MANILA, Philippines--The call center industry owes a lot of its success to the Filipino's ability to speak fluent English but a little more assertiveness and a lot more middle managers would help, industry executives have told INQUIRER.net.

"Filipino operators can learn a thing or two from the Indians on how to best sell to the customer," said Prabhakar Pakalpati, process director for partner management at Dell International Services. Dell runs customer support centers in the country.

On the other, Pakalpati added, the Indians are learning "a thing or two" from Filipinos about customer service orientation.

Foreign business process outsourcing executives have always cited country's hospitable culture and closer affinity to the US as plus factors for the Philippines over competitors like India.

Exequiel Delgado, general manager for Verizon Business Philippines, a local unit of US telecom firm Verizon, wishes for little more assertiveness from Filipino agents. Verizon outsourcers to call center operators that have facilities here.

"As people, we Filipinos have always been inclined not to speak up and this is regarded as a face-saving measure when you don't want to correct a customer," Delgado said.

"Over time as the industry here matures, Filipino agents can be trained to be a lot more assertive in dealing with customers just like the Indians," he added.

Mabini Quezon, onsite operations program manager eBay-subsidiary Paypal, meanwhile, noted the lack of available middle managers due to the industry's rapid expansion. Paypal likewise contracts call center work to the Philippines.

According to the Contact Center Association of the Philippines, the industry now employs 200,000 workers but needs to ramp up to a million workers by 2010 if it is to cope with demand for call center work from overseas.

"When you expand this rapidly, there is suddenly a void that needs to be filled up. There has to be enough managers to manage projects," Quezon said.