Archive
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26-Aug-10: RBS to cut 640 Direct Line call centre jobs
More than 600 jobs are to be cut at the Direct Line insurance firm owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Workers at the Atlantic Quay offices in Glasgow have been called to a meeting later to be told the news.
The bank announced in May that 2,000 jobs would go at its insurance division, which it was ordered to sell by the European Commission by 2013.
The Atlantic Quay office is to close within three years although more jobs will be created elsewhere in the city.
A statement from the bank said: "We announced in May that we were looking to consolidate our UK office network as part of our plans to achieve efficiencies across our Insurance business as we prepare it for sale as mandated by the EU.
"However we do not comment on speculation and have a commitment to our staff that we will always tell them first if we are announcing any changes that affect them."
18-Aug-10: HMRC call centre staff sacked over race abuse
Seven Revenue and Customs staff have been sacked for deliberately under-paying benefits to ethnic minorities.
It follows an internal investigation into nine men based at the HM Revenue and Customs call centre in Belfast.
Two resigned after it was launched and seven were dismissed on Tuesday.
They are believed to have tampered with computer records to ensure ethnic minorities living across the UK did not receive the benefits they were entitled to. All have now been fully reimbursed.
The allegations of racially-motivated gross misconduct were investigated last January when a complaint was lodged by somebody who said that their records had been changed.
A detailed audit was carried out and the inquiry then widened it to take in another 16 child benefit cases.
It is understood the nine men were suspended once the investigation started, but two quit immediately.
Dave Hartnett, permanent secretary for tax at HMRC, said the department operates a zero-tolerance policy on racial discrimination.
"The vast majority of our people are entirely professional and one of the ways we support that professionalism is by taking decisive action against the tiny minority who let us all down by falling far short of those standards," he said.
The HMRC contact centre is based at Dorchester House, close to the city centre in Belfast's Great Victoria Street.
05-Jul-10: Strike ballot vote by BT workers set to be announced
Telecoms provider BT could face strike action over a pay dispute when the result of a ballot of 50,000 CWU union members is known later.
The CWU says BT can afford a 5% pay rise after what it says is a two-year wage freeze and round of redundancies.
The firm has offered a 5.1% rise over 21 months and several one-off payments.
The ballot closes after the delivery of first post on Monday and a result is expected later in the day. The earliest date a strike could be held is 12 July.
A strike could potentially leave thousands of BT customers without phone lines or internet access.
The CWU says BT can well afford the pay increase after making profits of more than £1bn.
The union has previously warned BT that any legal challenge to the ballot would not solve the dispute and would worsen the "already deteriorating" industrial relations.
BT had earlier said it was disappointed that the ballot was going ahead.
It also said last month that it had improved its offer several times, but that there had been no corresponding movement in its position by the union.
23-Jun-10: Rapper plagues Greater Manchester Police with 999 calls
A rapper is tying up police emergency lines by bombarding a force with nuisance calls.
He dials 999 before rapping to operators at Greater Manchester Police - who are not allowed to cut him off.
Despite officers blocking more than 60 sim cards, the man has plagued them since January 2009.
In the past three months he has made 700 calls, some lasting up to five minutes, costing the force £1,000 a month.
Supt Karan Lee said his "inappropriate outbursts" are putting "lives at risk".
During many of the calls, the operator answers the phone to be met with a barrage of music and rants.
His rapping is difficult to decipher but during one call he started shouting about his citizens' rights.
So far officers have managed to establish that most of the calls are made from the Moss Side and Trafford areas.
The call handlers are tied up for several minutes trying to deal with him.
Call handling manager Jason Unsworth added: "You can never guess when this man is going to call up, and that's part of the problem.
"With the World Cup on at the moment, it's an added pressure when he does call, because it can be any time of the day, and he can be on the phone for several minutes.
"He is causing us a big problem because of the sheer volume of calls he makes and the time wasted dealing with him.
"We have to treat each call as if it was a real emergency, so it's frustrating and worrying when we get time wasters preventing people with real emergencies coming through."
Clips of some of this man's nuisance calls have been released and police are urging anyone who recognises his voice, or who has information about who is responsible, to come forward.
Supt Lee added: "Nuisance calls are no laughing matter. I do not know what motivates this man has to keep calling but we need to stop this man's time-wasting calls before someone's life is put in jeopardy."
21-Jun-10: Redundant call centre staff find work
A number of staff who lost their jobs when the North- East’s biggest call centre business collapsed have been taken on by a Darlington firm.
Darlington-based Infoserve, which specialises in online business directory searches, has taken on 44 staff, including 18 previously employed by Garlands.
Nearly all the 1,158 staff working at Garlands centres in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and South Shields, were immediately made redundant when the company went into administration last month.
Infoserve had held a number of open days to recruit staff in the wake of the demise of Garlands, encouraging former employees to apply.
Mark Riley, sales director at Infoserve, said: "With so many people losing their jobs in the shock announcement made by Garlands last month, we acted quickly to try to get those affected by the closure straight back into work.
We attracted some great candidates, some of whom have not worked in the sector before."
Mr Riley expressed surprise that more Garlands staff hadn't applied for posts, but put it down to the shock for many of losing their jobs without warning.
He said: "It is a shame that more Garlands staff did not come along, but that may be down to the fact they were left reeling from the closures. However the people we have recruited have shown excellent potential."
21-Jun-10: Disabled employees to find work at Glasgow call centre
A call centre in Glasgow is intending to create 500 new positions at its facility for disabled employees, single parents and other jobless people.
Bellcom plans to recruit people over the coming year, as part of a scheme launched in 2008 that provides eight-week training courses carried out by industry players within the company's contact facility, the Evening Times reports.
Managing director Varry McMenemy said: "Our students are experiencing what it's really like to work in this field from day one and as a result they leave well prepared."
She went on to note that such jobs can provide "terrific careers", with salaries reaching £20,000 and, as Glasgow is a city with a constant incoming stream of call centre positions, "trained and enthusiastic" people are a necessity.
17-Jun-10: NHS call centre tells patient: "you cannot see the Doctor - you're dead"
A cancer victim was "flabbergasted" when he was told by an NHS call centre operator that he could not book a hospital appointment because he was dead.
Alan Campbell argued that he was very much alive but he was told to go back to his GP and 'sort it out' as the records held by the NHS Choose and Book system showed he was deceased.
"I couldn't believe it. I was flabbergasted," said the 63-year-old who contracted skin cancer six years ago. "I said, ‘‘You're joking, I'm talking to you, aren't I?’’ I’m not one for complaining but when somebody says you're dead it’s not on."
The former lorry driver, from Little Harwood near Blackburn, was told the problem had been resolved when he contacted his GP at the Bangor Street Health and Resource Centre on Monday.
But when he rang the call centre he was once again told he was 'deceased'. Mr Campbell said he was told to take the matter up with his GP. "I said I've been there already. But he said it about four or five times. It's only three-and-a-half years since I lost my wife Christine and it brought things back. It was very painful."
NHS Blackburn With Darwen Teaching Care Trust Plus has apologised for the error and launched an inquiry
15-Jun-10: HML help Derry kids in great Escape
Kids in some of Derry's most disadvantaged areas are benefiting from a pioneering partnership involving a community project and one of the city's biggest call centre employers
Since January of this year, a group of 11 employees from financial services company HML have been mentoring kids from the Escape (Education, Sports, Citizenship and Parents) project, an out-of-school scheme which aims to improve children's reading,writing and IT skills.
More than 100 children, aged 10-14, are currently involved with the project.
Anna Wallace, of HML, says the partnership - which allows employees to undertake a volunteer mentoring role during working hours - has been a richly rewarding experience for HML staff.
"Corporate responsibility is about much more than handing over a cheque, it's about getting directly involved in projects like Escape, about encouraging staff to come forward and be part of their community.
"The feedback has been very positive, staff have been getting a lot out of it and it has become an important part of their work.
"It is something we hope to continue on an ongoing basis. It's about us, as a company, giving back and getting involved with our local community," she says.
The initial phase of the HML and Escape link has seen the employees undertake a ten week training programme before taking pupils through a specifically designed ICT based scheme.
Escape Project manager John McBride says the initiative has benefited greatly from the HML link.
"We have seen the volunteers develop a real relationship with the children, and the children have been getting a much richer experience.
"Thanks in no small part to the HML volunteers, we are moving steadily towards the ultimate goal where each child will have one-to-one support within the group environment that will allow them to improve their confidence, esteem, and to gain the practical skills they can transfer to other educational activities.
"Having HML has given us so much more than just 11 volunteers, we have found a tremendous difference over the last quarter, we are working through the key stages much quicker without losing any of the quality."
He says the project has been enriched by "the genuine nature" of HML's ethos of corporate reasonability.
Both parties are keen to continue the partnership.
"If John needs more volunteers, we will certainly be encouraging staff to come forward," Anna says.
Meanwhile, the Derry call centre has made it through to the final three in this year's Northern Ireland wide Business in the Community awards
10-Jun-10: Barclaycard call centre jobs fears
The future of hundreds of call centre jobs on Teesside have been thrown into doubt after an announcement by Barclaycard.
The credit card giant is in talks with Indian outsourcing company Firstsource Solutions over a possible takeover of its Teesdale base in Stockton, which employs 880 staff.
Under the proposals, about 700 jobs would switch to Firstsource, with remaining staff staying with Barclaycard.
The announcement comes as Firstsource unveiled separate plans to create 500 call centre jobs on Teesside.
Barclaycard said plans for the existing Teesside employees and building will form part of the discussions with Firstsource.
It added that Firstsource has given a commitment to establish a long-term presence in Teesside.
However, both Barclaycard and Firstsource have refused to rule out the potential for jobs to move away from Teesside under the deal.
James Cooke, Barclaycard head of public relations, said the move was part of a process to cut costs.
He said negotiations with Firstsource were likely to take up to three months.
The talks have raised fears among some staff over potentially moving the operation to India.
Asked whether Firstsource could move jobs away from Teesside to India, Mr Cooke said: "It’s certainly a possibility. We would not shy away from the fact that Firstsource is a business which operates internationally."
"However, one of the attractive things about them when we were looking at doing a deal was the fact that they are opening a centre on Teesside. It is important to us that we can do a deal with someone who is committed to the area."
Under a deal, workers would transfer under TUPE rules, which allow workers to retain existing rights with a new company.
Mr Cooke said that if a deal could not be agreed with Firstsource, then Barclaycard would continue to assess ways to cut its costs.
Staff at the company were informed of the announcement yesterday afternoon, while unions have also been briefed.
Unite said it believes Barclaycard customers will be best served through keeping this business in-house. Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said: "The decision by Barclaycard to enter into negotiations about the transfer of 700 staff is very surprising and in our view unnecessary."
"Barclaycard is a profitable operation and questions need to be answered by the company as to why this step is being taken. Unite has major concerns that this move is a first step on the way to the offshoring of these roles which would have a devastating effect on the job market in the North-east. It appears that the long term plan is to transfer the work done by Barclaycard staff in Teesside abroad. It is vital that these 700 jobs remain in the region."
Barclaycard has had a presence on Teesside since 1973 and opened its Stockton centre at Teesdale in 1997.
10-Jun-10: Indian call centre plans to create jobs in North East
A call centre giant has unveiled plans to create 500 North East jobs just weeks after the region's biggest contact centre operator, Garlands, collapsed and more than 1,100 workers were made redundant.
Indian outsourcing company Firstsource Solutions’s decision to open a centre in Middlesbrough has been widely welcomed after Hartlepool-based Garlands went into administration last month after losing two massive contracts.
And the announcement came on the day Barclaycard revealed it was in talks over the possibility of hiving-off the operation of its Stockton call centre, which employs 700 staff, to Firstsource.
Firstsource’s decision to move into the North East was made after it was promised a £1.9m grant from regional development agency One North East, secured with help from Newcastle-based corporate finance specialist unw.
Matthew Vallance, managing director of Firstsource, said: "We are delighted that the latest phase of our UK expansion will be located in Middlesbrough which promises to be a highly favourable location for us."
"Our UK business is continuing to show robust growth and the new Middlesbrough centre will complement our existing UK and international operations."
The company, based in Mumbai, has its UK base in London and currently employs almost 2,000 people in Northern Ireland.
Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon said: "It is great news that Firstsource has recognised Middlesbrough as the ideal location for the latest phase in their expansion."
"The creation of 300 jobs in the first instance, and a further 200 jobs in the future will have a significant impact on the town. This is also very welcome in the wake of the loss of more than 1,000 jobs at Garlands, which was a huge blow to the Teesside area."
10-Jun-10: Nationwide shakes up call centre structure
A re-structure of services at Nationwide will see 150 new jobs created at Dunfermline Building Society's head office in Pitreavie.
The new roles are a result of a strategic review by the parent group which will see Caledonia House become a new call centre and "administrative hub" for their regional brands.
However, it will see the loss of 75 posts in other departments over the next two years as DBS will no longer offer its own mortgages.
The news received a "cautious welcome" from Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty.
He said, "It is only 18 months ago that we thought the Dunfermline might go out of existence so it's good news. I've got a slight concern in that they say there's 150 new jobs but there's 75 existing posts which are, to use their phrase, 'affected'."
"There's a lot of details missing. Nationwide need to spell out to stakeholders and, crucially, to employees, what this means."
Mr Docherty said he also wanted to know how "realistic" it was to transfer workers who were losing their jobs to new posts.
The news was announced by Nationwide in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon shortly after employees at Caledonia House were told at 3pm.
It said the expansion underlined the Nationwide's "continued commitment to Scotland".
However, in stating that the Dunfermline "will focus on its core strengths and specialise in savings and investments" it added that, "The regional brands will withdraw from offering their own branded mortgages and Dunfermline customers requesting new mortgages will be introduced to the wide range of deals available from Nationwide ... Up to 75 jobs will be affected by these decisions within the next 24 months."
10-Jun-10: BT braces itself for strike action as impasse with its workers continues
BT edged closer to its first strike action in more than 20 years yesterday as the impasse between the telecoms giant and its workers dragged on.
Members of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) have rejected two BT pay offers and have vowed to walk out if the firm does not meet their demands.
Talks between the two sides are ongoing but the CWU is demanding a five per cent wage hike this year after seeing pay frozen in 2009 – which analysts say BT is unlikely to match.
BT yesterday tabled an improved offer of a two per cent rise this year followed by three per cent next year but CWU bosses branded this "unacceptable". There is now a stalemate that could be destined to end in the first walk-out of BT staff since it was privatised in 1984.
Reports emerged that BT had offered to cancel offshore call-centre contracts, largely based in India, to appease the union but company sources distanced themselves from this. They claimed instead the firm would "take a more structured approach to insourcing" by employing fewer third-party organisations.
The CWU is still to vote on whether to strike or take action short of a walk-out, which could include a "work to rule", where staff refuse to carry out duties not listed in their contracts or work any overtime.
10-Jun-10: BT union confirms strike ballot
The union representing BT workers has confirmed that it will ballot its members on possible strike action.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) had previously announced plans to open a ballot, but earlier this week BT made an improved pay offer to staff.
But the union says the offer "failed to make any material improvement" to pay in 2010, and said ballot papers would be sent out on 18 June.
BT said it was "astonished" the CWU had rejected its revised offer.
The ballot will close on 5 July with the result expected the same day.
BT replaced a single-year offer of a 2% rise, with a two-year deal, offering 2% in the first year, followed by 3%.
However, the CWU is seeking a 5% rise this year.
08-Jun-10: New pay offer in bid to avert BT strikes
Telecoms giant BT has made a new pay offer to thousands of its workers in a bid to avert industrial action, it has been reported.
The Independent says it understood the company has made a two-year offer, worth 2% this year and 3% in year two, plus extra payments of £250, subject to performance.
The firm is also believed to have pledged not to make any compulsory redundancies between now and the end of 2011.
The move followed a warning by the Communication Workers Union that it was pressing ahead with a ballot for strikes over pay.
The union set a deadline of noon last Friday for BT to improve a one-year, 2% pay offer.
The deadline passed, leading the union to confirm it would be holding a ballot, with the timetable set to be announced in the coming days.
BT is also believed to have told the union it would look to bring call centre and back office jobs back from India and switch agency and contracted-out work back in-house.
A BT spokesman said : "A two-year offer has been made but I cannot confirm the details. Industrial action is in no-one's interest - BT, customers or the union - so we hope the new offer will receive a positive response.
"The CWU has helped BT make good progress this year and we hope the union will take a realistic approach and work with us so we can make more progress in the years to come."
Courtesy : Alan Jones, Press Association
07-Jun-10: Woman refused a job in a call centre - Because she can't build Lego
A frustrated jobseeker has told how she was refused a call centre post ... after failing a Lego house-building test.
Lindsey Burns, of Laighstonehall, had been unemployed for a year when she applied for a position with the new John Lewis call centre due to open in Hamilton International Technology this month.
However, when the 21-year-old attended what she thought was an interview, she and 20 other unemployed hopefuls were asked to build a LEGO HOUSE.
She said that after the four-hour team-building exercise, John Lewis management announced four of the 20 would be taken on. Others, including Lindsey, were sent home.
Lindsey, who has previously worked at a call centre, was left fuming by the experience.
She said: "I had been looking for a job for a while, so when John Lewis advertised that they were going to be opening a new call centre I jumped at the chance."
"Firstly, they said that my CV wasn’t what they were looking for. However, when I complained to the Job Centre, the company invited me for an interview."
"When I went for the interview, I could not believe what I had to do. We were asked to build a house from Lego bricks."
"The interviewers handed each table of five people a bucket of bricks and told us to memorise one that they had built and copy it without looking."
"Bear in mind I have three years’ experience working in a call centre. Yet, they think that for someone to take orders over the telephone, they need to be able to build Lego houses."
The 21-year-old attended the session, held at the company’s store in Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow. She was accompanied by relative who applied for a role in the centre’s canteen.
However, Miss Burns’s relative was also unsuccessful, despite having 14 years’ experience working in school canteens.
Miss Burns continued: "This stupidity is exactly why it’s so hard for people to get a chance in the workplace. It is four hours of my life that I am never getting back."
"They didn’t even have the kindness to say ‘thanks for your time’, but just told us we were unsuccessful."
"I worked for a bank’s call centre, and I didn’t have to do anything like this."
Fortunately, Miss Burns was able to secure other employment with a call centre this week.
Last November the retail giants announced plans to establish the centre at Hamilton International Technology Park, stating it would generate 250 posts.
However, last month the company confirmed that 450 people would be employed there by the end of the year.
The customer contact centre will be based in Fintry House and field customer enquiries, deal with administration and assist purchase enquiries.
John Lewis Partnership operate 29 stores across the United Kingdom and also own Waitrose.
Yesterday (Wednesday), a spokesman for John Lewis stores said: “John Lewis aims to employ people of ability and integrity who are committed to working together.
"The recruitment process aims to identify candidates who posses a set of common behaviours that fit with the Partnership's values."
"Initially, applicants are invited to an assessment centre to take part in a number of practical exercises at which they are evaluated on listening skills, communication, enthusiasm and inclusion of others."
"If invited to the second phase of recruitment, candidates face further skills-related exercises, regardless of role or level."
03-Jun-10: Glasgow call centre to create 100 jobs
Barrhead Travel is to create up to 100 new jobs after agreeing deals with The Daily Telegraph and the Turkish Tourism Office to fulfil online and phone bookings.
To cope with the new business, the Scottish agency chain is looking for a 100-seat call centre in Glasgow to operate alongside its existing premises in the Oswald Street branch in the city.
Once the deal is complete, agents will take calls from readers using the Daily Telegraph’s travel website, with a focus on operators and destinations featured in the newspaper’s editorial pages.
From this week, Barrhead will also take online and telephone bookings generated by Goturkey.com, a site set up by the Turkish Tourism Office.
The deals mark the latest step in the agency’s strategy to expand its fulfilment business, having already secured a deal to take phone enquiries and bookings from lastminute.com
03-Jun-10: CallCare to create an extra 100 jobs in Manchester after £3.5m cash injection
Cambridgeshire-based CallCare, the 24 hour call handling service, is looking to create 100 new jobs in Greater Manchester.
The company, which is owned by Dubai based venture capital firm Al Jamal Global, already employs 50 people in the area since opening a site at Salford Quays in 2008.
The company said today it was planning a major recruitment drive to employ an extra 100 people by the end of the year. It added that it is also looking for larger premises in the Greater Manchester area. It is looking to amalgamate its two existing Salford Quays call centres into one and further expand the business.
Managing director David Bate said: “Manchester was chosen as a prime location for expansion because of the hub of activity it has become for the professional services industry.
“Manchester is a UK business capital, second only to London. Our expansion plans in the city reflect our desire to be part of that.
“Manchester, as a location, is key to this expansion.”
The company operates an around the clock telephone answering service beyond the traditional reception and switchboard calls. It also offers call centre overflow work, support for lone workers and emergency hot lines. Clients pay a fixed monthly fee and then an amount per call.
03-Jun-10: Insurance firm to take on 65 new staff
65 jobs are being created at an expanding insurance call centre.
A surge in sales means the Swintoncall centre in Halifax, is to take on 65 new workers – 60 sales advisers and at least five managers – by the end of June.
It is said to be a direct result of pricing changes to existing products, including personal accident cover and the introduction of new products such as health and dental cover.
Kelly Ogley, Swinton's director of call centres, said: "It's great news for the company and for the staff, whose earning potential has significantly increased. Halifax is home to one of Swinton's biggest call centres."
Recruitment days will be held throughout June 18.
03-Jun-10: Call centre workers set up Facebook group to demand union recognition
Disgruntled ex-workers at a Londonderry call centre have set up a Facebook group calling for staff to organise and for their employer to recognise trade unions.
But a spokesperson for Firstsource says the company already recognises trade union organisations and that if staff membership at the call centre reaches the statutory level for official recognition this will be granted.
The page entitled "Firstsource Derry! We demand a union!!! Yes get away wey murder" was established three months ago.
It has since become a posting board for unhappy workers at Firstsource Solutions Limited, a call centre in Springtown owned by the ICICI Bank, India's largest financial services company with assets of over £22billion.
The company - a customer support call centre specialising in the financial, telecoms and health care sectors - first opened its Londonderry operation in November 2006 and was employing 530 by April 2008.
In May 2008 former Enterprise Minister Nigel Dodds announced a further expansion by Firstsource promising the creation of a further 334 new jobs and a third European Centre of Excellence creating a further 500 new jobs.
But the company's refusal to recognise trade unions has led some workers to take the drastic step of launching a protest group on social networking phenomenon Facebook.
Eighty people were registered as liking the "Firstsource Derry!" page and approving of its "its time we got a union sorted in that dump, fact!" message yesterday.
But Fraida Silver Firstsource Marketing Director told local media that channels for airing staff grievances or raising serious issues of concern are already in place and that the firm has no difficulties with union recognition.
"We do have an established Employee Involvement Forum that meets monthly and takes input from all members of staff," she said.
She also said Firstsource is happy for employees to join trade unions and if there are sufficient numbers a trade union can apply for recognition.
"If union representation meets the statutory level Firstsource will officially recognise the union," said Ms Silver.
She said the establishment of a Facebook page was not the most constructive method of negotiating with management.
"It appears to have been set up be ex-employees," said Ms Silver. "It is based on freedom of speech and there is nothing we can do about that but there are established channels for employees to raise any serious concerns they have with management."
02-Jun-10: EDF Energy breached rules on customer complaints
EDF Energy breached new rules by failing to record customer complaints properly, the regulator has found.
The breach, between October 2008 and March 2009, has now been corrected and the company has made a £200,000 payment to charities which help consumers.
As a result, it has not been fined by the energy regulator Ofgem, following the first investigation under rules introduced in 2008.
The company said it had taken immediate action to rectify the situation.
The regulator brought in the new rules in a bid to improve customer service by energy companies.
Energy companies must properly record all complaints from customers They have eight weeks to resolve any customer issue After that point, the customer can take the dispute to the independent Energy Ombudsman.
It wanted people to be able to call about disputed bills or meter readings, and for them to have to explain the problem only once. These complaints should then be properly recorded by the company.
If any energy company fails to resolve a problem to a customer's satisfaction within eight weeks of the initial complaint, then the customer has the right to take the issue to the independent Energy Ombudsman.
Ofgem found that EDF Energy had failed to record all complaints properly, as demanded by the regulations.
Following an audit, Ofgem launched an investigation. The company then set up workshops for staff and changed its training programme to ensure complaints were recorded properly.
"When Ofgem first identified in January 2009 that the number of complaints we had recorded was lower than expected, we immediately instigated a review and developed a robust action plan to resolve the matter," the company said.
"The actions we took led to an almost immediate and sustained improvement, such that our recorded complaints are now fully consistent with our expectations and with other suppliers."
The company also paid £100,000 to the Money Advice Trust, which assists people with debt problems.
It also gave £100,000 to the Energy Best Deal campaign, run by Citizens Advice, which ensures people are on the correct benefits and the most appropriate energy tariff.
"In light of these actions, Ofgem has decided in this case not to impose a financial penalty on EDF Energy," the regulator said.
Ofgem has the power to fine an energy company up to 10% of its global turnover if it is found in breach of regulations.
Audrey Gallacher, from watchdog Consumer Focus, said: "Nothing frustrates customers more than the hoops you are forced to jump through to get a problem acknowledged and dealt with.
"It is vital that energy companies handle complaints effectively and with the attention they deserve."
01-Jun-10: O2 pair get star treatment on Jonathan Ross show
Members of staff from the O2 call centre in Preston Brook were given the star treatment following their efforts for a caller.
Claire Fitzgerald, from Warrington, and Daniel Shannon, from Runcorn, were asked to watch the filming of Jonathan Ross’ BBC TV show after working to fix a problem for his son’s phone.
The pair work in the section of the call centre which looks after VIP customers and went to see the show which featured Kiefer Sutherland, Gemma Arterton and Idris Elba.
Daniel said: “It was a great experience to go down to London and to the BBC centre. We also had front row seats in the studios where we sat with Jonathan’s mum, sister and relatives.”
01-Jun-10: Strike threat at O2 and BT
Mobile phone network O2 are facing the threat of industrial action. The union representing thousands of shopworkers and call centre staff urged members to reject the firm's 2% pay offer, calling it 'paltry'.
The company has offered staff 2%, but the Communications Workers Union, which is also in dispute with BT, has advised members to reject it.
The CWU has given O2 until Friday to come up with a revised offer or it will ballot its 4,000 members at the Spanish-owned firm, recommending that they vote against it.
The union believes the offer does not provide sufficient guarantees on pay progression for its members.
It also said the offer was less than that offered to staff at another Telefonica-owned firm, Manx Telecom, who were offered 3%.
However, O2 said it had increased pay throughout the recession, unlike rivals in its sector and other companies, and last year's pay rise was above inflation while it also paid performance-related bonuses.
An O2 spokesman said yesterday: 'We welcome the CWU's intention to carry out a consultative ballot of members on our 2% pay offer.'
But he added: 'We understand it will not be supporting the offer and this is disappointing.
'Our offer is twice the current national average for the private sector and is also in line with the offer accepted by the CWU with Royal Mail.'
Meanwhile, the CWU has asked its members at BT to vote on strike action if the company fails to improve its offer of a 2% pay rise by this Friday
26-May-10: 100 new call centre jobs as firm grows
More than 100 jobs will be created at an expanding marketing specialist firm.
Reactiv Media has grown in the last three years from just four employees to now more than 50. It has continued to buck the trend of firms suffering from the economic downturn and continued to focus on its goals and expand.
Due to the rapid growth they have just moved into larger premises Leeds and as a result the firm will be looking to create more than 100 new call centre jobs.
Expansion looks set to go ahead throughout June with a massive employment drive for the call centre.
The new office overlooking the canal in Elland has two large call centres and 10 offices, covering over 10,000 sq ft across two floors.
Reactiv Media has also opened two new offices in the last two months in Warwickshire and Nottingham, which the team also aims to expand and take on new employees in the next six months.
Adrian Spencer has been taken on as new general manager. He has over 15 years sales management experience to help managing director Tony Abbot with the expansion plans.
Mr Abbott, who has worked in sales and marketing for the past 15 years, said: "I am very excited by the expansion plans we have in place for Reactiv Media through 2010 and particularly proud of the creation of more jobs within the local area."
The direct marketing solutions firm was set up by Mr Abbott in June 2007, to bring together all the various parts of the data and lead generation industry under one roof.
It works with companies across a range of sectors, including finance, travel, insurance and home shopping.
26-May-10: Dangers of relying on recession to retain staff
Employers shouldn’t rely on the recession as a way of retaining staff. And employees who worked for organisations that rely on the "you should be grateful to have a job approach" were, in fact, biding their time and would leave when better opportunities arose.
These were two of the key messages to emerge from a breakfast seminar held by Kelly Services in the City of London last week.
