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Job training, halfway around the worldBy SCOTT BARANCIK, Times Staff Writer© St. Petersburg Times published February 10, 2003 Most businesses prefer to answer customer questions and complaints by phone or e-mail. But when it comes to training the staff who take those calls, nothing but face-to-face instruction will do. That may explain why 44 Filipinos currently find themselves in Palatka. Sykes Enterprises, a Tampa company that answers customer questions on behalf of clients such as Microsoft, SBC Communications and American Express, has call centers around the world, including two large facilities in the Philippines and a standard-size unit in Palatka. Sykes usually trains new hires in their own country. But when a financial services company hired it to handle mortgage inquiries recently, Sykes was in a bind. U.S. privacy rules required a level of data security the Philippines call centers didn't match, spokeswoman Andrea Burnett said. Upgrading them would take months. The solution: whisk Sykes' Filipino hires about 10,000 miles to Central Florida for 12 weeks of training and supervised work. Fortunately, the 44 visitors have had some time to play. According to the Palatka Daily News, some visited theme parks in Orlando, while others sang karaoke at their local motel. They also bought a few things to take home. "When we got here, it was like Wal-Mart every day," Manila manager Jerine Tiongco said. "They are all shopaholics."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times Business report
From the AP
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