Inside Outsourced: Rajiv Ties the Baraat Part 2

After his fiancé Vimi and her father walk in on his bachelor party debauchery (orchestrated by Todd and Charlie), Rajiv fears that the wedding will be called off. We learn, however, that Vimi’s got a past of her own and refuses to judge Rajiv’s indiscretion. But now Rajiv’s wondering if he can live with Vimi’s past and, if he can, get past her father.

 

Meanwhile, Manmeet wants to give his visiting American girlfriend, Ashlynn, his grandmother’s necklace. Madhuri, however, knows that the relationship may not be as serious as it seems to Manmeet and that he might get hurt. She and Asha try to tell him (well, Asha jumps ship, to tell the truth), but he chalks it up to jealousy. It all comes out in the end – Ashlynn’s a little more loose in her definition of a relationship than Manmeet hoped, but she admits that and doesn’t accept his precious gift. 

 

Of course, while the major drama’s playing out, Charlie and Gupta lose the horse that’s supposed to carry Rajiv regally into the wedding ceremony. 

 

While Rajiv’s standing on the beach, worried that Vimi’s father will never allow the wedding, Todd steps in with some good advice, reminding him that he’s done so much to be worthy of Vimi: He’s worked hard to become a call center manager and done a good job at it. He’s a professional, and he should be proud.

 

Of course, by the end, all’s well. Manmeet’s heart is salved. Bride and groom are reunited. Even Gupta and Charlie come through. They don’t find the horse, but they do bring even more regal transport for the groom – and elephant (that they stole from the wedding down the beach).

 

Well, those are the giggles for this season-ending episode, now onto the lessons. I’m giving our ICMI Certified Associates the week off, but I’ve just come from a strategic meeting that has armed me with a great perspective on this week’s question.

 

Can being a call center professional improve your life?

 

The answer is that it most certainly can! Of course it can improve your personal life – who doesn’t benefit from having a steady and rewarding career? And call center’s offer that, whether you’re building a professional life as the best agent, quality or training manager or director, working your way to the customer service executive suite, or using your strategic leadership skills to move to the brand’s executive level. 

 

It’s taken a while for the world to catch on to the fact that the call center is a true profession. But, look at what the industry has done to build that role. For example, the Call Center Industry Advisory Council (CIAC) has created comprehensive standards for all areas of contact center operations and certification to make sure that professionals like you are using those standards to serve your customers and your brand. Interestingly, I’ve recently gotten a job post for a senior contact center director for a major brand on ICMI.com that specifically asks for professional certification as a requirement for candidates. 

 

The call center profession is one you can be proud of – it has it’s own paths, as well as paths beyond the center. I’ve worked with several financial firms where the agent’s desk isn’t just the first stop for employees; brand managers have been made by working their way up through the call center.