Call Center Life: Coffee by the Road

Coffee has been my best friend since I started working at night. I am sure everyone in the graveyard shift would agree.

At some point there has been talks in social media branding the call center agents with different adjectives just because we sip cup of latte or capucino from a well known coffee shops in the metro. Yes, we go to those coffee shops to at least treat ourselves after that toxic calls we recieve on a daily basis which is also true to myself not because I brag or just for show off but simply just a treat for myself.

On the other hand, I also love sipping a cup of coffee by the street. I love it because I got to have the chance to chit chat with ate. To understand people is to be with people, thats what I believe in. I love learning about different kind of people. Ate inspires me to do better in what I do.

I support the small scale entreprenuer thats why I buy their stuff. I encourage others too to support them in every little way you can.

A ONE STEP JOURNEY BEGINS

When I started a new chapter of my career life I know it will be very difficult as it was my first in so many ways. I was worried that I may never make it to the cut or if so, I was so ready that I may end up left in the battle ground and may only make it to the sixth month period.

I told myself, I will not allow my self loosing without giving a good fight. I reviewed my notes every after my training, I tried to memorize the jargons and relate it to something I am familiar with. I mapped every process I learned to make sure I can catch up with my well experienced batchmates in the field I choose to explore.

Luckily, I am able to make it and was awarded with my headset. I knew I need to learn and expose my self more. So I make sure I am in the office as early as I can be to read more, observe more, learn ways and techniques to do the job right with the well experience/tenured colleagues.

I survived the six months probationary. I explored possible opportunities and chat with my colleagues while I am exposing myself to everyone I encounter with. I am lucky I was in a company of people who gives you great feedback and walk you through a path where you could learn new things.

My journey and life story to my new corporate family wouldnt be as swift and sweet as it could be without the people who had help me. So I wanna thank them as I will start my first STEP to fullfilling my life long dream.

I am happy I was able to be part of Batch 14 who became my brothers and sisters at work. I could not thank each and everyone enough for sharing their knowledge and experiences so I could also learn and cope up in the environment as easy as possible.

My mentor Miel Carrandang who gorgeously shared her knowledge and best practices which is indeed helpful in building my confidence everyday. The rest of Fayentastic Golden Bibong Bibes and the Fayentastic Trolls for the support and love.

The Communique Team you guys inspire me alot! KC Fitzgerald thank you for the advices, tips and best practices.

To Miss Grace Villarama for teaching me well and believing in me and molding my skill I needed for the job, Ping Termulo who cheers and inspire me through his own leadership style. My first manager Faye Abaricia who plays a big role in building the foundation I need for me to realize my full potential. To Karsten Taniegra, Ana Marie Dela Cruz, Fatimah Lazatin, Canille Tandas, JC Guerrero, Boss DJ, and Boss Queng for all the support and you guys inspire me thats why I do what I do today.

This is just my first STEP towards my goal. May I continue to inspire others too in reaching the goal. First STEP is crucial as it builds a foundation and skills and I want to ensure that my foundation is strong.

2017 is a new year. I believe that circumstances are meant to happen to prepare me for what is about to happen. Let me take that first STEP and continue to walk with me as we uncover the wonders of 2017 and beyond.

How to Pay Off Debt

Everyone may agree that at some point we are all living or may have lived with debt. Having debt is stressful and can cause commotion within your family circle. Debt is inevitable. We all want to be debt free. We hate collection calls as much as we love spending.

However, how can a meager earner Filipino worker combat debt and be debt free to have a little of something to spare for emergency fund, savings and investment, or to buy a little gift for yourself or for a family member.

Say for example, a friend of mine (with his permission but requested to be unnamed), a regular call center representative who is earning a gross income of Php 20,000 a month with some perks and allowances. However, my friend was living in debt for the past 12 mos as he wasn’t able to pay his housing loan through a government housing loan. His accumulated arrears were Php 49500 and with his monthly earnings he wouldn’t be able to pay off the arrears one time. “It is stressful having the collection company harassing you and you still have to manage your finances to make sure everything is paid on time.,” he said.

Preparing to Pay off the Debt

There were things that you really have to consider to make sure you are paying off the debt. Remember that the more you extend the days or months in paying the debt the more the fees are accumulated including the monthly minimum payment due is also added to the amount of the arears. So, you really need to consider everything to make sure it is paid off as early as possible.

