ePerformax – A Winning Team in the Philippines

Teresa Hartsaw, the president and CEO of ePerformax Philippines, recently took some time to answer a few of the most common questions she gets from people, including why she chose the Philippines, why people want to work there, and what makes ePerformax a winning team for its clients and their customers. 

Here’s what she said:

Twenty plus years ago when you founded ePerformax, why did you choose the Philippines?
<ul>
<li>I had a contact center company in the US, and we wanted to expand. We looked for locations in the US and offshore. The first place I wanted to see was the Philippines. I had heard it was a special place. When I arrived in Manila, I was unsure what to expect. I discovered intelligent, warm, and caring people who seemed to be completely focused on helping other people. At times, I was uncomfortable with the help that was offered, but I knew that if that was as natural as it seemed, it was exactly what our clients’ customers needed. Their helpful nature seemed to be part of the Filipino DNA. </li>
 
<li>I instantly fell in love with the people and the country. I believe we were the tenth to open a call center in the Philippines, to provide support to US companies. I thought we would be expanding to other countries, but what we found in the Philippines was exactly what we needed to achieve our mission: to be the best-performing, top-choice contact center for our clients, and thanks to our incredible team, we are. We like to say we’re not the biggest, but we are the best.</li>
</ul>

What about ePerformax attracts people to want to work there?
<ul>
<li>I feel like people want to be part of a winning team. Our culture is performance oriented. Our mission is simply: To PERFORM. It encompasses our values which are to be Passionate, Empowered, Resourceful, Flexible, Optimistic, Results-oriented, and Motivated to win. Those words embody who we are as a company.</li> 
<li>We also have a Customer Experience (or CX) Academy, where we pay people who want to work for ePerformax to attend CX training. We have an assessment that candidates take to determine if they have the foundation skills to be a top performer. Then, we identify any gaps between their current knowledge and skills and what it takes to perform at the highest levels, and we close those gaps with training for 2 to 8 weeks. We literally pay people to prepare to be hired because we want our employees to have the skills to do the job on day one. They hit the ground running and just get better from that point. </li> 
<li>We also have twice-monthly coaching, ongoing skill training, and leadership training. I’m proud to say that over 95% of our leadership team is promoted from within. Our leadership team is highly tenured, and we are a close group. I think that’s why people want to work at ePerformax. They say we are more like a family, but we are also a winning team.</li>
</ul>

How does ePerformax address provide offer all the things people are looking for in a company?
<ul>
<li>First, we listen to our employees during one-on-one discussions, round table focus groups, and employee surveys to find out what’s important to them. In the Philippines, we work 24x7 365 days a year, and most of our employees work the night shift to support our clients, which are mostly based in the US. We tailor our support to our employees’ wants and needs. </li> 
<li>For example, we have a concierge service for employees. The concierge team does things to make employees’ lives easier. They will pay bills, send laundry out, make reservations, buy gifts, plan travel, and more. That way, employees get to spend their time away from work doing things like playing sports, spending time with family, and getting rest versus running errands. </li> 
<li>We give every employee a free smartphone and post-paid plan so they can communicate with us and their families 24/7, and our health care benefits start the day they become an employee.</li> 
<li>We also want to provide work-life balance and work-life integration. What I mean by that is we want to take care of employees holistically. We sponsor sports and hobby clubs that employees can participate in; we have social events for employees and some that include families; and we have a Red & Black Fund that is financed by our executives, clients, and other employees, and provides financial assistance to employees who need it. Whether it is money for medical bills or home repairs from typhoon damage, we want our employees to know that we are there for them.</li> 
<li>Secondly, I already mentioned training and leadership development. My passion is to help people maximize their individual success. We want to help everyone be all they can be, and sometimes that is more than what they even thought possible. I love to see people surprise themselves by doing great things, and when they do, they are just beaming. That confidence and fulfillment is translated into better performance and better care for our customers. </li> 
<li>I don’t believe there is a better place in the world to build a great performing team and top performing call center, than the Philippines. I feel blessed to have discovered the beauty of this place, which is because of the people. We have managed our growth carefully to protect the Philippine culture and our company culture because that is what makes it work for everyone, clients, clients’ customers, employees, and our company shareholders.</li>
</ul>

