IBM in, Epixtar out?
Posted Friday, October 14th, 2005 12:47 am by Miguel Paraz
Viewed 11941 times | Related entries: Outsourcing
IBM Business Services has formally launched its Philippine operation.
This IBM division comes from the acquisition of Procter & Gamble’s HR shared services center. P&G has also outsourced its global IT infrastructure to IBM competitor, HP. This group is doing Business Transformation Outsourcing (BTO), along with another acquisition IBM Daksh which does customer relationship management (CRM) and call center operations. Daksh opened in the Philippines shortly before its acquisition by IBM.
IBM to expand Philippines outsourcing business quotes IBM executives moving more operations to Manila, with North American clients driving the demand.
IBM’s neighbor in Eastwood City isn’t doing as well. Epixtar Corp has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, or reorganization. The CEO says in the press release:
The action is the necessary and responsible step to preserve Epixtar’s value for our creditors, customers, employees, business partners and other stakeholders as we address our financial challenges and work to secure our future.
Of course the release fails to disclose what conditions led to this filing. It could be related to its labor case, or the “cramming” practices done on US consumers. A US stock market analysis site describes it:
Epixtar, a company with over $100 million market capitalization (over $7.10 per share), is a company who laughs in the face of not only the SEC but in the face of the FBI, the US Attorney, many State Attorney Generals, the FCC, the FTC and many other regulatory agencies whose function is to protect consumers from fraud. Their attitude, as you we read for yourself below, is that they will merely pay an insignificant fine for their massive cramming enterprise!
We are outraged at Epixtar’s (OTCBB: EPXR) very existence and remain terribly concerned that they will continue to prey on unsuspecting victims. Epixtar is potentially the most costly and far reaching contrived scam we have ever encountered.
Do they carry out these scams from their Philippine operations? While promising young people a call center career? (Modeled by KC Montero and Sarah Meier). How about their illustrious advisory board?
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30 Responses to “IBM in, Epixtar out?”
Even before epixtar started ops here, veteran call center employees already knew of the possible “inconsistencies” that employment through epix might be. attractive though the incentives might were, quite a number knew that epix was going to be a dead end.
unfortunately for the new hires that they had that were fresh in the industry.
About time those Epixtar goons packed up. I’m sick of foreign scammers acting so cool in our backyard just ‘cuz they flash hungry locals a bit o’ bling.
Suppose nag-open sila sa dumaguete. Buti na lang hindi natuloy. Marami sanang naloko. Ngayon pasok na ang teletech, at saka meron na spi technologies. go, go dumaguete is IT!!!
paano na ang operation nila sa clark…when it was learned they would not open sa dumaguete i was so desperate, but now that i know the score, thanks God!
sayang yung pinarenovate na building ng epixtar dito sa Clark, kung di rin lang magagamit…
Why would you even compare a puny company like Epixtar to IBM?
uhmmmm, i worked for epixtar for the first 5 months of 2005..
i am not speaking for everyone who works in epixtar but some does scam.. and believe it or not, other call centers do too, as what i heard..
this is just based on my opinion as a person who used to work there: those scam they are referring to, pretty much most of that are made by, well, filipino call center agents.. dont get me wrong, im not saying filipinos are scammers; human does, its human nature.. its up to the person to do whats good..
anyway i quit coz its so freakingly, f*ckingly, utterly boring. they geared me and all other agents (i think this goes true to other call centers as well) to become a human cassete recorder.. its not easy being a customer service reppy..
Here’s a new mini-scandal. Epixtar didn’t pay its executive search/HR company, so, Kaye/Bassman International Corp. posted the salaries in public.
[...] A copy of the same salary information has also been posted at Gary’s blog and at PTB. [...]
[...] First, he mentions about a blog entry title that was never posted on this blog (It was on my own blog and that entry did not contain any comments on the salary info). Second, he is referring to PinoyTechBlog for this comment, of which we have still to decide to remove or not. Our resident lawyer thinks there was nothing illegal about that post. They’re just embarrased. If they have any beef with it, they better take it up with the one that posted it. [...]
@migs de villa
are your yoda?
Actually this kind of post could have effects both positive and negative. Positive if for example you are a person who are capable of doing the job base on that position and want to have that kind of salary then it is a positive impact. It is only a negative impact if the company and/or employee don’t pay their TAXES.