Drawing on the results of Kelly Services Global Workforce Index survey, which found that following the recession, more than one in four (28%) of UK employees felt more loyal to their organisation, Calvin Cox, marketing manager at manager at Kelly Services, said the reality was more complex. “There is a big difference between those who feel loyal and those who are trapped,” he said.
The survey found that those workers who are less loyal to their employer following the economic downturn cited as reasons: poor management; low company morale; and poor communication.
Lisa Blinkhorne, head of HR at contact centre company Converso, said that competitors were enticing some staff with higher salaries.
However, the grass wasn’t always greener, she said, as the staff found they weren’t getting the same level of responsibility as they enjoyed at Converso. “Offering more money is often covering the cracks,” added Shane Green, UK operations manager at Kelly Services.
Gerry Peyton, director of HRplus at law firm Hammonds, said that line mangers were often afraid to discuss salaries with employees who might be wanting to move because they lacked detailed information about salary levels. They also lacked detailed information about jobs, which might pay more than the staff member’s current job, but actually involved working longer hours or involved a greater commute or other lifestyle changes. Peyton said it was important to understand what motivated individuals to apply to and to remain with your organisation, as different groups held different attitudes.
26-May-10: Companies in denial when it comes to providing good customer service
Many companies are focused on innovating with new products, inviting store experiences and enticing marketing campaigns to court customers, but when it comes to the contact centre, innovation often stops.
Lisa Grantham, Director of Marketing for Northern Europe at Nuance Communications, discusses the economics of call centre automation.
UK businesses are in denial. Their focus on attracting new customers, with little regard for how they handle future interactions through customer service, does not support a good customer experience. Worryingly, those that do attempt to innovate in customer service often direct their investment in the wrong channels – focusing on developing exciting applications for mobile platforms including the Android and the iPhone™. They might look great, but this investment is entirely disproportionate to actual customer behaviour and need.
Battle for resources
77 per cent of all customer service interaction takes place over the phone despite significant investment in attempts to drive callers to alternative channels including the web, email and the iPhone. Did you know that web self-service only handles four per cent of all customer interactions?
What many companies fail to appreciate is that whilst these other channels do displace a small percentage of calls away from contact centres, they frequently generate a similar volume of new calls. Consider, for example, these common enquires: “I sent you an email three days ago and no-one’s replied” and “I just made a payment online and want to check it’s gone through”. Call volumes into contact centres continue to increase. Intuitively this makes sense because when we fail in any other channel our first instinct is to ask someone for help – and that means having a conversation.
Making customer service a priority
Don’t be fooled into thinking that investment in your website will solve all your customer service challenges. Customer service calls are not going to stop, and the way companies handle them is becoming increasingly important. If your contact centre isn’t part of your strategic business planning today – a key component of your differentiated customer service strategy – then you’re behind your peers. In a market where the rate of innovation and information access enables companies to duplicate each other’s products and services in weeks, it is customer loyalty that wins the day. Loyal customers pay more for the same product, are more resistant to the lures of competitors, and will recommend you to their friends. And they want to talk to you on the phone.
How do you manage this?
The first thing to do is identify which channels your customers use the most and evaluate how well you are investing in those channels. You also need to be realistic – you will never be able to hire enough pick-up-after-two-rings, right-accented, well-educated, stick-to-the-brand, stick-to-the-script agents on a 24/7 basis. Most business can’t manage it today for eight hours straight, and the volumes continue to rise. There is not a business on the planet that can profitably meet this challenge by throwing more people at the issue. Instead, you need to automate a sizable amount of your phone calls where appropriate, and do so accurately and effectively.
The key to successful customer service is understanding what your customer wants as soon as the call is answered and then provide simple, unobtrusive, quick service.
Phone automation isn’t trendy, and there are lots of poor examples on the market, but many of the successful customer service brands have already implemented it and are experiencing substantial cost savings and customer satisfaction improvements. The most cost effective investment for your contact centre in 2010 would be to automate the phone channel, and to automate it well.
By Lisa Grantham
Director of Marketing for Northern Europe
Nuance Communications
www.nuance.co.uk/
24-May-10: 2nd outsourcer in a week goes bust
300 made redundant from Brighton call centre
Hundreds of people have been left without wages after they turned up to work to hear their company had gone bust.
Bosses at call centre Telegen shut the doors of its Brighton city centre office yesterday morning after admitting there was no money left to pay staff.
About 300 employees were immediately made redundant and now face an anxious few weeks while the company's assets are sold off and they wait to find out how much they will be paid.
Telegen called in business recovery specialist White Maund to handle the liquidation.
Andrew White, from White Maund, read out a statement from the directors: “Due to continuing extremely tough economic conditions, including some companies placing work to offshore locations such as Asia and South Africa, Telegen has unfortunately ceased trading today.
“Telegen has been operating in Brighton for ten years and deeply regrets that the recession has forced this conclusion. Telegen will do everything it can to minimise the impact on clients, customers and employees.”
Scores of staff found out their jobs had gone when they turned up for work in the morning.
Clutching their redundancy letters, crowds of young workers made phone calls to the JobCentre to get a sought after appointment.
24-May-10: Another 200 jobs at new call centre
A new call centre in Hamilton handling customer inquiries for the John Lewis Partnership is to be significantly bigger than originally announced.
The retailer originally planned to base 250 workers at the centre. But the firm is now going to increase that by another 200.
The workforce of 450 is expected to include staff currently carrying out customer service duties at the company’s three Scottish stores in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
They are being offered the chance to relocate to Lanarkshire or take up new store posts.
The centre will field customer inquiries, deal with administration and assist customers with purchase inquiries. It is due to open in June.
The Scottish Government is supporting the project at Hamilton Technology Park with £700,000 in Regional Selective Assistance.
First Minister Alex Salmond said: “John Lewis Partnership already makes a substantial contribution to the Scottish economy through employing approximately 2600 people across its John Lewis and Waitrose shops.
“The Scottish Government is supporting the company’s plans to increase its presence in Scotland, particularly during these challenging economic times.”
Andrew Murphy, director of retail operations at John Lewis, said: “We look forward to working with the community in and around Hamilton.”
David Smith, interim chief executive of Scottish Development International, said: “This investment will also help to cement Scotland’s reputation as one of Europe’s leading locations for customer service centres.”
24-May-10: BT rules out Garlands switch
BT bosses have said they will press ahead with their new office development in South Tyneside – despite a purpose-built call centre standing empty metres way.
BT is set to move into a four-storey office at Harton Staithes, due for completion next year.
But a move to the huge red-brick Garlands building has been ruled out by the firm, which says it is unsuitable.
Planning approval was granted in February for the BT headquarters on Harton Staithes, which will create 500 new jobs.
Margie Burdis, CEO of BT South Tyneside said: "It is unfortunate that, along with the terrible impact on Garlands staff, there is also now the possibility of a very good facility standing empty.
"However, it is not one that would suit BT's operational needs.
"The new building proposed for Harton Staithes is being purpose-built to our requirements, and will be designed to house staff from many different lines of business within BT.
"BT is fully committed to supporting the council in the regeneration of the borough. We have already starting recruiting some staff who will be located in the new building, and we are confident that it will be an asset to the borough."
Coun Ahmed Khan for Riverside ward is worried that the Harton Staithes complex could go the same way.
He said: "It's my opinion that the council should take a tougher line with BT and ask it to think again about considering Garlands. It is a purpose-built call centre – how can it not be amended to fit the needs of the BT staff?
"The council is spending £30m on the Harton Staithes site – that would buy Garlands, surely."
18-May-10: Garlands staff learnt of axe over the radio
Workers have spoken of their devastation after losing their jobs at a South Tyneside call centre.
Garlands made 178 employees redundant from its South Shields office, in Market Dock North, after calling its employees in at 2pm yesterday to give them the grim news.
The axed staff were left furious over how the announcement was made – across the in-house radio station Radio Ga-Ga – and how they had been treated during their time with the company.
Garlands founder Chey Garland spoke to staff before making a formal announcement at the business's Hartlepool base.
Similar announcements were made at the company's other bases in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough and 1,158 jobs were lost in total, with Garlands blaming the economic downturn and overseas competition for losing key contracts like Vodafone and TalkTalk.
As staff filed out of the South Shields centre, a mixture of anger, disappointment and disbelief was in the air.
Mark Stewart, 19, from Highfield Road, South Shields said: "On Friday, we were told that due to technical problems, we didn't need to come in on Monday morning and to turn up at 1pm.
"It was all lies, when we got there we were told there'd be an announcement at 2pm - we were just waiting around for bad news to be delivered.
"We were in the canteen, which wasn't open, and then someone put the radio on and the announcement was made - all our jobs were gone.
"There was no one from the company there, just someone from the administrators.
"They knew on Friday that the company was going bust but didn't tell us - why did they lie and tell us there was technical difficulties.
"It's disgraceful, we could have been out looking for jobs.
"Most of us have been here less than a year and won't be getting any redundancy."
The company was placed in administration after losing big contracts with mobile phone giants, Talk Talk and Vodaphone.
Gemma Slater, from Marsden, was angry that employees won't get money they are owed.
The 18-year-old said: "It's disgraceful the way we were told - they should have told us on Friday.
"We've all been out and spent money at the weekend, money we would have saved if we knew what was coming.
"Now we won't get our wages for what we've worked this month - about £350.
"My contract ended on Friday and I was told it was being extended - what was the point in that?"
Sam Smith, 23, from Jarrow, revealed the staff were owed money by the company for training they took part in.
She said: "When we started £300 was taken off our first wage to cover the cost of our training, and we were told we'd get it back at the end of our contracts - we're not going to see that now.
"They have strung us along for the weekend, I've bought a monthly bus pass with my wages, that is money I could've done without spending, I'm not going to need it now."
Stephen Mullen, from Houghton-le-Spring, said: "I knew something was up - the company is run by pirates, and pirates sink ships."
18-May-10: Chey Garland "There was no other choice"
Call centre supremo Chey Garland said she had no option but to axe more than 1,000 workers after losing key contracts to cut-price Asian markets.
The majority of the 1,158 people employed by Hartlepool-based Garlands were made unemployed yesterday as the firm fell into administration.
Only a few members of staff are being kept on to help joint administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and work on one remaining contract.
At a hastily-arranged press conference yesterday, company boss Chey Garland said 2009 had been the toughest year since she founded the business, which employed 621 people at its Hartlepool Marina headquarters, 359 in Middlesbrough and a further 178 in South Shields.
She pointed to companies moving key contracts overseas as the main reason behind her company's dramatic collapse.
Ms Garland, who started the company more than 30 years ago, said: "Around 80 per cent of our business was in mobile and broadband, but the majority of that work has gone overseas.
"In some of the locations you are looking at £6.50 or £7 an hour. We can't compete with that, apart from in terms of quality.
"There has been a dramatic reduction in the mobile and broadband sector. They have felt pressure and needed to take costs out of their business, and that clearly has been felt by ourselves."
More than 3,000 people were employed by Garlands in 2008 when the firm turned over more than £50m, but as the recession hit the firm lost a number of big contracts including Vodafone and TalkTalk.
Ms Garland said "the battle" to save the company started in early 2009.
One client pulled out at the beginning of the year and as the company restructured another contract was lost, while two firms dramatically cut their work back.
18-May-10: Dixons to relocate call centre
Electrical giant DSG international is to move its TechGuys call centre in Lenton Lane to a bigger centre in Sheffield.
DSGi says all staff at its TechGuys centre in Lenton Lane have been offered the chance to relocate to its bigger, more modern call centre in Sheffield from March 2011.
And 400 workers have also been given the option of working from home. Staff at the centre were called in to a meeting at 2pm yesterday (May 17) to hear about the plans, which the company said was part of its "renewal and transformation plan" to reduce costs and give a better service to customers.
A spokesman said voluntary redundancy would be offered to anyone who was unable to move to Sheffield or work from home, although the company expects most to continue working for it. TechGuys call centre workers give technical support for electrical products from PC World, Currys, Currys Digital and Dixons.
Mark Webb, head of media relations for parent company DSGi, said: "As part of its ongoing renewal and transformation plans, DSG international is proposing to merge its Nottingham call centre with its larger call centre operation in Sheffield.
"The decision has been taken after a comprehensive review, which concluded this would result in a better experience for customers at lower costs for the business. The proposed move will take place in March 2011, and there is a role available for all staff who wish to relocate.
"In addition, staff in technical roles not wishing to move to Sheffield are being offered a ‘home working’ option.
"All staff have been informed so the company can offer as much time and support as possible prior to the relocation taking place."
Mr Webb said the company was not unionised but all the correct consultation procedures would be followed.
"The legal consultation requirement is 90 days, but clearly there is an extended period before the relocation takes place, with support and consultation offered in the interim, to ensure a seamless transition," he said.
"We are also offering financial support to those who choose to relocate."
One worker, who did not want to be named, said before the meeting that it was believed the move was partly to avoid the proposed Workplace Parking Levy, being introduced by Nottingham City Council in 2012 to help fund major public transport improvements.
However, Mr Webb denied this had any impact on the decision
18-May-10: Unions react to Vodafone sale
Vodafone employees are furious over reports the Warrington call centre is being sold to outsourcing company HEROtsc.
They alledge that the news was broken to employees over a tannoy announcement on Friday.
The firm, which has bases in India and England, will take over more than 600 staff at the Birchwood Park base with many employees fearing it could mean job cuts.
Neil Singh, Communications Workers Union Vodafone Organiser, told local media: "This has come as a bit of a shock to call centre staff in Warrington and to announce it over the tannoy system is outrageous.
“Members who I've spoken to feel like they've had the rug pulled from under them and they're understandably upset.
“Over the past few months there has been a cost-cutting program, including job losses and the removal of bonuses at the site, but it now seems that this was done in preparation to sell the site off to HEROtsc."
“Staff were told today about it and some staff only found out on Facebook when a message was put on there.”
Vodafone have denied claims the changes were announced over a tannoy system. A spokesman said: "Employees were invited to meetings and heard the news directly from a familiar senior manager, who used a microphone so that everyone at the event could hear very clearly what was being said."
18-May-10: beCogent scoops top place in mystery shopping poll
Traveline Scotland - Scotland's national public transport information service - has topped the latest UK wide Mystery Shopping poll for friendliness, helpfulness, accuracy and all other aspects of their information service.
Congratulating the Traveline Scotland call centre team at beCogent on their success, Chief Executive, John Elliot said: 'Traveline Scotland has come first in the twice yearly mystery shopping exercise before but never with an average score across all aspects of service of 100%. In fact I believe that in the 10 years since the Traveline service began no region has achieved this unbeatable average score. Our team of telephone agents have worked hard to improve all aspects of their service and really deserve this success. Customers in Scotland can have confidence that their national public transport information service is second to none.'
John Devlin, Commercial & Operations Director at beCogent, paid tribute to the teams' success: "I'm delighted that our team have once again come out on top and doubly so that we have achieved this fantastic accolade of scoring 100%. This is an outstanding achievement and wonderful recognition of the hard work and dedication of our Traveline Scotland Team. Exceeding Customer expectations is at the forefront of our business and our team have shown that they are more than capable of doing this."
18-May-10: Vodafone sells Warrington call centre
An outsourcing company which has bought Vodafone's Warrington call centre says the jobs of its 600 staff are safe.
The mobile phone giant announced that it was creating a strategic partnership with HEROtsc, based in Larbert near Falkirk, under which the Scottish company will own and run the site.
The centre at Erlang House in Birchwood Park will continue to handle the company's customer service operation, dealing mainly with its high value customers under what the new owners described as “a multi-year deal”.
HEROtsc runs seven call centres across Scotland and one in England, but closed down its Greenock site last year after its customer T-Mobile moved work overseas.
HEROtsc's chief executive David Turner said: "This is a significant development in both the mobile and the contact centre markets and enables us to offer a long term future for the Vodafone employees who will be transferring to HEROtsc.
"The fact that they have awarded us with this latest deal that will see us take on their high-value contract customers is a real testament to our ability and what we have already achieved for them in terms of customer service, innovation and value."
18-May-10: Banks shake-up puts 700 jobs on the line
More than 700 jobs are at risk at a Doncaster call centre after a crisis-hit bank announced plans to sell off its insurance arm.
Royal Bank of Scotland is axing 2,000 out of its 16,000-strong insurance workforce to save money after the European Commission ordered the sale of the division amid competition concerns following the Government bail-out the bank.
Some 712 people work at its call centre based in the UKI Partnerships building in Lakeside Boulevard, Lakeside.
RBS said it was too early to say how many jobs could be lost in Doncaster. Consultation would start this week and last three months.
A date for making redundancies has yet to be set, but is likely to be within a year, it added.
Coun Jonathan Wood, Doncaster Council's cabinet member for business, said he was liaising with RBS and the council would help those affected.
Doncaster MP Rosie Winterton said she had been in touch with the Unite union, and would campaign to protect jobs.
Unite condemned the latest round of job cuts and said its members would be "devastated" at the news.
As well as Green Flag the division includes such household names as Churchill, Direct Line, and Privilege.
National officer Rob MacGregor said: "Taken together, this is a devastating blow for a dedicated workforce which has worked very hard to turn around the fortunes of RBS following some disastrous decisions by the previous management.
"Unite is completely opposed to compulsory redundancies and will be engaging continually with RBS throughout the consultation period to minimise redundancies, while calling upon the bank to manage these reductions outside of compulsory measures."
Paul Geddes, chief executive of RBS Insurance, said savings had to be made ahead of the sell off of the division to improve value and achieve 'acceptable' returns for shareholders.
He added: "Regrettably, this is likely to affect up to 2,000 roles across the division over the next 12 months."
18-May-10: E.ON cut call centre staff salaries
Energy suppliers E.ON have cut the wages of staff who work at the company's call centres, it has emerged.
The energy provider notified at least 2,500 of its lowest paid workers that they would have their pay cut by around £2,000,
Personnel at E.ON's Nottingham base were told that they must accept a new cap of £17,850 on their pay from 2012 or 2013 onwards plus a one-off £1,500 payment to compensate for the salary reduction.
A spokesperson for E.ON said the cut forms part of a "pay realignment" that is designed to put customer services salaries on the same level as those paid by other energy suppliers
18-May-10: Call centre firm to employ Indian prisoners
An Indian company which provides call centres for some of Britain's biggest companies is planning to employ prisoners in Hyderabad's Cherlapally Central Jail.
The scheme is aimed at helping criminals, including those jailed for murder and violence, improve their workplace skills and their career prospects when they are released.
Around 250 inmates will work in the new centre, initially processing insurance claim forms and bank account applications for Indian clients.
The company has insisted there is no security risk as the prisoners will not have access to sensitive information including passwords and bank accounts.
It has also said that anyone convicted of fraud or robbery will not be allowed to work for them – but admitted murdered and violent criminals would.
Inmates at the jail are currently the equivalent of less than 20 pence per day for making furniture, but if they are hired by the jail's new call centre they will earn up to £1.50.
They will work in three round the clock shifts and will be ranked according to their aptitudes and qualifications.
Radiant director C. Narayanacharyulu said inmates who have completed their school education will be recruited along with any graduates and postgraduates.
He said there were a number of highly-educated and computer-literate prisoners who had been jailed for 'dowry-murders' – the killing of new wives by husbands and in-laws because her family has failed to pay enough money for her 'dowry.' It is often a middle-class crime in India. He said inmates like these could play an important role in training other prisoners.
"Our company visited the Jail and we found there are many prisoners who have computer knowledge and are educated. There is enough infrastructure and manpower. There is a general trend to shift call centres from urban areas to rural areas, so it was a part of that shift," he said.
"During consultations with the Jail authorities, we decided to start a low end call centre which will process bank and insurance data entries. At present, we don't have voice calling but there is a possibility of having this facility in future.
"It will be mostly petty criminals, some people who have committed crimes in a fit of anger but those convicted of fraud or robbery will not be eligible.
"The prisoners will range from the smallest to the highest, including murder. Some are in for dowry harassment cases, some for murder, and they have backgrounds in Information Technology," he added.
18-May-10: Q-Max ranked the most widely installed Workforce Management Software in the UK
Q-Max is the most widely installed workforce management solution in UK organisations, according to a recent survey conducted by the Professional Planning Forum, the independent industry body promoting best practice in contact centre resourcing and planning.
The survey results were presented in a keynote speech at the tenth annual Forum Conference held this April in Birmingham, attended by over 500 delegates.
The survey showed that 30% of organisations included in the survey had Q-Max installed and that one third of public sector respondents were Q-Max users.
Q-Max also ranked highest for satisfaction with vendor support, scoring 7.3 against the average vendor ranking of 6.5.
David Jones of Q-Max commented, “These results recognise the focus we give to supporting our customers. They also reinforce the continued investment in resource Q-Max has given to customer care in recent years. We offer clients complete on-site installation and training with a dedicated account manager, to help them maximise the value of their investment in our solutions. All of our account managers have years of hands-on experience in contact centre operations and in implementing Q-Max successfully within organisations.”
18-May-10: Government call centres slow to pick up
Call centres run by government agencies are often slow to pick up and some do not answer as many as half of calls, according to a BBC investigation.
The waiting time for a phone call to the UK Border Agency is almost seven minutes and then 70% of calls are abandoned or go unanswered.
Three other Home Office helplines were among the worst contacted, Freedom of Information requests also revealed.
The Home Office said it was working to improve access via online services.
The contact centre for work permits took five minutes on average to answer a call.
The nationality contact centre also took five minutes, while the asylum support centre took three minutes.
About half of calls inquiring about work permits and asylum support were then disconnected.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Since 2007, call demand has more than doubled, which has had an impact on our call times.
"We have already begun to address this by moving more of our services online, including the booking of appointments.
"This provides easy and quick access to a lot of the information that is needed and allows our staff to focus on the inquiries that require telephone assistance."
The Student Loans Company, which came under fire last year for a backlog of claims, was unable to answer almost three out of five calls - and students who did get through, faced a four-minute wait.
The company said it had been its "busiest and most challenging academic year to date".
This year it has pledged to take on more staff, and a spokeswoman said: "We aim to answer at least 80% of calls to ensure students can get the information they need."
Driving pupils trying to book a theory test through the Driving Standards Agency's helpline faced a six-minute wait in 2009.
The agency said it worked hard to make sure customers could get in touch quickly and easily.
"The maximum waiting time listed would only apply if a caller listened to every available message - in practice, most people contact the number to book a car theory test and this is the first option given," it said.
The Give Blood and Organ Donor line was found to have improved in the past year.
The number of calls it handled increased, but waiting time was reduced to just nine seconds
17-May-10: Garlands to close
Hundreds of workers have been axed after a bombshell announcement at a call centre headquarters this afternoon.
Workers were called in to Garlands at Hartlepool marina at 2pm where they were told the grim news.
It was understood similar announcements were made at the company's other bases in South Shields and Middlesbrough.
A press conference has been announced at Garlands later this afternoon.
The South Tyneside firm, which employs more than 2,000 people, has been hit hard by the downturn and financial reports to the year to October 2008 show sales fell to £44.3m from £48.5m with profits falling to £476,000 from £2m.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP have been named as administrators for Garlands with immediate effect.
Nick Reed, director and joint administrator at PWC, said: "Garlands Call Centres has experienced very challenging trading conditions and more recently received notice from a number of key clients of their intention to move their customer service work.
The Garlands' board were unable to identify a viable way forward given the significant deterioration in contract work and high infrastructure costs. As such, they were left with no option than to appoint administrators.
My team and I will focus on working with employees, clients and suppliers to facilitate a smooth and effective wind-down or transfer of operations over the next few weeks".
As well as the 621 employed by Garlands in Hartlepool, the firm also employed a further 359 in Middlesbrough and 178 in South Shields.
Mr Reed added: "Our priority is to ensure that all employees made redundant are assisted in processing their claims with immediate effect.
"We will be circulating correspondence to all staff as soon as possible which will outline the support available to complete redundancy payment forms. Advice and assistance will also be available from Job Centre Plus."
20-Aug-09: Tesco to create 800 call centre jobs in Scotland
Tesco today announced plans to create more than 800 jobs in personal finance by opening a customer service centre in central Glasgow.
The centre has been built with the help of a £5 million grant from the Scottish government.
Andrew Higginson, chief executive of Tesco Retailing Services, said: "The opening of the new customer service centre will be a significant step towards Tesco Personal Finance offering a full banking service. It is hard to ignore that people's trust in the banking sector is at a very low ebb."
Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, who is scheduled to visit Tesco Personal Finance's Edinburgh base today, said: “I want to see increased competition in the (banking) system and that’s why Tesco’s announcement today is important.
“We do need more competition in the system. The last couple of years has seen a significant reduction in the number of people, both from abroad and British-based banks, who are lending into the market.
“We need more competition and that’s something that we intend to encourage.”
Tesco bought out RBS’s 50 per cent stake in Tesco Personal Finance, the joint venture between the bank and the supermarket, last year.
The group is considering expanding its presence in banking by tapping the wholesale credit markets and has been mooted in the City and in the press as a possible buyer of Northern Rock.
Tesco Personal Finance has six million customer accounts and offers 28 different financial products such as general insurance and personal loans.
Its new operations centre is set to open in the first half of 2010
19-Aug-09: Racing UK doubles call centre numbers
RACING UK has doubled the number of agents dealing with calls from customers wishing to renew their subscriptions to the satellite TV channel after some subscribers complained about difficulty in gaining access to the company's Scottish call-centre.
The channel's head of PR Seb Vance said: "We did have some problems last week, due to a larger volume of calls than we had anticipated, but we think we've solved those difficulties now, by doubling the number of agents working at the call-centre."
Vance added: "We have enough staff now that we'll have 25 people available to respond at any given time, so we hope the early problems are behind us."
19-Aug-09: Swine flu pandemic could set the scene for a remote diagnosis boom
A think tank claims remote diagnosis using the internet and call centres is the way forward for the NHS.
According to the Future Foundation, remote diagnosis, which is currently being used by the government to assist health staff with the swine flu pandemic, will increasingly be used by the NHS to diagnose conditions such as impotence, sexually transmitted infections and cystitis.
A report by the think tank says internet and call centre-based consultations could be used to relieve pressure on primary care resources.
Currently, only a small percentage of prescriptions are dispensed without a traditional face-to-face consultation with a GP, but the report also suggests more prescriptions could be issued remotely.
Judith Kleine Holthouse, lead author of the report by the Future Foundation, said: “Despite its clinical shortcomings, the use of the internet and call centres for diagnosing flu and distributing medication demonstrates that remote diagnosis can be an efficient way of dealing with certain conditions.”
However, while the authors argue that the use of call centre and internet diagnosis in the swine flu response could prove to be a watershed moment, they are calling for tight regulation to be imposed, pointing to the potential for meningitis to be diagnosed as swine flu.
19-Aug-09: Call centre health care petition launched
The family of a teenage girl who died after being misdiagnosed with swine flu have begun a petition against “call centre healthcare”.
Charlotte Hartey, 16, from Oswestry, Shropshire died on July 31 from complications that arose from tonsilitis.
The teenager was prescribed Tamiflu after she was misdiagnosed with swine flu in a telephone consultation, according to her family. They say she developed blood poisoning after being rushed to hospital.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Charlotte was not suffering from swine flu, and died of natural causes.
In a bid to stop telephone diagnoses, her family have now set up an online petition on social networking site Facebook.
Speaking from Greece, where the family are currently on holiday, Charlotte’s 19-year-old brother Tristan said: “Our aim is that every person has the right to be personally seen by a doctor.
“Medical diagnosis over the telephone has to be banned as it is not allowing this right to be fulfilled and causing people to die.”
19-Aug-09: BT staff to pick up £400 windfall
BT call centre and customer services staff are due to receive a £400 bonus payment, despite being hit with a pay freeze earlier this year.
Around 50,000 members of staff will receive the windfall following group negotiations over pay, according to the Communication Workers Union.
Staff will receive the payment in two instalments with the first due at the end of this month and the other in December.
The company recently reported earnings were down 3% to £1.37bn in the three months to 30 June after trouble in its global services division.
Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, said of today's bonus agreement: 'This is a positive outcome for our members. We never gave up hope of achieving a reward for our members in BT.
'The economic and financial situation, including price deflation and an end-of-year loss at BT, has been a barrier to achieving a pay award that adequately reflects the contribution of CWU represented employees.
'We will continue to work with BT in the best interests of the company and its staff during this difficult downturn.'
The payment for all CWU-represented grades was backed in a consultative ballot of members with a 76% 'yes' vote.
BT first announced the bonus payment at its annual general meeting last month
19-Aug-09: More jobs under threat at Garlands
More jobs could be under threat at the South Tyneside call centre of Garlands
Workers at Garlands in South Shields were told two weeks ago they could be facing redundancy, or be moved to another section of the business.
Company chief executive Chey Garland sent staff an e-mail telling them the TalkTalk contract is to be "re-focused" elsewhere, and a consultation process is under way to "discuss proposals for redundancy".
