D to be more closely linked to industry developments and outlined that MITI is working closely with MOHE and MOSTI to achieve this. Affirmative Action: One of the key components of the New Economic Model is based on the premise of inclusiveness for every race, creed and colour. Dato' Mukhriz, stated that "The policies of affirmative action and meritocracy are not mutually exclusive. The 1Malaysia policy and the NEM can address that and will benefit across the board". Bilateral Trade Agreements: Malaysia is strengthening its agreements with many countries and in 2009, Britain remained Malaysia's third largest trading partner in the EU and the 16th largest individual trading partner globally. As for liberalisation of the service sector...apparently, it started last year? I for one am not rushing out to be free and burn my bras yet..... I think I need them for as much support as I can get :). In the meantime, sports rundown: Well done Man U for a last minute goal by Scholes;, shame on Chelsea for being knocked out by Spurs; Tiger may make his comeback yet; Nadal, a winner in Monte Carlo and well done Button for winning the Chinese Grand Prix! Onward and Upward! Have a great week ... AK. PS: Please remember; special discount for our Malaysian and Singaporean 2009 industry benchmarking reports ends on 30 April. Please email me to order your copy Now: akrishna@callcentres.net. Post a comment here Post date: 14th April 2010 Air Rage Having taken a series of long haul flights in the last couple of weeks, I wanted to get your thoughts on service in the airline industry and how this has possibly changed over the last 18 months. A few years ago, if anybody had told me that l would be using aeroplanes more than buses or trains, I would have thought that they were crazy!! I personally am not a big fan of flying, my ears used to hurt and jetlag is still just as bad both ways. What has amazed me is that airlines really have only one core competency to focus on. i.e. to fly passengers safely to and from destinations safely, comfortably and preferably profitably. From getting a price, booking a ticket all the way through to service at the airport, check-in and getting your bags upon arriving at ones destination can leave each and every customer with a fabulous experience or a totally torturous nightmare, which can lead to air rage. Every touch-point that a customer goes through, and there are many of them, impacts customer satisfaction, loyalty and net promoter score. I have had a mixed array of experiences over the last year. Having had some of my loyalty card privileges revoked due to lack of business class flying as a result of the GFC, it's been interesting to see how the airlines have provided different experiences across various touch-points. So why is it that airlines find it so challenging to provide that consistent magical customer experience? One would think that as competition is increasing in the industry with low budget/ cost airlines, looking after customer would be a key priority...? * According to general tourism statistics - approximate figures for arrivals in 2009: Malaysia reported 23.6 million Singapore between 9-9.5 million Thailand: 12.8 million Indonesia: 6.45 million Philippines: 5.2 million Hong Kong: 29.6 million Vietnam: 3.7 million So many opportunities to deliver service excellence .... If you are in the industry, how well do you ensure you provide that magical experience which keeps customers loyal? How well is your call/contact centre integrated as part of your overall channels? If you are a customer and in our industry - what are your thoughts? For professionals in our industry at large, it would be great to start considering the Net Promoter Score are part of your overall performance measures. I know this is something which isn't really acknowledged in many of the S.E. Asian countries. Instead of just measuring customer satisfaction, NPS will give you more meaningful customer insight. On a final note, my question to airlines is "do you value a customer who will fly economy class every couple of weeks every year or a business/first class passenger who will fly with you once or twice a year?" Happy travels! AK. * Please note the figures stated above are approximate figures sourced from various tourism sites and we cannot be held liable for any inaccuracy in the information provided. Post a comment here Comments: Interesting question on which customers airlines should value. If you agree with the idea of taking better care of the most valuable customers, then someone like me, who travels economy every week, is easily worth more than a Business Class customer who travels once or twice a year. But I am definitely a second-class citizen according by comparison.  Geoff Hi Geoff,   Thank you for your feedback Geoff. So if people who fly economy on a weekly basis are the most valuable customers, what would you like to see the airlines do to acknowledge this?   Many, but not all, businesses enforced travel policies whereby they stopped flying their people in the upper classes a while back, therefore, it is very common for business people to travel economy and you bump into many in the various airline lounges.   Surely with the airline industry having had challenges with the GFC, and more recently with the Volcanic Ash bringing Northern European air traffic to a standstill, airlines need to work on customer loyalty and manage the customer experience effectively.   Do you feel that there is an airline which has got it 'right'?   AK.   