Pea sits down at the Waterfront Hotel in downtown Cebu with two Filipina call center agents — Jean (35, single, no kids) and Margaret (30, single, no kids) — for an in-depth conversation about life inside the Philippine call center industry, how they deal with abusive callers, whether agents date their clients, and what they're looking for in a partner.
How they got into call center work
- Margaret: a friend told her about the paycheck size — the amount shocked her into applying, even though she was nervous about her English skills (she studied Business Administration with a finance major)
- Jean: also recruited by a friend who asked if she was interested (she studied Hotel Restaurant Management)
- Pea notes the common thread: connections are everything in the Philippines, and call center work is one of the highest-paying jobs available
Dealing with abusive and accent-biased callers
- Margaret describes a client who refused to speak with her and demanded a supervisor — not because Margaret spoke English poorly, but because her accent was too obvious for the client's liking
- Jean has a naturally husky voice and has had clients who didn't want to talk to her because of both her voice and her accent
- Jean mentions that co-workers have been reduced to tears by abusive callers
- Both say that over the years they've learned to manage their emotions and develop thick skin — "it's part of your job to be patient"
- Pea notes callers "can't hit you over the phone, can't reach you, can't punch you — so just relax"
- Margaret describes her protocol with irate callers who curse: she warns them to refrain from profanity, and if they don't stop, the agent can end the call — but ending a call is a deduction on their scorecard, so they avoid it even when the client is being disrespectful
- Both emphasize that every call is respected and every client is treated with courtesy regardless of how they're treated in return
Callers flirting with agents and requesting personal details
- Margaret had a caller who complimented her voice, then asked for her phone number and address to "send her something" — she declined because it's not allowed, though the caller offered to share his Facebook instead; Margaret did not contact him
- Jean has also received requests for personal details from callers who wanted to send flowers
- Both say they appreciate the thought and the gesture, but mixing work with personal life is a firm no
- Pea notes that while these two don't do it, there are some agents in the "production area" who do contact clients who share personal details — but supervisors are listening on quality monitoring, so they can't say yes on the call itself
- Jean says she doesn't even date co-workers because it can affect mood and work performance, and some Philippine companies explicitly forbid it
How agents disguise their location from callers
- Some clients assume the agent is local to their city and offer to meet up or send gifts
- Rather than reveal they're in the Philippines (because some callers don't want to talk to Filipinos or Indians), agents play along — "as much as possible I try to sound like them because I want them to trust me"
- Specific tactics: Google the weather in the caller's city and mention it; look up last night's local sports game and bring it up in conversation — this diverts attention from the accent and builds rapport while the agent resolves the actual issue
What they do on their days off
- Jean goes to church twice a week — Saturday afternoon (3 hours) and Sunday morning; she also gets invited to sing and host events
- Margaret goes to the beach and connects with friends and family
Their outlook on marriage, kids, and "self-growth"
- Jean (35): doesn't pressure herself about not being married by 40; being with her nieces and nephews makes her happy; she's open to marriage and kids if the right person pursues her, but she's not stressing about a timeline
- Margaret (30): excited and nervous about the possibility of marriage and kids; believes there's a proper time for it and she needs to focus on personal growth first to be a capable mother
- Pea makes an important cultural distinction: when Filipino women say "I'm focusing on self-growth," it means something very different than when Western women say it
- In the West, Pea argues, it often means the woman is partying, riding "the carousel," enjoying the dating scene with different guys every month, and not wanting to commit
- In the Philippines, it genuinely means worrying about whether they're capable enough to be good mothers and sustain their future family's needs
- Pea says this is something she's proud of about being Filipino — most Filipinas don't just date around and sleep around (though some do)
- Pea also notes that Cebu and Manila are getting expensive — Manila is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world
What they want in a man — physical appearance and preferences
Margaret: tall (at least taller than her at 5'2"), average body type (not too muscular, not too thin), no racial or nationality preference ("very open for negotiation"), okay with one or two tattoos but not full body coverage
Jean: handsome with manners, taller than her (she's 5'1", so 5'3" and above), normal/regular build (not too big, not too fat), likes bearded guys ("it tickles... a guy with a beard looks handsome"), doesn't mind tattoos, no preference on skin color or nationality
Both are open to significant age gaps — Jean would consider up to 20 years older as long as they can communicate, understand each other's perspectives, and are on the same wavelength
Pea contextualizes this: some Filipinas prefer older men because they're more mature and secure; some foreigners come to the Philippines specifically looking for women closer to their own age (40s-50s) rather than 20-somethings
Pea mentions the difficulty of finding single, never-married Filipinas in their 40s-60s to interview — most at that age are already married or are single moms, many aren't well-versed in English, and some are shy on camera; she asks any willing viewers in that age group to reach out
Pea emphasizes her broader mission with these interview videos: showing foreign viewers what life is really like in the Philippines and what real Filipino women are like, beyond stereotypes