Since founding ePerformax in 2002, Ms. Hartsaw has strategically driven the focus, performance, growth, and innovation of the company. Today, ePerformax has grown to be one of the top BPO contact center companies in the Philippines, with over 7,500 employees and trainees in three locations in the country, including Manila, Cebu City, and Roxas City.

If you’re looking for a contact center and outsourcing partner with an employee-centric culture driving its mission to PERFORM, then talk to us today. Learn why ePerformax is the “go-to” contact center for clients who want a partner they can count on, to deliver effortless experiences for their customers.

Learn more today: 
Wax Frias 
404.771.7493 
<a href="mailto:rfriaslouden@eperformax.com">rfriaslouden@eperformax.com</a>

TDH_Wallpaper.jpg

Teresa Hartsaw, the president and CEO of ePerformax Philippines, did a Q&A about the company culture and why she chose the Philippines. Read the full interview here.

ePerformax – A Winning Team in the Philippines

When the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry dawned in the Philippines 20+ years ago, most call center companies in the Philippines were handling routine calls from customers with basic needs, from help logging in to password resets and address changes. In the past 20 years, technology has advanced, and customers are now able to do so many routine activities self-service through many touchpoints such as interactive voice response (IVR), websites, mobile phones, and apps. This means today’s customers have already tried to take care of what they need, are more demanding than ever, and the interactions customer service reps are having with customers are more complex than ever before. Not only has the role of a customer service rep evolved to a higher level, but the attention to detail matters when it comes to providing effortless service. It's not new news that attention to detail is the key to high customer satisfaction. A study of over 125,000 customers, 5,000 customer service representatives, and over 100 companies identified that making the experience feel effortless is the key to customer loyalty. Customers said the key things that lead to a feeling of effort are:&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://eperformaxstorage.blob.core.windows.net/eperformax-blog/assets/Article_Image_1beefe7d86.jpg?updated_at=2023-07-11T18:20:39.809Z"></figure>How do customer service reps create effortless experiences? It all starts with customer support reps having a “laser focus” on each customer interaction by giving that customer 100% of their attention. Assumptions are put aside so each customer situation can be solved from a fresh perspective. Here are 5 tips for BPO companies in the Philippines on how to train their customer service reps to have a laser focus and attention to detail.1. Lock onto the problem or goal.Customers don’t tell us their real concern or problem 80%1 of the time. It’s natural for a customer service rep to fill in the gaps with the information customers don’t share. It’s also natural to overlook something the customer shares, especially if the rep has already leapt ahead to a solution based on previous contacts with similar concerns.Locking onto the “voice of the customer” enables the rep to recognize high-effort situations, high-emotion clues, unsolved problems, and unmet goals. Locking on to this key information sets the direction for a low-effort contact and is the foundation to create effective responses that show advocacy, ownership, and make it easy for the customer.2. Ask the right questions and control the call.Research shows that during a typical interaction, customers reveal only 20% of what is on their minds. It’s the customer service rep’s role to uncover the other 80%.1 Yet many reps focus on either a) getting the information they need; or b) driving to a conclusion based on prior calls, and they go into fact-finding mode rather than opening a discussion.The best BPO call center reps are problem-solvers who use questions to go beyond mere facts and gain a deeper understanding of what the customer needs and wants, and how they can deliver it.3. Solve the problem with easy-to-understand solutions.Companies believe 76.7% of customer issues are resolved in one contact. Yet, customers claim only 40% of their issues are resolved in one contact.2 Customer service reps who are skilled at solving customer issues don't just focus on the issue the customer contacts the company about. They proactively think one step ahead of the customer to solve issues the customer might have later that are related to the current situation. These reps recognize that solving one problem often leads to other questions and related problems the customer didn’t specifically mention or may not have even thought about.Skilled Filipino call center reps proactively take the time to solve those downstream issues that customers themselves might not be aware of. This expands the definition of how