But rumours are spreading that once the contract is up on November 7 at the borough site, the call centre could be empty.
However, bosses deny this, saying they have secured new contracts with other companies.
Garlands has three other contact centres at Hartlepool Marina, Middlesbrough, and Stockton, with another opening shortly in South Africa.
Garlands opened in South Shields early last year with a promise of creating 1,000 jobs, to be phased in over a three-year period.
There are currently 130 workers at the South Tyneside centre
Chey Garland, chief executive of Garlands, said: "We informed staff that TalkTalk is to re-focus its partnership with Garlands, and that the work we currently handle in the areas of customer services, billing and technical support is to be absorbed by existing teams within other TalkTalk contact centres from November 7, 2009."
"We will shortly be starting a consultation process with employees affected by this change. "
"This consultation will be to assess the impact of these changes and identify possibilities for those affected to be redeployed within our business or to discuss proposals for redundancy."
"It is important to stress that customer services and billing and technical support are just two of the areas in which Garlands supports TalkTalk."
"We continue to remain an important partner of TalkTalk in customer relations and the expanding activity of New Line Acquisitions."
19-Aug-09: Call centre jobs in Northern Ireland given a boost
Northern Ireland jobs were bolstered by the news that a telecommunications company will be recruiting an extra 80 roles at its Belfast call centre.
TeleTech, which currently employs 500 people in the country, will be looking for multilingual candidates who can speak languages including Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish and Russian.
Craig Reines, senior vice president for TeleTech's service delivery, said: "With the downturn in the global economy, we are particularly pleased and excited to be able to introduce these positions into the Belfast job market."
He added that the company will be creating excellent opportunities for qualified multilingual candidates.
19-Aug-09: Jobs under threat at Sitel
A 90-day consultation is under way with staff who could lose their jobs
Unions and call centre bosses are looking at ways to try to save up to 90 under threat jobs in Dundee.
The posts could go at Sitel, based at the Technology Park, after a key client decided to review its business.
The company said it would try to redeploy as many staff members as possible across the rest of the firm.
However, unions said that because the firm's sites were spread across the UK, it may not be practical for people to move to other parts of the business.
A 90-day consultation process is under way with workers who are facing redundancy.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said it was "shocked" by the number of job losses and that its members were in a period of "hanging uncertainty".
19-Aug-09: MP 'shocked' by call centre blow
MP Mark Durkan has said he is shocked by the scale of the job losses at a call centre in Londonderry.
Last month, the 500-strong workforce at Stream International were told 250 jobs could go after the company lost a contract with the Post Office.
The company has said it will continue to look for new contracts.
"I wouldn't like to pretend that any of us are confident that any new contracts could offset the scale of the losses," said Mr Durkan.
"But we have to give every encouragement to the local Stream management who are involved in trying to find and get those other contracts."
Stream provides support services for technology companies. Staff working on the contract with the Post Office will be put on 90-days protective notice.
Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey has said he will work with other government departments to try to save the jobs and help the company find new contracts.
He said the news was an "upsetting blow" which would have a "significant knock-on effect on the local economy".
"The north west has already been badly hit by this global recession and this is a further distressing development," he said.
"I am aware that Invest NI is currently working with Stream management to try to secure new business to minimise the number of redundancies.
"My officials from the Employment Service will be in contact with the company to offer our full range of services, including providing on-site redundancy clinics."
A contract loss in February also led to some job losses.
The company currently employs about 500 people in Derry.
The company's managing director, Jeff Jennings, said these are "tough times for the call centre sector".
"One of our contracts is moving. We're not closing the place down, we're staying in Derry and we're going to go after new business," he said.
"We've got clients visiting us in the next few weeks. Hopefully we can turn it around."
19-Aug-09: 65 jobs go at Kirkcaldy call centre
Kirkcaldy based customer service firm MGt has confirmed it is laying off 65 members of staff.
The announcement follows a 30-day consultation period initiated when the company was badly hit by the collapse of Irish sports broadcaster Setanta.
The company admitted the number of staff being cut could have been much worse – initial fears were that up to 100 people could lose their jobs.
A statement from MGt, released on Friday, said: "It is with enormous regret that the company has had to take this step which, with the current economic climate has proved to be unavoidable.
''This is a difficult time for all staff and especially those directly affected and as such every available support is being provided.
"These changes have placed MGt in a much stronger position moving forward and the future prospects for the business remain positive.
''The company expects to be making announcements on new business in the near future."
Jamie Mackinlay, commercial director of MGt, said that although the number of redundancies was regrettable, it had worked hard to minise the impact.
He said: "We have announced 65 redundancies. That's down from 95 we thought it would be at the start of the consultation period.
''The good news is, through a combination of cost saving exercises and winning back losses from Setanta, we have been able to improve this.
''We regret enormously the fact that we've had to take this step, but the company really had no choice."
He added that the redundancies would be felt across the company, but that the vast majority of the them would be in Kirkcaldy, where nearly all of the company's 1000 employees are based.
He said: "The staff have been informed and they have been told about their support packages.
"We are doing our best to smooth what is a bitter blow and look after our staff at this time."
19-Aug-09: Sainsburys in NI jobs boost
Sainsbury's is creating 200 new call centre jobs. The new positions are at the Newry-based Teleperformance Call Centre.
It has been awarded the contract to provide helpline and customer service facilities for the supermarket's first phase of adding non-food merchandise to its sainsburys.co.uk website.
The newly-improved site will initially offer 4,500 home and lifestyle products rising to 8,000 by September - a significant increase in the number and variety of products that can currently be purchased online from the sainsburys.co.uk website.
To coincide with this launch, customers will be offered a customer service line which will be managed through the Newry Call centre.
David Davidson, Regional Operations Manager for Northern Ireland said: "We are delighted to be creating these additional jobs in Northern Ireland.
"Teleperformance in both Newry and Bangor manage a number of Sainsbury's call centre services," he said, also noting that they have recently taken on more than 100 new staff for the west Belfast store at the Kennedy Centre which is opening later this summer.
"This call centre job announcement shows our continuing commitment to Northern Ireland in all capacities," he said.
Teleperformance is based at the same site as Sainsbury's Newry store at The Quays Shopping Centre.
Commenting, Adam Gould, Director of Commercial Sector at Teleperformance said: "This is a real boost for the local area and for Teleperformance.
"We are delighted to be extending our commitment to Sainsbury's and look forward to welcoming new colleagues and implementing the new programme."
16-Jul-09: BT Transfers 2,000 Jobs From India To UK
BT is to switch at least 2,000 call centre jobs from India to the UK.
The move is part of a long-term strategy to cut costs by £1bn and reduce dependency on third parties globally, a BT spokesman said.
Although the initial figure has been put at 2,000, around 2,750 jobs could come back to the UK as the company looks to half its call centre operation on the sub-continent.
The firm said the pullout would be phased with no specific timescale set for the transfer of jobs.
The move was unveiled by BT chief executive Ian Livingston at the company's AGM.
"This is part of a long-term strategy to reduce costs and the dependency on third parties globally," a BT spokesman said.
BT cut 15,000 jobs last year and is slashing a further 15,000 posts this year.
But no compulsory redundancies have been made among permanent BT staff employed in the UK.
16-Jul-09: Search for Call Centre Heroes goes global for 2010
After the success of the inaugural UK Call Centre Hero Awards, the organisers have announced that the 2010 competition will be global.
The Call Centre Hero Awards recognise the commitment, endeavours, achievements and professionalism of frontline call centre agents and their critical support staff.
This year's five award categories were: Customer Hero; Team Hero; Support Hero; Hero in the Community and Unsung Hero.
New categories for 2010 will recognise call centre managers, newcomers, long service, and high-achievers.
"Entering the Call Centre Hero Awards is a great way to reward and recognise the achievement of your staff," Jon Snow explains. "The 2009 competition was very well received by management and many reported a very positive impact on staff engagement. The enthusiasm for next year's competition is already high."
Marketing of the 2010 global search for Call Centre Heroes will start this October and nominations will close in February 2010. The results will be announced in May 2010.
There will be a country winner, a continental winner, and a global winner in each award category. As with this year, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will each have their own award winners. Overall UK winners in each category will then be decided.
All award entries are free and open to call centres with over 20 seats.
16-Jul-09: Hillingdon Council wins Contact Centre Award
The London Borough of Hillingdon has won four prestigious national awards at the Good Communications Awards 2008
Hillingdon's Contact Centre won the Contact Centre of the Year and the Contact Centre Training Award.
The Contact Centre of the Year Award is awarded to the council call centre that can demonstrate an effective increase in call handling, complaints management, staff training and staff support. They also won the Training Award, which was awarded for demonstrating improvements in call handling, customer complaints management, and staff training and staff retention.
Lynn Smith, Customer Services Manager, said: "I am absolutely delighted. The awards are due to the hard work of staff, who work tirelessly to ensure we provide an excellent service to the residents of Hillingdon."
The judges praised the results of customer surveys as well as mystery shopping exercises and the way in which staff were fully involved in the project.
David Holdstock, Head of Corporate Communications, said: "Communicating with our residents and giving them information about what their council is doing for them and how we spend their money is one of our top priorities. This recognises the tremendous efforts that staff are making to improve the way we communicate and listen to our residents."
The judges said: "Hillingdon deserves great credit for demonstrating that in good communications less is more. By increasing focus and clarity, they have produced a far greater impact at better value for money."
16-Jul-09: Mobile Directory Site Taken Down After Glitch
The operator of a controversial directory enquiry service that gives out private mobile numbers says a rush of users attempting to go ex-directory was partly to blame for the service being taken down.
A spokesman for 118800 said it was too early to say when the website would be operational again.
The service, which for £1 allows users access to millions of mobile phone numbers, has been mired in controversy since its glitch-hit launch last month.
Civil liberty groups had branded it "an invasion of privacy".
A viral email circulating last week incorrectly stated the service was launching this week and users had to unsubscribe before the beginning of the week if they wanted their mobile numbers to remain private, a 118800 spokesman said.
But those trying to use the service on Friday were greeted with a message saying the site had been temporarily suspended. The call centre was also hit.
A spokesman said the email, a "high number or queries" and technical problems with the service related to its launch were behind the decision to take the site down.
"The site was taken down temporarily on Friday because of a technical issue," she said. "The viral email was part of the reason, it was partly to do with that. We had had a few calls from customers saying they had technical issues with the service. They were having a variety of problems."
The spokesman stressed all requests to go ex-directory would be honoured.
She said although users could not take their numbers off the directory at the moment, their numbers could not be given out
16-Jul-09: ChildLine's Esther Rantzen visits call centre that had its record number of calls last year
Esther Rantzen this week paid a visit to the Birmingham ChildLine call centre she founded seven years ago in a bid to attract more volunteers.
She met staff and volunteers at the Hagley Road base – after it was revealed the centre had received the highest number of calls in its history last year. More than 22,000 children and young people called to speak to a 170-strong team of volunteers seeking advice on everything from bullying to abuse.
During her visit the 68-year-old praised the work of “inspirational” staff, who give up 140 hours a year. “I continually try to analyse why I love coming to a ChildLine base, for me it’s more emotional than meeting a member of my own family,” she said. “I always say to them what they are doing for children is making my dreams come true.”
Ms Rantzen said the centre, although “busy and vibrant”, was in desperate need of more volunteers, especially to work night shifts. “Overnight calls are often more serious in nature and can be from young people who are feeling suicidal or who are seriously self-harming, are in a crisis situation where they have experienced physical abuse at home or they have run away and have no one to turn to. For these callers ChildLine can literally be a lifeline so we want to be able to answer all of the calls that come in.”
Ms Rantzen, a volunteer at the London base, said calls from children had changed dramatically in 20 years. “We now get up to eight calls a day from kids feeling suicidal. Things like cyber-bullying have become a challenge for children in recent years and the recession has affected thousands of youngsters who call ChildLine because they are worried about parents losing their jobs. ChildLine volunteers have had to adapt.”
The recession had also affected donations. “All charities are struggling at the moment. I know of two fund-raising events that had to be cancelled because people weren’t prepared to buy tickets or corporate partners were getting cold feet because of lack of advertising and media support.”
A £250,000 donation by former Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis last year, and a pledge to give £1m over four years, has funded a night service in Birmingham which allows staff to take calls from midnight to 7.30am every Thursday and Friday and one Saturday in three. Ms Rantzen said Mr Ellis’ contribution was “wonderful” and a fantastic boost to the charity.
Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a volunteer counsellor for ChildLine can call 0207 650 6782.
16-Jul-09: Call centre revamp delayed
Mobile phone giant Carphone Warehouse has hit out at Town Hall planners after the latest delay to plans for a multi-million pound revamp of its call centre in Preston.
The group said it was "very disappointed" at the month-long delay enforced by the city council's planning committee this week as it looks to get more money out of the firm to pay for traffic improvements.
Group property director Richard Collier said: "We are very disappointed that a further issue has been raised the day before Monday's planning committee meeting.
"Given the £7m already invested in Tulketh Mill, the continued investment proposed and the additional jobs being created, we are surprised at the stance being taken.
"We intend to continue working closely with the planning office in the hope that a sensible resolution can be found that will allow the development to go ahead."
But, Tulketh councillor Matthew Brown, who called for the deferral from the committee, said the firm had brought months of delays of its own having had a previous scheme for the site passed last year.
Coun Brown said: "It is a bit rich for Carphone to say our request for a further month's delay is disappointing when it has taken nearly a year to act on the permission it had.
"They obviously dropped the housing side because it was not going to make them enough money, but they will still make money from this, so I do not think these requests are unreasonable."
16-Jul-09: Council call centre outsourced after calls unanswered
A Council has outsourced its call centre after “unprecedented demand” saw just one in two calls answered.
Northgate Public Services this week took over Wycombe District Council’s customer services centre at its High Wycombe offices.
Calls have rocketed as residents seek benefits help in the recession – leaving staff struggling to cope.
The centre was opened in 2005 and the council’s website previously said this would offer a “more convenient and faster service”.
Councillor Roger Colomb said: “We recognise that we have to improve the way that we engage and deliver services to our residents in these difficult economic times. At the heart of what we are doing are major service improvements combined with value for money for our council taxpayers.”
Cllr Colomb, cabinet member for procurement and customer services, said: “Wycombe District Council is committed to providing excellent customer service.”
Local media reported last month that just 55.7 per cent of telephone calls were answered in 2008/09 – a 34.2 per cent drop from the previous year.
Just 16.3 per cent were answered in 20 seconds – against a target of 80 per cent. Call numbers and visitors rose by a fifth.
And the average visitor waiting time to the offices in Queen Victoria Road went up by 11 minutes to 26 minutes.
A joint WDC and Northgate statement said council services were “under extreme pressure and unprecedented demand”.
And it promised “improved response times, better information processing, and customer service” and “immediate efficiencies”.
16-Jul-09: 200 jobs go at Garlands
More than 200 jobs are at risk at a North East call centre after communications giant Orange decided to move its business.
Hartlepool-based Garlands Call Centres, which has more than 3,000 staff in the region, said that it had begun a 90-day consultation with workers on its account with the company.
Garlands said it will explore options including redundancy, redeployment within Garlands or a move to other contact centres.
Two hundred advisers and a further 16 staff at management level are affected. In total, around 400 staff currently work on the Orange account.
Chey Garland, chief executive of Garlands Call Centres, said: “We informed staff that the provisioning, provisioning support, escalations, fault management and tiered support work we handle on behalf of Orange was no longer required as Orange is moving some of this work to other contact centres from September 18, 2009, and refocusing the work that Garlands handles."
“We continue to remain an important partner of Orange in broadband care, outbound retentions, collections and campaigns, all of which will be unaffected moving forward.”
The business had been expanding strongly in recent years with the opening of new centres on Teesside, South Tyneside and South Africa.
It says it is still winning new customers and creating jobs, although in January it had to shed 90 posts after telecoms giant Vodafone said it wanted to cut back to save money.
16-Jul-09: Teleperformance wins Performance Improvement Award
Teleperformance, the UK’s leading contact centre and back office processing outsourcer, has won the Best Example of Performance Improvement for its work with Identity and Passport Service, at the Home Office’s 2009 Supplier Value Awards.
The Supplier Value Awards is an annual event which recognises the achievements of the Home Office suppliers in demonstrating value from the delivery of products and services.
The award entry required the demonstration to the judges of evidence of stakeholder engagement; quality of relationships and the meeting of agreed objectives and deliverables.
Teleperformance was able to demonstrate how, following new government targets, it had improved customer service and reduced costs. It also detailed a number of new initiatives that had been launched, with significant investment in technology and people, in order to achieve the improved and more efficient service the public enjoy today.
Jeff Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive of Teleperformance comments “We are delighted to see the great results that we are delivering in our partnership with Identity and Passport Service being acknowledged in this way by the Home Office. This is an excellent example of the top quality customer service we provide.”
16-Jul-09: Ventura axes jobs
Ventura has announced plans to axe more than 100 jobs at its call centre in South Yorkshire.
Outsourcing firm Ventura said the posts at its National Rail Enquiries centre in Wath-upon-Dearne would be transferred to India.
The Leeds-based company said the move was a business decision based on "financial reasons". A 90-day consultation with staff has begun.
Ventura said it would try to redeploy as many staff as possible.
15-Jun-09: Philippines threat call-centre staff now told they will get payouts after all
Call centre staff furious at being told they would have to move 7000 miles to keep their jobs were promised cash payouts last night.
Bosses insisted all workers axed from the TSC plant in Larbert, near Falkirk, would get the equivalent of full redundancy payments.
Workers claimed last week they had been told they would get no cash if they refused to locate to the Philippines, where the work they do for mobile phone firm T-Mobile is being transferred.
But the firm yesterday blamed British employment laws for forcing them to offer staff posts overseas - and refuse legal redundancy payments to those who refused to transfer.
Director Harry Hogg said: "It seems ridiculous that legislation designed to protect staff in these situations can end up to their possible disadvan-tagebut this is the dilemma we have been trying to resolve to ensure they don't lose out."
Staff at the TSC plant were told on Friday they would get "ex gratia" payments rather than formal redundancy.
But Mr Hogg insisted the company WOULD give workers payments that matched legal redundancy payouts.
He said: "Our categorical pledge to the staff here is that no matter how this complicated legal minefield worked out, they will not lose financially. TSC's first concern is to try to find a new client to replace these former T-Mobile jobs."
"We have said all along that we have a skilled and experienced workforce who can bring added value to a variety of potential customers. We still hope to make that happen. However, in the interim, we must follow employment legislation to the letter of the law."
He added: "TSC was in no way attempting to use this situation to its advantage and the disadvantage of employees, and employees have been promised from the outset that we will not see staff lose out financially."
15-Jun-09: Fears for jobs at outsourcer
A call centre which has lost an important contract said it is too early to say if the move will affect jobs.
The French-owned firm Teleperformance has two large call centres in Newry and Bangor.
It employs 400 at its site on the Quays in Newry and earlier this year announced it was recruiting another 600 staff.
This week the Newry centre lost the contact from the firm that runs the toll on the Dublin M50 ring road.
As well as Sainsburys and the National Blood Service, the Newry call centre also has a major contract with the troubled Irish sports pay television channel Setanta.
Teleperformance said it was too early to make any evaluation on potential job losses.
Company chairman Jeff Smith said they were working on measures to deal with the impact of losing the toll road work.
"Teleperformance is still working through the implications of this news and still assessing the options available to us and the impact to our Newry site," he said.
"Teleperformance is a growing business and as one of the UK's largest contact centre out-sourcers we run many other campaigns for clients and therefore have a number of opportunities that we are working on that we believe will minimise the impact of this."
15-Jun-09: Pat on the back for call centre workers
Staff at a Portsmouth call centre have been praised for their 'hard work and devotion' after helping raise £1m for charity.
Employees at Southern Electric's Portsmouth customer call centre helped raise the cash for the British Heart Foundation through a consumer loyalty scheme.
The firm paid £10 to the charity for every year every customer stayed with its energyplus Pulse tariff.
And the call centre workers, who have also taken on personal projects to help raise money for BHF, won praise from the company.
A Southern Electric spokeswoman said: 'Portsmouth's workers have done an excellent job and along with our customers, who signed up to the tariff to help the charity – they have been a massive part of raising this money.'
BHF chief executive, Peter Hollins, said: "It's fantastic that customers have raised such a significant amount of money for the BHF. Heart disease touches us all and claims around 200,000 lives each year."
"The £1 million raised will help us to continue our lifesaving work to help us beat the UK's biggest killer through funding our vital research."
03-Jun-09: Thomson and First Choice create more than 250 jobs
Thomson and First Choice are to hire more than 250 people at their Coventry and Luton bases. The roles will be mainly in customer support and distribution.
In Coventry, a pre-travel team of around 100 people is being put together to deal with customer needs across brands. Included in this number will be 28 wedding specialists.
At the Luton HQ, around 120 positions are being created to deal with after-travel customer care.
The operator says successful applicants will have a good understanding of customer service, adding 2far from being a run-of-the-mill customer service call centre, the Coventry team will have the power to add the vital finishing touches to customers’ holidays".
It adds that those in the Luton team will act as investigators, "empowered to reach a resolution for the customer as quickly as possible by taking ownership of an issue".
HR Director for Thomson and First Choice Jacky Simmonds said: "We will be looking for naturally empathetic applicants who can grasp and help deliver the exceptional customer service Thomson and First Choice strive to deliver."
03-Jun-09: Top award for Call Centre
Allowing staff to achieve a good work-life balance has won a national accolade for a Bradford call centre.
Loop Customer Management at Thornbury, Yorkshire Water’s contact centre, has been named the UK’s best employer for working families.
The work-life balance body Working Families named Loop during National Family Week as a family-friendly organisation that allows flexible working patterns and schemes to help its employees maintain a work-life balance.
From its foundation in 2000, Loop has provided all employees with equal opportunities to ensure that they are able to balance their family life with working life.
The firm goes beyond statutory requirements with policies including adoption leave, grandparents leave, life opportunity leave, parental leave, job sharing, compressed hours, term-time working, school hours and flexitime working.
Three-quarters of employees are women and they are at all levels of the company.
Allan Hillman, HR manager, said: “We want to attract a diverse range of people to Loop and our policies highlight how we try to make sure that our employees are well looked after.
“The external impression of working in a contact centre is often that it’s not a flexible environment for employees which is not true of Loop.”
In the past five years Loop has featured in the Sunday Times Top 100 small companies to work for and has held the Best Companies One Star Accreditation for employee engagement policies for the past two years.
03-Jun-09: Lloyds bank to close call centre
Lloyds Banking Group plans to shed 530 jobs and close one site in the UK. All jobs will go before year-end.
Some 210 people will lose their jobs when a customer service unit in Kent in closed, of which 190 are full-time positions, the bank said.
Another 320 positions will go from other retail operations throughout the UK, but no details of where the cuts would fall were revealed.
The move comes on top of the 625 job cuts announced last month.
Lloyds Banking Group was created through the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS at the start of the year.
In May the bank said it would axe 625 posts in the UK as the bank merged its corporate and small-business lending units.
Ged Nichols, general secretary of union Accord, said: "Today's announcement is further bad news for employees of Lloyds Banking Group's Retail Banking Division."
"We believe that UK taxpayers will expect the bank to work in partnership with Accord and the other unions representing its employees to minimise unnecessary unemployment, particularly given the support that UK taxpayers have provided to the bank."
The Treasury owns around 43.4% of the merged bank after it was bailed out by the government.
The firm said the work done at the customer service unit in Chatham, Kent will be transferred to other retail sites across the UK.
"Accord argued with LBG to try to preserve the operation, but, ultimately they decided to press on with closure," the union said.
03-Jun-09: Ofcom compliance on Abandon and Silent calls still major compliance issue
Recent research presented by the Professional Planning Forum at last month’s National Outbound Forum demonstrates that only 40% of respondents using Software Diallers were tracking abandon calls at campaign level; essential to ensure compliance to Ofcom’s regulations on Abandon and Silent calls. Furthermore, no-one using an in-house solution could supply this data, although all respondents with a physical hard dialler were tracking abandon calls at this level.
Some of this can be explained by the rapid take up of technology in this sector, as manual dialling fell significantly to 14% of respondents (43% in 2008). This indicates that outbound technology is now more prevalent in the smaller operations but that they have a long way to go to ensure best practice and compliance.
As a result of the considerable change taking place in this sector, a unique collection of key vendors, industry bodies, such as Ofcom and the Direct Marketing Association and contact centre managers came together to discuss best practice, latest research, new technology and key challenges at the first National Outbound Forum in London last month.
Further key findings from the survey were:-
31% now specifically plan their outbound calling (up from 14% in 2008). This still means that a sixth of respondents do not plan for this function.
Outbound operations still tend to be smaller than their inbound counterparts with 38% of respondents running centres less than 30 FTE.
The role of an outbound planner is still very specialist with 78% of respondents having between 1 and 2 outbound planners.
There is no change in the proportion of centres considering the use of outbound text messaging, despite regulatory clarification from OFCOM.
Blending of inbound and outbound calls remains a key challenge in contact centres. For 39% of respondents this is not yet achieved
29-May-09: Call centre jobs created in Tyneside
Approximately 300 north-east jobs are to be created by the expansion of call centre provider Convergys.
The firm already provides 350 call centre jobs in Tyneside and is set to almost double its workforce after winning a multi-million deal, reports the Northern Echo.
In order to accommodate these new employees, the firm will move to new premises in North Tyneside's Quorum Business Park.
Commenting on the announcement, Alma Harrison, strategic account officer at Tyne and Wear Development Company, told the newspaper: "These are good quality jobs, servicing new and existing customers, managing relations and stimulating repeat business."
29-May-09: Credit card customer service award shortlist revealed
Shortlists for the best credit card online services, the best call centre credit card service, and the best overall credit card for outstanding balances and paying bills each month have been drawn up.
The shortlist of the best credit card services has been announced by personal finance magazine Moneywise.
The aim of the survey was to discover which companies offer the highest level of service to their customers and treat them fairly, as well as providing the best value for money.
With over 10,000 responses received, the survey is the largest in Britain dedicated to judging customer service performance among financial services companies.
Capital One and Egg featured on the best overall credit card shortlists for both paying bills each month and outstanding balances held.
Meanwhile Tesco Personal Finance, Marks & Spencer Money, American Express and Egg all featured in the shortlists for best online and call centre services.
The winners will be announced on June 25th at a gala black-tie dinner in London.
29-May-09: Job fears as Capita contract ended
Staff at a Yorkshire business face an uncertain future after a contract with another company ended.
Damart has decided to set up its own call centre services, ending its contract with Capita Fulfillment Services in Thorp Arch.
Staff who were previously working on Damart’s contract are now unsure where they stand with either company.
A spokesman for Capita this week said: “Capita Fulfillment Services and Damart are in discussions about the transfer of staff and we cannot comment in more detail until these discussions are concluded.”
Capita Fulfillment Services is already in consultation over the future of 240 jobs which are at risk, with a decision due in mid-June.
29-May-09: Call centre will create 600 jobs
More than 600 jobs are expected to be created when a new call centre is constructed in Kent.
Private healthcare firm AXA PPP has had plans to build a 42,000 sq ft (3,901 sq ft) centre on land at Repton Park approved by Ashford Borough Council.
The development will include two three-storey buildings that will use solar power to generate hot water and use rainwater in its toilets.
The council said the jobs would be created at the former Templer Barracks.
13-May-09: The CCMA Awards - Winners announced
Five winners have gained prestigious awards for individual excellence in this years awards from the Call Centre Managers Association
The overall winner who was named CCMA Call Centre Manager of the Year is Lisa Cunningham from Scottish Power in Glasgow with other category prizes being taken by Michelle Emery from Britvic, Ami Campbell from British Gas, Tristan Lynes from Bank of America and Andy Johnson from Warwickshire Police.
Now in their fifteenth year, these prestigious awards, organised by the Call Centre Management Association were presented at an Awards dinner in Manchester on 6th May and celebrated the achievements of the industry's leading Call Centre Managers - individuals who are excellent role models for others in the industry.
Later on this year, many of the finalists will open their doors to others as part of the specially facilitated site visits that form an important part of the CCMA's best practice programme.
The winners were selected by a team of judges who visited each of the shortlisted individuals at their workplace and assessed them against a strict set of criteria including 360 degree interviews.
"It was a tough contest," says Ann-Marie Stagg, Chair of the Call Centre Management Association. "Every one of the individuals on our shortlist is making a fantastic difference to their organisation and choosing the winners was the result of a great deal of discussion amongst our judges".
13-May-09: Virgin Media axes 320 call centre jobs
Virgin Media will axe 320 jobs as part of a cost cutting exercise designed save £120m by 2012.
The ISP revealed it will close its customer service centre in Dudley as part of the plan it announced in November to cut 2,200 jobs.
