India ousted as call centre hub

Supply Chain Digital writes.

According to The Economic Times, the Philippines, which has a population one-tenth as big as India's, overtook India this year, says Jojo Uligan, executive director of the Contact Centre Association of the Philippines.

Executives say the growth was not motivated by wage considerations. Filipino call centre agents typically earn more than their Indian counterparts, but notes they are worth the extra cost because US customers find them easier to understand than they do Indian agents, who speak British-style English and use unfamiliar idioms.

More Filipinos than Indians now spend their nights talking to mostly American consumers, industry officials say, as companies like AT&T, JPMorgan Chase and Expedia have hired call centres there, or built their own, The Times of India reports.

The Philippines has "a unique combination of Eastern, attentive hospitality and attitude of care and compassion mixed with what I call Americanisation", said Aparup Sengupta, CEO of Aegis Global.