Typhoon does not deter Dell BPO Agents
By Nosmo King
 
BPO companies are supposed to be in operation 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Not even a Signal Number 3 typhoon can stop BPO companies from operations in the Philippines. As typhoon Frank devastated Metro Manila from June 21-23, 2008, Call Center Agents from all over the metro were busy taking in calls. Typhoons, earthquakes and working during unholy hours are just few of the challenges that call center agents face.
 
A call center agent from Dell Pasay said that he did not receive any official communication on any process with regards to the typhoon. It was just like any normal day for him; the difference is that he needed to take a cab because of heavy rainfall and very strong winds. The scenario was different from last year when Dell Pasay managed to put shuttles in strategic locations accessible to majority of their agents. SLA (Service level agreement – a metric used to check that forecasted number of calls is met in a given time period) was met on June 22nd, where the typhoon was at its fiercest. A number of Agents decided to stay home because of the strong rain and winds. As "consolation", all Agents were given a food stub for a meal in the office cafeteria.
 
The case was quite different with Siemens IT solutions and Services (SIS). As early as Sunday morning, SMS (short messaging system) communications were sent to update their employees. The SMS was sent thru the Company’s official SMS number. It advised Agents to come at least 30 minutes early and informed them of locations where they could hitch a ride to the office. A number of agents were absent, because of which Agents present in the office had to work overtime and some even deferred their one hour breaks.

Overall, the Philippines BPO industry very professionally took the June, 2008 typhoon in their stride.

BPO Centers lose millions of dollars every hour if metrics and agreements are not met. Procedures and contingencies should be in place for emergencies like this not just because they are losing millions but also for the safety of employees.

Techgoss note:  Neoit.com had done a detailed study of 12 Call Centers in Philippines after typhoon Xangsane lashed Manila in September 2006.  This was the strongest typhoon in 11 years and more than 200 kilometers an hour winds were experienced in the capital city.  The detailed study showed some interesting facts.  While large, well run centers had good backup generators, the smaller ones ran out of diesel after 24 hours.  Credit cards were no good to buy diesel as the card verification system was also down.  Employee attendance had dipped slightly during the storm, but returned to normal the next day as the transportation system was unaffected.   Overall, the report said that the BPO industry coped very well in 2006.