While Virgin did not reveal when the centre would close, it previously said it would not start cutting jobs until the Q4 of 2009 with the majority taking place before the end of 2010.
Virgin also said 150 new jobs would be created under plans to centralise its technical support services.
13-May-09: More jobs go at Stream
A further 75 jobs are set to go at Stream International - bringing the total number of job losses at the Derry-based call centre to almost 300 since Christmas.
It follows a move by computer giant Hewlett Packard to take part of its technical support and customer service contract with Stream to an 'in-house' facility. Staff were told of the latest jobs blow this week.
Affected staff in Derry have been given 30 days notice.
It is understood Hewlett Packard is to take in the region of 75% of the 100+ roles currently outsourced to Stream
05-May-09: Call centre staff win chance to sing with Pink
Staff from T-Mobile's Sunderland call centre are in the Pink after starring in the firm's latest TV ad.
Sing-along is the sequel to the firm's popular Dance advert, which featured commuters spontaneously breaking into a dance in a busy railway station.
The new advert was filmed in London's Trafalgar Square on Thursday night and was edited ahead of its debut during Britain's Got Talent on Saturday.
It features 13,000 people joining in a mass karaoke sing-along, with 24 cameras capturing the reactions of the public as commuters and passers-by belt songs including Is This the Way to Amarillo and Summer Nights.
International superstar Pink joins in with the crowd – as well as T-Mobile staff from Sunderland who won the chance to take part.
Staff were invited to upload videos on to a microsite of themselves singing, where they were then voted on by T-Mobile employees across the business.
The five winners travelled to London for the shoot and were part of the ad.
03-May-09: Autoglass is poised to open second call centre
Autoglass, the vehicle glass repair and replacement company, is planning to open a second customer call centre to cope with soaring demand.
In the UK, Autoglass has 109 branches, 1,200 mobile technicians, helps 1.5m motorists a year and is recommended by all the major insurers.
A spokesman for Autoglass said its success was helped by its 'strong relationships with most of the UK's leading insurance companies'.
The company will be opening its new call centre in Leicester next month to help deal with the rising demand for its services.
The centre will employ 35 staff, adding to the 65 working at its existing centre in Bedford.
The company has its headquarters in Richmond, Surrey, and employs 2,500 people in the UK.
03-May-09: The Listening Company marks 10th anniversary with the launch of a new children's trust.
The Listening Company is launching The Decade Trust, a portal where employees can find out more information about the company’s chosen charity, Children North East.
The company has worked with Children North East, the area’s longest-established regional children’s charity, since it opened its Newcastle-based contact centre last year.
CEO Neville Upton said this will formalise the relationship.
He said: "We’ve always supported the work of Children North East, but we wanted a clearer way of communicating the relationship to employees so they are clear on how they can contribute."
"There are a series of events planned under the newly-launched Decade Trust and we look forward to adding to the total we have raised for Children North East."
Carol Taylor, senior fundraiser for the charity, said: "The Listening Company has come up with some great initiatives in the past, and we have always been tremendously grateful for the funds these have generated."
"Moving forward, it’s fantastic that they have chosen Children North East as an official charity of the Decade Trust, and I look forward to building a stronger relationship with the Newcastle team."
29-Apr-09: QVC wins Contact Centre Innovation of the Year 2009
This week, six winners gained prestigious innovation awards for outstanding initiatives that improved their operations as places to work and to contact.
The overall winner was television shopping channel QVC, with individual category prizes being taken by British Gas Services, Coventry Building Society, Kwik Fit Insurance, Thames Valley Police and Vodafone.
These prestigious awards, organised by the Professional Planning Forum, celebrate the achievements of the industry’s innovators and offer a benchmark of excellence within the industry. They showcase innovations that are transforming the experience of customers and employees and demonstrate how planning can make a real difference.
The awards were presented at the 2009 Contact Centre Planning conference in London on 28th April, where each talked about how they achieved their success. In June these organisations are opening their doors as part of specially facilitated site visits within the Planning Forum’s best practice programme.
QVC was presented with the overall winner of the 2009 Innovation of the Year, not only for the impressive array of initiatives undertaken to create efficiency gains of several hundred hours a week, but also for a range of other pioneering efforts such as the successful implementation of home-working. Together, these enterprising programmes placed QVC in a league of its own.
“The most important thing we did was to stop and think: to reflect on how we did things and how the way we did things impacted on our teams and our customers”, explained Tracy Rice, Head of Planning at QVC.
The planning team achieved massive payback when they engaged the business and created time to implement change in 2008. Occupancy in the call centre improved 15% with recruitment of 46 home workers and a review of schedule efficiency. Extending this review to the distribution centre led to a 23% drop in agency hours. ‘At the click of a button’ management information, self-service employee administration and call causation analysis reduced Team Leader admin time from 50% to 11% of their working week, cut holiday queries by 23% and brought visibility of the customer experience into team coaching and process change.
“Put simply, this was planning-led transformation,” says Paul Smedley, Executive Director of the Professional Planning Forum. QVC formulated and carried out a programme of initiatives that together have had a huge impact not only on the call centre, but also on other departments such as distribution. “Every contact centre can learn something from QVC’s approach; that’s what makes the company such a worthy overall winner.”
The winners were selected by a team of judges who visited each of the 15 shortlisted organisations, and then assessed them against a strict set of criteria. “It was a tough contest,” admits John Casey, Director of Professional Development at the Planning Forum. “Every one of the organisations on our shortlist had award-winning components. Reducing the 15 down to six category winners was a difficult task. And that’s before we even started thinking about who should be the overall champion.”
Five further awards recognise innovation in specific areas:
The Contact Centre Innovation award for Customer Planning went to British Gas Services for the massive improvements they made to the customer experience - halving the number of missed appointments and reducing calls per visit by 26% through innovative use of telephone technology and text messaging to improve the customer journey.
The Contact Centre Innovation award for Back Office Operations went to the Coventry Building Society for the ‘Same Day in, Same Day out’ initiative which introduced a ‘front-line’ culture in the back office to clear backlogs, triple capacity for new accounts and break down silos in the wider organisation.
The Contact Centre Innovation award for Customer Focus went to Kwik Fit Insurance because of its ground-breaking establishment of a model company, Smart Co, within the wider business. This acted as a test-bed for new ways of working and through it Kwik Fit experienced a 37% rise in customer satisfaction and a 90.5% drop in employee attrition.
The Contact Centre Public Sector Innovation award went to the Thames Valley Police for introducing Primetime, which changed long-established work schedules with full union support. The new working patterns consistently raised service levels for all service lines substantially above national targets, for the first time, while at the same time they cut absence, dropped overtime budgets by 30% and reduced pressure at busy periods.
The Contact Centre Innovation award for Performance Culture went to Vodafone for ‘making customers fans’ – an initiative which grew revenue by 600% through building a performance culture, driven by employee engagement and a focus on just 3 key metrics. In addition to millions of pounds of extra profit and reduced cost per call by two-thirds in just 12 months, they increased employee engagement scores by nearly 22%.
The Contact Centre Innovation Awards were presented on 28th April at the Gala dinner at the close of Contact Centre Planning 2009 conference. The biggest ever conference, with a recession-beating 10% increase in delegates on last year, it continues to be a key event in Contact Centre’s managers’ diaries. Over 500 individuals were registered for the conference and the gala awards dinner.
Every year, the Planning Forum produces case studies, for all organisations on the Innovation Awards shortlist, and organises facilitated site visits to meet with winners and finalists - the idea being to provide its members with examples of best practice from some of Europe’s most innovative contact centre operators. Previous winners have included EDF Energy, Salford City Council, Tesco, HBOS, Norwich Union and T-Mobile. Contact the Professional Planning Forum for more details on any of these award winning case studies at www.planningforum.co.uk
29-Apr-09: The British Philippines Outsourcing Council
The British Philippines Outsourcing Council (BPOC) will be holding its first open networking event on May 7th at 5:30pm at Hush in London’s Mayfair.
Supported by The Philippines Embassy in London, BPOC aims to promote The Philippines as an outsourcing destination to British business. Due to incredible success achieved by the Philippines outsourcing industry with British business, there has been limited effort in promoting the country to The UK and BPOC aims to reverse this.
BPOC aims to provide research and information to allow British business to successfully benefit from the immense human capital available in the archipelago and to act as a networking tool to allow Philippines based vendors and British business to connect.
The outsourcing industry in The Philippines already employs over 200,000 people predominantly in the contact centre industry but has also been successful in IT outsourcing and other back office functions.
For more information, visit www.bpoc.uk.com
27-Apr-09: 118 staff are warned to expect redundancies
Jobs are likely to be lost among the 350-strong workforce at the 118118 call centre at Plympton, according to local media reports.
Staff are understood to have been told to expect redundancies at the Langage Science Park-based site due to a drop in the number of calls made to the telephone information service.
Management are, however, trying to keep job losses to a minimum and have entered a 30-day consultation period to look at other options.
These could include cutting working hours, changing shift patterns, or even a pay freeze.
But a letter given to staff, from Gerry Murphy, CEO of 118118's parent firm The Number UK, said: "We have to recognise that some posts will not continue."
Staff are understood to have been told about the situation at a meeting yesterday. Top brass from the Cardiff head office are believed to have delivered the gloomy outlook.
The 118118 operation was part of Plymouth's call centre boom, which also saw Orange and the ill-fated ONdigital arrive to take advantage of a ready supply of workers and relatively low average earnings.
27-Apr-09: T-Mobile urged to keep Scots jobs
The Scottish Government is calling on telecoms giant T-Mobile to ditch plans to move hundreds of call centre jobs to the Philippines.
Alex Salmond faced claims that Scottish staff were being "dumped" in favour of a "cheaper overseas" option during First Minister's Questions on Thursday.
About 300 out of 500 staff employed by Telecom Service Centres (TSC) in Larbert face losing their jobs. A further 118 jobs at a call centre in Greenock are also at risk.
Mr Salmond voiced "disappointment" at the planned redundancies and said it was no reflection on the workforce. The government, including Enterprise Minister Jim Mather, has been closely involved in the issue.
"Mr Mather is writing to the parent company of T-Mobile to argue the case to retain this business in Scotland," Mr Salmond said.
Falkirk East MSP Michael Matheson said a letter from T-Mobile indicated that they were working with TSC to "minimise and mitigate" the job losses.
"My constituents tell me there is no evidence of this whatsoever," Mr Matheson said.
"The workforce is rightly angry that they have been dumped for a cheaper overseas option after years of dedication."
He called on Mr Salmond to use the full resources of the Scottish Government to try to "dissuade" T-Mobile from "taking these jobs overseas" and, failing this to ensure the firm lived up to its promises on minimising job losses.
Labour's Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeill said Mr Mather had shown a "complacent" attitude in response to the issue.
"It is a very important issue that faces not just TSC workers but the whole of the call centre sector in Scotland," Mr McNeill said. "I hope that action will be taken."
However, the first minister said "rapid intervention" by the government previously saved 900 call centre jobs in Cumbernauld when Scottish and Southern Energy stepped in after Barclaycard pulled out.
"Scottish ministers will do their utmost to minimise the damage of this recession to the Scottish economy," he said.
TSC revealed earlier this month that hundreds of jobs could be lost if its major contractor T-Mobile moved work overseas.
The company provides customer service and technical support to the mobile phone giant.
TSC, which operates seven sites in Scotland and one at Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, provides contact centre staff across the business sector.
27-Apr-09: Industrial action at Revenue & Customs call centres
Over 10,000 members of the PCS civil service workers’ union in Revenue & Customs call centres were set to walk out for two hours this week.
The Union said "This is set to be the first in a series of rolling industrial action over detrimental changes to terms and conditions that have been imposed in the past few months."
"Due to the cuts already made by the government department, the call centres are only staffed to answer around 50 percent of the calls that are received."
"As the centres deal with some of the most vulnerable people in society who need to access benefits, this is having a detrimental impact on services."
Negotiations with management stalled last week but further talks are expected ahead of the action.
15-Apr-09: Talks to minimise job cut threat
Enterprise Minister Jim Mather has held talks with managers at call centre firm TSC after the company announced 400 jobs were in jeopardy.
Mr Mather visited the company's Larbert site, which employs about 500 people, 300 of which are at risk.
TSC revealed last week that workers in Larbert and at its Greenock site could be lost after major contractor T-Mobile said it was moving work overseas.
The company provides customer service and technical support to the operator.
The move will also affect about 100 workers at TSC in South Yorkshire.
T-Mobile said its general customer services would be provided from a contact centre in Manila, in the Philippines, to be known as T-Mobile Dela Rosa, by the end of August.
The more complex aspects of its customer support and telesales will continue to be managed in the UK.
Mr Mather is meeting managers at TSC to see how likely it is that the firm will be able to attract new contracts to the site to mitigate the number of job losses.
Speaking after the meeting, he said: "This is obviously a very anxious time for employees, their families and the local community.However, it is clear that the management and staff at TSC combine to offer quality service and results for their clients and their customers. "
"This holds out the hope of winning other business at TSC and meanwhile the Scottish Government will do everything it can to help those facing jobs losses."
Mr Mather said that if redundancies went ahead, ministers would work through Skills Development Scotland to co-ordinate help and support for those affected.
TSC, which operates seven sites in Scotland and one at Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, provides contact centre staff across the business sector.
09-Apr-09: T-Mobile move cuts 500 jobs
More than 400 staff working at outsourcer TSC in Larbert and Greenock face the axe, as T-Mobile moves customer service roles to Manilla.
More than 500 call centre jobs could be lost in the UK after mobile phone giant T-Mobile announced plans to move work to the Philippines.
TSC, which provides contact centre services and technology support to the operator, said 300 of its 500 staff in Larbert, near Falkirk, were affected.
The decision also affects all 118 staff based at the firm's call centre in Inverclyde and 100 jobs in Yorkshire.
A spokesman for TSC said it was working to save the jobs.
In a statement, T-Mobile said its general customer services would be provided from a contact centre in Manila, to be known as T-Mobile Dela Rosa, by the end of August.
The more complex aspects of its customer support and telesales will continue to be managed in the UK.
The statement added: "This decision will result in a gradual transfer of services from the current provider TSC. However, T-Mobile is working closely with TSC to mitigate and minimise the impact of this decision."
TSC, which operates seven site in Scotland including Greenock and one at Dearne Valley in Yorkshire, provides contact centre staff across the business sector.
A spokesman for the firm said Larbert staff had been informed of the news this week and a 90-day statutory consultation process had begun.
He added: "But while we start the formal process of informing our Falkirk staff of possible redundancies, we can assure all our employees that we are working very hard to attract new business to bring to the site and keep as many as possible in employment.
"We have a number of potential new clients in the pipeline - and will do all we can to try to secure this new business in the forthcoming weeks."
07-Apr-09: Operator expands call centre due to UK holiday demand
Hoseasons is recruiting new staff for its call centre due to rising demand for UK holidays.
The recruitment drive means that the call centre grow by around 15%.
The company, which employs 250 staff at its Lowestoft headquarters, needs new staff to ensure that it can deal with increased call volumes.
Hoseasons claims a rise of bookings through travel agents of more than 50% in the past two weeks.
Overall call levels are also increasing, with more than 3,000 being received on the busiest days.
Chief executive Richard Carrick said: "The combination of uncertain economic times and a weak currency means that many Britons are rediscovering the exceptional value and high quality of holidaying in the UK."
"It is very pleasing to see that our travel agent partners are sharing in the boom in UK holidays that is taking place this year, and we are now taking these steps to make sure we are ready to deal with this increased demand."
"We have worked hard over the past few years to ensure that we have the right portfolio of products to meet the demands of today’s holidaymakers, which means we are well-placed to take advantage of the increase in families choosing to take their holidays in the UK in 2009."
06-Apr-09: 200 jobs at risk as insurance firm closes two branches
More than 100 jobs are on the line after an insurance company announced the closure of a call centre.
Workers at the Direct Choice call centre in Newmarket have been given the option of taking redundancy or relocating to a new headquarters in Kent. The same option has been given to a similar number of workers at another Direct Choice call centre in Claydon, near Ipswich.
The firm, part of Saga, is "centralising" operations in Folkestone where Saga has taken over the ex-Eurotunnel building.
Paul Green, Saga spokesman, said the move was due to expansion of the company.
He said the offices at Newmarket were in a cramped listed building and the Claydon offices were no longer suitable.
He said staff would be given the chance to visit Folkestone before making their choice
02-Apr-09: Jobs to go at 02 call centres
Telecoms firm O2 yesterday confirmed it is cutting about 160 jobs as part of a restructuring plan in its call centres.
The majority of job losses will be in the firm's Leeds call centre, but other roles will go in Glasgow, Bury and Runcorn.
A spokesman for O2 said the company was creating some new customer service roles, resulting in a net reduction of about 160 roles. O2 declined to comment on how many jobs were affected overall.
It said workers would be given the opportunity to retrain and work in other parts of the company.
The cuts, which will come into effect in June, reflect O2's moves to automate some of its customer services functions.
O2 said the job losses would affect call centre workers and management teams in its customer service departments.
The firm, which employs 5,600 people in customer service roles, said most of the cuts would be at its largest call centre in Leeds. It said the job cuts were not a result of economic difficulties.
02-Apr-09: Firm to create 300 jobs at home
A Virtual call centre company is creating 300 jobs in the North-East as it introduces its operation into the region.
US-based Arise Virtual Solutions is expanding across the UK after tying up deals to provide call centre services to major firms, including Shop Direct Group, which has catalogue operators Kays, Great Universal and Littlewoods under its umbrella.
The company operates 'virtual' call centre operations, which allows workers to be based at home and operate as their own individual small businesses.
Now, as part of its planned creation of 1,000 jobs nationally, Arise aims to create 300 positions in the North-East by the end of the year.
While increasing numbers of call centre operators are now trialling home-based working opportunities, Arise is the only company to use home working as its entire operation.
John Riordan, international vice-president of Arise, said the company is set to secure more deals in the near future, which could lead to further job creation.
He said: "It's clear that we are gaining major traction in the UK for our unique business model. Several other major national contracts are currently in the pipe line."
"We may be in recessionary times but Arise represents a business that is not only building a new market model but one which will add 1,000 independent home-based businesses to the UK economy in 2009."
02-Apr-09: Bristol call centre closes with loss of 200 jobs
Courtesy car hire specialist Helphire has announced it is to close its call centre in Bristol with the loss of around 200 jobs.
The troubled company has been speaking to staff about the closure of its Redcliff Quay call centre and has warned that more redundancies are planned in the near future.
The Bath-based firm supplies courtesy cars to drivers who find themselves involved in insurance claims but has been badly hit by the current economic crisis. Fewer insurance companies have been willing to use third parties and the number of cases has also dwindled.
Last month, the company announced that its profits for the last six months had fallen by more than £18 million and the latest round of redundancies follows 130 job cuts in Bristol and Bath announced at the start of the year.
The firm – which currently employs around 3,000 including 1,100 at its head office in Bath, has already put together a plan to cut costs by £5 million but further savings are likely.
The company has warned that further redundancies are being considered from its head office in Bath but added that its 70-strong fleet management operation in Bristol will not be affected.
A spokesman for the firm said that the redundancy process will be completed by the end of August and the plan is to relocate the rest of its Bristol-based office staff to Bath.
The firm's fleet accident management business, Total Accident Management, based at Redcliff Quay in Bristol will not be affected.
Mark Adams, chief executive, said: "We continue to operate in a very difficult economic environment that presents significant challenges to the firm.
"Within Helphire UK, servicing business that generates an acceptable level of profitability is key and the delivery of a cost effective, quality service to our business partners and key stakeholders remains our priority."
He added: "The work that is being undertaken across the group – from our clear focus on collecting cash, working in closer collaboration with business partners through to process re-engineering and re-alignment – along with the restructure programme, will ensure that we achieve the objectives we have set of becoming a simpler, more flexible and efficient business.
"I understand this is a difficult time for our employees and whilst having to reduce headcount is always regrettable, by taking appropriate action now, we will be well-positioned for the future."
02-Apr-09: TPS report: 60% of households blocking unsolicited calls
Nearly two-thirds of UK households are actively preventing unsolicited marketing calls, according to the Telephone Preference Service's latest findings.
‘The TPS report on Unwelcome Calls,' was published yesterday, looks into the extent and nature of unwelcome calls in the UK, especially the incidence of silent calls.
The research evaluates the extent of the industry's compliance with new regulations.
Key findings from the research include that a continuing rise in TPS registrations means that 60% of UK households are actively preventing unsolicited sales and marketing calls.
Consumers' trust and confidence in the telephone as a marketing medium has been eroded by concerns over data privacy, aggressive sales tactics, mis-selling and scams, and they are increasingly deploying a variety of tactics and technologies to control the calls they receive.
The introduction of communications watchdog Ofcom's nuisance calls regulations has reduced the number of silent calls per month from 9.6 per month in 2005 to 2.1 per month in 2008.
The report also shows that increasing familiarity with silent calls has meant that those key demographic groups that were previously worried about these types of calls are now significantly less anxious.
The combination of a high volume of TPS registrations, consumer distrust, and widespread industry compliance of the Ofcom regulations has led many companies to re-appraise their telemarketing strategy and the volume of cold calling carried out is decreasing.
In addition, the number of unwelcome calls received by consumers is down by 20% in the past 12 months to 4.6 per month.
Mike Lordan, director of consumer services at the Direct Marketing Association, said: "It is pleasing to note that consumers are less concerned about silent calls and receive fewer unwelcome cold calls. However, although general levels of compliance are improving there are still many areas that require action."
27-Mar-09: Virgin plans call centre job cuts
Nearly 150 staff at Virgin Media's call centre in Nottingham have been told they face being made redundant.
The firm has said it plans to close the telesales department at Colwick, losing 113 sales posts and 35 support staff.
Under the plans, support staff face a July finish while the telesales positions are going in October.
The firm announced in November it would cut more than 2,000 jobs over the next four years. It said a consultation with those affected has begun.
Virgin Media said the changes were "critical" to ensuring it was positioned to compete effectively.
But the group had said it would not start cutting jobs until the fourth quarter of the year.
Virgin Media has 76 offices across the UK, with other major bases in London, Edinburgh and Sheffield.
25-Mar-09: HSBC says 1,200 workers face axe
Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, has said up to 1,200 of its staff in the UK could face redundancy. At least a third of the staff cuts will come from operations such as call centres, not from High Street branches, a spokesman said.
The bank said the individuals who could be affected by job losses are being briefed on Wednesday.
Unions are disputing the figure, saying the total number of jobs lost in the UK will be closer to 3,000.
An operations centre in Leamington Spa, near Warwick, will lose 280 positions and a call centre in Newport, Wales, will be shut down, and about 150 jobs will be lost in London, HSBC spokesman Tim Pie said.
HSBC cut about 500 jobs from its London head office in December.
"The operating environment for banks in the UK is extremely challenging and will remain so for some time," HSBC UK managing director Paul Thurston said in the statement.
"There are difficult decisions that have to be made as we adapt to a new environment," Mr Thurston said.
Its rights issue, backed by shareholders last week, will be the biggest in UK corporate history.
A union representing HSBC staff responded angrily.
"Unite can see no justification for the efficient and dedicated staff in the UK to lose their jobs and all basic and standard current accounts to be serviced from India," said Derek Simpson, the joint general secretary of the Unite union.
"This is a kick in the teeth of the bank's employees."
Unite argues that the total number of job losses will be 2,900 as roles are left unfilled when employees are moved into different areas, retire or resign.
Mr Pie said those additional job losses through attrition had been discussed with the union, but no number had been decided by the bank.
HSBC has a total staff of about 330,000, with 58,000 of those employed in the UK
25-Mar-09: UK 118 line is run by US prisoners
Calls to UK directory enquiries are being answered by American Prisoners, The Sun has reported. Requests to 118 888 are diverted 5,000 miles to convicts on a jail jobs scheme.
Inmates in ten states are paid between 10p and £4 an hour.
Details of the service emerged as line owner Conduit plans to axe up to 300 jobs at a call centre in Cardiff.
A spokesman for the Communications Workers’ Union said last night: "At a time when thousands of jobs are being lost, British companies should not be shipping work abroad."
"Local knowledge is crucial in dealing with callers’ enquiries. People who pay for this service will also want assurances the database is safe in the hands of criminals."
Conduit's American parent company diverts the calls through Unicor, a prisons industry agency. Unicorn's boasts about its service include its "high security".
Conduit, Europe's top provider of directory inquiries, set up 118 888 when BT's 192 was closed in 2003.
It was taken over by the parent company of rival 118 118, famous for its jogger TV ads.
It insisted only a small proportion of calls were diverted to the US as part of a "trial".
Most are still answered by its other call centres in Plymouth and Manila in the Philippines.
A spokesman said: "There are no killers, violent or sex offenders involved. Most have committed blue collar crimes such as tax evasion. They are qualified to do the job and the system has been running there more than five years."
23-Mar-09: Symantec blames call centre over data leak
Symantec says credit card information relating to three of its customers may have been leaked from its call centre contractor in India.
The company has narrowed down on one employee of the contractor as a possible suspect, and has turned over the information including recorded call data to the police for investigation, a spokesman for Symantec India said today.
The call centre, e4e India, however denies any theft of data from its operations.
Reporters from the BBC posing as fraudsters claimed last week in a BBC report that they bought names, addresses and valid credit card details of persons from the UK from a man they identified as Saurabh Sachar in Delhi.
Three of the persons whose details were provided to the undercover reporters had bought software from Symantec by giving their credit card details to a call centre over the phone, BBC said.
Symantec discontinued routing of online sales and other calls to the service provider, as soon as the matter came to its attention, the spokesman said.
Symantec was planning to discontinue its relationship with e4e by the end of this month for commercial reasons, but has decided to expedite the transition in view of the suspicion of information theft from the call centre, the spokesman said. It didn't have any problems previously with the call centre, he added.
E4e however said that there was no evidence whatsoever linking its operations to the data leakage at Symantec alleged by the BBC report. The company is just one of many call centers in India to which Symantec outsources work, said Narasingarao Dataram, president of e4e India, on Monday.
On hearing of the BBC report that data from Symantec customers may have been compromised, e4e did an internal check, and also alerted the cyber-crime police, only out of due diligence, and not because it believed that the data had been leaked from the its operations, Dataram said.
23-Mar-09: Call centres "a hotbed for identity theft"
A Study of Scottish call centres has concluded the industry poses a "serious threat" to data privacy.
Researchers, who interviewed dozens of call centre staff in the Glasgow area, concluded the organisations "can and do provide a mechanism for identity theft".
The team uncovered evidence of workers secretly collecting customers' data, forgetting to ask basic security questions of callers, and being regularly offered bribes by criminals to hand over confidential data.
Mobile phone cameras, e-mails and even crossword puzzles were some of the techniques used by workers to try to smuggle out lucrative data, the investigation by University of Strathclyde established.
The revelations follow claims by the financial industry that the annual cost of fraud in the UK now exceeds £600m.
MSPs last week accused the Scottish Government of falling behind on combating fraud after the authorities in England and Wales published the first national fraud strategy.
Figures published last week also showed that identity theft increased by 39% last year, costing victims £47.4m.
Iain Moir, of Strathclyde's department of management, and Dr George Weir, from the university's department of computer and information sciences, focused their research on three Glasgow call centres in the fields of finance, telecommunications and outsourcing.
Interviews with 45 workers revealed a "rich setting for identity theft". Results showed:
22% worked with people they considered suspicious;
11% had allowed customers to access their account without asking any security details;
67% had access to e-mail at work, which could be used to send out sensitive information to third parties;
73% had dealt with a suspicious call they believed was an attempt to steal information;
6% of employees or their colleagues had been offered money for information.
The study found that although companies had policies on the use of mobile phones, pens and paper, and computer access, all of which can lead to security breaches, they were often not enforced.
One worker told the researchers: "There were two people, they found them taking people's details using newspapers. They were writing the account numbers in the crossword puzzles. The police were called in and they were handcuffed and frog-marched out."
Mobile phones are also identified as a security risk. One worker said: "I saw one member of the team taking a photograph of a customer's account details on his mobile phone. The customer's name looked humorous. He wanted to show it to his mates. I pointed out it had basically every piece of information to access someone's account."
Asked about the finding that 11% of workers have forgotten to ask callers security questions, a worker replied: "It's higher than that. Sometimes you forget. Everybody's done it, it's human nature to forget."
Weir added that although the small scale of the study could not give a full picture of all call centres, it showed there was significant cause for concern.
He said: "I expected to find a lot more precautions in place. I was surprised at the suggested prevalence of suspicious activity. I couldn't believe people were allowed to take notes they made at their desks out of the centre. It's such an easy way to steal information."
He said people could have no control over this happening to their information. "Even if you don't do any business over the phone or online you will still have your information provided through call centres between companies."
Moir added: "I was absolutely shocked that people were bribed to sell information they were handling."
