CKV NU12 - What pisses you off in the office?

Cristina Krastle Valderas

NU idea

What pisses you off in the office? (Process Improvement)

I am working in an insurance company which has several branches and Customer Service Centres. In our building, we currently have 1 Customer Centre that caters to 7 branches. Each branch has at least 50 Financial Advisors and the biggest of them have almost 300. The Customer Centre is like a bank that receives payment for premiums, new business applications and assists walk-in clients who would like to transact involving their policies.

During normal days, we have a fast turn around time or flow of advisors and clients transacting in the centres. But as I observed, most financial advisors always submits their new business applications during the last minute. That is during the closing period of the contests which were being done quarterly. Customer Centres would close down and finish the last transaction at almost midnight. Advisors and secretaries will wait in line for hours waiting to be served. A cause of the problem is when secretary A comes in with only 2 applications, for example at 10am and secretary B would come in at 11am having 15 applications. Instead of following the last person in the line, she will just leave her applications to secretary A to avoid the waiting. Then another secretary she also knows will do the same. It will leave the next person in line wait much longer.

Another problem is the scanning of these new business applications the next day. With the big number of applications submitted, having only a scanner, it is impossible to finish it with just a day.

The possible solution can be:

1.      Like what we have in some banks, there is a counter serving for those who have single transactions only. And 2 or 3 counters will serve to those who have multiple transactions.

2.      For those who have multiple transactions, when they enter the Customer Centre, aside from the number that will be given to them, the guard should also indicate how many applications they have on hand. With this, we can prevent what we call "singit" in lines.

3.      We can also add a scanner and a tempo staff to do the additional scanning of new business applications. 3.5

NU6 by MB- What pisses you off in your office? / What do you think must be done?

What pisses you off in your office? / What do you think must be done?

By R090206

                My department has just been bought by another company. Originally, we are a Division of an American company which was bought by a Japanese Company. Previously, the nature of the business was a Shared Service Center. We cater not only to the division's need but to all other divisions across the company. Now, we only accommodate request to the division that has been bought.

                What pisses me off is that the new leaders in Manila didn't take this as an opportunity to create our identity. Manila Office has always been just all about support. Whatever the US needs, Manila must be there to guide and support them. Now that we are Japanese Company, they still want to have a passive role in the company.

I don't believe that being passive will help Manila's cause. If we give them no other value, they can simply outsource the work in another country since support is just what they need. Being passive will also put Manila's future in other hands. We will just be waiting for their orders on what to and what not to do. And I don't want to be pushed around at this stage of my career.

I believe that Manila office should grab this opportunity to create an identity which is different than what it previously is. For starters, we can expand the scope of knowledge in Manila. The new Japanese company has other Divisions and Products. Manila can study all of these products. Being a good English speaking country, I believe that Manila office can be a center of knowledge which can provide not only support but product development as well.

Product Development is something that Manila Office should push through. We have been in support of the current technologies for years. I believe that Manila now possess the knowledge and experience to develop new products. We could hire experienced professionals to jump start product development.

Aside from Product Development, Manila could also take Global Support as one of its goals. Manila Office has already mastered the products of the Division. If supplied with trainings, Manila can be an expert to the other company's products as well. Since the Philippines is a good English speaking country, we could support not only US but the whole world as well.

With these goals, the opportunities for growth of an employee will rise. Trainings will improve knowledge and will increase the self-esteem of employees who are afraid that they're not competent enough to compete in the international world. It will also provide positions of growth within the company.  New Positions will now be open as the Manila Office is targeting globally. This should motivate employee to do their best to advance their career. Creativity and ingenuity would also be appreciated especially in Product Development. Manila Office could also provide jobs for creative Engineers and Scientist which the country could have lost internationally.

                In summary, I think what the company needs right now are visionary leaders and not just effective managers. We are already efficient in what we do. Manila Office needs a new direction, and that's what a visionary leader can provide! 3.0