He may had some difficulty in the previous months that had unable him to pay and accumulated the arrears. So in order for him to make sure he will keep the house and keep a shelter over his head he would have to pay it off before it will be foreclosed.

Here are the steps he did to pay off his arrears as he needs to pay off the Php 49500 in a month.

• Identifying the necessary Expenses that cant be compromise. He needs electricity where he normally spend Php 1500 per month, his water bill is Php 250 and mobile telephone bill where he cut it down from Php 3000 per month to Php 1200 plan and Food allowances for the family is at Php 6000 per month. So basically, his uncompromised expenses have a total of Php 8950.

• All His Unnecessary Expenditures –So he went over his Finances. He cut down all his vices in half and eliminated everything that he thinks is unnecessary. For example, he needs to drink coffee so instead of buying at Starbucks at Php 170 per day he opted to go with a coffee served in his office pantry that’s Php 3400 saving for a month. He also cut his cigarette consumption in half per day. He is spending Php 80 per day that is at least Php 1200 savings per month. He normally takes cab everyday going to work so he took advantage of jeepney and MRT ride and he saved Php 3500 in a month. He is spent Php 200 for food allowance at work so he instead packs his lunch and saved Php 5000 in a month. Eliminating and cutting down his unnecessary expenditure alone has saved him Php 13100. However, he realized along that he was overspending. He is living above his means. His only take home pay was Php 2000 net including the other perks he gets in his work. With the savings he has for cutting down his unnecessary expenses he was able to be living on his means and saved Php 10000. Despite cutting it and saving has bring down the arears to Php 39500

• Loans – He reminded himself to cut down his credit card so taking cash out of his credit card was not an option. Never withdraw cash and or use your credit card just to pay another credit. In fact, you should only use your credit card for necessary expenses and if you can pay it off monthly. So, he filed a loan through SSS. He was approved for Php 2500 payable for 2 years and will be automatically be deducted on his pay check. With his SSS loan he only needs Php 14500 and he will be able to pay off his debt.

• Selling Gadget and other appliances – He there’s only one thing he can sell and it is his brand new laptop that he just used for a month. He was able to sell it at Php 10000 bringing down to Php 4500.

• Salary – He took the remaining Php 4500 out of his salary. He talks to his family that they’ll have to sacrifice their meal to save the house. So instead of having hotdog and ham in the morning they’ll have egg and canned sardines from meat to vegetable.
  
  
  That’s how my friend his debt of almost Php 50000 in a month. The reason why I am sharing the story is because for most of us we go to work everyday and we burn our ass out at work but we are still in debt or we dont have money to pay a hospital bill. I myself is facing a very bad debt. I learned alot from his story and I hope you learn a lesson too. I also hope I can pay all of my debt so I can start saving for my emergency fund and then my retirement plan. I am not getting any younger and I dont want to look back and again say I wish I could have saved a little of my earnings when I am still able to work.

Share below your story as well on how you paid off your debt.

COMPANY KICKOFF PARTY #ULTRATH2017

The company whom I am now connected just had the company kickoff party for 2017. Usually its yearend party for most, but a kickoff party is a new one for me.

Everytime there's this kind of event, event organizer usually would come up with a theme. This year they had a KULTURA PALOOZA. Well I interpretted it as a bohemian costume.

In recent years, everytime theres a company activity where it has its own theme, I see to it that when I join I will come up with my own interpretation about it and make sure I always conform with what the theme is all about. I dont wanna go againts the theme as I dont wanna grab so much attention.

It is inportant for me to join such activity because this would be the time that I can loosen up a bit and just be myself. This infact is the best time for me to at expand my horrizon within the company. A perfect time to chit chat and introduce myself to the bosses and to other people within the organization and to learn what they do within their team or the nature of job they do. This is also the easiest way to build and jump start your network within the organization.

So next time you join a corporate event such as a kickoff party, dont limit yourself within your team... go and talk to other people who are from other department or the bosses for that matter.

Here are my favorite photos during the said occasion.

New Years Resolution

Its this time of the year again when some list down all the things they wanna change and make it their personal New Years Resolution. Some even make sure they have it written down somewhere they could see.

However, writing a new years resolution somehow is written in someone elses journal or some collage it. Today, the emergence of social media, new years resolution is now publicly shared in someone elses facebook, twitter, instagram and in blogspot and wordpress. With the emergence of this microblogging site, one gets an easy access as to what their virtual friends are for the next year.

