Arnel Cruz – Customer Service Representative

arnel-cruz-formalHello! My name is Arnel and I don’t have a nickname, so you can call me Arnel.

I got married in 2001 and was blessed with two kids. I always make sure that my family is my priority, that’s why I am always working so hard for them.

I took up Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting but was not able to finish it due to financial struggles. I tried to be a working student but it only lasted for four months. During that time, there was only limited opportunities in our city.

My very first job was with a music store as a sales staff member. I assisted all customers with their purchases. I have to make sure that they are getting the right product with a high level of satisfaction. I got promoted after two years to a supervisory role and stayed with this company for five years. But due to proximity issues, I had to look for another job. I was referred by my cousin to his employer as a cashier. Since I am really interested in exploring different roles, my colleague who was a jewelry appraiser taught me how to test gold. That’s the start of my career as an appraiser. In 2004, they tried to transfer me to a branch which is very far from where I live. Again, due to proximity issues, I was forced to leave this company.

2005 was the start of my career in the BPO industry. I worked with Teleperformance and handled the Sprint Telecommunications account. They say that this is one of the toughest accounts in the call center industry. Most of the customers here were really irate because they didn’t know how to properly read or understand their bill. Some of them don’t even know how to send text messages or pictures. So I not only handled simple issues, but also those complex ones like troubleshooting their phones and providing different steps that were easy to follow. Our main objectives here are to get a high CSAT, meet the required AHT, and pass the QA score.

In 2006, an opportunity came knocking from a different company which was APAC. I worked there for a year and handled Chicago Tribune account. This was one of the most difficult jobs that I ever had in terms of answering phone calls. As soon as you log in and until you log out, the calls were non-stop. 99% of the customers here were shouting and really irate. That’s simply because their newspaper was delivered in the ditch, under the snow, or just simply thrown out anywhere. What the customer really wanted here was to deliver their papers right onto their porch. We were also measured here by CSAT, AHT, and QA.

Another opportunity came in 2007 when this new start-up company called me and offered a Customer Service position. Dell computers is one of the most popular brands in the US so who would not want to be a part of this company, right? The issues here were more challenging because you have to know the different computer parts, not only external but also internal. We have to make sure that we are in contact with different departments until the customer’s issue is resolved, and that is when they receive their order in good condition. Dell really cares for their customers and their goal is 100% customer satisfaction.

After a year and three months, I got promoted to Quality Analyst. I have to make sure that each team member is following the company’s set policies, procedures, and guidelines. In 2014, Dell decided to close their business here in the Philippines and moved it to India. That was the saddest part of my career but life must go on.

I started my career as a Virtual Assistant in 2014 with an American client. This was the time that I learned how to be really independent and resourceful as the tasks are a bit different as compared to being a call center agent. It was my very first time to experience using different documents and applications such as Google Docs, Ring Central, Smart PDF, etc.

Working as a VA is really challenging at first because you have to mostly learn on your own. Although I don’t have a team leader, a coach, a trainer, and other support team, our main goal is still to deliver the most efficient and accurate resolution, and to make sure that each customer is satisfied. However due to this arnel-cruz-profilepandemic, my client decided to close his business for now.

I have been working nightshift for almost 15 years now, so I want to get my normal life back. I am a very professional, punctual, and dedicated person. I make sure that I always log in on time and have no issues of being tardy or absent. You would not believe this, but I seldom take my rest days with my previous client. His business operates 24/7 a day so we are required to work long hours. I believe that my last two work experiences prove how dedicated I am at my work.

During my free time, I enjoy watching movies or series on Netflix. I also enjoy watching musical videos and listening to music.

For a copy of Arnel’s resume please click here.