Post date: 7th April 2010 Hi. Happy Easter and a warm welcome from London! As I was leaving Malaysia late last week, some exciting events were taking place. The eagerly anticipated HSBB - High Speed BroadBand was launched by the Malaysian Prime Minister, so when the rollout finally reaches my home and office, I am looking forward to a faster, more reliable connection and access to diverse content. I need to thank Devi, who has been a star in ensuring that my internet at home is finally up and running!! Malaysia's New Economic Model outlining economic reforms was also announced. As Foreign Direct Investments noticeably fell last year, the model aims to boost economic growth through various initiatives of which details will be announced over the forthcoming months. Even at this early stage of the launch, despite the sketchy details, points of interest for our industry include; the model will reexamine affirmative action. This includes a review of alleged privileges and preferential treatment of certain groups... How will this affect the call centre industry in Malaysia? In addition to this, so that Malaysia achieves the income levels of a "rich" nation by 2020, there will be a focus on the human capital needs of business. Is our industry unique in its skills and development needs? Do you think that the incomes in our industry will be impacted and how will they compare across the region? Last week, I requested feedback on how the GFC has impacted our industry. Having received so many posts in Asia (not!), I began to wander how differently our industry in Europe was affected. Having been back in London for the last couple of days, the one most glaring observation I made was that some Television advertisements here do highlight that their call centre is located in the UK... how interesting. It appears customers prefer to know where their call centres are located and who they are being served by - is this truly the case? Has the GFC impacted offshoring and outsourcing? Based on our Asian benchmarking report, 2009; "One in five (22%) contact centres believe there is a higher priority placed on outsourcing as a result of the GFC". In addition to this, our research highlights some of the other challenges and issues faced by organisations as a result of the GFC. These include: Acquiring and retaining customers Increasing productivity - doing more with less Revenue Generation Integration of channels Optimisation of Technology Budgetary restraints Human Capital Challenges For example, if we look at revenue generation: "Almost half (45%) of the contact centres in Singapore claim the GFC has had a negative effect on revenue generation, with only 10% indicating there has been a positive effect on revenue". "Two in five (43%) contact centres in Malaysia claim the GFC has had a negative effect on revenue generation, with only 14% indicating there has been a positive effect on revenue" Further details are available in our Malaysian and Singaporean 2009 industry benchmarking reports. Please email me for more information. In the meantime, my Easter weekend in England was spent on the Thames; watching the Oxford and Cambridge boat race ...... Cambridge, who was trailing for a fair amount of the race, made a tremendous comeback and won! Early Sunday morning was spent with a reminder of my KL home, with the Malaysian Grand Prix: Team Red Bull winning two podium places at the amazingly rain free Malaysian Grand Prix! I am looking forward to heading back to the sunshine! All the best. AK. Post a comment here  Comments: You go girl.  Great photo for your blog and thrilled that you are going to get this opportunity to report on all things Asia. ! Warmest regards, Erin Hi Erin, Thanks for good wishes. All the best. Amita. Several impacts in particular whenever Govt. implement some actions to manage the economy like the recent introduction of GST for credit cards, the FI Call Centre are receiving a glut of calls complaining on such issues but its the Govt who took the action not the FIs.  Then there the issue of Human Capital Challenges. The quality of recruits nowdays are not like pre-GFC whereby you could expect them to be around for 2-3 yrs. Now with more organization going on contract basis to control overheads, the movement of resources is very high between organizations. Customers too are getting very inpatient & edgy on small matter + very demanding. Organizations too are bending backwards to accomodate their demands for fear of losing them. Where does this leave Call Centres? Well we are constant under pressure to deliver high results given limited budget. Everyday is a new challenge...I love my work. -- Adre Ahmad Fiazil Hi Adre, Thank you for your comments. Any industry which operates in a regulated environment needs to work closely with Government when new initiatives which impact the customer are launched. Many countries have implemented taxes equivalent to GST successfully and consistent messaging and communication is key. It would be interesting to hear from the other countries across the region as to how similar initiatives were managed in their specific country and how they impacted our industry. Human Capital challenges are faced by every industry, however, why is it so different in our industry? Our research indicates that staff attrition has declined as a result of the GFC and the uncertainty it has brought. However, people still view a job in our industry as a gateway career across some countries in S.E. Asia. We have been talking about people challenges for so many years! Many countries across the world that operate call/contact centres, have been employing people on a contract basis for so long. This trend is likely to continue and present opportunities across the region. Another aspect to consider in doing more with less, is looking at how to increase productivity. Consider how you are optimising your workforce and your technology. I'd like to hear from professionals in our industry to share their views on how people challenges