Ohio-based BPO support firm opens Cebu facility

CEBU, Philippines - Recognizing Cebu as the second biggest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub in the Philippines, Ohio-based call center BPO support firm has set up a facility here to further strengthen the flourishing BPO industry in the province.

TeleDevelopment Services, Inc (TDS), an international contact center and BPO support company yesterday opened its Cebu site at the Bigfoot Center in Ramos Street, noting the increasing demand for support services of BPO in Cebu.

TDS provides consulting, staffing, trainings, executive placement, and other sophisticated support services needed by BPO companies to stay competitive with the best manpower pool.

In an interview with TDS marketing and events planning officer AJ Perdigon, she said that the entry of the company in Cebu hopes to aid BPO companies’ problem in staffing and training requirements, specifically in getting the mid-management manpower supply.

“We hope to provide solutions to the problem of getting mid-management manpower in Cebu,” Perdigon said adding that the company has a series of programs aimed at addressing this problem, such as higher level courses for higher management.

The company’s entry to the Philippines, through its Manila office in 2004, successfully gained the trust of big multinational call center firms, like eTelecare, and Tele Tech, among others.

Closely working with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), TDS has maintained a growing number of US-certified trainers depending on the requirement of a call center or BPO client.

All trainers of TDS are certified by a call center school in the United States, through the Society of Workers Presentation and People, a group that certifies all trainers for BPO short-courses worldwide.

Perdigon hopes that the company’s presence in Cebu will provide a solution to existing call center and BPO firms here, not just in staffing, but more importantly the development of higher-level management pool.

BPO players in Cebu had been complaining of the shortage of mid-management manpower in Cebu, although, supply of agents remains abundant.

Wipro Philippines country head Romit Gupta earlier said that one of the problems the company has encountered so far for the past year of operating here, is the unavailability of mid-management manpower supply in Cebu. He said Wipro is having difficulties in hiring managers, senior managers and supervisors, although hiring entry-level employees is much easier because of ample supply.

“Cebu has all the things that businesses are requiring for, except for the availability of senior management people,” he said.

Likewise, Michael Burdette, chairman and director-finance for Tech Growth Solutions Cebu Inc., also said that Cebu has no problem in getting entry-level call center or BPO manpower, but what the province has to develop is the availability of mid-management people.

“We don’t have problems in hiring entry level people. But, just like other BPOs, we have difficulties in hiring supervisors, and managers,” Burdette said.

With this problem noted, Perdigon said this will be given a solution by the company, using TDS expertise in providing support to BPO and call center companies.— Ehda M. Dagooc