Then I asked myself, what is my New Years Resolution. I often heard, New Years Resolution are simply showing off... very vey few keeps what they promise... is it? I dont know... I never somehow wrote a news years resolution. I am not a fan of promises. I simply do what I wanna do.

Looking back at my 2016, it wasnt that flambouyant as I wanted it to be. The start of 2016 is tremendously stressful. I got robbed several times and definitely lost thousands of pesos in savings. Got flanked in many everything I do. 2016 is simply as chaotic as a severe storm as it is. However, after the storm at the later part of 2016, a rainbow simply starts to show up.

I happen to manage to have people who are supportive and definitely see that there could be something in me that I thought I lost some five years a back. I somehow started to gain back a little of my shattered confidence.

So, this 2017 is simply a continuation of what I have planned after college. Sailing through with humbleness in the heart and an iron like disposition in life and at work. I wouldnt know what the year could bring. I just have to trust that God has something in there. Enough with the small objective I wanna aim for bigger picture. Hopefully by next year I am quite different from today.

Sail with me this 2017. Be my guard to remind me if my foot has flown up the ground. Let us write our story for this year with confidence and a clean heart.

MMFF 2016: DIE BEAUTIFUL

Every year, I spare a little of my time and my money to watch the Metro Manila Film Festival Entries. Of course, I got to choose the best movie that I think is worthy of my time and money. This year, it is that time again.... I gotta watch movies of the Metro Manila Film Festival entries.

I just watched Die Beautiful. I watched it first because I wanted to support gender equality. Die beautiful is a stereotypical story of a gayman who struggles to be accepted and to be loved by his father. A transgender woman by the name of Trisha who was raped by group of men of whom he adores. He was thrown away by his father and neglected to be a father. A son who longed for understanding. As the story progresses, Trisha gained a family and comfort outside of his own house. He persevere to become a better person. He made beauty pageant as her bread and butter. She wanted to become a beauty queen. She struggles in answering questions. In my oppinion, the reason why she struggles to answer question was because she was never supported, loved and cherished by her own family. She lacks guidance and care from her father. Her winning question at the later part of the story was "if you were given the chance to live again what would you choose and why?" A typical question in beauty contest but Trisha's answer: "If I were to die and blessed to live again, I would choose to be me, because I am the only person who can fulfill that I need to do... so I would choose, nobody, nobody, nobody but me!" (Non verbatim)

Trisha delivered the answer beautifully. She did it with full confidence. She was the winner... The beauty queen who died at her coronation day...

We all have our own battles. We sometimes win over our battles but we also have our own losses. It is how we handle our own battles that will make us what we are today.

The story line, the casting and acting was plausable. It was well crafted. As the movie has a tragic end, I was hoping there is acceptance. But sad there was none. The movie is for those who tried so hard to prove they are worthy enough to be loved by their family until their time has expired. Thats a hard fact of reality. There are still people accross the globe who struggles because they are different and maybe thats what the movie wanted to show.

Despite all these... people in the gay community find shelter and understanding from outside of their home. The role of Barbs in the story is a reflection of the second home for the LGBT community. A reflection of people who are always there to be at the side of the LGBTP who are ready to show love, care, understanding and shelter for the shattered gay men and women out there. In everyone's life... there will always be that BARBS who will always be there till they expire.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2016

Its this time of the year again, where you see kids so happy. See them knock on doors and sing a christmas carol. You hear the never ending SA AMING BAHAY song sung happily by these kids expecting a coin from their neighbors.

As for me, I simply want to greet all of you a Merry Merry Christmas! May this season bring you joy, love and peace. Celebrate this holiday season safely and joyfuly!

The perks of being alone and single as well is youve got to be at work on this special days where you will be with your friends at work teasing and having fun while doing your work.

So as we conclude 2016, lets be merry this holiday season!

Xoxo,
Charlton D. Kis-ing

Before Applying for Housing Loan

Are you planning of taking a PAG-IBIG Housing Loan? Or an in-house Housing Loan, or bank Housing Loan? Maybe you should step back in a bit and try to see if you are ready to take one. Or you would end up being bitten by this ruthless, heartless, and rude collection agents.

