I was wondering if I could ask you guys what is the appropriate way to answer and making calls in English. Yes I am applying for a job on a call center and a friend recommended me and I was told that I am going to be interviewed through phone. so to help me and others with the same problem and is dreaming of being a call center professional please post us your best lines or advices for us.. thank you very much..

hmm... i dunno about other call centers, but samin, the initial interview, usually done over the phone and lasts anywhere from 5 to 10 mins, isn't really a test on how you answer the phone. it's more to gauge your communication skills - grammar and pronunciation in particular. nung interview ko, i was just asked to say something about myself. un lang naman gusto nila malaman e. kung nakakaconverse ka in english.

so to prepare for the initial interview, i suggest you brush up on your basic grammar and pronunciation.

sa interview mismo: be natural, friendly, professional, conversational and confident :D hehehe.. dami ba? dali lang yan! :D

if you pass that, you go through a computer based exam. malamang simulation. not sure if you'll be asked to take in a call na. parang samin wala pa nun. but that was almost 3 years ago so i could be wrong.

most probly you're going to have to listen to a call. like kunyare may customer na tumatawag to order food. then you'll have to answer questions after. so kung papayagan kayo, take down notes so you dont have to repeat the recording (bawas points if you do). focus. and more important: LISTEN.

meron din typing exam. so practice ng konti dun.

if you pass that, final interview na. madugo ito and usually lasts for an hour :D

btw, when answering a call (pag csr ka na), you need to remember 3 things.
1. brand the call
2. introduce yourself
3. give an offer to help statement

e.g.: Thank you for calling Symb, my name is Light. How can I help you today?

hope this helps. lemme know how it works out for you. GOOD LUCK!

# 1. be confident. wag yung parang nanginginig ang boses at tono ng pananalita mo. it simply means na di ka sigurado sa mga sinasabi mo. :yes:

# 2. keep in mind # 1. :yes:

# 3. don't speak too fast. you are not talking to The Flash. speak in a soft tone and make sure that the other end can understand your words. unless na lang si The Flash nga kausap mo :lol:

# 4. don't eat your words. try reading an essay or a short story and record it on tape. then after reading, play it. try to evaluate yourself.

# 5. say what you mean, and mean what you say.

# 6. pay attention. listen to evey word that the other end is saying. don't daydream while the other end is speaking.

# 7. always have a pen and paper ready. important for taking notes. unless you have a 2Gb 667Mhz memory installed in your brain, you won't be needing this. :lol:

# 8. try to rehearse your answers to possible questions. possible questions are: what is your name? :lmao:
# 9. be calm. avoid sounding like you are trying too hard to speak english.

# 10. always address the interviewer as sir/ma'am. don't forget to say please.

lastly, you are not the one who will end the conversation. :yes: and your last words should be something like "thank you sir/mam and good afternoon/day/whatever."

good luck boss light :salute:

naks papi icon :D call center material ka pala ha :naughty:

nyahahaha di naman talaga ate kimi :ashamed:

may nabasa kasi ako na parang ganyan din dun sa information center ng school namin. yun nga lang, eh instead how to answer a phonecall, yun eh "how to receive a bomb threat" :lmao:

spiel: "thank you for calling symbianize hotline. this is icon, how may i help you?"
pag tapos na: "is there anything else i can help you with sir light?" :lmao:

almost the same lang dun sa jobi :yes:
"welcome to jollibee sir, may i take your order please? is that for dine or take-out? i received two hundred fifty pesos. eighty five pesos sir, your change. fifty, seventy, eighty, five. thank you for ordering, enjoy your meal." :giggle:

How can i improve myself in speaking English? Any advice?

How can i improve myself in speaking English? Any advice?

three best ways to do this papi:

1. read - read yung mga novels. :yes: yung mga plain and simple lang muna. wag yung mga masyadong ancient english ang dating :lol:
2. keep reading - yah.
3. write - try doing your own blog. :yes:

madalang kasi yung mga tao na "willing" makipag-talastasan gamit ang ingles :ashamed:

How can i improve myself in speaking English? Any advice?

READ. READ. READ. :D can't stress that enough. and if you can, read aloud. so not only can you work on your grammar and vocabulary, you hit on your pronunciation as well. plus you develop the mouth muscles that you use when speaking english :barbell:

if you come across a word you're unfamiliar with, look it up in the dictionary. go to www.m-w.com and you can also listen to how the word's pronounced.

like icon mentioned, try to record your own voice and listen for pronunciation errors.

watch a lot of american television. it might sound weird but that's what we advise our agents all the time. just to familiarize yourself with american english. then while you're watching, observe their mouth movements and try to imitate how they speak. this is fun :D

avoid transliterating >> that's thinking in filipino and translating it into english. make it a point to THINK IN ENGLISH.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. most call centers have an english only policy. that policy's in place not just for show guys. it's there for a reason. para masanay ang mga agents sa pagsasalita ng english and so they get comfortable speaking the language.

also be patient. you wont see changes overnight so just keep working at it.

hopes this helps. i'll try to add more when i have time. i'm sposed to be working right now :whistle: or ask ko si mami sultry to add to this.

1. Breathe!- Before you pick up the phone, take a deep breath.
2. Be Sincere & Honest.- To your answers.
3. Listen attentively.
4. keep your voice volume moderate, and speak slowly and clearly when answering the phone, so your interviewer/caller can understand you easily.

5. Control your language/tone when answering the phone.

:salute:

Geez! What can I say? They pretty much answered your questions...:lol: I will just reiterate that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Acquiring the neutral American accent isn't overnight. I started practicing the accent way back high school. Modesty aside, I sometimes get to bluff Americans. The "practice" paid off.

Now, if you're considering starting a career in the call center industry I will just add this to the long list of pointers they've mentioned.

* keep your composure. Everybody's a consumer. You yourself is a consumer making you a customer. Always put yourself in their shoes. Frustration is an everyday thing that you will hear from the many calls that you will be getting. Make sure that profanity is not directed at you but more like venting out. Don't tolerate profanity!

* Always make your voice smile. Funny but the only way to make it smile is to literally smile back at the monitor until such time that you've mastered the tone of voice that you don't have to physically smile. Customers can't see you but they can sense how you feel through your voice.

* If you can, go the extra mile for the customer. If it means b*********ng your way out of a call just to keep your customer satisfied/happy then go for it. If you can avoid, please don't keep promises that you can't keep. Log in IDs usually appear on accounts that you've accessed. Just be careful.

* Here's one of the most difficult thing to maintain. ALWAYS MAKE EVERY CALL YOUR FIRST CALL OF THE DAY. Sound fresh. Even if it's the last call for the shift, sound like you're just starting out your day and have enough energy/gusto to get it done for the customer.

:sigh: kapagod no?

keep us posted guys! good luck! :D

if i may add, smile while you speak, di porque di ka nakikita ng kausap mo, di nya alam na salubong na kilay mo habang kausap mo sya :);)

:rofl::rofl::rofl: ngayon ko lang napansin old post na pala ito so late na pala advice ko hehe