Hello Again, Australia!

It's not everyday that I check my blog stats so it came into a surprise that as of noontime, I had 27 page views today coming from Australia which comes second to Philippines (of course).

This made me wonder what posts could have bridged my blog to our friends from the land down under. I don't remember writing about Australia or publishing anything on kangaroos, boomerang, or the Tasmanian devil, perhaps.

Which made me pause for a while and ask myself why I haven't written anything about this continent/ country which has been very close to my heart one time in my life.  You see, I once worked for a call center and handled an account based in New South Wales.

Before I took my very first call, I was part of a group that had undergone a week of seminar about the country's history and culture and important information about its people.  For the next seven months, I talked to an average of sixty (60) different Australians (with their undeniably hard to understand yet pleasant-to-hear accent) either to assist them with a query or pacify them after an unpleasant experience with our product. I got cursed and my ego hammered for a number of times although there are some who praised me from the way I talked, handled the inquiry and exchange thoughts about what's happening in the world.  

It was a very challenging job and thankfully I got promoted as a quality analyst which basically took the "taking in calls" task away from my job description. I was monitoring calls for the next two years before I decided to look for a new cubicle outside the company that promises a normal work sked, better sleep and a chance to check my Friendster account from time to time.

My "Australian" experience may not have been a perfect set-up that I have thought will be. Just imagine the headaches that I get in every irate call I receive, misunderstandings and unexpected problems that comes almost everyday. But today, how I wish I can get a call from any of the irate callers I've talked to in my previous work. I'd just want to say that I have forgiven you and I hope you feel like doing the same to (for the unpleasant words I just keep within me because you are a well-loved customer). After all, I would like to believe that I became a better employee because of the experience, good or bad. Well, I think you guys deserve a "thank you" for that. 

Today, I'm just happy that something or someone have reconnected me with a country that was once a part of my breakfast and catnaps.  Let me say this to all my Australian readers, thanks for visiting my blog and being part of my wonderful journey. Keep on visiting this site since I might be featuring the Brumbies or the Reds or the Australian Open or even a kangaroo's life.   

Stellar: A Brighter Vision for the Future

Mr. Edmund Macaso, CEO of Stellar Philippines, Inc. (second from left) and Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio of the Department of Trade and Industry (second from right) during the ribbon-cutting ceremony

A joint venture between Stellar Global and Paxys, Inc., Stellar Philippines was formed to be the main outsourcing facility for cost-effective offshore services and solutions provided by Stellar’s Australia, US, Canada and UK offices.  Since its incorporation over 4 years ago, Stellar Philippines has become one of the country’s fastest-rising call center and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.  

The entire Stellar network is composed of more than a dozen outsourcing centers strategically located in business districts of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland and Western Australia, Montreal, Canada, Irvine, Scotland, Colorado and Texas, USA. These centers showcase the formidable strength and expertise of Stellar in providing superior voice and non-voice, back-office services to its global clients covering a wide range of industries such as telecommunications, utilities, transport, finance, government and manufacturing.

To deliver its brand promise, “Excellent People deliver Excellent Results,” Stellar Philippines engages a relatively rigorous learning and development approach which includes a “Near Hire” training program, designed for applicants who might have some minor flaws. This program aims to convert these applicants into “new hires.”

A unique feature of Stellar is its corporate culture which revolves the “Open Book Management” philosophy. In a nutshell, OBM is about making employees feel like ‘business owners’ and letting them in on the company’s financial reports. This type of management aims to develop the employee’s entrepreneurial spirit wherein they also share in the company’s profit.

And now that Stellar Philippines is charting a new chapter in its storied existence, the company is leaving no stone unturned to make its dream as a topnotch BPO company in the country a reality. Expanding further, Stellar Philippines recently launched a new facility that will showcase the company’s remarkable growth in its operations.

Housed at the MDC 100 Building along E. Rodriguez Avenue (C5) in Libis, Quezon City, the new Stellar Philippines corporate headquarters and BPO facility will be a true sight to behold. Operating in a strategic BPO location that also houses some of the best names in the BPO industry, the new facility features state of the art equipment and technology .

“It has been our dream to move to this present area in order to showcase our capabilities and make sure that we are in the radar of clients looking for the best outsourcing options on this side of the world. Being the world’s top outsourcing capital, we have always believed that the Philippines is truly ready to meet the increasing global demand for voice and back office outsourcing,” explains Mr. Edmundo Macaso, Chief Executive Officer of Stellar Philippines.

Aside from operational efficiency, Macaso said that Stellar Philippines places high value on its integrity and the commitment to excellence to meet business goals. Lastly, it gives credit to employees, which he describes as the cornerstone of its operations. “At Stellar, we value each individual’s merits and contributions that’s why we make sure that they have a comfortable, safe and healthy working environment in order for them to manage customer relationships effectively.”

Stellar is a leading global provider of call center and BPO solutions. It operates outsourcing centers around the world manned by more than 5,000 employees that collectively manage over 300 million customer interactions and 100 million transaction processes annually.