can be addressed. AK. Post a comment here Post date: 31st March 2010 Welcome to the first edition of the Asian blog. Somewhat overdue to moving home and a bout of pneumonia straight after Chinese New Year. However, I am back fighting fit for the year of the Tiger. A belated Gong Xi Fa Chai to all of our readers. I attended an industry association AGM at the weekend; CCAM in Kuala Lumpur. I was excited at the opportunity to attend from an observers perspective and it was fabulous to catch up with familiar faces in the industry. I had heard rumours that the elections were being tightly contested and interest in the key posts was at an all time high... Chan and Lily had informed me that that there would be a great turnout, however, I was truly astounded seeing over 200 people attend the AGM at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. A record turnout for the association and a testament that the industry in Malaysia is growing and is finally being taken seriously. The proceedings spread throughout the morning with the old committee led, by Leo, provided an overview of the achievements and financials then handed over to Chan for the most exciting part and the reason why most people were there - voting for the new committee. After an arduous process and with two independent auditors having the pleasure of ensuring transparency and counting each vote, the winners were announced post by post..... Congratulations to the new CCAM committee: President: Nirinder Singh Vice President CRM: Chew Su Fong Vice President Industry: Michelle Fok Secretary: Jerry Rajendram Treasurer: Paul Raymond Raj With the new committee in place, supported by Byron providing continuity by being on the EXCO and Manju who was elected as one of the independent auditors, Malaysia has a great opportunity to leverage its position as chair of APPCAL. Malaysia needs to emerge in a stronger position across the region and requires the support of government and the industry at large working towards a common goal, rather than political or individual agendas. I will be catching up with the other Associations across the region over the forthcoming weeks to discuss what plans they have to enhance and strengthen Asia's positioning in the global market to ensure sustainability. In doing this, some of the areas to consider are as we emerge out of the worst recession in history is to understand the impact of the global financial crisis on our industry. How did the GFC affect you? I believe we are on the road to recovery, and the key to organisations emerging in a stronger position to ensure sustainability is to be more customer focused and listen to their frontliners. Only then can companies understand what the real problems are and focus on fixing them. Short-term cost-cutting measures and knee-jerk reactions are unsustainable and can potentially impact image, brand and loyalty - both for employees and customers. I'd like to hear how you as a professional in the industry plan to ensure that your business adapts and transitions to the dynamics of the new world economy. Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts on how our industry across Asia will emerge this year? Will Asia still be perceived as a preferred offshoring location or will countries like Africa, S. America start to make their impact and presence felt? On a final note, the Malaysia and Singapore 2009 industry benchmarking reports are available. Please email me for further information and special pricing up until 30 April 2010. Have a great Easter! AK. Post a comment here  Comments: Great to hear you are up & running about as usual. Having this blog is a great way to stay intouch with the people within the industry within Asia. I have visited many forums & blogs which are either UK, Europe, US or Aust base. Be interesting to hear from our counterparts in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, China & Philippines. No I didn't forget India but they do sell themselves a lot in UK & Europe blogs/forums. Can't wait to read on... Adre Hi Adre, Great to hear from you and to see that you are still with Maybank, my first major Greenfield site in S. E. Asia, launched some 7 years ago. I too am looking forward to hearing news and views from Industry professionals across the region to ensure that this Asian blog is a success... AK. Hello Amita I recognise that smiling face! Congrats on your exciting role and blog. Keep the news and gos from around Asia coming. Remind me, does Pakistan have a CC Association yet or is that an opportnity! Cheers Frank Hi Frank, Great to hear from you and thank you for your kind wishes. Re: Pakistan. Are you looking to venture into Pakistan? Cheers, AK. Post a comment here About Amita Krishna Amita Krishna is the Managing Director of callcentres.net Asia. Amita is based out of KL, Malaysia and runs the Singapore office. Amita is responsible for all strategic and operational activity callcentres.net has in the Asian region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, India, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Indonesia. She has 23 years experience in business management consultancy and marketing communications in the international arena, having spent the last 9 years across Asia. She specialises in assisting companies to augment their service strategy through effective customer engagement across channels to grow profitably and achieve sustainable competitive advantage as part of their overall business strategy. Amita has a Computer Science qualification and tertiary qualifications including an MBA, Diploma in Marketing, Certified Master Practitioner of NLP, Time Line Therapy and Practitioner of Hypnotherapy and is completing a Doctorate on Internationalisation of the Telecommunications Industry.