The Influence of Perceived Communication Skills to the Burnout Level and Burnout Potential of Customer Care Officers in Smart Wireless Centers

Abstract

The study aims to discover whether there is a relationship between burnout (level and potential of the job) and communication skills. Communication Skills is said to be the independent variable that may or may not have a direct effect on burnout. For the choice of organization, the researcher chose eight (8) Smart Wireless Centers in South NCR out of 24 wireless centers. The researcher focused on the face-to-face customer service of Smart. His respondents were 35 Customer Care Officers (CCO) of smart who handle the complaints and problems of Smart’s subscribers. Surveys were given to the respondents followed by a short interview to one CCO per branch. Data was analyzed using statistics. The researcher used Fisher’s Exact Test and Chi-square test to determine the level independence among the variables which are: communication skills and burnout level; and communication skills and burnout potential. In addition, the researcher also utilized Pearson’s Correlation Test to determine the degree of association among the variables. Data gathered revealed that the perceived communication skills of the CCOs as measured by Roebuck’s Face-to-Face Communication Skills Self-Assessment is only on an average level. Majority of them have passable skills (57%) and the rest have minimal skills (accounted to 40%) and two isolates who possess good skills. Nobody at Smart was experiencing high level of burnout as measured by Potter’s Burnout Level Test. Majority of them (60%) should take preventative action and the remaining 40% are only candidate for burnout. On the other hand, burnout potential is also on the same situation because the respondents were either on a low or moderate level. In analyzing the dimensions of the burnout potential of the job, work overload scored the highest wile value conflict scored the lowest. In correlating the data gathered using Pearson’s, the researcher found that communication skills and burnout level are not related since CCOs were able to cope with burnout and thus does not affect the way they communicate. On the other hand, communication skills and burnout potential of the job were moderately correlated. They are inversely associated which means that as communication skill increases burnout potential decreases and vice versa. Although burnout is not that prevalent in Smart, the company should still put into consideration this issue. As what have been deduced from the CCOs, burnout is serious matter. As such, certain plans of actions like providing more programs to prevent stress should be employed.