When tragedy strikes, there is such a sense of awe and dismay that it can be difficult to even think about what next steps can be taken on a business level. As the Red Cross and other organizations work to help those in the Philippines who have been affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan, it’s important to make sure that the economy of the Philippines is built back up so that those who have been struck by this horrible event can have a strong nation rising up alongside them.
When a storm of such magnitude strikes, the first area affected is the electricity and telecommunications in cities and villages. While it’s impossible to predict a storm such as Super Typhoon Haiyan, having a disaster recovery solution in place for service organizations like the call center can help in the re-building process. One great solution to implement is a hosted call center, or a facility that is managed and maintained by a third party vendor.
“Have a disaster recovery plan ready to implement,” advised Robert J. Witty, research vice president at Gartner. “Have a third party who can assume responsibility for operations if your systems are affected.”
The hearts of those in the call center industry go out to the Philippines, in particular, as the country is a hub for call centers relating to telecom services, information systems and consumer products.
In Cebu, one of the most developed providences in the Philippines with a population of 3.8 million, many call centers went on lockdown in order to secure their employees and prepare backup systems.
Call centers serve as a prime source of aid and assistance amidst natural disasters; it’s important that teams are fully educated about the best ways that information and data can be recovered, including hosted call centers. Most important, as always, is making sure that your agents, and every person in the area, is as safe and secure as possible.
