Pilipino Reservation Agents

[castortroy]

"unit manager for US Airways here in Manila Philippines"

You are full of !^#@!. You are a "board" former employee from CCY, with nothing to do but play on this board since Doug cut you looooose.

[post="311552"][/post]​

Frankly I do not know what you're talking about.

Another example of a "dumb" comment that was not thought about before being said.

Like one of US Airways' executive said to us on her visit, most of the people that we're going to deal with will be UGLY AMERICANS, well here is one.

Hope you change your view on life, or be UGLY for the rest of your life.

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation that under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind**** America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Convincing them to walk you.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along in the age of paranoia

[post="311699"][/post]​

Ah, it always comes back to Green Day.

 

[trvlr64]

I've been living with a Manila-born/raised Filipino for over 7 years.

I've NEVER heard "Pilipino" from him or any our dozens of Philippine-born family and friends.

[post="285596"][/post]​

Well Good for you! But my supervisor at a hospital in San Diego and another coworker at a hospital in NYC both used the word Pilipino. Maybe your roommate just speaks better English!

I know what I heard.

 

[Res]

I thinks it's sad that this thread had gone this direction - those overseas are trying to earn a paycheck just like us...it's the US businesses that are exploiting them - 10-12 hour days mandatory ....little training.

I understand its a business and the bottom line $$ makes the companies decision, it's the reason for going this direction - but how long does it take before the company realizes it is not working....there are communication issues and also public perception issues. Someone has to be monitoring these calls.....!!!!

The public is tired of being transferred 3-4 times on average and misinformed and disconnected...it's embarrassing to say who I work for - I recall when we at US won customer service awards - apparently customer service is no longer important.

 

[Awa Contract]

I was just there for 2 weeks and stayed in one of the suburbs outside of Manila and from what I saw and learned while visiting 180 per month is less that the average office worker makes there. And to the person that says there is a middle class, it sure managed to stay hidden from view what I saw was those that have (weathy by thier standards) and poverty. I saw no middle class at all. I saw working people living thier lives out in a room the size of my laundry closet and they were the lucky ones. You would think that if a company the size of US Airways was to take the work out of America and away from Americans they would at leat make a dignified effort to improve the lives of the people that country. Apparently any type of morals is to much to expect from this company, instead they choose to enslave these people so despart for a hand up and willing to work for it.

 

[BOOM!]

If you buy tickets through U's Philippine reservation agents does some of your money go to support terrorism? Just do a search on yahoo for Philippine terrorists and you will see they are very active there. Weird that a company that was so impacted by September 11th would go to a country that is not safe for Americans to travel to now because of the threat to Americans if they go there.
See link below:

Philippine terrorists

[post="285373"][/post]​

I tend to disagree. Money goes to my family's dinner table and pays for kid's school.

Why are you yapping about our place not being safe to Americans? WE are not safe from yours. 911 did not kill only Americans but a lot of "other" people as well, and to think that the target was only America.

 

[BOOM!]

Well Good for you! But my supervisor at a hospital in San Diego and another coworker at a hospital in NYC both used the word Pilipino. Maybe your roommate just speaks better English!

I know what I heard.

[post="311721"][/post]​

Actually the real deal here is "Pilipino" for the local dialect. It was only "Americanized" to "Filipino" either way both words mean the same thing so cut the fuzz about it.

 

[BOOM!]

I used to work for Expedia and there were no complaints about it being in the Philippines. They were here 3 years when I came on board so there were no more "birth pains".

Now U was here just for the last six months, I know that compared to you guys who've had several years if not a lot of experience in this field, we or at least my agents are but amateurs. Add to that the 10 days training they got to compensate 20 years of experience to some/all of you...don't blame us for trying, with the miniscule resources that was given us, we'd be at your level before the decade ends.

It's a job for most of us. Money to buy food, to pay the rent, to put our kid through school.

You were right in saying communication is a bit of a Waterloo for us but hey let's turn the table and you try learn our language let's see how funny you'd sound.

Just my two cents worth...

BTW, I'm also a manager for MNL RES.

 

[WestCoastGuy]

The Filipino people are among the most gracious and caring people I have ever come across in my travels. And for the most part, they LOVE America and for all it stands. Their modern cities mimic the best cities in America. At many of the malls in Manila, you would never know you were not in America. This is a job for most of them there, that many could only dream about. Let's give them a break and let them learn our business. BTW, I wouldnt worry as much about terrorism there. Id worry about getting mugged in NYC or carjacked in LA. This is just the new world of business.

 

[Awa Contract]

I agree with you West Coast Guy, as I said I just spent two weeks there in Manila. They were the nicest and friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They are also some of the hardest working people that I have met. But what I saw and experienced living with some folks and not in the tourist area was that the level of poverty was nind staggering. They would work all day to put enough food on the table to just barely feed themselves. 180 dollars a month is disgusting and this company should be ashamed to show thier faces in public. They are running just another form of the sweat shop. I agree with you on the people but if you had left to tourist areas you would have seen the other side. I agree that they love America and Americans a little history lesson and you would know that during World War 2 and the Bataan March for every American that died the was 10 Filipino's died. This country has never had a more faithful friend. My arguement is that if the work goes there pay them a decent wage with decent work conditions. They deserve it.