A spokeswoman for Consumer Focus Scotland said: "Identity theft has devastating consequences on individuals, so it should be a priority to strengthen standards and make sure they are policed.
Labour shadow MSP for justice Richard Baker called on the authorities to address the problem.
He said: "This must be addressed as a matter of urgency. There are so many restrictions on how you store data and how you pass it on, so this issue needs to be investigated."
20-Mar-09: India credit card scam exposed by BBC
A criminal gang selling UK credit card details stolen from Indian call centres has been exposed by an undercover BBC News investigation.
Reporters posing as fraudsters bought UK names, addresses and valid credit card details from a Delhi-based man after receiving a tip off.
The seller later denied any wrongdoing and Symantec corporation, from whom three victims bought a product via a call centre, called the incident "isolated".
18-Mar-09: 02 takes top position in largest ever broadband satisfaction survey
thinkbroadband.com has today announced the results of the largest ever UK Broadband Survey on Customer Service.
Its findings, based on half a million visitor ratings, show that providers such as O2 are worlds apart from others such as Pipex, Tiscali and Orange.
The research also shows that niche operators can provide high levels of customer service with the top two niche providers IDNet and Zen Internet being top of the class.
Thinkbroadband Customer Service Awards Winners (based on 500,000 visitor ratings from 01/01/08 to 31/12/08)
Category: Large ISP
• Gold – O2
• Silver – Be Unlimited
• Bronze – PlusNet
Category: Niche
• Gold - IDNet
• Silver – Zen Internet
• Bronze – NewNet
“The satisfaction levels achieved by O2 and Be Unlimited are exceptional for a company of their size” explains Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of thinkbroadband.com, “often consumers only consider price and the infamous ‘up to’ speeds in selecting which broadband service to subscribe to. It is refreshing to see a supplier of some of the fastest services in the country maintaining customer service and reliability levels so high” he added.
"This is a fantastic endorsement of the focus we've had at O2 on the customer experience," said Peter Rampling, Marketing Director at Telefónica O2 UK. "In the relatively short space of time since we launched, we have firmly established O2 Home Broadband as the quality player in the UK market."
Thinkbroadband.com reports that the most common complaint from its forum is that many support centres seem unable to digress from their ‘script’. This can be very frustrating, especially for technically savvy users who sometimes understand the technology better than the support agent on the end of the line.
“In a highly competitive market it’s vital that broadband providers step up to the mark on customer service if they are going to retain long term customers. Fixing low prices is not enough on its own and quality of customer service can be a big pull for many,” concludes Lahtinen.
A full breakdown of broadband customer service ratings for 24 service providers is :
O2 (O2 Group) 79%
Be Unlimited (O2 Group) 71%
PlusNet (BT Group) 67%
Sky (BSkyB Group) 50%
Virgin Media 44%
BT (BT Group) 41%
TalkTalk (CPW Group) 39%
AOL (CPW Group) 35%
Pipex (Tiscali Group) 35%
Tiscali 34%
Orange 33%
18-Mar-09: Finance giant axes jobs in Leeds
Finance giant GE Capital is to shed 100 call centre jobs in Leeds.
The company has four sites nationwide, including two in Leeds, employing around 1,600 people in the city.
It is understood the posts are to go within the next 12 months, some through "natural wastage" – such as the non-replacement of leaving staff and not filling presently vacant roles.
The cuts are currently under consultation and exact details of where the posts will be lost will be announced shortly.
Jobs will be axed from across all divisions of the firm, which specialises in personal loans and credit and store cards.
Bosses at GE Capital say the measures follow a recent business review.
They are intended to make the business run more efficiently as they seek to ride out the UK's current economic downturn, a spokesman said.
He added: "We can confirm that following a recent business review we have proposed some changes to the current operational structure, which will impact some employees.
"Given the current difficult economic conditions the proposals are designed to streamline our operations across our sites and maximise synergies allowing for continued growth and investment in the future.
"It is never easy to announce changes that could affect employees. Our key focus will be on ensuring there is minimal disruption during this period, we are committed to ensuring that anyone impacted by these proposals is treated as fairly and consistently as possible and are fully informed and consulted throughout the process."
17-Mar-09: Vodafone sorry for name joke
Vodafone has apologised to a customer who was left a voicemail of a call centre worker ridiculing his name.
Roger Titman, 41, was left the message earlier this month by a Vodafone call centre worker.
The company called him back in response to a query about cancelling one of his phone contracts but Mr Titman was shocked to hear the employee mocking his surname on the message.
The man's message included "Titman by name, Titman by nature... you know what he's up to" as well as other crude comments.
Mr Titman, from Brixworth, Northamptonshire, said when he tried to complain about the message, he was first told it could not have been from Vodafone.
It was only when he threatened legal action that he received an apology and offer of compensation.
Vodafone said the call was "unacceptable" and the employee responsible was immediately suspended.
Mr Titman, who lives with his partner Kim, said he called Vodafone to cancel one of his phone lines at the start of this month.
He said: "I was told someone would call me back and when I came out of a meeting I had this voicemail with this guy taking the mickey out of my surname. Obviously he didn't realise it had gone on to answer phone or something.
"When you're at school you expect stuff like that. Kids take the mickey out of anything, whether it's your hair colour or the fact you wear glasses. It's something I have had to put up with since I can remember but that still doesn't make it acceptable."
17-Mar-09: More Capita call centre jobs at risk
Workers at a threatened Yorkshire call centre will hold crunch talks this week to try and save jobs.
Capita Fulfilment Services, based at Wetherby, told 240 staff last Monday that their jobs were at risk.
Parent company Capita has confirmed it was looking for a "suitable buyer" for the operation after carrying out a "review about the future of the business".
Jobs will be lost unless a buyer comes forward.
A 90-day consultation period with staff is due to begin this Thursday.
A Capita spokeswoman said: "Capita has and will continue to review its strategic options for the future of the business."
"These options include looking for a suitable buyer for the business or full closure. In the event of securing a suitable buyer then it is likely that a number of staff will transfer."
She added: "If a suitable buyer for the business and alternatives to redundancy cannot be found, affected individuals will then be put under notice of redundancy and will be advised of their leave date."
She added: "We hope that some will be able to find a suitable redeployment opportunity within Capita; otherwise we will operate an internal outplacement support service."
"This will include things like helping staff with their CV and interview techniques and all staff will be given reasonable time off for interviews during their notice period."
17-Mar-09: Jobs turnaround at Carphone Warehouse
Ninety jobs will be created at a Preston call centre just weeks after redundancies were announced.
Two weeks ago workers at the Carphone Warehouse site at Tulketh Mill, were told their jobs were under threat as part of 450 positions axed nationally.
But the mobile phone giant said 90 roles would be created within the TalkTalk customer services department – the branch of the company which provides landline phones.
A spokesman for The Carphone Warehouse said: "TalkTalk is pleased to confirm the creation of 90 new roles within customer services at Tulketh Mill, Preston."
"It is our priority to offer these opportunities to those employees affected by last week's announcements from the Carphone Warehouse Group and those currently at risk will be encouraged to apply for these newly-created positions."
17-Mar-09: RBS apologises after its staff asked customers to reveal their political affiliations
The Royal Bank of Scotland has apologised after admitting its call centre staff wrongly asked potential customers about their political affiliations.
It emerged last week that call centre staff had asked business callers applying to use the Streamline credit card services system whether they were a 'head of state or mayor'.
They explained they wanted to know whether the caller had political influence 'like Gordon Brown'. Operators also asked which political party they belonged to.
Callers were wrongly told it was required to comply with Financial Services Authority guidelines on money laundering.
However, the bank last night admitted questions about political affiliations should never have been asked.
It said staff were only meant to be aware of the FSA guidelines, which warn banks to be wary of 'politically-exposed persons', so they could spot firms which may be vulnerable to money-laundering activities.
The guidance particularly relates to firms setting up in the UK which may operate out of 'banana republics' that are politically unstable, or foreign investors who may be happy to negotiate with corrupt leaders.
Call centre staff should have passed any concerns to a different unit of the bank, RBS said.
Instead, they misinterpreted the guidance and directly asked genuine British businesses about their political activities.
17-Mar-09: Call centre move prompts strike action
A council strike is looming in Hammersmith and Fulham because of a controversial move of the council's call centre to Rochdale.
Unison, the union which is representing the call centre workers, says the council has reneged on a promise to find alternative jobs for staff and that they have 'bullied' employees into taking leave before they are made redundant.
Union members voted unanimously to back the workers over strike action, who were set to be made redundant last Sunday (15 March).
A spokesman for Hammersmith and Fulham council said: "At a time of great economic uncertainty residents are rightly demanding more efficient, value for money, services. By moving to a larger contact centre in Rochdale, we have gained some significant economic and technical advantages."
"This is improving the quality of our service to residents through our ability to deal more efficiently with peaks in demand, as well as saving taxpayers £150,000 a year in operating costs."
The move will create up to 20 new jobs in Rochdale and save taxpayers in the London borough around £150,000 a year according to Rochdale Council's IT services contractor.
Nigel Muirhead, the Impact Partnership's Customer and Business Services Director said: "This is great news for the region as well as for tax payers as not only are jobs being created but the economic and technical advantages that this move will create will mean efficiency savings of around £150,000 per year. Residents in Hammersmith will also continue to benefit from a top quality contact centre service."
11-Mar-09: RSPB outsources for call centre expertise
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has appointed Prolog to provide call centre and customer care services to support its trading activities.
Prolog Connect will handle order taking for the RSPB's UK-wide retailing operation at its integrated customer contact centre in the East Midlands.
It expects to receive up to 200 orders an hour at the contact centre during peak times, the bulk of which will be submitted online or by mail order.
The operation will also serve RSPB stakeholders and partners, including retail and trade outlets.
Diane Firth, head of trading at the RSPB, said: "The RSPB's trading operation raises around £2m a year for the charity's conservation work, so it is vital that we offer our customers a first class service, from orders to after sales care."
"With Prolog linking into our fulfilment chain, we confidently expect our trading activities to flourish to fund even more conservation work into the future."
Peter Soar, Prolog account group manager, said: "We have been tasked with providing significantly enhanced levels of contact for everyone who buys from the RSPB, particularly in keeping customers and stakeholders informed when their orders have been received and despatched."
"The RSPB have seen that Prolog has appropriate systems technology and the personal touch: in assembling our team of trained agents, empathy with the conservation group's core values has been high among the selection criteria."
11-Mar-09: Damart set to start recruiting
More than 40 jobs will be created in Bingley when a call centre extends its operation hours.
Home shopping fashion brand Damart will start recruiting next month. The firm is planning to extend its operation hours from July.
Managing director Andy Hill said: “We’ve had a very successful season with sales up by more than 20 per cent on the previous year and early indications are that the spring and summer collection will sell well. "
“We now want to further improve our service to customers by developing our call centre to give an even better service. "
“Not only will this expansion create new jobs, it will also increase flexibility for the existing 120 staff who will now have the opportunity to work in the evenings and at weekends to meet the requirements of our customers’ call patterns.”
11-Mar-09: The Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service
Do you have a true measure of the customer experience your call centre is offering compared with other leading companies?
Brought to you by CCF magazine, The Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service is the UK's most comprehensive benchmarking programme, which also provides a workflow tool to aid continuous performance improvement. And the best part is that this is a consumer-friendly piece of research that can be used to boost the profile of your call centre amongst both your customers and your internal business colleagues.
To find out more and to apply to become part of the programme, click here
10 great reasons to get involved
1. Have a true measure of how your organisation really performs compared with other leaders in your market sector and across the UK
2. Identify the key drivers of customer satisfaction in your call centre and how you can improve your performance to grow market share
3. Boost staff morale and motivation by showing confidence in their performance and inspire them to consistently deliver outstanding service to gain a high ranking
4. Send out a positive message across all media focused on why you have an exceptional call centre and help redress the negative public perception of call centres
5. Gain valuable, independent insight into how existing & potential customers actually perceive your service and their likelihood of repurchasing and recommending
6. Discover whether your call centre is enhancing or detracting from your brand including identifying areas of strength and those in need of improvement
7. Show your existing customers and potential customers that you really care about providing great service by listening to real customer feedback, not analytics, to improve your offering
8. Take pride in a visible badge of achievement, the Top 50 logo and positive PR helps you to retain your star performers and attract top talent
9. Meet your peers who are facing similar challenges and share ideas. Taking part provides you automatic entry into the exclusive CCF Directors Club
10. Raise the profile of your contact centre among key stakeholders including your board members, helping you to secure funds for future investment
09-Mar-09: Call centre looking to recruit 180 extra staff
A Southend call centre has reported a record 25 per cent increase in earnings in three months.
Converso call centres, at Thamesgate House in Victoria Avenue, announced its revenue in January had risen to £500,000 – up from £400,000 in November.
The company is recruiting 180 new posts by the end of the year as part of its ongoing expansion.
Business development director Ben Krempel said: “The further expansion of Converso, which means we have taken over more space in Thamesgate House, is good news for Southend.
“It means we are looking in the next few weeks to recruit 80 new staff and an extra 180 by the end of the year. We will also be able provide better facilities for staff and meeting rooms for customers who want to visit us and see what we are doing."
"For many firms the recession is a major problem, but for an outsourcing company like ourselves it means we are creating jobs in this country for local people. We are also able to help firms get over problems they may be facing by providing extra facilities for them."
Business leaders and councillors have welcomed the company’s success, and the money and jobs being brought in to Southend.
John Lamb, deputy leader of Southend Council, said: “This is excellent news. Again it shows that Southend is holding its own and seems to be bucking the trend. It is encouraging to see our businesses are maintaining their share and improving."
“I applaud the efforts businesses are making and now it is paying off for them and for the whole town. A very big well done to them.”
09-Mar-09: 'Strong future' for call centres
The call centre sector in Scotland has a strong future, according to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
There are centres in Thurso, Alness, Forres and Rothesay providing services to organisations such as BT, Marks and Spencer and Westminster City Council.
HIE chairman Willy Roe told the Industry Council of the UK's Customer Contact Association the sector was emerging as a world leader.
He said new technologies and ways of working were being put to use.
Mr Roe said one firm, Vertex, was developing working from home and micro-centres for small communities, which could open up new opportunities for more remote residents.
He said: "The contact centre industry is an excellent fit for the Highlands and Islands. HIE recognises the sector's strong regional contribution and we are convinced also of its much greater potential."
09-Mar-09: Dixons cuts off Capita
PC World owner DSGi has decided not to renew its call centre outsourcing contract with Capita and will instead bring 1,300 staff back in house.
The Award winning call centre in Sheffield and one in Nottingham will return to the DSGi fold on September 2.
The original contract, signed in 2004, is due to finish during April. The pair have signed a six month extension to "ensure a period of smooth transition".
Capita recently began the process of making 42 middle managers redundant.
DSGi spokesman Mark Webb said there are no plans to make further job cuts after the transfer. "The majority of people that will be affected by this change are colleagues from Capita," he wrote in an email. "Subject to Capita’s agreement, we will be looking to transfer as many of these colleagues as possible onto DSGi terms and conditions. All TUPE conditions will apply."
The call centres handle sales inquiries and after-sales technical support for both PC World and Currys stores. "By bringing the operation in-house we are taking back control of the customer experience, taking responsibility for and owning our relationship with the customer," DSGi said.
Capita said the loss of DSGi's large contract would not affect its business. "Current conditions present a healthy flow of opportunities for Capita and the Group is well placed to continue its growth"
09-Mar-09: GoResponse is the fastest growing company
According to the latest analysis, GoResponse is evaluated as number one for sales growth in the Telephone Answering Service Sector, out of 51 prominent companies.
The Report is independently created by Plimsoll Publishing Limited and provides detailed and summary overviews of financial performances of companies within business sectors utilising all financial information available.
The report also shows, despite being relatively young in comparison to many of the other telephone answering providers analysed, that GoResponse is in the Top Ten for market share in the UK.
GoResponse was founded in late 2003 and today has a 24/7 Kent based 50 seat call centre employing over 80 people and as of late 2008, a centre based in Spain providing multi-lingual call handling.
Clients range in size from small operators right through to many household names in the e-commerce, mail order, retail, DRTV, gaming, health & leisure and service sectors.
Mark Kirby, founder and Managing Director commented on this latest research "When I look back to October 2003 when the company was formed with a website, one operator and someone to cover her lunch-hour, it is sobering to see independent research showing the impact that we have made in this sector five years on. I have a very passionate and professional team that deserve the recognition that these results provide."
In revealing why GoResponse has made such an impact within this sector Mr Kirby shared "From day one we took the view of looking at the business from the outside in - from what our customer would experience. 'Does the website help inform me? Do the people I deal with understand me? Can they deliver the promise and make it easy for me to see the results?' In my experience customers want to know that we connect with the result that they are after and have the agility and dynamism in both the team and systems to deliver. I would almost see us more as a consultancy that happens to provide call handling. It is a 'Big Ask' for any company to hand over their call handling to an outsourced provider, whether it is one call a day or a thousand, so we need to make best efforts to understand more about the client than just how they want their calls answered."
In summary Mr Kirby added "Growth is great, but I am more concerned that we match growth with a continued and even improved customer experience. These values are easy to provide when you can count your team on one hand, but is the biggest threat to any growing business that can potentially become disconnected with their clients. In these challenging economic times, although we are still experiencing growth, we have made a conscious decision to sacrifice increased profit for investment into more customer service, training and improved systems."
09-Mar-09: Capita also lose contract with Prudential
100 jobs are at risk at a Belfast call centre, a union has claimed. Unite say that the jobs are under threat at Capita after Prudential did not renew a contract with the company.
"The announcement affects 102 Capita staff of the 250 employed in Beacon House." according to a statement from Capita. "We are today entering into a consultation with staff to consider next steps."
The statement continued: "While we could never rule out redundancies entirely, Capita is currently putting no roles at risk among the 102 sales staff in Belfast."
"Capita has a number of potential business opportunities which would create work that could be delivered from Belfast. "
"We hope to keep the Belfast site and find more work to bring into Beacon House to replace the work we did for Prudential in the first instance, and then to fill the rest of the building."
Daryl Williams from Unite said the union was "shocked" that the contract with Capita had not been renewed by Prudential.
"The 100 Capita staff in Belfast risk redundancy as a result of this decision," he said.
"This is a massive betrayal of hard-working staff. There is no evidence to suggest that this sales work can be done better or more economically elsewhere."
"The Prudential must now come to Unite with clarity over their restructuring proposals and give us firm detail on plans and jobs."
09-Mar-09: More jobs at risk at Stream
Another 45 jobs are at risk at Londonderry call centre Stream International after the withdrawal of another client contract from the firm.
High street electrical giant Comet, who had outsourced their customers technical support to the Londonderry site, have confirmed they have given Stream notice they are to withdraw their contract.
In a statement released to local media a spokesperson for Comet said: "We can confirm that we have given 90 days notice to Stream, who act as call centre for computer related customer enquiries. Due to the expansion of our contract centre in Clevedon and the training of our colleagues based there, we are now able to handle these calls internally."
"In total 45 members of staff at Stream are affected. We are working with Stream during the consultation period to ensure the redeployment of as many staff as possible to other contracts undertaken by Stream."
Comet's contract with Stream was one which provided technical support for computers and related products sold by the high street stores. The contract covered customers who had purchased extended warranties with their product.
09-Mar-09: Oscar awards at beCogent call centre
Staff at beCogent in Airdrie were treated like celebrities for the day at the firm’s Oscars awards.
All employees at the contact centre were invited to attend the glittering evening, held in Tiger Tiger, Glasgow.
The event was hosted by comedian Fred MacAulay and over 40 top performing employees were shortlisted for one of the 14 categories, including advisor of the year, manager of the year, support person and support team of the year, the WOW award and the Chairman’s award for special recognition.
The two Airdrie winners were Andrew Easton, who was crowned Customer Service Retail Manager of the Year, and the Virgin Media TSC Team, who won the Customer Service Front Office Team of the Year prize.
Jackie Lowe, Director of Human Resources at beCogent said: “Our Oscars were a fantastic celebration of the achievements of all members of our staff.
“Everyone who won an award truly deserved the recognition and those who didn’t win an award on the night certainly deserved a great evening of celebration to thank them for their hard work and efforts too."
09-Mar-09: T Mobile jobs shake-up
A major shake-up at one of Wearside's biggest call centres will create 260 new jobs.
Mobile phone giant T Mobile is reorganising its workforce at three UK call centres – including its site at Doxford International.
But as well as creating a total of 60 new positions at the Sunderland site, the shake-up will affect 200 current roles where staff will have to reapply for new jobs.
Russell Taylor, director of customer services at T Mobile, said the move would give workers a better career path and allow the company to provide a better service.
"I believe if we've got a motivated team of people who really want to work with T Mobile and we create that management in their team then they will provide a fantastic, world-class service to our customers," he said.
The firm's 187 new team leaders will have much wider responsibility, but will also receive an increase salary.
Mr Taylor said opportunities for career progression have also been improved by the creation of 172 new assistant leader positions.
The restructure will also move 100 "second-line" staff into front-line
customer service roles, which Mr Taylor said would save money and improve service.
He said the move was a "significant investment" and was not aimed at cutting cost.
He said staff would be encourage to apply for the new roles that were created, but accepted that some might not want to do so.
"We don't want that but that's the reality," he said, adding that if team leaders did not feel they wanted to take on the new enhanced role they could apply for one of the new assistant team leader roles.
"We're keeping it open to people can apply for more than one role," he said.
T Mobile says it has created a total of 556 new roles across its customer services operation, including around 360 new management positions across its three contact centres.
It is now consulting with the 338 people whose jobs have changed as a result of the restructure.
04-Mar-09: GoResponse Named As First Outsourced Call Centre To Achieve GamCare Certification
GoResponse has been named as the first UK Outsourced call centre to be accredited with GamCare Certification Status.
Over the last five years, GoResponse has demonstrated a proven track recording in providing value-added call handling solutions to the remote gaming sector and provide live telephone answering for new registrations, customer services queries, account maintenance and assistance with spending limits or player self exclusion.
GoResponse is today a market leader in serving television, mobile phone and internet based gaming services.
GoResponse call centre agents underwent GamCare’s rigorous training and testing programmes to ensure an in-depth knowledge of standards and best practice to ensure responsible gaming.
Mark Kirby, GoResponse MD comments “We are delighted to have worked closely with GamCare and it is a great achievement to be the first UK call centre business to be awarded with GamCare certification status. Years of experience of working with clients in this industry has allowed us to grow an invaluable understanding and methodology of working with our gaming clients own customers to create a unique positive user experience coupled with the comfort of a legacy of competency handling trickier situations that require specific knowledge and training around compliance.”
Stella Dalton, Business Development Manager at GamCare Trade Services, adds “Through this collaborative initiative GoResponse is demonstrating responsibility for ensuring that its frontline staff are better equipped to identify problem gambling behaviour and underage gamblers, and to respond appropriately. We are satisfied that they have the knowledge of the legislative framework in which gambling companies operate, together with an understanding of the impacts of problem gambling and sources of help available.”
27-Feb-09: Vodafone says no job losses in Trowbridge
Vodafone is reassuring staff there are no planned job losses at its call centre in Trowbridge despite announcing 500 posts will go worldwide.
The company employs 200 people at the call centre at the White Horse Business Park, and local media have been inundated with claims from staff saying they have been told to expect redundancy in June.
It also denied rumours it is planning to move its Trowbridge call centre to Malta.
A spokesman said: “There are no major changes planned for Trowbridge. Our employees there serve a key role and look after our government and public sector accounts.”
27-Feb-09: Fire rips apart HBOS call centre
A fire has gutted the Halifax Bank of Scotland call centre building in Motherwell.
Staff were sent home after the blaze ripped apart the ground floor of the call centre. Nobody was hurt in the incident.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue confirmed they were contacted at 3.18pm on the 26th February, to attend the blaze at the Airbles Road building.
A member of staff told local media: "Everyone was evacuated from the building before three fire engines turned up. Some members of staff commented they saw flames."
"When the firemen were entering the building, you could see smoke billowing out. After about 45 minutes to an hour, the bosses sent everybody home".
It is unclear how many people were in the building at the time of the blaze, but it is estimated to be around 100 to 150.
A spokesperson from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said: "Four firefighters with the use of pumps entered the ground floor of the office to extinguish the fire. The fire was then put out at 4.03pm."
"Large fans were then used to get the heavy smoke out of the building."
"As we are in the early stages of the fire investigation, it is unclear what started the fire."
27-Feb-09: Call Centre With Gem Of A Job Creation Plan
A Northern Irish call centre company is set to splash out on a £20m expansion that will create 900 new jobs
Gem, which currently has sites in Belfast and Londonderry, will create the posts over the next three years at new locations across the region.
Customer service agents, sales agents, technical support and managerial positions will be filled in an investment that will double Gem's Northern Ireland workforce.
Managing director Philip Cassidy, who set up the company in 2000, said the new staff would handle accounts from the financial services, technology and retail sectors.
"Gem has proved to be a homegrown success and we intend to continue to build on that," he said.
The development is being supported with a £5.5m grant from Government trade body Invest NI.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster welcomed Gem's plan, which will generate £14m in annual salaries.
She said: "This is a great boost for Northern Ireland at a time where the global economy continues to impact on local businesses and when many companies are deferring investment plans."
26-Feb-09: Carphone says 450 jobs 'at risk'
Mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse says 450 jobs are "at risk" following a review of the business.
Carphone - which also owns the TalkTalk broadband business - said it is consulting with workers at call centres in Preston, Warrington and Wednesbury in the West Midlands.
It has also begun talks with staff at its head office in North Acton in west London.
The company said that its store workers would not be affected, and none of its High Street outlets would be closed.
It added that its planned opening of new stores in partnership with US retailer Best Buy would not be affected. It intends to open 100 Best Buy stores in Europe by 2013.
Carphone sold a half share in its retailing business to Best Buy for £1.1bn in May last year.
26-Feb-09: Call centre firm creates 600 new jobs
A total of 610 jobs are to be created by a firm in Newry, County Down.
The posts are being created at Teleperformance, which belongs to one of the world's largest networks of contact centres.
The announcement was made by Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster during a visit to Newry on Thursday.
The positions will range from customer service advisor level to operations management. The French-owned firm has premises in Newry and Bangor, Co Down, and Bristol and Birmingham on the mainland.
The new jobs will bring total employment at the Newry site to 1,060 by 2011.
The minister said the investment was a "welcome boost to the local economy".
"By the time all positions are filled, Teleperformance will have almost 2,000 people based at its Newry and Bangor sites, making the firm one of this region's largest employers," she said.
"At a time when many companies are deferring investment plans, it is encouraging to see the confidence placed in Northern Ireland."
The expansion has been supported by Invest Northern Ireland which gave more than £3m towards the investment.
Teleperformance chairman and chief executive Jeff Smith said:"Their offer of support, combined with the availability of suitable property and our positive experiences in Northern Ireland over the past 11 years, resulted in our decision to invest further in the Newry site."
Teleperformance contact centres handle email, web, telephone and postal enquiries.
23-Feb-09: BT suspends 30 call centre staff for circulating 'harmless' Irish joke by email
BT has suspended 30 of its call centre staff after they were caught forwarding an email joke poking fun at the Irish.
Bosses at the telecoms firm did not see the funny side of the story, which involves four Irishmen, and an investigation is under way.
But the probe was today branded a waste of time and money, and a cynical ploy to axe staff during the recession.
One worker told the Daily Mail: "Either BT have no sense of humour whatsoever or the bosses are deliberately trying to get shot of people without having to pay any redundancy money."
"The joke was sent around the office as a bit of fun. Everyone is worried about their jobs but we all try and cheer each other up. It was light-hearted but one person complained and suddenly managers were grilling people about the joke saying it was offensive and could be interpreted as a racist slur on Irish people."
John Midgley, of the Campaign Against Political Correctness said: "I sincerely hope that common sense is brought to bare on this and that political correctness does not cost these peoples' jobs especially in the present economic climate."
It was circulated around staff working at the BT call centre in Leicester - which employs 340 people - two weeks ago.
Managers suspended every worker who had forwarded the joke to someone else and warned them they face disciplinary action.
One suspended worker said: "The joke was harmless fun and the sort of thing millions of office workers send to each other up and down the country. I received it and forwarded it to a colleague without thinking about it."
"The next thing I knew managers were demanding to look at my computer to see who I'd emailed the joke to. The fact I could now lose my job over this is really scary and I'd leave if I could afford to but there are no other jobs anywhere."
A BT spokesman said: 'A complaint was made about a joke which could be offensive to some people. BT takes these matters seriously and will investigate any allegations."
"We cannot comment on any investigation that may be taking place internally at the moment. These matters are treated in the strictest confidence."
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), the UK's largest union in the communications industry, blasted BT for suspending the call centre workers.
