Jon Kaplan: The magic behind his call center biz
By Hannah Joy Castillo

Jon Kaplan
President, TeleDevelopment Services, Inc.

Education: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Kent State University with a Major in Marketing and a Minor in Communications

Just like the stacked deck that he used to bring in college, his career turned out to be pre-arranged in a certain order.
It was 1979 when Jon Kaplan got out of school and landed in the call center business.
“In the US nobody says ‘when I get over it (college), I want to work in the call center.’ It’s just that mentality. So I ended up in this industry by accident,” Kaplan said.
He worked his way in the call center operations of B.F. Goodrich and General Motors. After gaining more experience from two other outsourcing companies, he put up his own company.

“I took that experience and started my own service agency. I owned an outsourcing company. I went out of this business and started TeleDevelopment in the US 18 years ago,” he said.

TeleDevelopment Services, Inc. (TDS) is an international consulting, training, and recruiting company. From a rabbit-like business back in 1991, it transformed into a tiger-like company. It has received several awards and recognitions, and Kaplan was national president of the American Teleservices Association for five years.

The TDS has also registered a Philippine branch in 2004, but it started servicing local companies as early as 1999.
Like the ambitious card that continually rises to the top of the deck after being placed in the middle, Kaplan manages to stay on top of the game.

“We stay competitive by trying to stay one step ahead of the competition. We have products and services that make us unique…We have, I believe, some of the most recognized trainers; we continue to hire good people, surround ourselves with good people so I think that makes us competitive,” he said.

As a boss, Kaplan considers himself as the “one-minute manager.” He rarely strikes his wand and just gives his men enough leeway to learn on their own.

“I will assume that you know what is expected of you, that you know how to do it, and you can raise your hand and ask questions. My management style is one of transparency, openness, and shared vision,” he said.
“I also like to pop in the different training rooms, and be visible with our trainees; they only know me by name. I think having a personal touch with them is consistent with my mission, and that is to touch the lives of the people here and help make them more successful,” Kaplan added.

His seemingly corporate persona doesn’t give even a hint that he used to work as a professional magician. “I went through college performing magic. I traveled 16 countries performing magic,” Kaplan revealed.
Claiming he can also be an entertainer, Kaplan declared his love for music and dancing. Whenever his wife is with him, they like playing golf together. “Jon Kaplan outside of work is fun-loving, is adventuresome, is eager to try new things, and loves to travel,” he said.

But the business is still his priority.

Like a magician who’s able to predict the chosen card of a spectator, Kaplan believes that TDS will continue to grow domestically in the next 24 months. But unlike a magician who is bounded by “The Oath,” Jon Kaplan is not afraid to expose the secret behind his genius.