to solve the problem, from a focus not only on first-contact resolution, but also with a strong emphasis on next issue avoidance.4. Engineer the customer’s experience.Surprisingly, two-thirds of customer perception of effort is based on how they feel about the experience of the interaction,2 and that perception has to do with the language used to communicate. Speaking someone’s language doesn’t just mean using English correctly. It means communicating with customers in a way that connects with them, and using words and phrases they use, which allow them to think, “This person understands me.”Engineering the experience means to skillfully manage the customer’s perception of effort simply by repositioning words that trigger feelings of high effort.5. Resolve high-effort situations.Technology has made it easier for customers to solve their own problems. In fact, 81%3 of all customers try to take care of matters before reaching out to a customer service rep. That means many already have a feeling of high effort before they even contact a rep. Customers are frustrated with the amount of time they’ve spent on their own, frustrated by the lack of information they’ve found online, and often frustrated they have resorted to calling a customer service rep. They’re not calling a rep because they want to; they’re calling a rep because they’ve exhausted all options to solve it on their own.Resolving the contact successfully doesn’t just mean just delivering a complete and accurate solution. It also means using higher-level interpersonal skills to address baggage a customer might have about a prior interaction or to reduce a customer’s feelings of frustration before these feelings lead to long-term dissatisfaction and disloyalty.Believe it or not, the best business strategy of all is to provide effortless customer service as a standard. Not just sometimes – but ALL THE TIME. People are paying attention to what you’re doing. They may not realize it at the time, but when a customer experiences effortless support they thank you for it, become return customers, and tell their friends. At ePerformax, we know the details matter in every customer interaction. We hire the best of the best when it comes to customer service reps and provide the training they need to handle every interaction confidently and effectively. A client shared this:“ePerformax’s dedication and commitment to our customers is phenomenal and best of all, our customers notice this. Thank you for your leadership and partnership in ensuring that our best customers get the best we can offer. Keep up the great work!”This note is just one example of the customer service excellence our ePerformax customer support reps provide every day. Customer service is not about meeting minimum expectations, it’s about paying attention to the details and exceeding customers’ expectations. That is exactly what we do at ePerformax, and why we’re one of the top BPO companies in the Philippines. Does your customer service outsourcer exceed your customers’ expectations, or do they leave your customers frustrated with your company? If you’re ready to create loyal relationships with your customers, give us a call today, and we’ll share how we’re helping companies like yours deliver customer service that increases brand loyalty. **Contact us today: +1 (888) 384-7004**1 Source: Dartnell Research quoted by Paul Cherry, Questions that Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants2 Source: 2013 Gartner Research Study quoted by Matthew Dixon, The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty3 Source: “Kick-Ass Customer Service,” By Matthew Dixon, Lara Ponomareff, Scott Turner, Rick DeLisi, January–February 2017

Why the details matter when it comes to customer service

image001.jpg

Believe it or not, the best business strategy of all is to provide excellent customer service as a standard. Not just sometimes– but ALL THE TIME. People are paying attention to what you’re doing. They may not realize it at the time, but when a customer experiences excellent service they thank you for it when they become return customers, and they tell their friends. 

Why the details matter when it comes to customer service.

ePerformax Contact Centers &amp; BPO proudly ranks #203 in the recently published Global Outsourcing Firm (BPO) Index: The OA500 2023.&nbsp;This objective analysis and ranking of the world’s top 500 outsourcing firms, The OA500 2023 is an index created by Outsource Accelerator in partnership with Time Doctor.“We are excited to be part of this global ranking from Outsource Accelerator. For over 20 years, our strategy has been to be the best performing customer contact center for our clients - in the Philippines and globally. This ranking reinforces the success of our strategy.” - Teresa Hartsaw, President &amp; CEO

Time Doctor Award_1366x768.jpg

ePerformax Contact Centers & BPO proudly ranks #203 in the recently published Global Outsourcing Firm (BPO) Index: The OA500 2023.