A spokesman said: "It's incredible BT can spend this money on such a petty, meaningless investigation with customers very likely picking up the bill."
The Leicester Irish Society also defended the employees, claiming BT bosses had lost their sense of humour.
18-Feb-09: Insurance firm creates 500 jobs
The internet and telephone insurance company esure is to create 500 jobs by expanding its call centre operations in Glasgow.
Half of the new posts will be brought in over the next 18 months in customer services with a further 250 jobs created by 2014.
Esure's expansion is being supported by a £1.4m Regional Selective Assistance grant from the Scottish Government.
The firm employs just over 600 people at the Glasgow office, which serves as its main operational UK headquarters.
The announcement was attended by First Minister Alex Salmond who described it as "a ringing endorsement" of Scotland's workforce.
"While Scotland is not immune from the effects of recession we must not forget that we have real strengths that will help our economy recover strongly," he said.
"Not least of these is our outstanding workforce and global reputation for excellence in a number of key sectors including renewable energy, life sciences and financial services.
"Esure's decision is a strong reminder that, despite the huge challenges that key financial services companies are facing across the world, there are parts of the sector, like pensions and insurance, which are continuing to perform strongly in Scotland."
Esure's building in Cadogan Street is located in Glasgow's international financial services district, which runs between St Vincent Street and the River Clyde.
The 10-year, £1bn project, aims to deliver more than two million square feet of new office space and 20,000 new jobs.
Glasgow City Council leader, Councillor Steven Purcell, said the jobs announcement was "fantastic news" for the city.
"Esure's decision to substantially expand its presence in Glasgow is testament to the availability and quality of the people it has employed here.
"It also underlines Glasgow's status as a major UK centre for the insurance sector."
18-Feb-09: The Co-operative Bank tops the charts again
The Co-operative Bank has scored the top mark on current accounts customer satisfaction (85%) according to the latest GFK NOP report.
The report showed that despite the credit crunch affecting many of the UK's major banks in 2008, there have been no decline in The Co-operative Bank's customer satisfaction scores.
Another key accolade for The Co-operative Bank was the likelihood of customers to recommend their current accounts to others; The bank topped the charts with 80% of customers recommending services or products to others, however, the bank is not resting on its laurels, and hopefully by the next time this report takes place the remaining 20% will also be recommending The Co-operative Banks current accounts.
John Barker, Head of Current Accounts at The Co-operative Bank said: "To be recognised as the bank with the most satisfied current account customers by the GfK NOP research is a fantastic achievement for The Co-operative Bank.
"These findings clearly demonstrate our continued commitment to our customers in every aspect of our service proposition from face-to-face service across our branch network, our call centres and online.
"We are extremely proud of this acknowledgement from GfK NOP which provides a clear indication that we are making great progress in our vision to become the UK's most admired financial services business."
16-Feb-09: UK call centre awarded GamCare certification status
GoResponse, the UK's leading provider of outsourced call centre services to the remote gaming sector is the first centre of its kind to achieve GamCare certified status.
GoResponse has centres in the UK and in Spain that provide a wide range of call centre services, 24 hours a day. Clients include Gala Bingo and , Nissan and Robert Dyas and many other household names.
GoResponse has over the last five years demonstrated a proven track recording in providing value-added call handling solutions to the remote gaming sector and provide live telephone answering for new registrations, customer services queries, account maintenance and assistance with spending limits or player self exclusion. GoResponse is today a market leader in serving television, mobile phone and internet based gaming services.
By working collaboratively, GamCare and GoResponse identified an opportunity provide increased levels of support to both remote gaming organisations and end users.
GoResponse call centre agents underwent GamCare's rigorous training and testing programmes to ensure an in-depth knowledge of standards and best practice to ensure responsible gaming.
Mark Kirby, GoResponse MD comments "We are delighted to have worked closely with GamCare and it is a great achievement to be the first UK call centre business to be awarded with GamCare certification status. Years of experience of working with clients in this industry has allowed us to grow an invaluable understanding and methodology of working with our gaming clients' own customers to create a unique positive user experience coupled with the comfort of a legacy of competency handling trickier situations that require specific knowledge and training around compliance."
Stella Dalton, Business Development Manager at GamCare Trade Services, adds "Through this collaborative initiative GoResponse is demonstrating responsibility for ensuring that its frontline staff are better equipped to identify problem gambling behaviour and underage gamblers, and to respond appropriately. We are satisfied that they have the knowledge of the legislative framework in which gambling companies operate, together with an understanding of the impacts of problem gambling and sources of help available."
16-Feb-09: Vodafone set to build 850 seat call centre
Vodafone is set to build a multimillion-pound, 80,000 square foot, state-of-the-art call centre in Stoke-on-Trent.
The operator expects to occupy the 850-seat building at Etruria Valley Business Park by the summer of 2009.
The development is part of Vodafone’s plan to move its staff closer together in an attempt to make significant cost savings.
It follows last month’s announcement that a flagship office in Theale would be closed to bring around 300 members of staff to its nearby Newbury headquarters.
In total, more than 1,200 Vodafone call centre workers will be employed at the new site, rotating between desks.
The development will bring together Vodafone’s four current sites in Stoke.
A planning application has been lodged with Stoke-on-Trent City Council and a decision is expected later this month. Subject to planning approval, it is anticipated that construction will begin in the spring.
Vodafone’s new group property director, Billy Davidson, said: "The move to this new centre is an attempt to rationalise things. It will bring people from four locations in Stoke into one fit-for-purpose, fantastic location."
Davidson added he was "very confident" the planning permission would prove successful
16-Feb-09: 150 jobs at risk at Stream
Up to 150 jobs could potentially be lost at Londonderry call centre Stream International after the company lost part of a major contract.
The centre, which has bases at Buncrana Road and at Spencer Road say they are doing all they can to protect the positions.
Whilst it has yet to be confirmed which particular contract has decided to relocate it's technical support to Newcastle, amongst the blue chip clients at Stream are broadband operations conducted on behalf of the Post Office and Vodafone.
All employees at the Londonderry site were informed of the job cuts last Thursday.
Site Director, Jeff Jennings said: "Our employees are extremely important to us and Stream intends to reassign employees affected by this recent change where possible. We aim to keep redundancies at the site to a minimum."
"While everyone has been notified of the situation, formal meetings with elected employee representatives will take place per TUPE regulations (Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment)."
800 people are currently employed at both Stream sites in Londonderry. The company has been providing outsourced technical support in the city since 1995.
The statement from the company also said: "Stream is committed to it's operation in Londonderry and recently increased its sales and management in its efforts to continue to attract world class clients to the site."
12-Feb-09: Workplace award for Bradford call centre
Employees at a Bradford call centre have given it a thumbs up in a national scheme to find the best UK workplaces.
For the second year running, staff at Yorkshire Water’s contact centre, Loop Customer Management, at Thornbury, Bradford, have judged the company a great place to work.
Loop has been awarded a one star first class rating by workplace engagement specialists Best Companies, based on feedback from workers.
Three-quarters of staff were asked to complete a questionnaire to find out how they feel about their job and role within the company.
Loop is one of 209 companies to receive the one star accreditation this year.
Allan Hillman, Loop HR manager, said: “At Loop we have a number of initiatives in place to ensure that employees enjoy coming to work.”
11-Feb-09: RAC to axe 100 jobs in Scotland
About 100 jobs are to go at a Norwich Union operated call centre in Bishopbriggs near Glasgow.
The staff affected work for the RAC, answering calls from motorists who have broken down.
The company said it would close its Scottish rescue operations by late 2009 due to "challenging times" facing the breakdown industry.
However it said most of the staff affected would be offered redeployment to the firm's other call centres.
"All colleagues affected by today's announcement will be offered the opportunity to move to the new Centres of Excellence in Stretford and Bescot," said an RAC spokesman.
"Where employees are not able to move, we will seek to offer suitable alternative roles at or near the existing sites," he added.
A spokesman for RAC said the breakdown industry had faced a challenging time throughout 2008 and would "continue to do so in 2009."
"In order to protect RAC's business it is essential that we consider our operating model and make adjustments accordingly," the spokesman said.
"This means we have had to make some difficult decisions about how we operate."
A 90-day consultation period with the unions if now underway.
Norwich Union, owned by Aviva, bought RAC in March 2005.
11-Feb-09: Online retailers need to work on customer service
A new survey has found that, though some of the most popular online retailers are performing well for usability of search and navigation, as well as delivery, they are often failing when it comes to effective customer service.
According to the eDigital Research survey, e-tailers scored especially poorly on providing customer service by email, something which customers increasingly want to do to save spending time on the phone. However, customers often received inadequate information, or no response at all.
The e-Retail Benchmark study used mystery shoppers to look at 39 UK e-commerce sites, rating different processes and sections of each site.
Click here to read the full article and find out the winners and sinners
11-Feb-09: Shop Direct: Job hopes for 1,000 from Outsourcer
New hope has emerged for 1,000 axed Crosby call centre workers today after business process firm Vertex announced plans to recruit almost 600 staff.
The Prescot company, approached former Littlewoods retailer Shop Direct to offer new roles to its Crosby staff.
Last week they were told their call centre would shut on April 30 with the loss of all their jobs.
Last month Shop Direct announced the closure of the site, which dates back 70 years. They blamed the move on an increase in online shopping.
Vertex today revealed plans to recruit 75 staff at its Knowsley call centre with a further 500 new posts expected between now and July.
Vertex employs 8,650 staff worldwide – 1,500 in Knowsley – providing services such as call centre and billing operations for private and public sector clients.
HR director Steve Joyce said today: “The majority of the anticipated 500 vacancies will be for a variety of call centre role, and we’re looking for applications from people who can deliver the excellent customer service our clients require.”
Vertex was one of the first of several Merseyside call centre operators to approach Shop Direct staff last month.
11-Feb-09: Sitel workers told: Move to save your job
Workers at a Derby call centre have been told that, if they want to keep their jobs, they must leave the City.
A total of 202 people employed at the Sitel centre, in Great Northern Road, face losing their jobs – unless they are prepared to move to the company's other sites.
Sitel has other offices at Watford, Dundee, Exeter, Kingston-upon-Thames and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Out of the 202 people set to lose their jobs in the city, 128 are directly employed by Sitel, with the remaining 74 employed through a recruitment agency.
Sitel's Derby centre has been handling a BT contract along with another Sitel office in Newcastle.
Joe Doyle, Sitel's marketing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the amount of work the contract provided had begun to tail off and the company felt that it could best be handled by just one office.
He said: "This was an extremely difficult decision but it was just
not cost-effective to keep Derby open. The amount of calls coming through to Derby had reduced, which meant we needed less and less staff there."
Sitel is moving the work done in Derby to Newcastle, where it currently has two offices.
Sitel's Newcastle East office will take on the work done at Derby but the company has said that the firm's Newcastle West office, which employs more than 300 people, will also shut.
The firm has now entered into a 90-day consultation period with staff at Derby, who will be offered positions elsewhere within the company at its other UK sites.
Mr Doyle said: "We are actively working with other Sitel facilities to redeploy as many of these staff as possible."
"We have also initiated discussions with several third parties, including recruitment agencies, to assist them in finding employment."
"We are currently recruiting at other UK sites and the Derby staff will be invited to take up those positions."
Sally Bridge, national official at the Communication Workers' Union, with responsibility for Sitel, said she was "devastated" at the news of the shutdown.
The CWU's deputy general secretary, Andy Kerr, said: "Sitel has advised us that due to the severe economic downturn and a contraction of core volumes on the BT account, it will be making closures and job losses. It comes as a great blow to the workers at these sites, who are a dedicated and hardworking group of staff."
10-Feb-09: Response agree five-year deal with Hiscox
Leading contact centre provider Response has signed a five year contract with specialist insurer, Hiscox UK.
Direct commercial insurance is new to the outsourcing world, and this contract sees Responce become one of the first outsourcers to work in this marketplace.
The deal will see Response deliver a variety of sales and customer service activities for their client. To do this effectively Response have worked closely with Hiscox to design a bespoke system using the award winning, in-house software RELATIS.
Brian Bannatyne, Managing Director for Response said: "We are really excited to be working with Hiscox on this ground-breaking business model which is new to the insurance industry as well as the outsourcing world. With only a couple of companies offering a variety of ways for customers to purchase commercial insurance this will make what we do, as the only outsourcer in this space, unique."
"All the staff who work on the project have gone through a special training programme which we created with Hiscox, and included a visit to the company's offices in Colchester."
"We look forward to providing Hiscox with a quality service and, by providing outstanding customer management solutions for all our clients, we remain at the forefront of the outsourcing industry."
Steve Langan, Managing Director for Hiscox UK said: "We are one of the first insurers to adopt Direct Commercial Insurance and, as an organisation, we are looking to develop stable partnerships with our suppliers and ensure our customers receive a quality service."
"We are confident that Response can offer us the high standard of customer service and technological expertise we need to take our customer contact solutions to the next level. We look forward to developing our partnership and working together over the coming years."
10-Feb-09: Strike threat at Thames Water
Call Centre workers at Thames Water in the GMB union may be balloted for strike action over job cuts and a threat to outsource call centre work to India.
The company, which is owned by the Australian banking group Macquarie, wants to cut 300 jobs.
It claims the recession means that people are not paying their water bills, prompting the cuts.
The GMB has 1,000 members at Thames Water working in three regions, including members at the firm’s call centre in Swindon.
The union claims that management are trying to force through “family unfriendly” changes to the call centre working hours and shift times.
06-Feb-09: DSGi: Capita Call centre layoffs will not affect service
Retail group Dixons has reassured customers that job cuts at its award winning Capita run call centre will not impact telephone service.
DSGi has been assured that customer service levels at its call centres will not be affected by the news that the firm which runs them on behalf of the retailer is to cut 42 jobs.
The move by Capita has been put down to the falling number of calls to the teams that handle calls on behalf of PC World and Currys.
However, a spokeperson for the retail group told local media "we don't anticipate customer service levels to be harmed by this announcement".
The cuts will affect two of Captia call centres. Its Sheffield office is expected to lose 26 operations team leaders, while a further ten have are earmarked at its centre in Nottingham. Six support staff have also been warned that their jobs are at risk.
04-Feb-09: Centre future is bright!
A great day for Cumbernauld and a great day for Scotland - that was how First Minister Alex Salmond described his official opening of the new Scottish and Southern Energy customer service centre on Friday.
As he unveiled an official plaque to mark the occasion, he sparked thunderous applause from 800 employees who once believed there was no future for them at the gigantic call centre perched on Hunt Hill.
As employees of Barclaycard, they had no expectation that they would still have a job after the financial giant announced last summer that they would all be made redundant.
A sense of doom and gloom prevailed as the credit crunch began to bite in earnest, sparking fears that the state-of-the-art plant could fall into disuse.
But the story was to have a happier ending after behind-the-scenes moves were afoot to find a new Scottish headquarters for Scottish and Southern Energy in its largest single expansion in customer service within its ten year history.
As a result, the company announced just weeks later that they were snapping up the plant AND its staff.
But the cause for celebration did not end there. For it emerged that the company will take on an additional 300 employees within the next year.
The handover from one company to another was completed ahead of schedule and the plant's 'green' credentials have also been given a boost as it is now 60 per cent more efficient than it was before.
After praising the workforce Mr Salmond stated that the company is showing the way when it comes to beating the economic downturn by expanding while other companies are struggling.
"Scottish and Southern Energy have stood firm on their commitment to utilise the expertise of the Barclaycard workforce and to retain their skills for their exciting new operation,'' said Mr Salmond.
"Their decision to take over the centre and to employ more staff reflects extremely well on the quality of the workforce and provides a very welcome boost for the Scottish economy in tough economic times,'' he added.
"This new centre perfectly highlights Scotland's flexibility to adapt to the challenges of the current economic climate.
"Today is a great day for employees and their families as they can all look now to the future with confidence that one of Scotland's greatest companies has cemented their commitment to their community,'' said the First Minister.
That view was shared by Cumbernauld and Kilsyth MSP Cathie Craigie who also attended the event.
"It is great that Scottish and Southern Energy have been able to utilise the premises and retain most of the staff,'' said Mrs Craigie.
"I know the company have a great workforce and I wish them all the best for the future."
Central Scotland List MSP Jamie Hepburn was also of this opinion.
"Many people in Cumbernauld were delighted when it was announced that the jobs at the call centre would be saved, and the decision is even more welcome now as recession begins to bite,'' said Mr Hepburn.
"Alex Salmond and the Scottish Government played a key role in saving the site last summer, so I am delighted that he is able to attend the official opening of the Scottish and Southern facility."
04-Feb-09: Wallace steps down from Response
David Wallace is leaving his job as chief executive of call centre group Response, the Glasgow company announced last week.
Wallace leaves as the company's financial year ends, and is succeeded by former Honeywell executive Brian Bannatyne, who joined as chief operating officer in late 2008.
Bannatyne said he looked forward to piloting the company, founded in 1991 during the last recession, "even in these extremely difficult market conditions".
Wallace was the head of Abbey's Scottish insurance empire who in 2004 famously predicted a big expansion for the business in Glasgow, but who left in July 2005 as under Santander ownership the operation shrank by a third.
He joined Response a year later, taking over as chief executive from John Boyle after a difficult year which saw the group's profits halved after losing a key contract.
Response has an annual turnover of around £50m and employs 2300 staff across five sites in the UK, supplying call centre services to blue-chip firms in various sectors.
Wallace said he had decided to "seek new challenges after three landmark years in which the firm had made significant progress, including acquisitive growth and launching a divisional start-up".
04-Feb-09: E.ON closes call centre
Power company E.ON has closed its call centre in Lanarkshire with the loss of 40 jobs.
The company said it intended to reduce its workforce in the UK by 450 people with most of the cuts in its retail division.
Staff at the Tannockside call centre met with management last week to be told the centre would close with immediate effect.
Dr Paul Golby, chief executive of E.ON UK, said: "These redundancies are to ensure that we have a sustainable retail business in the UK."
28-Jan-09: Shop Direct group cuts 1000 call centre jobs
One of the UK's biggest home shopping retailers has announced plans to axe 1,150 jobs in north-west England.
The Shop Direct group, formerly Littlewoods Home Shopping, said it planned to close its Crosby call centre, with the loss of 1,000 posts.
About 150 further redundancies will be made at the company's headquarters in Speke and Aintree in Liverpool, and sites in Preston and Manchester.
It said a growth in online sales had prompted a fall in telephone orders.
Shop Direct said the closure of its Crosby call centre, one of seven across the UK, was part of its transformation into an online-led business.
A 90-day consultation with staff affected by the decision is getting under way.
Despite the announcement, Shop Direct has described itself as a "strong and growing" business.
It reported healthy trading over Christmas with group sales up 9%, and online sales growing by 44%.
Shop Direct's online business accounts for 56% of its sales and this is predicted to rise to 70% by 2010/11.
The company's spokeswoman added that as well as Crosby and Speke, redundancies will be sought at Shop Direct's financial services division in Aintree, Liverpool, a call centre in Preston and at the warehousing division in Manchester.
Chief Executive Mark Newton Jones said: "We recognise that this will be a difficult time for those members of our team impacted by today's announcement."
"Our business is changing because the way our customers choose to shop with us is changing."
"We anticipate that 70 percent of our sales will be online by 2010/11 and, therefore, the future of our business is online-led. We are a strong and growing business. In order to maintain this growth, we need to continue to adapt and change to the needs of our customers."
Workers at the call centre were left "stunned" by the announcement on Wednesday, the Usdaw union said.
Spokesman David Johnson said: "Our members are understandably extremely shocked and distressed at this announcement which the company made just this morning."
"We will be starting a consultation process with the company tomorrow and will be examining in detail their business case to close the Crosby call centre."
"The company maintain that the decision is not due to the current economic climate but is necessary because of the steady decline of the traditional catalogue home shopping business as customers switch to the internet."
Shop Direct Group includes the former catalogue shopping giants of Littlewoods, Great Universal and Kays.
28-Jan-09: Redundancy fears at major outsourcer
200 jobs are under threat at a Greenock call centre run by TSC.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed that TSC had started a 90-day consultation period with staff over possible redundancies.
Two hundred people are employed at the firm’s Greenock operation.
The spokesperson: "A strategic change in the requirements of one of our clients raises the distinct possibility that our work for them will be concentrated in two of our UK sites rather than three, as it is at present."
"This type of consolidation is not unusual in the contact centre sector and TSC has considerable experience in re-adjusting our operation to situations like this with the minimum negative impact on staff."
"While we start the formal process of informing our Greenock staff of possible redundancies we are, at the same time, looking at a number of ways of keeping as many of them as possible in employment."
"We can absorb some staff in our other TSC operations and are currently negotiating to bring a new client into the Greenock site."
"Since its opening, Greenock has been an integral part of the TSC network and the company will do all it can to keep our staff members there in employment."
28-Jan-09: Bookies to close call centre
Betting firm Stan James is moving its call centre from Oxfordshire to Gibraltar to save money.
Seventy-four jobs will go with the closure at Grove Technology Park next month, although current staff are being offered the chance to transfer to the British overseas territory.
Stan James already has a call centre in Gibraltar and managing director Steve Fisher admitted the move was to cut costs.
Mr Fisher said: “All affected staff have been offered relocation on their existing terms to the Gibraltar office."
“Obviously not everyone is in a position to take up the offer.”
Forty-two staff have expressed an interest in moving to Gibraltar, although they have until February 11 to make a final decision.
The Grove centre, which will close on February 23, was opened in 2002.
Wantage Chamber of Commerce chairman Jim Hetherington said: “The chamber is very concerned with yet more job losses within the Wantage area. Large-scale losses such as this will have a serious effect in the town.”
28-Jan-09: Call centre staff angry as outsourcer reneges on pay deal
Call centre workers in Barrow say they are angry after an expected upgrading pay rise was cancelled.
Around 300 people work at the Lake House contact centre in Phoenix Road, Barrow, for Liberata.
The staff, many of whom earn around £12,500 a year, were expecting rises to follow a big pay review that could have given an additional £1,000 a year on top of normal pay increases to even up Barrow pay with other centres.
But last week Liberata told staff that it was not implementing the pay review awards, which would have been backdated to last June, because of harder times and uncertainty over contracts.
It means workers at the site will lose between £500 and £1,000 of extra performance pay recommended in a study they expected on top of the normal annual pay rise.
The company told a mass meeting of Lake House workers that they will instead get an annual cost of living increase of 2.4 per cent from February.
Some workers also said they were unhappy with the Unison trades union which worked on the pay review scheme with Liberate bosses.
Liberata has seen rapid growth but has had a bumpy time recently, including having a Government school pupil grants programme taken off it because of big delays.
Liberata's CEO, Richard Webster put out the following statement :
"As a company we place our employees at the heart of everything we do. Our priority in this unstable economic climate is to avoid any job cuts and to do our utmost to reward the commitment and work ethic that our teams have shown during the past year. In consultation with the recognised trade union, UNISON, we made a decision to award our employees a 2.45% pay increase. Liberata would like to acknowledge the support it has received from UNISON in facilitating an effective employee communication programme.”
28-Jan-09: BSkyB to create 80 call centre jobs
BSkyB is to create 140 new jobs in Scotland as part of a UK-wide expansion.
The company will recruit 80 new staff at its contact centre in Uddingston, Lanarkshire.
It will also employ 56 new field engineers across the country and four new HR staff in Dunfermline.
Sky is to create 1,000 jobs across the UK after it attracted more than 170,000 new customers and reported a rise in half-year profits.
The broadcaster reported a 6% increase in revenue to £2.6bn in the second half of 2008. Operating profits were 31% higher at £385m.
Sky said it had seen 171,000 new customers sign up between October and December last year.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky's chief executive, said: "Our customer contact centres in Scotland are a driving force behind our growth."
Local Labour MSP Michael McMahon welcomed the jobs announcement.
He said: "I am absolutely delighted BSkyB have chosen to expand their workforce at their Uddingston base. This is particularly good news given the difficult economic times. "
"I hope other businesses will look at the example of BskyB and will consider this area when looking to add or expand their business."
22-Jan-09: Worried savers make work for call centres
Call centre operator 2Touch is looking to add 250 jobs to its Sunderland workforce of more than 750 over the next three months as it expands to deal with a rise in calls to its clients in the financial services sector.
The said it had been busier since the onset of the economic downturn, with anxious banking customers calling to check on their finances as well as how they are affected by Government bail-outs.
The firm, which is owned by London parent Acxiom, employs 496 people to handle its inbound and outbound calls as well as 245 people to carry out its warehousing and fulfilment operations on Wearside, its only centre.
HR director Yvonne Charlton said: “The downturn has been kind to us in that a number of our financial services customers are concerned about their personal finances at the moment, which is understandable.
“This influx of calls, as well as our ability to change our strategy, has provided us with a growth spurt.”
21-Jan-09: Call Centre staff 'to bear the brunt' of Grattan losses
Home shopping giant Grattan is to axe at least 1,300 jobs, the bulk of which will come by closing its Bradford call centre.
Bosses at mail order company Freeman Grattan Holdings have confirmed that its Bradford call centre is likely to bear the brunt of cutbacks needed to get the German-owned business back into profit by the end of 2010.
At consultations with unions and staff representatives which started this week they have outlined proposals to close the firm's Bradford call centre which employs 800 staff.
Future customer contact operations would be focused in a more modern centre in Sheffield.
A company spokesman said nothing was set in stone.
He said: "The company is now outlining details of its plans which remain proposals at this time. We have entered into a full consultation period and nothing will be finalised for some time."
21-Jan-09: Mum's the word as Ventura scoops award
Call centre firm Ventura has won a national award for its support of working mums.
The Jobs 4 Mums Awards, jointly run by jobs4mothers.com and Take a Break magazine, were judged by, amongst others, Women's Minister Harriet Harman.
HR Director at Ventura, Christine Petyt, said; "We're delighted to be receiving the award. We are keen supporters of working mums and aim to offer the initiatives and flexibility to enable them to balance a working life and being a mum. Twenty-five percent of Ventura's employees work in part-time or job share roles so it's important we provide the necessary benefits and opportunities to meet their needs."
Ventura was recognised as Highly Commended because of its range of flexible working options that encourage mums to come to work, including sliding shifts to accommodate commitments, time off for dependants and a variety of part-time shifts.
It also fully supports and promotes 'Kidsunlimited Childcare Vouchers', which could save an average working mum £1195 in childcare costs and is currently piloting a term time working scheme, which allows employees to request time off over the school holiday period.
The award entry focused on the story of Joanna Eden, who, when joining Ventura as a customer service advisor eight years ago, felt there would be little opportunity for career progression as a part-time, working mum. Yet, through her performance and commitment, coupled with Ventura's flexibility and support, after only 18 months she successfully achieved promotion to team leader and has continued in this role at Ventura for six years.
19-Jan-09: NHS Direct call centre closure leaves 80 jobs at risk
More than 40 nurses working for NHS Direct could face redundancy under plans to close the organisation's call centre in Southall, west London.
The call centre employs 99 staff, of which 42 are nurse advisors and 39 are health advisors, with the remainder being administrative and management staff.
Unions met today with senior management and a consultation document is to be distributed.
NHS Direct has promised to minimise redundancies and will guarantee similar posts are made available at an alternative site in England.
The nearest call centres are in Beckenham, South London and Ilford in Essex.
Ealing PCT, which owns the building the call centre operates from, has decided it required the office space occupied by NHS Direct.
NHS Direct interim chief executive Paula Higson said: "Ealing PCT's decision means that we have no option but to move out of Southall but the decision not to open a new contact centre makes sense given the number of call centres and seats we already have available."
18-Jan-09: Customer service standards are rising
Customer service is improving across the UK, according to the latest customer satisfaction index (UKCSI) produced by the Institute of Customer Service.
The online poll asks consumers to rate businesses and organisations on key areas of their service performance such as complaint handling, professionalism, quality, efficiency, friendliness of staff and being easy to do business with.
In the current financial climate customers are looking for better value-for-money products and services – and more organisations appear to be rising to this challenge.
UKCSI is the national measure of customer satisfaction and in the latest survey more than 24,000 people rated how well or badly organisations performed in 12 key public and private sectors.
Overall satisfaction levels rose to a UKCSI score of 72 (out of 100), up from 71 when the previous index published in July 2008.
The survey reveals 72% of consumers expect organisations to further improve their levels of service in the coming months. ICS says an average satisfaction level of 80 must be achieved before the UK can genuinely claim to provide world-class service.
John Lewis, the Ambulance Service and Lloyds Pharmacy top the latest service polls whereas the utilities, telecommunications and local government sectors still show ample room for improvement.
“With satisfied customers much more likely to return and remain loyal, good customer service is vital to survive the recession," says ICS executive director Robert Crawford.
“Offering excellent customer service is the only differentiator left today. Consumers are increasingly looking for better value-for-money, so providing great service is the best way to ensure they choose a business ahead of its competitors.”
