Local call center eyes China market for online tutorial

DAVAO CITY — Filipino-owned international contact center Six Eleven Global Services is tapping the emerging online language tutorial market in China, according to the Mindanao-based company’s top executive.

“Our latest project is the online tutors targeting the China market so we’re going to teach Chinese kids aged five to 10. I think at this point in time in China, English is already part of them,” Six Eleven Chief Executive Officer Michael H. Bian, said in an interview.

Mr. Bian said they launched the service last week and expect the client base to grow beginning next year given the “social changes” in China wherein the young generation see the need to learn English to be more globally competitive.

“The service is a new potential market for us. A vast majority of BPO ( business process outsourcing) and call center work is directed towards the US and if we can tap into the China market, it has great potential,” he said.

William Speis Wijangco, Six Eleven’s call center director, said their initial customers for the tutorial service are existing Chinese clients with whom they have built up a good partnership over the years.

Mr. Wijangco said the clients have welcomed the availability of online tutors.

He added that they are also building up their manpower with interviews ongoing for more tutors.

“We’re very enthusiastic about it because it opens a new time zone for us and that time zone is more of like the afternoon and that’s not US time zone, so it maximizes more the usage of the call center and that’s very important to us,” Mr. Wijangco said.

“I think the skill set is a match already. It’s just more like the consistency if we can maintain that level of quality that the Chinese finds, then we are geared up for 2017 when it comes to the Chinese campaign,” he said.

Six Eleven, established in 2005, provides inbound and outbound outsourcing services, including telemarketing, sales, inbound customer support and retention using voice or chat.