 This objective analysis and ranking of the world’s top 500 outsourcing firms, The OA500 2023 is an index created by Outsource Accelerator in partnership with Time Doctor.

“We are excited to be part of this global ranking from Outsource Accelerator. For over 20 years, our strategy has been to be the best performing customer contact center for our clients - in the Philippines and globally. This ranking reinforces the success of our strategy.” - Teresa Hartsaw, President & CEO

ePerformax Proudly Ranks #203

ePerformax partnered with dominKnow | ONE to develop an e-Learning project for an employee personal development program. The project had an 87% ROI when factoring time saved and the actual dollar amount spent for the project.“We have been working with dominKnow | ONE on several projects, and we are excited to implement the e-Learning for our internal team. Not only has this project been successful for us, but it highlights the great work that can be accomplished using dominKnow I ONE.” &nbsp;Click here to read full article: <a href="https://www.dominknow.com/blog/dominknow-recognized-as-an-industry-leading-elearning-authoring-tool-with-two-gold-brandon-hall-group-excellence-in-technology-awards">https://www.dominknow.com/blog/dominknow-recognized-as-an-industry-leading-elearning-authoring-tool-with-two-gold-brandon-hall-group-excellence-in-technology-awards</a>Lous Meeks, PMP VP Learning Design and Technology

Brandon Hall Group Image copy.jpg

ePerformax partnered with dominKnow | ONE to develop an e-Learning project for an employee personal development program. The project had an 87% ROI...

DominKnow | ONE wins coveted Gold Award for “Best Advance in Content Management Technology" 

ePerformax has always considered itself to be the #BestPlaceToWork in the Philippines, and now it's official! We've been named one of the "Philippines' Best Employers 2023" in a survey of 2000 companies across 27 industries sponsored by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista."Congratulations, ePerformax! You can only be one of the best when you have the VERY BEST employees who show up every day and perform to the max for our clients." Teresa Hartsaw, President &amp; CEO

Best Employers 1366x768.jpg

ePerformax has always considered itself to be the #BestPlaceToWork in the Philippines, and now it's official! We've been named one of the "Philippines' Best Employers 2023" in a survey of 2000 companies across 27 industries sponsored by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista.

"Congratulations, ePerformax! You can only be one of the best when you have the VERY BEST employees who show up every day and perform to the max for our clients." Teresa Hartsaw, President & CEO

#BESTPLACETOWORK

Teresa Hartsaw, president and CEO of ePerformax, has revolutionized the purpose and potential of call centers.Some would consider call centers a necessary evil. Not Teresa Hartsaw. She sees them as an opportunity—and a lucrative one, at that—for companies to increase profits and customer loyalty through strategic management.“I was in the business of marketing and sales when I learned how much power customer service representatives wielded with customers. They could undo millions of dollars in marketing and destroy a sale in a matter of minutes,” Hartsaw says.In the early 1990s, she began helping companies leverage call centers to grow sales through service, not just put out fires. However, she soon recognized the limitations of the current practices for hiring and training customer service reps in most companies. With vision and optimism, Hartsaw established ePerformax, growing it to a $100 million, full-service call center management company with a portfolio of mostly Fortune 1000 clients.“No one grows up saying, ‘I want to be in the call center industry.’ But people who arrive there from one avenue or another end up finding a lot of success if they do it right,” she says.SECRETS TO SUCCESSHartsaw says employee turnover is the No. 1 reason for unsavory call center experiences because the job takes training and experience to do it well. But when the right employees are properly hired, trained, and valued within the workplace, magic happens.“You have to have people who can do what robotic interactions cannot. Our representatives must be amazing communicators, critical thinkers who can solve problems quickly, and creative with the tools they have available to make things happen. If customers believe the representative has their back, they’ll want to work with that person instead of being confrontational,” Hartsaw says.The company’s signature Global Customer Experience &amp; Management Academy was created to find and develop raw talent. The management team employs the Performance Maximization Model to give structure and consistency to the company’s best practices.“We also treat our employees like customers,” says Hartsaw. “We want them to feel what it’s like to be treated well so that they can, in turn, treat our customers well.” To wit, a concierge team is available to make employees’ lives easier, and each team member is given a free smartphone to streamline communication to management.GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPWorking with eager, educated talent in the Philippines has been a game changer for ePerformax. The relationship commenced in 2002 after Hartsaw’s visit to the country, when she saw firsthand how Filipino people not only spoke English well, but “had the most gracious and caring spirit.” Those qualities, combined with Hartsaw’s passion for bringing out the best in people, formed a powerful dynamic that continues to place ePerformax as a frontrunner of the field.“Our mission statement is very straightforward: We perform,” concludes Hartsaw. “Our clients and our employees stay with us because they share our passion for making every customer experience one that builds loyalty.”Contact us today: <a href="tel:+1 (888) 384-7004">+1 (888) 384-7004</a>