18-Jan-09: 140 more jobs for Egg centre
Internet bank Egg has announced it is set to shut two of its call centre's and transfer 140 staff to its main Derby operation.
Citi, which employs about 1,500 people at its Egg call centre on Pride Park, has said it is planning to shut its offices in Dudley, West Midlands, and Manchester.
Citi first announced its intention to close the Manchester office in November, 2007. At the same time, it reduced the number of staff at Dudley.
But now dates have been put forward for the closure of both offices. Manchester will close at the end of March and Dudley will shut in June.
The Manchester office is home to Egg's cards and risk staff. The Dudley office deals with financial crime.
Bert Pijls, country business manager for Citi UK Consumer, said: "These proposals were announced to colleagues working in these areas earlier today. We will now commence a consultation process with these groups to allow us to share our proposals in more detail, as well as giving the opportunity for them to raise questions or offer counter-proposals."
"During the consultation process, we will also share with affected colleagues the relocation, transportation and flexible working opportunities available."
"We value these staff and hope that we can assist them to work from our Derby site if they wish."
The plan to close Manchester and Dudley follows an announcement in May that Citi was closing its Egg office in Doxford, Sunderland, which handled mortgages.
The closure should be completed this summer, by which time around 60 of its staff will have transferred to Derby.
Mr Pijls said that the decision to close the offices would benefit customers.
He said: "This proposal to centralise more of our work into the existing facilities in Derby will increase efficiency, productivity and ultimately enable us to improve the service we offer to our customers."
18-Jan-09: Barclays staff face the axe
Leeds will be hit hard by proposed Barclays job cuts with unions claiming up to 100 call centre staff face the axe.
The jobs will be cut from the bank's East Parade call centre which deals with mortgages.
This will be the most jobs lost at one site as a further 400 mortgage staff spread across the UK are also under threat.
Unite Deputy general secretary, Graham Goddard, said: "These latest 500 job cuts are spread across the UK but Leeds will be hit hardest with around 100 jobs being lost at this one site."
"Other call centres being hit are in London, Cardiff, Coventry and Cheshire. We believe there will be further announcements which will affect the UK workforce. Unite is working hard with Barclays to avoid any compulsory redundancies."
Barclays say the figure is actually 80 and that there will be opportunities for staff to be redeployed.
Unite National Officer Keith Brookes visited the Leeds site to speak with staff.
He said: "Everyone wants to be redeployed and everyone is frightened of the spectre of unemployment. It's a terrible time and we are working with the bank to find redeployment and mitigate unemployment."
Up to 4,200 job cuts are expected overall from Barclays nationally, say Unite.
"There's still staff waiting to see where the cuts are going to be and they don't know. I cannot guarantee there won't be further cuts in Leeds but I am not aware of any."
A spokeswoman for Barclays said: "We have spoken to staff in the mortgage department today. We need to change the way we operate our business. It's around 80 roles (in Leeds) but there could be redeployment."
18-Jan-09: 80 jobs axed from Tesco call centre
Supermarket giant Tesco has confirmed that around 80 temporary staff are being axed from its customer service centre in Dundee.
A spokesman for the company said there were "peaks and troughs" in staffing numbers, with January a quieter time after the hectic festive period.
A company spokesman said temporary staff provide the customer service centre in Dundee with "a flexible source of labour at peak times of the year".
"Tesco continues to create thousands of jobs across the group every year — in our stores, distribution network and in support offices," he said.
"Indeed, we have recently created hundreds of new jobs in Dundee so we can further improve the service we provide our customers."
Tesco announced in May last year that it was creating 300 posts at the customer service centre to help deal with rising call volume.
The expansion was made possible by a £1.25 million Regional Selective Assistance Grant from the Scottish Government.
10-Jan-09: Generous staff raise thousands for charity
Big hearted staff at a call centre have helped a cancer charity get the New Year off to a great start after raising more than £100,000 for the cause.
Employees at Npower, in Peterlee, have raised a staggering £108,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The money – the company's biggest donation to date – was raised after workers took part in a number of events for the Macmillan-backed World's Biggest Coffee Morning in September.
Staff raised £54,000 through fairs, fetes and cake-baking along with tea-trolley dashes, fancy dress and games galore.
The sum was then matched by their company.
Emily Leggett, Macmillan Cancer Support's account manager, said: "This is a fantastic achievement.
"Thank you to everyone at npower for this absolutely staggering contribution. I cannot express how much of a difference this will make to the lives of the people we help.
"To give you an idea, £105,333 would fund one of Macmillan's new rehabilitation support teams for a whole year.
"They are based in the community and provide a range of rehabilitation support, such as physiotherapy and advice on diet, to people living with cancer."
Npower team leader Chris Waugh said: "Npower has supported the coffee morning for some time now and every year there is more and more enthusiasm for the fundraising."
10-Jan-09: Call Centre staff "could be bussed to Belfast"
Plans were at an advanced stage last Friday to bus hundreds of call centre workers to Belfast in a bid to avoid a planned anti-war protest close to their Derry base.
Local firm HML was proposing to invoke its "special emergency plan" due to a planned "blockade" of the nearby offices of weapons giant, Raytheon.
Local media reported that, should the situation dictate, 'vital workers' will be transferred to 'emergency stand-by centres' in Belfast. Given the financial nature of their work, service provision at HML has to be continuous.
However, with HML taking advice on the matter from the PSNI, that decision may be reversed at the last minute.
It is understood the decision to put the plan into action was taken after HML management learned blockade organisers were bussing people to Derry from as far away as Dublin.
HML is located adjacent to the Raytheon building at the Science and Technology Park at Branch Road.
All staff were informed of the proposed special arrangements via e-mail on Thursday afternoon.
HML manager, Billy Hutchinson, told the Derry Journal: "We can confirm that, as a result of information received from the local police, we have taken the decision to close our Derry office on Friday."
"HML staff and clients have been informed of the situation. We have business continuity arrangements which have been activated in order to minimise the impact on our operations."
10-Jan-09: 300 jobs to be created by leading outsourcer
Three hundred new jobs are to be created through expansion at a call centre in Leeds.
Two hundred of the jobs will be filled by the end of March and the remainder by September.
Ventura, an outsourcing company which works for household name firms including Sky, British Gas, Volkswagen and 02, and several Government organisations, opened a new call centre at Leeds Valley Park business estate at Stourton.
It is now expanding the work of the centre after winning a new contract.
Sales and marketing director Phil Telfer said: "It's a great start to 2009 for Ventura. We're delighted to be winning new business and creating new jobs."
"Ventura has always been a leading company in the customer management outsourcing market and we intend to strengthen our position throughout 2009."
He said the company was "in a strong position as firms increasingly look to operate with greater efficiency and agility in the current economic downturn."
Ventura already employs 400 people on the site, and a total of 2,200 in Leeds. Nationwide it employs 8,000 people.
Other clients include the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Government's Department of Work and Pensions.
Its services include customer management, debt management, document management, IT services management, business services and distribution.
10-Jan-09: CCMA look for this years stars
The Call Centre Management Association are beginning their search for the Call Centre Manager, Team Manager and Learning Champion of the Year 2009.
The CCMA Call Centre Manager of the Year Awards, now in their fourteenth year, aim to endorse best practice, reward innovation and promote excellence within the contact and call centre industry.
These prestigious awards recognise outstanding performance by managers and supervisors of contact centres, helpdesks and customer service organisations throughout the UK.
How do I enter for the Awards?
Nominations for the CCMA Awards must be received by no later than the 31st March 2009. There are four categories of awards:
Call Centre Manager of the Year
Emergency Control Room Manager of the Year
Team Manager of the Year
Learning Champion of the Year
Entering couldn't be easier simply visit the CCMA website
Fill in the nomination form and include a brief description of why you think you should win your category. Then e-mail it through to the CCMA and wait to be short listed!
07-Jan-09: At least 400 jobs go at sub prime call centre
Cattles, the sub-prime and doorstep lender, has unveiled plans to slash 1,000 jobs, and dramatically scale back lending as it grapples with a funding crisis.
In a drive to save £40 million in annual costs, Cattles said it was closing down a call centre in Hull with the loss of 400 jobs while a further 600 staff would go across the rest of the business, with some of these likely to be at another call centre in Nottingham.
Cattles, which is struggling in the face of continued delays in its attempt to secure a banking licence, also said it was cutting its lending by 75 per cent on 2008 levels.
Shares in the company fell 5.92 per cent to 27.75p.
A statement from Cattles said the staff cuts and reduction in lending would help ensure that the group is able to “reduce cost and conserve cash”.
"Today's actions are part of a series of measures we have taken over recent months to strengthen the business in this uncertain environment,” said David Postings, chief executive at Cattles.
“We have not taken these decisions lightly and we firmly believe that by cutting costs and preserving capital in the business we can continue to trade profitably, weather the current economic conditions, and continue to serve over 850,000 customers in this important part of the market".
07-Jan-09: Jobs go as Garlands closes a call centre
Garlands is laying off up to 90 workers and closing a site after changes in one of its clients' contracts.
Jobs will go and one call centre in the Garlands network will close after client Vodafone restructured the way it handles its account and service management duties.
Garlands has three centres at Hartlepool Marina, employing about 1,000 people, as well as bases in Middlesbrough, Stockton and South Shields.
One of the contracts it was working on was for Vodafone's account and service management section.
Vodafone has restructured that section with the work being moved to other parts of the Vodafone contact centre estate.
But the change means the Garlands centre in Preston Farm, Stockton, will be shut in March.
It employs around 170 staff with some likely to be made redundant.
But there is expected to be a knock-on effect in Hartlepool though it has not been revealed how many staff will be affected.
Between 80 and 90 redundancies are on the way – all at management and service level – and the work from the Preston Farm branch will be shifted to other sites. Bosses say no more redundancies are planned after this round.
Chief executive Chey Garland said: "Garlands will be starting a consultation process with employees affected by the change in the next few days.
"While we are confident that the majority of affected Garlands' people can be re-deployed within the company on other client accounts, it will be necessary to discuss proposals to make a limited number of redundancies."
Vodafone has had a link with Garlands for more than 10 years, said Ms Garland.
She added: "I strongly believe it to be one of the longest and most successful outsourced partnerships in the UK contact centre industry."
Account and service management was carried out by Garlands workers at Preston Farm and Hartlepool.
Ms Garland added: "We have been informed that the move is no reflection on the quality of work delivered by Garlands' dedicated teams, which continues to be received favourably."
Garlands has received assurances from Vodafone that its work in others areas such as credit and risk, telesales, and Pay As You Talk will be unaffected by the change.
Ms Garland said: "Vodafone is a first class company and we remain committed to serving it to the very best of our ability, delivering both cost-efficient and highly effective customer contact services.
"Garlands is a major employer within the North East and we remain committed to creating meaningful and rewarding career opportunities for our people."
06-Jan-09: Innovation Awards 2009 shortlist show contact centres are beating the credit crunch
Fifteen diverse organisations reached the closely-fought shortlist for the Contact Centre Innovation Awards 2009.
Presented by the Professional Planning Forum, the winners are announced at Contact Centre Planning 2009 in April 27-28 in London.
“It’s inspiring to see how tough economic conditions can encourage great change in truly innovative organisations”, explains Paul Smedley, Executive Director of the Professional Planning Forum. “It was especially impressive to see such a greater depth to the project entries in the current circumstances. Many demonstrate well-integrated strategies which bring together target-setting, resource planning, performance management, training, recruitment and process improvement to create a major and positive benefit to the organization and its employees and customers.”
The full list of finalists is:
Aegon
British Gas Services
Coventry Building Society
DWP Job Centre Plus
London Borough of Haringey
Holiday Extras
Kwik Fit
Late rooms
Norwich Union Healthcare
QVC
Stockton Council
Thames Valley Police
Three Valleys Water
TSC
Vodafone.
The 2009 awards saw record numbers of entries of a particularly high quality - and the judges commented on the tight competition in the shortlisting process. Entries covered a wider range of sectors and initiatives than ever before and included a huge number of projects that have matured and demonstrated great results to the benefit of employees, customers and performance.
The judging panel combines Planning Forum specialists with independent external judges who bring a wide range of industry experience from the contact centre world.
The judges visit all finalists in February or March for a more in-depth evaluation, and each finalist is asked to talk about their work at Contact Centre Planning 2009 on 27- 28 April where the awards are presented.
Further information can be found here
05-Jan-09: BT awarded Wooden Spoon for worst customer service
The Daily Mail has awarded BT a wooden spoon for having the worst customer service in the country.
Over 3,200 readers of the Mail’s Money supplement nominated award winners for the 2008 Money Mail Wooden Spoon, with BT receiving the most votes.
Reasons for BT’s nomination ranged from having to deal with overseas call centre staff, to being penalised for paying bills using cash or cheque rather than direct debit.
BT chief executive Ian Livingston refused to meet with the Mail to receive the award, and declined to comment.
John Petter, manager of BT’s consumer division, said BT was ’surprised and disappointed’ to win the award, adding that its customer service is the best it has been for years.
BT received 27% of the nominations, making it a clear winner. Virgin Media came in third, with 11% of Money Mail readers’ votes.
The full list of winners ( or losers!) is
BT - 27%
Abbey - 20%
Virgin Media - 11%
Nationwide - 11%
British Gas - 9%
RBS / NatWest - 6%
Thompson - 5%
Sky - 4%
05-Jan-09: £10k for head massages for call centre workers
Police chiefs have been rapped for their decision to spend thousands of pounds of tax payers money on Indian head massages for call centre workers.
Sussex Police have invited tenders for a contract of up to £10,000 to provide head rubs for its stressedout call centre staff.
The contract was put out to tender on Monday and masseurs and masseuses have until January 9 to bid for the lucrative deal.
The provision of onsite Indian head massage services to specific departments within Sussex Police would see the therapists based at call handling centres in Lewes, Brighton and Haywards Heath.
Last night, the authority was slammed for planning to spend thousands of pounds on alternative healing remedies while the force is 250 officers short.
Nick Herbert, the Shadow Justice Minister and Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs, said: "This beggars belief. I cannot believe that public money is being spent on offering Indian head massages to police or police staff.
"At a time when the authority is telling us how strapped for cash they are, you have to question whether this is a responsible use of public money." Sussex Police is currently 250 officers lower than the average county force.
Chief Constable Martin Richards defended the decision.
He said: "This is nothing new in organisations where staffare employed in call handling work."
"We recognise that our hardworking staff can be sitting in set positions at their desks for long periods, taking calls and dealing with a variety of challenging issues."
"This service is a way of relieving the pressure."
19-Dec-08: Hundreds of jobs go as T-Mobile cuts off Sitel
Hundreds of workers at a Tyneside call centre are at risk of losing their jobs.
More than 250 workers have been put on notice of redundancy at the Sitel call centre in Longbenton, which handles contracts for phone giants T-Mobile.
T-Mobile has cut its involvement with the centre, which also suffered heavy job losses last summer.
Bosses had hoped to wait until after the Christmas season to break the bad news to staff, but in a meeting yesterday a 90-day consultation period was announced.
It is the second time in less than two years jobs have been thrown into turmoil at the office, which slashed the same number of jobs last summer.
In June 2007 more than 170 positions were slashed when the centre handled calls for the National Rail Inquiries hotline.
The Association of Train Operating Companies moved its National Rail Inquiries operations to Ventura, making Sitel staff redundant.
A spokesman for Sitel said: “T-Mobile has undertaken a strategic review of its outsourcing partners in the UK. As a result of this, the support Sitel provides for this campaign will be moving outside of our site at Newcastle East.
“The proposed date for this transition will be March 23 and 257 employees placed at risk of redundancy have now entered a 90-day consultation process.
“We are doing all we can to make alternative roles available to these employees.’’
17-Dec-08: 02 sack staff in short calls clampdown
O2 sacked around 22 people from one call centre last week, as part of its tougher stance on call centre staff that purposely avoid customer calls.
The sackings are mainly due to staff deliberately cutting off angry customers, or making themselves unavailable to receive calls.
O2 said problem employee practices had been ‘detected’ as the operator started a new programme to improve customer experience.
Avoiding calls is prevalent in all call centres, but the 22 job losses are all understood to have taken place in O2’s biggest centre – the business team.
One O2 call centre staffer in the team told local media: ‘Some people would just ring another department for the sake of avoiding a call, or would call a manufacturer’s customer service number and just wait. The most popular was RIM because you could be waiting for ages.’
Some of the dismissed employees are understood to have contacted the Communications Workers Union (CWU), claiming the move was down to
the operator seeking to reduce its headcount without going through the redundancy process – something O2 vehemently denies.
A similar stance is understood to be taking place across O2’s prepay, consumer postpay and broadband call centres.
O2 Customer Services Director Cheryl Black and UK CEO Ronan Dunne established customer experience as a major priority for the business in 2009.
A spokesman said: ‘We are committed to delivering a great experience for our customers. Anyone who deliberately mishandles a customer inquiry impacts the service we provide. That is bad news for the customer and clearly not something we tolerate.’
17-Dec-08: Suspicious package keeps call centre workers quarantined
Staff at the Virgin Media call centre in Swansea were quarantined for five hours yesterday after postroom workers found a white powder in a package.
The substance covered two of the postal room workers when it was released at around 10am.
Morriston Hospital was put on standby to treat anyone who inhaled the powder.
But the powder was eventually found to be harmless by officers from Mid and West Wales Fire Service.
Inspector Nigel Whitehouse, of South Wales Police, said officers were now trying to find out who sent the package.
He said: "It has been confirmed a suspect package containing white powder was delivered to Virgin Media in Swansea Enterprise Zone. Due to the nature of the initial call, a multi-agency approach was adopted which involved the police, fire and ambulance services.
A small amount of powder was recovered, which was tested at the scene and found not to be harmful. No persons were injured or taken to hospital. Police are continuing to investigate the matter."
One worker, who contacted local media, said: "There was panic. We were told we weren't allowed to leave the building. It was very scary."
He said the first communication he received after being told to stay in the building was by email at 1.15pm.
"It just said the police were on site and there was nothing to worry about. Until then I'd heard nothing, apart from Chinese whispers going around the call centre. It was all quite scary, especially because the same thing happened at the DVLA a year ago."
The DVLA in Morriston was hit twice in the space of a few days in February 2007, first with a letter-bomb, which injured four people, and then by a package containing white powder, which was eventually found to be harmless
16-Dec-08: Jobs go as call centre closes
A Norwich based call centre has been shut down resulting in 25 redundancies just before Christmas.
Staff at Freedom Finance face a tough holiday period after the decision was taken by the company to close the office down.
The call centre, which dealt with mortgage and loan applications and services, was closed at the end of the last week.
Freedom Finance is an international company with branches in Spain, Sweden and Ireland. Norwich was its only UK call-centre outside of its head office in Cheshire. A spokeswoman said confirmed the Norwich office had closed, with 25 redundancies.
She said: “At the moment we're entering a recession in the mortgage market and it is quite difficult across the whole financial sector. We wanted to restructure our operations so that they were based in our head office.
“The office closed last Friday and obviously the staff had been in consultation - it was agreed with the staff that they wanted to finish last week.
“As a business we were affected by the credit crunch in the same way that every bank and lender in the mortgage industry has been affected, and we wanted to take steps to cut costs. Of course any redundancies are regrettable.”
08-Dec-08: Call centre is creating 300 jobs
Up to 300 extra jobs are to be created at the Newcastle base of a call centre giant.
Convergys said it wanted to fill the posts by the end of year after winning a multi-million pound contract with a telecoms firm.
The US firm, which employs 75,000 people worldwide, is looking for customer services, technical support and sales staff for a telecoms company.
A spokesman said they were not yet releasing the name of their client.
Riki Allon, senior vice president, said: "Our client has entrusted Convergys to provide that service with this significant contract, and the associated responsibility to deliver high quality, multi-process customer contact.
"I am especially delighted that this win enables Convergys to create as many as 300 additional jobs in Newcastle."
07-Dec-08: Homeserve to shed 60 call centre jobs
Up to 60 jobs will be lost in a wave of cuts at a Preston call centre. Insurance firm Homeserve is merging sections of its business to cut down on "duplicate" roles at its Fulwood Park base as part of a £5m reorganisation scheme.
But employees have hit out at the timing of the announcement before the Christmas period. Many of the 900 staff face having to reapply for their positions.
A spokesman for Homeserve said: "The reason for this is to improve customer services essentially for our end users and business partners and, as part of that, we have to look at how our structure fits in with that.
"Out of 5,500 employees, it's a relatively small number, looking across the business. I don't think there's any good time for job losses – certainly nobody will be impacted in terms of redundancies before Christmas. It will happen in the new year. Some of the decisions will be made before Christmas. When you look at some other businesses, they are making cuts left, right and centre. We are committed to the site in Preston."
07-Dec-08: Call centre evacuated in bomb scare
A Call centre and surrounding buildings in Wath-upon-Dearne were evacuated in a bomb scare last week.
Police were called to the E.ON car park off Golden Smithies Lane shortly after 9am following the discovery of "a small, potentially-suspicious package".
Officers called in the Army bomb disposal unit which examined the package and carried out a controlled explosion as a precaution.
A security cordon was put in place around the call centre and neighbouring CallFlex business park after employees were evacuated.
The remains have been taken away for examination but police said this afternoon the were no longer treating the package as suspicious.
07-Dec-08: 300 jobs to go at 118 118 call centre
Up to 300 Cardiff call centre jobs are to go with the 118 118 directory inquiries service.
However, each worker will be given the opportunity to retrain and work within other call centres in Cardiff and Swansea run by The Number UK Limited.
The company runs a customer care business through its subsidiary Conduit in the two Welsh cities.
Workers who choose to take up the offer will be offered a four-week trial at their new potential place of work.
The Number UK Ltd said it hoped the new posts would be created next year and is carrying out a 90-day consultation period on its retraining proposals.
The vacancies will be created at its offices in Swansea and two Cardiff call centres, including the company's UK headquarters at Cardiff Gate Business Park.
The company, which is a subsidiary of independent directory assistance supplier kgb, said it had no intention of making any compulsory redundancies.
However, it said it will be offering it to people who do not want to take any of the options offered to them.
In a statement, the company said the plans will ensure the growth of its business across south Wales.
It added: "It is expected 118 118 calls will be migrated to the company's other existing call centres. The company is therefore commencing a 90-day consultation with employees about the proposals, with many expected to take up the company's offer of retraining and redeployment in the new customer care vacancies that are being created in Cardiff and Swansea."
25-Nov-08: Co-operative Travel call centre to cease operations
Apollo Travel Direct, a member of Co-operative Travel Group, is to cease operating its Call Centre in Rotherham from April 3.
The agent’s director of distribution Alistair Rowland said: "It is with the deepest regret that after a long period of careful consideration we have taken the decision to close the call centre in Rotherham.
"Fulfilment of third party business - the mainstay of Apollo’s operations - is no longer sustainable for agents, and the situation is unlikely to improve going forward. As such, the business model of Apollo Travel Direct has become untenable.
"It is with great reluctance that we have taken the decision to cease operations, which will result in a number of redundancies."
Apollo Travel Direct employs 150 staff at offices on Rawmarsh Road.
All staff have entered in to a consultation period, and it is hoped that alternative positions can be found for a number of staff in other areas of the travel business.
25-Nov-08: Jobs boost at call centre group
A company is creating 60 jobs after bucking the economic crisis.
The BGL group, which owns and runs the Fusion call centres in Peterlee and Sunderland needs 60 extra staff between the two sites in the next few months.
News of the planned investment was revealed by Fusion managing director David Thompson.
He said Fusion was fortunate as it worked as an insurance broker for big blue-chip companies, and insurance was something always needed, and was an expanding market.
He added: "We are like everyone else. We are in a tough market. Fortunately for us, we are doing as well as anyone. We are growing. It is not dramatic growth but we are recruiting in the North East."
Fusion has four call centre sites in the UK which are Peterlee, Peterborough, Coventry, and Sunderland, plus one site in Cape Town, South Africa.
It employs more than 1,700 staff, with 160 people based on the Bracken Hill Business Park in Peterlee.
Mr Thompson added: "Over the next few months, we are recruiting 100 people for our four sites. Sixty will be centred in the North-East."
He said the split of jobs between the Peterlee and Sunderland bases had not yet been determined.
But Fusion has "a big building in Peterlee and we would like to grow that," added Mr Thompson.
Last month the BGL group reported a trading profit for the 2007-8 financial year of £43million.
25-Nov-08: 30 new jobs on the way at insurance call centre
An insurance call centre is creating 30 permanent new jobs.
Swinton, at Halifax, will expand its 120-strong workforce by 25 per cent to handle an increase in queries.
And bosses say they will make the appointments – a mixture of part and full-time roles – by Christmas for a New Year start.
Sonya Brindley, call centre manager, said: "We are delighted to be recruiting again at Hebble Brook. Swinton is going from strength to strength and this latest recruitment drive is fantastic news for the Halifax area.
"At a time when many companies are announcing redundancies, this will provide an important boost to the job market."
24-Nov-08: Sharp rise in silent call gripes
Complaints from UK householders about silent calls from call centres have more than tripled, says Ofcom.
Typically, these occur when call centres with automated systems dial more numbers than staff can deal with.
Complaints from consumers, left frustrated as they had no idea who the call was from, hit 1050 in September from 300 complaints 12 months earlier.
Regulator Ofcom is publishing advice to consumers about how to complain about silent or abandoned calls.
It has taken action against various companies following repeated cases of silent calls.
In September, it handed down the maximum possible fine of £50,000 to Barclaycard for what it described as the "most serious and persistent" case of silent calls ever seen by the regulator.
Information is also being published for consumers about how to complain about problems with telephone service providers, such as mis-selling.
This includes the process called "slamming", when a customer has their service provider changed without their knowledge.
This was increasingly a problem in the fixed-line market, Ofcom said in a report.
"Action against the scourges of slamming and silent calls remain priorities for Ofcom over the coming year," said chief executive Ed Richards.
The report added that complaints about mobile phone cashback deals - when customers bought a handset up front and then were refunded the cash over the course of the contract - had dropped from 600 a month in September 2007 to 70 a month in June 2008.
In the worst cases, restrictive terms and conditions - which were often difficult to understand - meant some failed to receive their promised cash. Other retailers went bust, leaving customers without their money.
21-Nov-08: Staff fury at party axe
90 call centre staff from Birmingham Midshires have had their Christmas party cancelled at the last minute by bosses who believe that the celebration may be “misconstrued” in the midst of the global financial crisis.
The £10-a-head disco and buffet was all set to be enjoyed by workers from the Wolverhampton-based bank tonight at Molineux.
But managers cancelled it suddenly yesterday, explaining that they believed it would give the wrong impression to cash-strapped customers.
Angry staff members, who are on an average salary of £14,500, contacted local media to say that it was never going to be a “swanky reception for executives” but a simple get-together between colleagues.
One worker, who has been in the call centre for six years, said: “We were called into a meeting yesterday and were told it would look like a waste of money in the current climate.
“They were worried it would be misconstrued in the press.
“But the thing is, we’re not high-paid managers – we’re just regular workers who are feeling the pinch as much as anyone and were looking forward to the traditional Christmas do.
“I know there was uproar about the Royal Bank of Scotland party but this is hardly in the same league.
“We’d all shelled out £10 and loads of us had bought new clothes. Everyone is so disappointed, especially as we’re unsure about the future of our jobs as well.”
Birmingham Midshires said today that no-one would be left out of pocket as a result of the decision.
Emma Partridge, a spokeswoman for Birmingham Midshires, said: “For a number of reasons, an event planned is no longer taking place.
“We really appreciate the hard work of our colleagues and the outstanding service that they provide to our customers,” she added.
21-Nov-08: Job fears as outsourcer loses contract
There are fears jobs could be lost at a North West call centre after the company that runs it was stripped of a major contract.
Liberata, which employs more than 300 people at the call centre in Barrow, will lose £60m of revenue following the decision by the Learning and Skills Council to cancel its contract to run the Educational Maintenance Allowances system.
The EMA is a payment for teenagers from poorer backgrounds to help them to stay in education after the age of 16. Grants to more than 150,000 students have been delayed because of problems with Liberata’s system.
The call centre company, which has centres around the country, recently celebrated 10 years of work in Barrow.
Most of its Barrow staff at Lake House and at the town hall are employed on contracts for local authorities around Britain sending out council tax bills and housing benefit payments.
The chairman of the Learning and Skills Council, Chris Banks, apologised for the “delay and confusion” surrounding the Educational Maintenance Allowances, which he said was due to computer glitches with Liberata’s telephone helpline.
Mr Banks said the LSC had been working “incredibly hard” to solve the problem. Capita, which had the contract until last year, will take over from November 28.
Speaking at the Association of Colleges conference in Birmingham, Mr Banks said: “I apologise to you and your students for the delay and confusion and the concern that it has caused.”
