Welcome to Stark BPO's Team Homepage.
Smart Call Center Solutions at a Fraction of the Cost
1-833-88-STARK (US/Canada)
That's 1-833-887-8275.
WhatsApp or Viber: +1-778-917-5533
OUR strong team
FOUNDED ON TRUST
CEBU OPERATIONS CENTER
CEBU OPERATIONS CENTER
Today, our operations span three floors in Cebu City supporting several clients in North America, Australia, UK and Dubai. Looking back, Stark BPO won't be where it is today without the 18 brave men and women who became part of our pioneering team. Just as important, our organization wouldn't come about had it not for the backing of our first client who believed and supported a very talented pilot team that we put together on Stark BPO's official launch on August 21, 2016.
As one united team, we took on the challenge of meeting our first client's process needs and growth objectives in our maiden year, guided by our shared values. We take pride in our results because we didn't just meet those expectations, we exceeded them.
Our shared values did not entirely come from management. We entrusted our team members to contribute to the identification of these values that are important to them. These values are fittingly reflected in our company name and most importantly, in our culture.
Our story is one of pure courage, service excellence and teamwork. Beyond numbers, we believe that success should also be measured by how we take care of our people, and how our people take care of their fellow teammates and our home.
Our values and our mission are aligned. They are easy to remember and practical. Most of all, they are deeply rooted in the belief that we have in our people. That's the same belief we had from the day Stark BPO was born because our people are at the heart of what we do. After all, we are our clients' trusted outsourcing partners. Excellence is just a byproduct of the efficacy and interaction of our values, sense of mission and unrelenting drive to succeed.
CEBU OPERATIONS CENTER
CEBU OPERATIONS CENTER
CEBU OPERATIONS CENTER
Stark BPO Services is located in the heart of Cebu City, the Queen City of the South, Philippines, a 10-minute walk to the historic Fuente Osmeña Circle and Cebu Provincial Capitol.
Stark BPO - IT Infrastructure
Stark BPO’s Systems and Network infrastructure complies with both BCP and DRP standards. Below is a Quick Summary of Stark BPO’s IT infrastructure, ISPs, Redundancy and Disaster Recovery Document.
Stark BPO IT infrastructure systems are hosted on-premise on a virtual environment with redundant physical host servers, storage drives & network for load balancing, fail-over and high availability, most of which are within multiple server platforms, using the most top known equipment in a secured environment to ensure continuous inter-operability, redundancy and scalability.
Stark BPO's hardware systems are composed of multiple physical host servers running on virtual platform configured as a resource pool hosting multiple virtual servers. Our central network attached storage has redundant hot swap hard drives that provide virtual disks for servers as well repositories for multi layer onsite backup.
Stark' network runs on Cisco platform with its proprietary routing practices. Network has standby cold spare units pre-configured for any hardware faults. Data technology uses network attached storage linked to multiple drives and file services across all production and backup environment comprising of standard RAID disk configuration for redundancy and fault-tolerance. Backup comprises of onsite, multiple rotating offsite and a cloud replicating backup systems.
A SUCCESS STORY
CEBU OPERATIONS CENTER
A SUCCESS STORY
Millions of young Filipinos aspire to work in the BPO industry because of better pay and equal opportunities that traditional industries in the Philippines don't generally offer. The opportunities are tremendous. The new experience that awaits a new hire in a new industry will be personally and professionally rewarding. There's no denying that the BPO sector has been a life-saver for many Filipino families across the country. Prior to the entry of the BPO industry in the early 2000s, the Philippines was heavily dependent on OFW remittances that have kept the Philippine currency and the national economy afloat.
The BPO sector is now forecasted to to eclipse the annual remittance of OFWs by 2023. This success story has not only made foreign companies to invest in the BPO industry, it has also encouraged a number of home-grown, local companies to venture into. Stark BPO is one of those companies. We can proudly say that we are 100% Filipino-owned. We started with only 18 agents in 2016 and leased the exact number of office seats providing lead-generation services to our first ever client, an SEO company in Dubai. Now on our 4th year, Stark BPO now supports client-companies in Colorado, Texas, New York, Toronto, London, Melbourne and Dubai for customer service, sales, data processing and non-voice accounts.
Within our first year of operations, Stark BPO was recognized in a 2017 local blog post as one of the Top 10 BPO companies in Cebu. Stark BPO landed at no. 9. Truth is, being recognized is already a big honor in itself. To the author of this article, from all of us at Stark BPO, thank you endlessly.