 

[reznc]

I'm with BOOM on the terrorism, I walked from the call center back to the hotel at weird night hours and felt safe. I could not do that in the US.

Did you know that a prerequiste to having a job for US in MNL is a 4 year degree? Did you know that over 50% of the employees in MNL have lived overseas?
Did you know that their cost of living is different to ours?
Did you know that they place their values differently to us?

They are some of the most happiest people I have had the pleasure to interact with. They are grateful, hardworking, kind, intelligent people.

I understand people's concerns about decent wages, however we aren't in charge of their country, and it is certainly not my place to judge. As I have all ready said my values are different to yours and theirs, but I truly respect theirs.

 

[kerplunk]

let me give y'all a piece of my mind. i am a reservations agent here in the Philippines and for what its worth i've been trying to hold on to this job for a couple of months now just so i can feed myself and my family and to save some money for my so-called dream of working in the US (who knew) in relation to my profession. i have a 5-year college degree and am holding a license in my profession and its sad that i can't practice it in my own land because the opportunity is as rare as finding a cheap ticket with no restrictions. i took this job to make sure i have a roof above my head and all that cliche and its not my fault that US came here to outsource. i did not ask to be cursed by passengers who cant find a better fare, or who are having trouble booking online with that freakin' website. it's even sadder that i have to work in a totally different field with only 1 freakin' month of training. and FYI, our calls are being monitored and we have to meet (impossibly high) metrics (handling time) while keeping up with the quality. otherwise our asses will get creamed and we lose our jobs and it's back to the streets hunting for whatever job there is.
and to pitguy, if you must know,"if you buy tickets through U's Philippine reservation agents does some of your money go to support terrorism?", the answer is, no, it does not even go to our pockets, so why the hell would it go to terrorists? do you think we support those a**holes? that's just plain stupid! and im not saying that we dont make mistakes, we do as a matter of fact, what with only 4weeks of training as opposed to years of experience of our predecessors. its just that, we are trying so hard to perform our job, and we might not be able to speak american english coz its not our native tongue, but at least we have good grammar and to some who still diss us, why dont you try speaking filipino and hear how you sound?
we know that as newbies still have a lot to learn, and we trying to keep up the demands of the job. i have deep respect for people who understand what we do, and as a matter of fact i have had several callers who are very pleased with the service and even take time to engage in small talk, who dont mind the language barrier, or the miles between us. that is a good day and it makes me proud to be a part of this company. on bad days, we get calls like "no wonder US is in trouble" or "that's why SW is kicking your butts", and one even went as far as saying "i cant wait for HP to fire you all" for situations that are beyond our control.
to quote Former ModrAAtor,"On a good day, it's no more challenging than being a cashier at Home Depot, and on a bad day, I'd rather be at Home Depot..." bottomline is, im just trying to make a living. there are a few good reasons why im keeping this job. one of those might just be the fact that doug parker listens to green day. now if you'll excuse me i have a call.

 

[kerplunk]

Ah, it always comes back to Green Day.

[post="311717"][/post]​

but of course!

 

[noname]

I sincerely hope that you are not at work now and writing this while on company time. The majority of res agents at usairways do not have access to the internet and even if they did, your activity if done at work, would be cause for being put on a disciplinary level, if not fired.
The res agents at usairways did not receive any more training than 4-6 weeks depending on when they were hired. The job itself is learned while taking calls. There is no way possible to cover every possible scenario while in class. Maybe the main difference is that when we were hired we did not look at it as only a job. Most planned to retire from U and thought of it as a career. In hind sight we should have looked at it as only a job.
We have been subjected to monitoring and metrics for years. Get used to it or leave. The metrics have never been fair or always able to be maintained/attained. Those that put them in place don't do the job and in some cases have listened and sat with reps for a short time to determine how long a call should be and how much time you should have to complete the call.
All res reps have been cussed/yelled at at some time in their tenure. You get used to it and just go on along to the next call.
You are the first line of contact for many of USAirways passengers. What you do and how you do it reflects on the company for many consumers. You must handle the call and if you don't know/can't find the answer you have resources available other than "I don't know" or "let me transfer you". Find the answer (call assist desk/spvr) and you will know for the next caller that asks. Many times the answer is in Sabre, but is difficult to find. Most of us, in the days of past, when it wasn't busy, spent time looking thru the system trying to acquaint ourselves with where you could find information. We kept notes where to find information, not the answers, because it is constantly changing.
Bottom line, for most of the res agents at USAirways, it was a career, one we planned to stay with til retirement until it became all too apparent that we were unwanted by management. They kept stripping away the benefits until there was little to keep those that were proficient and experienced. There is only so long that you want to work night shifts, weekends and holidays with reduced compensation. We stayed with the hope that with many years on the job, we would see better shifts, days off, holidays that never materialized or once attained were taken away.
Now, take that call that has been on hold while you played online posting.

 

[barbeetantrums]

How many native Filipinos say "let me give y'all a piece of my mind"? Somebody is having fun on the Information Superhighway.