According to a study conducted by Nielsen Philippines, the cumulative compensation amount of BPO employees is about P250B annually. Call center agents are paid more than most Filipino employees who work in different industries.
As a matter of fact, call center professionals have become key to the growth of middle-class communities in the country. Aside from that, the spending habits of those working at call centers are also different from those of non-BPO industry employees. They tend to spend more. The reason call center employees spend so much is because they earn more than the average Filipino employee.
They alter their lifestyle to go with the demands of what they do, changing their consumption and purchasing habits. An example would be a Philippine call center‘s dress code. Instead of wearing casual clothes or company-provided uniforms, most employees have to purchase the latest trends to look good while working.
Why? Because it boosts self-esteem and confidence, which is very important when talking to clients, and because everyone in the area dresses nicely and even tries to imitate America’s seasonal outfits.
Another lifestyle-changing factor is the way these individuals consume. Since outsourcing companies are strategically located in or near commercial and retail districts, call center agents tend to patronize the nearest and even most expensive establishments to get their coffee, breakfast, or alcohol fix.
Although call center employees are paid well for their hard work, most of them only consume processed and pre-packed meals during their breaks, such as canned goods, fast food, biscuits, and chips. According to a recent survey, call center agents consumed these staples because they were the easiest to prepare and cheap, and they’d rather spend their money elsewhere.
What kind of things you might ask? Designer coffee, weekly out-of-town trips, after-shift bar outings, pending loan bills, neglected credit card fees, and the latest technological gadgetry. These were mostly things that they could not afford but had always wanted when they were not yet working in a call center.
Call center professionals were also asked if they could afford these little luxuries or only buy them for fulfillment and to keep up with trends and peers. Sadly, most of them said the latter.
Compared to the rest of the working population, call center workers generally spend more. Their only advantage is their contribution to the economy, but what about the concept of prioritizing? Is it not as important as it used to be?
How has working in a BPO changed your lifestyle? Let us know in our comments section!