OUR happy team
STARK BPO TURNS 4
TEAM MEMBERS' FEEDBACK
TEAM MEMBERS' FEEDBACK
Stark BPO Services turned 4 on August 21, 2020. As an organization of dedicated call center professionals, we take pride in our achievements, individually and collectively.
Time does indeed fly. It wasn't that very long ago when we started this great journey, taking a giant leap of faith, and gladly we did as we've turned Stark BPO to be a fun and successful BPO company.
We count the years like we count our blessings, and as they say, the rest is history. With the support of our first client in 2016, we put together a very talented and experienced team to run the account. We did not only achieve our targets, we exceeded them. Heading into our 5th year, our optimism and focus are locked in as we turn every stone and aim for bigger goals, for our client
These milestones are a tribute to Stark BPO's dedicated team. Each one has made our organization's beginning stories a truly remarkable one. Last year, we celebrated our 3rd year anniversary on the 24th of August 2019 at Dakong Bato Beach Resort in Dalaguete, Cebu. This year, due to the pandemic, for the safety of our staff, we decided to save the celebration for next year, 2021 on Stark BPO's 5th year anniversary.
2016 was the year we endeavored to start a remarkable journey together in building not just a company but a home. All we truly had was belief in our people, our enthusiasm to serve and courage to discover new frontiers, inspired by our mission to become an unbeatable outsourcing partner of choice for our clients. As they say, anything is possible. We made it happen at Stark BPO.
TEAM MEMBERS' FEEDBACK
TEAM MEMBERS' FEEDBACK
TEAM MEMBERS' FEEDBACK
"A happy place to work, a supportive environment and people-oriented management. This is our home, built by a hardworking and dedicated team."
- Quenne, Pioneer Staff, Operations
"Stark BPO, thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow in this company and become a big part in the team's success.
- Dhio, Customer Service Agent
"More than just a great team. Stark BPO has been instrumental to my professional advancement. To have witnessed the company grow to where it is now in just 4 years is an amazing accomplishment."
- Sherbi, Pioneer Staff, Operations
"Stark BPO provided me great avenues to grow as a call center professional. I excelled in every account I was assigned to, (sales and customer service) which further broadened by experience."
- Jhong, Pioneer Staff, CSR
"I'm one of the founding members who joined Stark BPO in 2016. I'm grateful that I have made the right decision. It's a great privilege to have this opportunity to help lead this company from day one."
- Judy, Pioneer Staff, Finance Admin
"Prior to joining Stark in 2016, I was your typical call center-hopper between 2012 and 2015. When I joined Stark BPO, I learned to appreciate my job. Most importantly, I learned to appreciate Stark BPO, a company that values its people. "
- Jess, Outbound Sales since Oct. 2016
STARK BPO SHINES
TEAM MEMBERS' FEEDBACK
STARK BPO SHINES
Since 2003, several multinational companies have expanded their BPO operations to other key cities in the Philippines outside of Manila, namely Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod and Clark. Cebu is next to Manila in terms of global recognition due to better infrastructure and abundance of young qualified workforce coming out of Cebu City's top colleges and universities, such as USC, USJR, SWU, UC, SIT, CDU, CIT-U, STC and other post-secondary institutions.
Cebu is one of only two cities in the Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s (PEZA) list of “Centers for Excellence.” This is awarded to cities that have a strong hold in certain industries and disciplines. Moreover, Cebu City and Manila are the only Philippine cities in the Top 15th rank according to Tholons Services Globalization Index (TSGI) 2020. Most of the BPO companies that continue to hire outside of Metro Manila are located in Cebu City, the provincial capital. It is followed by the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu , Talisay and Consolacion.
The Philippine BPO industry directly employs over 1.3 million Filipinos nationwide which generated $26.3 Billion in 2019, a 7.1% growth from the previous year. We at Stark BPO are proud to be contributing to this growth in our small ways through job creation, career opportunities and growth.
We are optimistic that the future is bright for our organization and the Philippine BPO industry in general. We at Stark BPO remain committed in delivering smart outsourcing solutions to our clients at a fraction of the cost. 2020 is springboard to 2021 and beyond.