For now this is the only thing I have in mind.
its too funny to read the salaries they are getting. made we wonder, too good to be true. especially the maintainace/driver/courier who’s earning 41K at in dollars pa huh! our company driver here in the US is earning only 6 bucks an hour which would be roughly 12k lang. aba! ganyan na ba kayaman ang pinas at ganyan na ba kalakas ang mga call center para mag pa sweldo ng ganyang kalaki? honestly, i dont believe it…
regarding the scams, yan ang kapanipaniwala. evry hour, our phone keeps on ringing at nyeta, puro pinoy na telemarketers. i used to work in a call center also nung andyan pa ko sa pinas (not into telemarketing, though)and i have friends working in various call centers dyan sa ortigas and libis na mostly telemarketers. alam ko din ang techniques na ginagawa nila para lang mapa OO ang aanga angang mga merkano… well, sad to say, hindi lang puro NO ang natatanggap nla saken, may kasama pang mura… sometimes, masakit mang isipin na ganun mo sila tratuhin, but that’s what they deserve. most of the them are so rude and unprofessionals. it makes me sad also to think na pinoy sila, at nakakababa ng pagkatao sa kapwa nila pinoy…
sabihin na naten na boom ang call centers ngayon at dyan guminhawa ang buhay ng iba. but let us also think about the fair practice and respect in all our trading. ang pera nga naman, nakakabulag…
If the salaries are fabricated, then why the big fuss by Mr Myatt??? Letters and calls to the owner of the blog site.. Is it possible that there is truth in what was posted? With the action made by Mr Myatt he only blew the issue out of proportion and making more NEGATIVE publicity for the company….Epixtar had potential when it started but with the many decision the owners made it went downhill….. Its all Karma!!!!
Myatt’s an idiot. Get him out of our country.
I agree. Myatt is a fool. No other VP is as ignorant, immature, and stupid as Jeff Myatt. That is why his implementation staff quit on him, and some he fired. That is his attitude, he bullies people. Be very careful Jeff. You’re on Philippine soil. Sooner or later, you’ll never know who just hit you on your head. And by the way, lose the fat, you crazy ass mo’ fo’.
Is Epixtar still here?
i worked in epixtar almost a year and im sure i had a great time
Epixtar will go down very soon!!! All their expats on payroll right now are nothing but drug addicts, sex maniacs and are dating hookers from sleasy bars in makati or malate.
Immigrations should check on them because they are always in possession of prohibited drugs, which for all we know should actually be automatic deportation of these assholes back to their caucs land.
Myatt is gay. dont bother about him.
Epixtar will become history, try to solve this asap, robb auber, don’t be so corupt, and the memphia, stop that, the people there need change, don’t manipulate everything especially the ops from air relay, you guys should be fair, ur pep, ur commission scheme, and so on, work in a clean and professional environment, via, kaye, pong etc, robb, whoever you are guys, good luck ….so selfish, don’t use ur people, be fair,don’t just save and protect ur ass. I’m praying that God will lead u in the right path….
Epixtar is gud place to work. I get my pay always on time and never have delay salary. I make over 45 thou peso my last pay. long live Epixtar!!
EPixtar has had problem before but is still alive with a completly new team. The old team was not good or honest. Now there is very few AMeri and many pinoy. Make me ashamed to see remarks from ignorant people who are no longer at EPX because they suck. Some of us are happy here and want to make company strong. They are very fair and always get pay and bonus!!!!!
Management has always taken care of us. We have a very liberal atmosphere however its sad that people take advantage when others tend to excel. Obviously, the negative remarks are from those who can never excel. Tigilan na natin ang crab mentality. Epixtar has always been my home as im sure for many agents too. We will always support and strive to contribute to its future success.
Epixtar is better now. John Callaghan fired many people in SV beacuse it was to big. I am still here because I work hard. Everyone work hard and I sure have fun with good pay!!!
I work for Epixtar for 3 years and Robb Auber for 4 years always fair and help people. I will pray for you say bad things beacuse you are not good people to spread lies.
Most of the expats are sex maniacs and gay.
i dot think so
true ba to? very shocking naman….for me i always think possitive nlang…i learned a lot from ms hazel tollero&mamu shie they’re my best trainers….kahit saang company kayo magpunta guys may kabulukan kung laging magpapaapekto kayo sa mga negative sides ayan believe me lipat nlang kayo nga lipat sa ibang company kahit nman matagal na yang issue a magsasara na eh okay naman ang pasahod…..y ka magpapaapekto if true nga a magsasara as long as sinuswelduhan ka go! madami pa nmang callcenter dyan if ever di bah…so while nasa company pa kayo try to help nlang benta lang guys…..god bless u all
after nyo mag work sa company dami nyong sinasabing masama eh nagresign na nman kayo eh bat di pa kayo manahimik? pinoy tlga laging ganyan halip na suportahan ang kapwa lalo pang tinatapakan…….i have alot of good memories in this company kaya nalulungkot ako sa maga issues guys let’s pray nlang for the company madaming agents na umaasa at madaming mawawalan ng trabaho.
People who are no longer at Epixtar leave for a reason, not that they suck or you may say. Agents, managers, supervisors and QA that left Epixtar are the best there is because they are not afraid to conquer new places. Those that stay and pretend they love the system are losers in all aspect, afraid to resign because they know no company will accept them because they were promoted by sleeping with and licking expats ass and balls.
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