home_bg.png

Some would consider call centers a necessary evil. Not Teresa Hartsaw. She sees them as an opportunity

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT

2020 was interesting, to say the least, for companies providing omnichannel support to their customers around the globe. The COVID-19 global pandemic drove companies and outsourcers alike to change their customer service approach, practically overnight, and quickly pivot to implement Work-at-Home (WAH) solutions in order to keep operations going.As you look forward into 2021 and into the future of your customer service operations, we’ve taken out the guesswork by suggesting core competencies and characteristics look for in an outsourcing partner. With these in mind, you’ll be equipped to make the best choice for your business, team, and future. Characteristics of Great Outsourcing PartnersNot all outsourcing partners are created equal. Some may look great on the outside but check under the hood, so to speak, and you’ll discover the flaws staring back at you. Here are the pivotal characteristics to look for. Agile. Flexible. Innovative. This goes without saying during the unprecedented situation we’ve experienced. You want a partner who will move quickly when your business or the world requires it. Working around the clock with our clients, we were able to achieve 92% operational capacity by deploying WAH solutions during this unique crisis. Where the full array of alternative working arrangements could not be adapted, we were able to keep 63% of client operations onsite through a combination of onsite living arrangements and nearby hotels.<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Long-term relationships. We’ve listed this factor next because we think it’s one of the most important ones to evaluate. If an outsourcing company only has a client for a year or two, something could be wrong. ePerformax works with its clients for the long haul. Our clients have partnered with us for an average of nine years, and our longest-running partnership has been going strong for over 15 years. Some of our clients started with 25 – 50 people and have grown into hundreds of team members! We understand what your customers need, and we provide it. The result is the growth of your business. &nbsp;</li><li>Likeability. This seems obvious, but you need to like the people you work with in an outsourcing situation. They are an extension of your business, so they need to reflect the tone, personality, and principles you strive to achieve as a company. Are they trustworthy? Do you dread conversations with their staff, or do you look forward to updates and collaborative meetings? If you don’t like an outsourcing company, chances are your customers won’t like them either. &nbsp;</li><li>Customized offerings. Some outsourcing companies offer the same package of services to every client. That’s not a good option, because your company isn’t exactly like other companies or your competition. So why do so many outsourcing companies offer only one model of service? That’s a mystery to us. At ePerformax, we customize our services and our training to meet your unique needs. We can be as collaborative and specific as you’d like. We shape our services to fit your company’s needs, rather than just giving you a plug-and-play solution or doing things as we’ve done for other clients. We give you customized attention to your specific needs, which translates into personalized, exceptional care for your customers. &nbsp;</li><li>Culture of performance. Your outsourcing partner needs to mesh well with your company’s culture because hey should be a virtual extension of your company and your customer service operations. Your customers should feel as if they’ve called you personally. ePerformax has a simple, highly focused mission statement that drives our culture. Our mission is to PERFORM with Passion, Empowerment, Resourcefulness, Flexibility, Optimism, Results-Orientation, and the Motivation to win for our clients, their customers, and all our employees. This means that everything we do for your company supports your culture, your mission, and your vision. &nbsp;</li><li>Business insights. Most outsourcing companies give you analytics dashboards, but they leave you guessing how that data can impact your business. At ePerformax, we do things differently. Not only do we monitor our calls through voice and text speech analytics to provide feedback and enhance our training, but we also go the extra mile to pull out business insights from those conversations to help our clients improve their business. We use the latest technology to broaden the scope of our analytics and dive deeper to find creative strategies to improve customer loyalty and your company’s brand. We don’t just provide customer service. We provide insights – based on what your customers are saying – to improve your business. &nbsp;</li><li>Executive-level support. At ePerformax our goal is not to be the biggest outsourcing company, but rather the best outsourcing partner for our clients. This means we’re a partner that focuses not only on being the best at customer service, but also one that gives you the attention and service you need as a client. You will also receive the personal and involved attention of our President and COO. They’ll be part of your regular reviews and strategy sessions.&nbsp; On your program team, you will see the same names and faces over and over because you won’t get bounced around to different people. And that translates into a great partnership that enables you to be the leader in your industry. &nbsp;</li><li>Networks and partnerships. You want to work with an outsourcing partner that can connect you with other companies that could benefit your business. For instance, you need to have strong partners in the technology consulting space. You want to bring the best minds in the business to utilize the best technology available in your sector. ePerformax partners with businesses whenever necessary to meet our clients’ wide range of needs. One of our partners, EPIC Connections, identifies and implements technology solutions in order to keep companies working at peak performance. Our strategic partnerships like EPIC allow ePerformax to equip our clients with the tools they need to grow their businesses.</li></ol> Not every outsourcing company will meet your unique needs, so be careful about your choice because it could impact your bottom line. ePerformax is uniquely positioned in the marketplace to provide you with the best support for your business and your customers while allowing you to maintain control of your business and your culture.Contact us today: <a href="tel:+1 (888) 384-7004">+1 (888) 384-7004</a> &nbsp;