OBJECTIVE GUIDE TO CALL CENTER OUTSOURCING
Credits: Hubspot Article by Swetha Amaresan, May 18, 2019
Smart companies always do whatever they can to eliminate costs. Budgeting is key as it can help businesses invest more into the aspects of their company that they want to focus on — such as employee appreciation or newer equipment.
One way that many companies consider cutting costs is through outsourcing call centers. Some industry leaders firmly stand by this decision, believing that it alleviates costs that can afford to be cut down. Others, however, disagree with this decision and believe that keeping call centers close to home is worth the additional costs.
If your business is in the process of considering this switch, read on to learn more about outsourcing customer service as well as the pros and cons of hiring an external call center.
Outsourcing Customer Service
Outsourcing customer service allows companies to re-focus their time and resources on other aspects of the business, such as product development, content creation, and sales. Rather than assigning more employees to their customer service department, companies can hire an external service to oversee a specific business function, e.g. existing or small business customers. These outsourced services can also take over a business's call center completely. This means the company is outsourcing all of the operations involved with that call center, rather than just one or two functions.
Call center outsourcing occurs when a business hires an external customer service organization to staff and manage their call center from a separate location. In this situation, the customer service organization hires and trains their employees to handle all communication with customers for the business.
Among the benefits to call center outsourcing are as follows:
1. It Costs Less
One of the primary reasons for outsourcing customer service is that it vastly lowers call center costs. The cost of living in certain foreign nations such as the Philippines and India, which is a common choice for outsourcing — is much lower than that of the U.S. companies. These countries pay workers lower wages, thus saving your company money.
2. Your Company Can Save Time
Interviewing, hiring, and training call center employees can take longer than expected. You need to make sure these employees have the skills to handle interpersonal communication, gain knowledge on the company and products, and solve customer problems. An outsourced call center can take some of this weight off of your company's shoulders by handling staffing. That way, you can refocus your time on other in-house tasks that require your attention.
3. It's Helpful For International Expansion
If your company is already international or is considering international expansion, it's helpful to have outsourced call centers. Specifically, it's beneficial if those call centers are placed in external nations where you'd like to eventually start doing business. That way, there will already be a local call center in place with employees who speak the same language and are a part of the same culture.
4. There's An Increase in Flexibility
Outsourced call center employees work for your company when needed, rather than as full-time employees. Whenever a company has shifting needs, they can quickly and easily assign outsourced call centers to meet those needs, knowing that they don't need to up-charge or pay overtime. Instead, these employees will just continue to be paid for the hours they spend on the phone.
5. You Can Provide 24/7 Customer Service
24/7 customer service is something that has become expected by consumers. However, it's unbelievably costly to pay local employees to work overnight shifts. By having an outsourced call center, you can easily cover 24 hours of the day just by having international employees work during the daytime. Time zone differences will make 24/7 coverage happen without your having to assign someone extra shifts.
6. You Can Easily Transfer Overflow Calls
There are certain times of the year when there's a higher call volume than usual, like around holiday seasons. During these times it can be difficult to manage a sudden spike in customer service calls. By having an outsourced call center whose job is to handle overflow, you can easily transfer calls to the call center without breaking a sweat.
If you're in the hunt for a reliable call center provider, search no more. Stark BPO is your smart outsourcing partner at a fraction of the cost. Call us on Viber or WhatsApp: + 1 778-917-5533. You may also send an email to: info@starkbpo.net.
The Good Call Center Guide
Credits: Callcenterbasics.com
Call Centers are talked about, probably because they affect our lives in so many ways. Whatever product or service we may buy, on many occasions we will end up dealing with one.
A call center is defined as the part of an organization that deals with inbound or outbound communications with customers
A call center can be a stand-alone business or an integral unit of a larger organization. Its primary function is to handle customer contacts. These interactions range from customer service calls, technical support calls, sales calls and the like. It can therefore be summarized that it is a unit that does business over the phone.
Call centers are critical to support the marketing and customer service functions of many large companies. Most top Fortune 500 companies has at least one call centers which employs an average 4,500 agents. More than $300 billion is spent on call centers around the world.
What Defines an Effective Call Center?
An effective call center needs to balance three factors: people, process, and technology.
People
It is a good idea to start with hiring the right people to do the job. Although the common known employee is the telephone representative or the agent, there are many other support positions that need to be filled up if the business is expected to perform effectively.
Process
Process refers to the internal procedures by which specific tasks are carried out within the organization. Every department almost has their own process and this must perfectly mesh with processes in other departments to ensure seamless operations.