I, myself was brain washed and was slightly forced to take a housing loan. Though in the beginning I was hesitant and was trying to explain that it was still too early too soon but the point is clear and agreed to take a housing loan with the following reason.

1. I am taking a housing loan because I dont have savings.

2. I am taking a housing loan because it is better to have this long term loan through Pag-ibig at least I have a house I can call my own rather than renting and can never call my own.

These were all my reason why I took a long term housing loan through Pag-ibig. Are these reason valid? Of course they are VALID because they are true in all aspect. They will only become invalid when the question to ask is are you really ready to take that loan?

My reason for taking a housing loan are all valid but it leads me to my greatest mistake as well. I wasnt ready to take the housing loan. Now, before you commit the same mistake, here's what you should take in consideration first before even thinking of having a PAG-IBIG FINANCED HOUSING LOAN.

1. Emergency Fund - you should calculate your monthly expenses. From household expenses to expenses going, during and after work including your vices then whatever is the result multiply it by eight. Or the easiest way is your current monthly income times eight. Having an emergency fund will at least secure you to be able to have funds in any case something happen to you like you'll get sick or when you lost your job. Never ever take a housing loan if you dont have this 8-month emergency fund.

2. Savings - Aside from the emergency fund, check how much savings you have. The idea is to have at least 10% of the total contract price of the house you are planning to get. Once the house gets turned over to you, am sure there would be a lot of things you would wanna do, am sure you would want to remodel the house. So you would need at least a good amount of money to have everything situated.

3. Once you have your emergency fund and your savings. Check on the value of the house and check how much monthly you would be paying. It is highly important to save up at least 70% of the contract price ready before going agreeing to a loan through PAG-IBIG. Yes, going to a long term housing loan through PAG-IBIG may sound cheap and attainable but when you compute the 30 years times your monthly payment through them boy its double the amount. In my case, the contract price is 750K pesos, my monthly is ranging from 5.5K to 6K a month after 30 years I have paid PAG-IBIG 1.7 Million pesos or more. So it will sounf like I have given PAG-IBIG 1 million pesos after 30 years. So I would advise, to pay PAG-IBIG the moment your house gets turned over to you at least 50 to 70 percent of the total contract price and have them recompute to have a lower number of years to pay. Then pay off the remaining ballance at the earliest possible time.

If you have these 3, then by all means go get a house. Course it through PAG-IBIG for a lower interest charge and have a house of your own.

Rock and Roll Outfit

When it was announced that our Clusters General Assembly would go rock and roll. I immediately started generalizing for an outfit that can rock everyone. Nah kidding aside I was thinking of something that would be far different most of them and definitely somehing affordable.

I decided to color my hair blue. Hair is the crowning glory. It sets the phase of your look. It is also the first detail of your look that will attract audiences so choose a hair style that will match the look you wante to portray.

The next part is your make up. I went to dark and pale make up to make sure it doesnt kill the hair style and it does not over power the out fit. The make up should definitely compliment the whole look you want to portray.

Next is the outfit. Getting and choosing an outfit should not be that expensive. Just because you wanted to show off and to conform on the dress code or to the agreed outfit you would over spend on the outfit. For me, I checked on my closet and check on possible clothed that can be used for the theme. After that head to ukay ukay's and look for the clothes. So before heading to ukay ukay or thrift shops, you should already have the details of the kind of clothes you wanted to wear so you wont end up staying there for hours and wasting your time.

Next is your accessories, for me I create my own accessories. I just have to be a little creative as to how I can make my accessories match the theme of the party. Most of the time, I recycle my old accessories so it could be easier to manage and of course less expensive.

When I Take In Calls - The Introduction

When I finally decided to take in a job in a BPO industry and become a customer service representative for a reputable credit card company, I am supplied with a daily dose of learnings about people in general. Be it my colleagues, what inspires them, their stories, troubles, frustration and personal struggles upto my customers calling in to complain, to have their problem solve from paying their bills to managing their online access upto explaining their bills.

With all these happening one after the other; it has thought me to be more flexible in understanding processes, customer concerns, problem solving, and understanding personality all of course at the same time.

It has reminded me that life by the end of it all talks about the adversities and propagated happiness and how one has juggled all of it in his lifetime.

This is my introduction to a more stories behind the voices the customer hears when they call. This time I must say, I am proud I have and is working in a service oriented type of job.