What to Look for in an Outsourcing Partner

large_what-to-look-form-in-an-outsourcing-partner.jpg

medium_what-to-look-form-in-an-outsourcing-partner.jpg

small_what-to-look-form-in-an-outsourcing-partner.jpg

thumbnail_what-to-look-form-in-an-outsourcing-partner.jpg

what-to-look-form-in-an-outsourcing-partner.jpg

2020 was interesting, to say the least, for companies providing omnichannel support to their customers around the globe. The COVID-19 global pandemic drove companies and outsourcers alike to change their customer service approach, practically overnight, and quickly pivot to implement Work-at-Home (WAH) solutions in order to keep operations going.

2020 was interesting, to say the least, for companies providing omnichannel support to their customers around the globe. The COVID-19 global pandemic ...

Our Articles

Teresa Hartsaw, the president and CEO of ePerformax Philippines, did a Q&A about the company culture and why she chose the Philippines. Read the full ...

Believe it or not, the best business strategy of all is to provide excellent customer service as a standard. Not just sometimes– but ALL THE TIME. Peo...

ePerformax Contact Centers & BPO proudly ranks #203 in the recently published Global Outsourcing Firm (BPO) Index: The OA500 2023. This objective an...

ePerformax partnered with dominKnow | ONE to develop an e-Learning project for an employee personal development program. The project had an 87% ROI...

ePerformax has always considered itself to be the #BestPlaceToWork in the Philippines, and now it's official! We've been named one of the "Philippines...

Some would consider call centers a necessary evil. Not Teresa Hartsaw. She sees them as an opportunity