Technology
Technology is important because it helps the organization in saving time, storing information, and managing relationships. One of the most important call center software is the CRM tool or the customer relationship management tool. This is where data is collected from which business decisions are based upon.
The other significant call center software is the ACD or the automatic call distribution software. This is important in making sure that incoming calls are evenly distributed among staff.
An effective contact center harnesses the value its top three resources: people, process, and technology.
Stark BPO's 4th year anniversary and counting...
Counting Our Blessings
From our grateful hearts to yours!
BPO industry news
Credits: sfweekly.com
BPO Philippines – Still The Top Choice
The Philippines’ vital business process outsourcing industry (BPO) may have taken a hit during the first few months of quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19, but true to its history of resilience, it is slowly adjusting to shifting demands and new normal standards that will make it all the more the outsourcing destination of choice once the pandemic ends.
As with other industries, BPO companies in the Philippines were disrupted by the restrictions that the government put in place beginning mid-March. The mobility of workers—most of whom live outside business districts and largely rely on public transportation to get to their place of work—was severely hampered.
Most of businesses closed down and several services shuttered as the Philippines tried to stop the spread of the virus. Only essential businesses remained in operation.
The Philippine government, however, had to strike a balancing act. Knowing fully well the contribution of the industry to its growth story, the government allowed BPO companies to resume activities, while enjoining firms to practice stricter health standards and social distancing measures.
Business process outsourcing to the Philippines remained brisk up until the pandemic. At the beginning of the decade, the industry was already employing 1.3 million Filipinos and was generating more than US$26 billion dollars in annual revenues, equivalent to around 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
The BPO industry remains one of two main pillars of the Philippine economy, aside from overseas Filipino workers whose remittances have, by and large, propped up the country’s dollar reserves. Today, there are more than 800 outsourcing providers operating in the country. Holding the fort of many BPO companies in the Philippines is a vast labor pool of highly educated and skilled workforce, which, to a large extent, grew up with a close cultural affinity to the West. Thanks to relatives working abroad and open borders allowing for exchange of ideas, Filipinos take pride in their English-speaking communication skills. The Philippines has become the country of choice of international firms outsourcing bulk of their operations where labor cost is low and productivity high.
Key services outsourced by these firms are customer service, inbound sales and technical support. While BPO companies in the Philippines largely support English language services, many of these firms also offer Asian and other European languages.
But BPO companies in the Philippines are always making one step forward as new challenges from globalization and cross-border interactions emerge. Data processing and management, content moderation and computer-animated design are just a few of the services now on offer as new variables such as artificial intelligence put pressure on the entire labor structure.
No crisis can permanently stop BPO companies in the Philippines from flourishing. These BPO companies in the Philippines will always adjust to the current normal. As firms across the globe begin to emerge from the crisis brought about by the pandemic, operations are set to continue and expansion will provide an avenue of choice.
The value proposition of the Philippine BPO industry as one of the world’s leading BPO destinations remains unchanged. There’s really no alternative to the Philippines in terms of cultural affinity, English language proficiency and service capabilities.
Philippines: A Leading Outsourcing Hub
At the beginning of the millennia, business process outsourcing (BPO) to the Philippines was on the cusp of growth. The country became home to over 800 BPO companies, which were responsible for the employment of around 1.3 million people. The industry also generated over $30 billion in annual revenues or 7.4 percent of the Philippines's GDP.
Since then, the performance of the BPO industry in the Philippines has skyrocketed, making it the world's second-largest BPO destination – and the largest and leading call center outsourcing hub.
The country has the perfect mix of factors that make the business climate very conducive to the industry. First off, the Filipino culture has a very close affinity to that of the West, which makes it easier to conduct business. Filipinos, no matter where you find them in the country, have all been educated using the English language, and their proficiency is unparalleled in Asia.
The Philippines has been voted the best English-speaking country in the region. No other country can match the track record of the BPO industry in the Philippines, which is already over two decades old and rich in competitive experience. Complementing this is the industry's excellent infrastructure, which contributes to the continued growth of BPO companies in the Philippines.
The country's key competitive advantages and value proposition for outsourcing clients remain unchanged, and more than makeup for the impact of Covid-19.
We, at Stark BPO, believe that the Philippine outsourcing industry will rebound mightily and is well-positioned to further grow in 2021 and beyond.