Manila is the call center capital of the world. Boasting excellent communication skills and high levels of English proficiency, the Filipino labor force is also very affordable—realities that explain why call centers in the Philippines have been dominating the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry, surpassing India in recent years.
With the BPO industry based in the Philippines expected to employ over one million workers by the end of the year and increase its revenues by 15 percent in 2014, a question arises: Is there any downside to opening a call center in the Philippines?
Starting a call center in the Philippines comes with a set of difficulties that are closely related to the inherent challenges of setting up any business in the country. The Philippines ranks very low in terms of business registration in all international rankings – and call centers in the Philippines are no exception.
Red Tape in the Philippines is rampant–complying with the wide array of governmental agencies is a long and tedious bureaucratic process – and despite the absence of language barriers, you will face work and cultural challenges that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Another challenge is related to finding the right people. The high number of BPO companies leads to fierce competition, and attracting and retaining talented professionals can thus be tricky.
Despite all these challenges, we believe the Philippines will continue enhancing its global competitiveness in the BPO industry, and call centers in the Philippines will remain a key player in this sector. There is still significant potential for growth, and the government recognizes this by providing support to improve business conditions and implementing tax incentive programs that will certainly contribute to the industry’s expansion.
Having registered and dealt with hundreds of multinational and domestic businesses in the Philippines, we understand all the aspects of starting a call center.
Contact us and one of our business consultants will be assisting you within 24 hours.