“Learners have suffered weeks of delay in receiving payments as a result of Liberata encountering technical difficulties in processing EMA applications.”
Schools Minister Jim Knight said he “fully backed” the LSC’s decision. He said that Liberata will lose more than £60 million in future revenue over the remaining term of the contract, since the contract has now been severed.
A Liberata spokeswoman said staff working on the EMA contract would transfer to Capita under Tupe (transfer of undertakings) arrangements but there is no Capita call centre in Barrow.
20-Nov-08: Firstsource jobs boost for city
Indian owned telecommunications company Firstsource is to recruit 160 new employees at its Derry call centre.
Firstsource already employs around 600 people in the city. It's hoped the new positions will be recruited by the end of January.
The company employs around 9000 people in India, Britain and Northern Ireland, the US and Argentina, outsourcing services for banking, retail and media clients.
Sean Harnett, general manager of the Derry operation, said the additional vacancies will be advertised this week.
"We need customer service and the ability to talk and obviously people in Derry can do that," he said.
Foyle MP Mark Durkan said the announcement was "a much-needed boost" for the local economy.
The SDLP leader said the new jobs reaffirmed the company's confidence in the city.
"The decision by First Source to expand their Derry operation both reflects and demonstrates the widespread skills and expertise available in the Northwest for new and innovative companies. It shows the strength of the local outsourcing market."
20-Nov-08: 1500 jobs in Welsh call centre industry
South Wales' contact centre industry bucked the economic downturn as hundreds of jobseekers buzzed around Cardiff's St David's Hall at the BuzzWales recruitment roadshow where 1500 jobs were available.
Employers including Admiral, Conduit, T-Mobile, British Gas and Lloyds TSB spoke to people from across the region about vacancies in a range of positions which will be available over the next six months, due to continued growth in the sector.
Keen candidates were interviewed 'on the spot' and some could be in full-time work as early as next week. Information on what it is like to work in a contact centre, potential earnings, hours of work, skills needed and career prospects were explained to interested individuals.
Jobcentre Plus and Welsh Assembly Government initiative Want2Work were also on hand to offer advice on the impact on benefits, tax credits, transport, child-care and disability allowance from working in a contact centre.
Sandra Busby, Managing Director of the Welsh Contact Centre Forum said, "The news is full of job loss stories but this year the contact centre industry has created hundreds of jobs across Cardiff and the rest of Wales.
"Despite the downturn, many sectors of the industry are vibrant and recruiting at all levels. The industry currently employs 28,000 people and pumps an important £400m into the Welsh economy each year.
"Hundreds of people who came along today were able to find out how rewarding a career in a contact centre can be and we hope to have them in new roles in time to get a bit of money for Christmas."
Jobseeker Angela Evans, 27, of Cathedral Road, Cardiff said, "I'm currently unemployed and keen to start work straight away. Today has really opened my eyes to the opportunities available in the contact centre industry. I hope to be starting a new career as soon as possible."
Rachel Edwards, Recruitment Manager, Admiral said, "While it may be bad news elsewhere, we're growing at Admiral in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. We recruited around 800 people this year and plan to do the same in 2009."
Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council Neil McEvoy, who opened the event, said, "We are trying to be as proactive as we can in these difficult economic times. I am glad to have been able to support this event. Cardiff is a great city and we are open for business."
Geraint Lewis, District Manager for Jobcentre Plus SE Wales said, "It is really pleasing to see that despite what is happening in the economy, some employers such as those in the contact centre industry have a continuing need for additional staff."
The event was organized by the Welsh Contact Centre Forum, in conjunction with Cardiff County Council and JobCentre Plus.
20-Nov-08: Swinton to expand Norwich call centre
An insurance retailer is defying the economic slump to expand its Norwich call centre workforce for the third time in a year.
Swinton, the UK's largest insurance high street retailer, is looking to take on 60 staff before Christmas to start work in January - adding to the 200 already employed in the office.
The call centre supports Swinton's online and offline businesses, both through the company's network of 470 branches across the UK and its online brands, its4me, Diva and Bullseye Insurance.
Swinton is searching for local talent to join its existing team.
Full and part-time positions are available with lots of evening shifts on offer to students or those trying to supplement their daytime jobs.
Kelly Ogley, Swinton's director of call centres, said "Swinton has been experiencing tremendous growth over the past year and this third recruitment drive is testament to that.
"The Norwich call centre is a great place to work, with lots of staff incentives and team competitions.
"We recently sent 10 of our top performers to Barcelona and we will be having more incentives like this in the new year."
20-Nov-08: Call centre firm scoops top award
A call centre company from Scotland has been named Employer of the Year at the National Business Awards 2008.
Airdrie-based firm, beCogent, received the accolade at a ceremony in London on Tuesday (18th November).
The company has other sites in Erskine, Kilmarnock and Glasgow city centre, and employs about 2,500 staff.
It beat off competition from nine other finalists from across the UK, including First ScotRail and Edinburgh-based internet marketing firm, Bigmouthmedia.
The National Business Awards 2008, sponsored by Orange, recognise and reward excellence, innovation and success across 18 different categories.
beCogent was the only Scottish firm to win an award.
The ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel was hosted by Andrew Marr and attended by Peter Mandelson, the UK Secretary of State for Business.
18-Nov-08: Axa falls on National Express call centre
There was further employment misery in the British call centre market today, as more than 70 jobs are set to go in Norwich as rail company National Express announced it will close its call centre.
The announcement was made today by the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) which also said any vacancies would not be filled.
The closure of the Prince of Wales Road call centre will mean 73 job losses.
TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: “We are surprised at the size of the cuts given that National Express only announced three weeks ago that its rail revenues have increased 9pc in the past 12 months.
“With pre-tax profits of £90m last year, it looks as though the firm is anticipating a serious downturn in the coming recession. This is a bad blow for the eastern region, which is suffering higher unemployment like all other regions in the country.”
A National Express spokesman said: “We can confirm we are proposing to close our Norwich call centre, which may lead to a reduction of 73 roles in Norwich.
“We are also planning to make changes to the way we provide food and drink on board the Norwich to London trains in response to changing customer needs.
“We are proposing to remove the restaurant service, and improve our buffet and at-seat service. Also, as any sensible business does, we are constantly reviewing the structure of the business.
“We are undertaking a review to give greater focus on customer service and operational delivery. Our people are being fully consulted and the outcomes are being shaped by consultation with trade unions and elected staff representatives.
“While these consultations are taking place, we are unable to confirm the total number affected by the review at this time.”
17-Nov-08: CCA summit shapes new customer service model
The UK customer contact sector plays a critical frontline role in helping businesses retain customers but it needs to develop a new operating model to survive the economic downturn, warned the Customer Contact Association (CCA).
Anne Marie Forsyth, Chief Executive of the CCA, the professional body for customer contact, will tell delegates at the CCA Convention that a radical approach is needed to ensure customer contact centres serve the changing needs of organisations and their customers.
CCA's Forsyth said: "Our latest research clearly demonstrates that the old operating model is broken. CCA members are leading the way in devising innovative new ways of working. Our mission is to create the gold standard in customer service."
According to CCA's new Membership Poll 2008, some 69% of the association's members agree that the traditional manufacturing model used to manage call centres is outdated while 94% believe that the industry must raise service standards to satisfy increasingly demanding customers.
CCA, which represents more than 800 major organisations in the private and public sector, has attracted more than 600 delegates to its Convention which runs Nov 18-19.
CCA Convention will be chaired by BBC News anchor Fiona Bruce and will feature masterclasses to equip members with strategic tools to manage their businesses effectively in a downturn.
CCA is the professional body for customer contact. It has more than 800 corporate members and represents more than 4,500 senior practitioners, employing around 30% of the total contact centre population in the UK.
CCA holds its Annual Convention at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) in Scotland Nov 18-19.
14-Nov-08: Siemens may close call centre
Yet more call centre jobs could have the plug pulled on them.
More than 100 workers at Siemens metering services offices in Killingworth, North Tyneside, have been told they could lose their jobs when the lease on the building runs out in April.
Staff were told last week the company was considering closing the site and moving jobs elsewhere, possibly to their head office, in Nottingham.
And the company, which, takes gas and electricity meter readings for homes, today said if the lease is not renewed, it would be unlikely the jobs would stay in the North East.
Siemens workers now face an anxious wait as bosses decide what to do with the building and their jobs.
While the company said renewing the lease and continuing to employ people in Killingworth remained an option, so is moving the jobs to Nottingham, or elsewhere in the country.
A spokesman for Siemens said: “We made an announcement to staff last week regarding our metering services operations in Newcastle.
“We are reviewing things in terms of the lease running out on the building in Killingworth, in April. There are a number of options being looked at and we are consulting with staff.
“We just want to be as open as we can with staff. Renewing the lease is an option, and closing the building is another option.
“Moving our operations to Nottingham is also an option. If the building is closed it is unlikely that it would be moved to another building in the North East.”
The spokesman added the consultation period was likely to take months rather than weeks.
Siemens’ Killingworth base, employs around 100 workers who provide gas and electricity meter reading, and pre-payment services to millions of homeowners.
A Siemens spokesman added: “Although all options will be explored, Siemens is, sadly, unable to guarantee that no redundancies will take place although they will be kept to an absolute minimum.”
13-Nov-08: Kenyan Call Centre Market to Ring up Substantial Revenues
Growth in the Kenyan Call Centre market is projected to reach triple digits over the next few years. Development initiatives in the market and Kenya's cost competitiveness in relation to other markets in the continent will accelerate the market's expansion.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan(http://www.contactcenter.frost.com), Analysis of the Kenyan Call Centre Market, finds that the market earned revenues of US$6.0 million in 2007 and estimates this to more than triple by 2014 to reach US$19.3 million.
"Kenya is fast becoming a significant tier II call centre market, to be regarded in the same light as established markets such as South Africa," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Spiwe Chireka. "The increasing number of tier I outsourcers redirecting their operations to the Kenyan market, coupled with strong government and private sector initiatives, have set the market on a path of significant growth from 2009 onwards."
Telecommunications infrastructure development projects are set to reduce call centre operating costs significantly. Kenya has also engaged in an aggressive marketing campaign to promote offshore call centre services and has developed world-class customer care standards for the sector.
"Kenya has the three major requirements for successful call centre market implementation," adds Chireka. "All that is left is for the sector to begin reaping the rewards of its efforts."
However, bandwidth costs remain prohibitively high, hindering the operation of call centres. In addition, Kenya only relies on satellite technology for international connectivity, which has significantly affected the quality of call centre services.
There is also a general lack of a call centre culture in Kenya, with customers preferring face-to-face service. This aspect has limited the growth of the domestic market, with companies unable to justify the setting up of contact centres due to the limited uptake of the services.
"Kenyans are not yet adopting call centre services to levels required for strong market growth," cautions Chireka. "Some financial institutions are getting by with less than ten seats."
Largely, most call centre expansions have been hampered by the excessively high bandwidth costs, as operators are forced to limit their call volumes. Most call centres are operating IP-based systems and this further aggravates the situation.
12-Nov-08: Fears over heavy call centre job losses
The cable TV, phone and broadband operator Virgin Media said yesterday it would shed 2,200 employees, about 15% of its workforce, by the end of 2012. The job cuts are expected to fall heavily among call-centre staff as the company tries to integrate its component parts.
The business was created more than two years ago by the merger of cable operators NTL and Telewest with Virgin Mobile. The company now operates at 76 locations across the UK with 11 major call centres from Glenrothes in Scotland to Teesside, Manchester and Trowbridge, in Wiltshire.
"These changes are critical to ensuring Virgin Media is positioned to compete effectively and deliver on our customers' changing expectations," said Virgin Media chief executive, Neil Berkett.
"Over the coming weeks and months, we will be developing more detailed proposals ... We recognise this brings with it significant uncertainty for our people and the communities where they work."
Andy Kerr, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said the news came "as a complete shock".
"We are extremely disappointed at the way Virgin Media has made this surprise announcement, which will be very damaging for staff morale," he said.
11-Nov-08: Call centre staff take twice as many sickies as other workers
Call centre workers are more likely than any other profession to take a sickie, official figures have revealed.
Their sickness rate is almost double the national average, says a report by the Office for National Statistics.
They are paid far below the national average wage, but have to deal with above-average levels of abuse. Many customers trying to speak to their bank or their insurer are ready to scream by the time they are finally put through to the call centre.
The ONS asked workers in all professions if they had taken at least one day off work due to sickness in the previous week.
Among call centre workers the rate was 4.8 per cent, compared with 0.8 per cent of train drivers, air traffic controllers and pilots – who had the best score.
Women are more likely to take a sickie than men at 2.9 per cent, compared to 2.2 per cent.
Females aged 25 to 34 are the biggest culprits, while men over the age of 65 are the least likely.
Sickness rates are higher in the public sector, with 2.9 per cent having been off ill in the previous week, compared to 2.4 per cent in the private sector.
The average employee takes nine days off sick in the public sector, but only 5.8 days in the private sector.
It is long-term sickness, involving 20 or more days off, which is the biggest problem, accounting for about half of all time lost in the public sector.
Susan Anderson, from business lobby group CBI, said: ‘Everyone agrees that sick people need time off work.
'But employers face two serious and expensive challenges - dealing with bogus sick days, and helping those with long-term illness return to work when they are fit to do so.
'People who award themselves sickies to enjoy sunny weather or to extend a weekend away are acting unfairly, leaving their colleagues to pick up their work, and costing taxpayers and employers over £1billion pounds a year.'
10-Nov-08: Contact centre merger blamed on downturn
Nearly 100 staff at a contact centre for a business information firm have been offered a relocation across south Wales.
Staff at Marketsafe UK in Bridgend have been offered the opportunity to move to the company's premises in Caerphilly.
The company said there had been an "operational review."
One worker said letters were given to 92 staff at Bridgend and there were worries about whether there was enough room for them if all chose to move.
Creditsafe, which owns the firm, blamed the merger on the economic downturn.
Marketsafe UK opened in Bridgend in January 2005 offering businesses information about other companies.
A spokesperson for the company said: "We can confirm that following an operational review the Creditsafe Group has decided to relocate the Marketsafe operation from its current site in Bridgend to the company's offices in Caerphilly.
"This decision has been made in agreement with the Welsh assembly. In these difficult economic times we are looking to protect our operation and employees and to take advantage of the synergies arising from bringing our operations together. "
"Our employees at Bridgend have been offered the opportunity to re-locate to Caerphilly and negotiations have commenced with employees to ensure they are supported throughout this transition"
07-Nov-08: Call centre leads to 500 new jobs
Tech Mahindra's new call centre will employ 500 people within five years
Up to 500 new jobs are being created despite the economic downturn with the setting up of an Indian company's call centre in the UK.
Tech Mahindra, one of India's largest telecommunications firms, is establishing the multi-million pound complex in Jarrow, South Tyneside.
The company was given a £2m grant from South Tyneside Council and regional development agency, One NorthEast.
Clients will include other technology firms such as BT.
Mahesh Nagaraj, Tech Mahindra's vice president of strategic initiatives, said: "This centre will be a showcase for our services in the UK and European.
"It is expected not only to generate direct local employment but also provide a boost to local business."
Margaret Fay, chair of One NorthEast, added: "This is tremendous news for South Tyneside and the wider region.
"To attract a global sector leader like Tech Mahindra demonstrates confidence from the company in the skills of the North East workforce and its reputation for excellence and commitment."
07-Nov-08: Call centre boosts workforce by 20
A Derry call centre has almost doubled its workforce with the creation of 20 new jobs.
Censys, an outbound telemarketing centre, has boosted its staff numbers to 46 after securing new clients in the financial services sector.
The announcement was made yesterday by Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster at the company’s base at the University of Ulster’s Science and Research Park at Magee.
Ms Foster said: “Censys has secured new ‘blue chip’ financial services’ clients in Great Britain and consolidated its position as one of our most successful locally-owned telemarketing companies.”
She added that the firm was an integral part of a “developing cluster of such firms” now operating successfully from Derry, including Stream International, Firstsource, GEM and HML.
Declan O’Donnell, Censys Managing Director, said: “Our role with the new clients is to contact their customer bases about a range of products such as savings plans, bonds, life insurance, secured loans and unsecured loans.
“They’ve chosen to place important business with us because of our successful track record with our existing clients in financial services and also because of the quality of staff we have here in Derry.
“We’ve developed an excellent team of agents who have a good telephone manner with potential customers, mental agility and a fair bit of tenacity.
Censys, which is supported by Invest Northern Ireland, provides a range of outbound telemarketing and business led-generation contracts for leading public and private sector organisations in Britain and Ireland.
It has developed a strong portfolio of clients that also includes Freedom Finance, Scottish Friendly Assurance, Castle Wealth and Action Cancer
05-Nov-08: Call centre axes Team Leaders in ‘streamlining’ move
Seventeen staff at the Glasgow base of insurance firm esure have lost their jobs.
The call centre team leaders are understood to have been told yesterday that their positions were to be axed in a "stream-lining" operation.
A spokeswoman for esure said: "Seventeen staff have left us. Overall, we're still growing in Glasgow. This was a very small streamlining of jobs. This was planned and we have predicted that even before these people were lost, we will be growing in Glasgow in 2009."
"We are recruiting in Glasgow, we just have to recruit at the right level. Fifty per cent of our work force is in Glasgow. We currently have about 500 employees in the city and that number is expected to rise."
The company was made famous by Michael Winner's "Calm down, dear" TV ads and is now one of the UK's largest motor insurance providers.
Although the company underwrites the car insurance commitments for troubled bank HBoS, esure insist its operation is not threatened by the current global economic crisis.
Their spokeswoman added: "We are doing well in the current climate. Insurance isn't like banking. We're not subject to the same pressures as other people."
05-Nov-08: 150 jobs saved in call centre takeover
One hundred and fifty jobs have been saved at a Lancashire call centre after a takeover was completed by a leading outsourcer.
Staff were left fearing for their future after Thomas Cook announced it was set to close the office at Accrington’s Globe Centre.
Sitel, a leading outsourced contact centre provider, has completed the takeover of the Thomas Cook facility.
Sitel’s managing director in the UK and Ireland, Marianne Fitzjohn, said: “We are committed to a long-term presence in Accrington, with a vision to create a world-class sales and service capability.
“Sitel is very keen to utilise Thomas Cook’s travel specialists and would like to welcome them on board as soon as possible.”
She said Sitel is working with Thomas Cook to target experienced travel employees to join Sitel’s planned specialist travel contact centre.
The move will see 150 people employed.
03-Nov-08: Customer Satisfaction Index launched for insurance providers
The US based CFI Group has launched its first UK National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI-UK) for home and car insurance providers.
Overall customer satisfaction level with providers stands at 77.
Zurich came out on top of the sector with a score of 79. By contrast, the largest home and motor insurer, Norwich Union, bottomed the list at 69 - a significant 8 points below the industry average.
Churchill Group followed Zurich closely with 78 and Direct Line at 76. The combined CSI score for the Direct Line and Churchill Group is 77, positioning it in second place. Royal and Sun Alliance, which trades under the More Th>n brand, is at 74, 5 points ahead of Norwich Union.
The ACSI is used in the US as a prime indicator of corporate performance and economic strength, but this is the first time the methodology has been applied to the UK home and car insurance market.
Key findings include:
Aggregate customer satisfaction is 77 on a 0-100 point scale - in comparison with the aggregate US score (80).
Top rated car and home insurance provider: Zurich with a score of 79.
Bottom scorer (out of all named companies): Norwich Union with a score of 69.
Customer retention: Most customers - 67 per cent - have been with the same insurer for over a year, implying that satisfaction with insurers is not entirely driven by price, and reliability, trust and customer service all play a major part, especially in retaining existing customers.
Customer complaints: All companies were found to exceed customer expectations and complaint levels are relatively low - 6 per cent for the industry. Royal and Sun Alliance scored the highest number of complaints with 9 per cent and they also register the lowest price tolerance.
Propensity to switch providers: In terms of likelihood to change to another main insurer at next renewal, Direct Line comes out as the most attractive brand. It also ranks second for existing customers’ loyalty. Churchill generates less loyalty, however, despite ranking second in customer satisfaction, it has the smallest proportion of customers who have been with the insurer for over a year. Royal and Sun Alliance (More Th>n) comes out bottom for customer consideration.
31-Oct-08: Abbey complaint shows brands 'need to restrict access to customer data'
Telemarketing practitioners have warned that brands need to control call centre operator access to customer data, after an Abbey call centre agent was alleged to have sabotaged the bank details of a customer who complained about his call handling.
Stories in the media, including articles in the Daily Mail and The Times told of George Bates, 23, who is convinced a call centre operator changed his bank account details after he gave him low marks in a customer satisfaction survey.
Abbey, which has both in-house and outsourced call centres overseas, has apologised to Bates and repaid the £60 of penalties Bates incurred because six of his direct debits were left unpaid.
Bates also had his debit card swallowed by a cash machine, his overdraft facility withdrawn and his bank records changed to display him as a 33-year-old Ugandan divorcée.
Practitioners said such incidents were isolated ones as call centres tend to be quality-controlled environments. The Listening Company's director of communications, Philip Shuldham-Legh, said that companies needed to ensure that agents should only have access to records they are actively using.
"Generally speaking, call centres are well run operations, but you can never legislate for the heat of the moment,' he said. Companies needed to ensure that agents are supported because they can be "a high pressure and high stress environment. Brands need to invest in training and make sure agents only have access to records they are actively using. It's not about taking power away from the agent but minimising risk and access that is not relevant."
Bates gave the call centre worker a bad evaluation when his application for an extension of his overdraft was rejected. He told The Times he was not impressed with the service. "The phone operator has obviously seen that I've given him bad feedback and decided to change all my details in revenge. I rang up but I couldn't understand a word of what he was saying. He was really unhelpful but he had the cheek to pester me to give him a good rating after the call," he said.
Abbey has offered Bates £200 compensation for his inconvenience but he has refused the compensation. "I am not happy with the fact that the call centre Abbey uses is in India. They offered me £200 compensation but that's not a good apology to me," he said.
"When I heard my details had been changed I was terrified that my account had been emptied and I'd never have my money back," Bates told The Times. "His spiteful actions have caused me a massive inconvenience and I've changed banks because I'm scared he could still access my account."
31-Oct-08: Indian call centre worker takes 'revenge' on British customer
A customer of a British bank has alleged that a worker of the bank's call centre in India meddled with his account and changed his identity with that of an Ugandan divorcee 10 years his senior, for giving him a low performance rating.
George Bates of Bristol told the Daily Mail that he had called the call centre to clarify a doubt and that the man at the other end was 'unhelpful'.
In the end, Bates decided to answer an automated response survey. He said the worker wanted him to give the maximum marks for the question on customer satisfaction. Instead Bates gave the least possible marks for that question.
He said the operator had a strong Asian accent and had been 'really unhelpful, rude, arrogant and very pushy and then he had the cheek to pester me to give him a good rating'.
The next day, Bates could not access his account while an ATM machine swallowed his debit card. When he went to Abbey Bank's branch, he was shocked to know his identity had been changed to that of an Ugandan divorcee 10 years his senior.
Over the next few days Bates found his overdraft and six direct debits had been cancelled - landing him with 60 pounds in charges.
He said: 'When I heard my details had been changed I was terrified my account had been emptied and I'd never get my money back. This phone operator has obviously seen that I've given him bad feedback and decided to change all my details in revenge.'
The Abbey Bank has offered him 200 pounds as compensation. A bank spokesperson said: 'We have since returned his account to the correct position and refunded any charges relating to this error. In relation to Mr Bates's other claims, we can confirm that we have fully investigated these complaints but we do not comment on individual employees.'
The bank refused to identify the call centre employee.
But Bates is still unhappy: 'Even though they did eventually sort everything out I'm still unhappy and I'll be switching back to a bank with call centres in Britain. I'm also scared that the man could still access my account.'
31-Oct-08: BT Ordered To Pay £1.3m Fine After MoD Call Centre Fraud
BT has been forced to pay the Ministry of Defence £1.3m in compensation after some of its staff met call-answering targets by phoning each other.
BT had been caught cheating on the Ministry of Defence in a bid to meet call targets and has been ordered to pay £1.3 million after the fraud was put in the limelight by the National Audit Office.
The call centre concerned, in Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been taken out of operation.
The National Audit Office found they fixed figures to help BT avoid fines for not answering calls quickly enough.
The targets were part of a £3bn Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal to operate the forces' telephone system.
BT has sacked some of the "small number of staff" involved and the call centre concerned no longer operates.
The company has also paid £1,021,000 in service payments, the £122,000 cost of investigating the fraud and the £197,000 cost of the fake calls.
The National Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, said the discovery showed the need for better monitoring of the way such projects are being run.
Tory MP Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, described the incident as "a real-life Whitehall farce".
He said: "It says a lot about the MoD's oversight of its contractors that the department's systems failed to spot a serious fraud.
"BT staff working on the MoD's PFI telecoms project actually plotted to phone each other in order to beef up their performance statistics for answering calls.
"It was only later that the department found out it was £1.3m out of pocket and had to recover this from BT."
The National Audit Office said the fake calls were not immediately spotted because they did not have enough impact on the phone service to spark an investigation.
It eventually came to light within BT - which is now required to provide more detailed reporting and undergo regular detailed checks of the integrity of its reporting system.
31-Oct-08: Call centre firm on right Track
A North East based call centre business has been named as one of the largest of its kind in Britain.
The BGL Group has been ranked 175th in the latest Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 league table.
The annual table, now in its fourth year, ranks Britain's 250 mid-market companies by latest sales based on their latest available audited accounts.
The Peterborough-based BGL Group, one of Britain's leading insurance brokers with more than 2.3 million customers, was rated 54 places higher than last year.
The BGL Group employs 2,300 people and operates major contact centres under the Fusion brand in Peterlee, Peterborough, Coventry, Sunderland, and Cape Town, South Africa.
Peter Winslow, group chief executive, said: "We are thrilled to have gained recognition in the Top Track 250 which is a hugely influential business league table, for the second year running.
"We have always been a successful business but the last few years have been phenomenal."
29-Oct-08: Customers lose patience with energy suppliers
The number of customers dissatisfied with their gas and electricity suppliers has grown after this year's price rises, a survey has said.
The study by price comparison website uSwitch found that 41% of customers are now unhappy with the big six energy suppliers, compared with 33% last year.
The uSwitch survey questioned 5,465 customers at the end of September.
It also found that only 45% of people said energy companies offered value for money.
Scottish and Southern Energy won the title of best supplier for the fifth consecutive time with 69% of customers satisfied. Meanwhile, Npower suffered a 17% drop in customer satisfaction to 46%, falling to the bottom of the league.
Ann Robinson, consumer policy director at uSwitch.com, said: "Price rises were never going to be a vote winner but this year's increases have hit people exceptionally hard and inevitably it has damaged their perception of the industry.
"Sadly this has undone a lot of the hard work suppliers have put in to improving service, setting them back to where they were a couple of years ago.
"Suppliers are taking customer concerns seriously and are taking action, but this isn't a one way street - consumers have a role to play too. Speak to your supplier if you are not happy that you are on the best deal or getting value for money. If you are concerned about estimated bills then make sure you give your supplier an up-to-date meter reading."
Npower's head of residential customer services, Julie Jaglowski, said: "We are very disappointed with the survey results. Our aim is to see our customers happy, not just satisfied, and we are working hard to make customer service the focus of our company.
"We are expanding our call centres, which are all UK-based, and have recruited an additional 300 people across the whole of our customer services operations this year. We are also investing around £200 million in our systems which will dramatically help improve the service customers receive.
"We're confident these changes will result in much improved customer satisfaction but unfortunately, with a programme of this scale, it can be difficult to avoid any periods of disruption and we apologise to customers who feel less than satisfied."
29-Oct-08: High-flying charity effort by call centre group
Staff from three businesses in Northamptonshire were greeted by a yellow helicopter shell to mark their first fundraising event for the air ambulance charity.
On October 16, the bright yellow shell was transported to the car park of Travelsphere, Page & Moy and Just You, in Rockingham Road, as a symbol of their first event in aid of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA).
The Kaleidoscope Travel Group, as they are collectively known, has chosen the air ambulance as their nominated charity for the year.
Sarah Vickery, who works in the company’s call centre, arranged the visit. She said: “Our local branch of the air ambulance has actually been called out to help some of the staff who work here, so it is a charity close to our hearts. You never know when you might need them, so we’re very pleased to be supporting the great work they do.”
A total of £600 was raised through a raffle, merchandise and donations.
Volunteers from WNAA, Angela and John Hayward from Weldon, brought the helicopter shell to Harborough, on a trailer.
Mrs Hayward said: “It’s absolutely wonderful. The money raised on the day will pay for the helicopter to go out to another emergency. Everybody we met was so generous and supportive and we’re so pleased to be their chosen charity of the year.”
28-Oct-08: 100 call centre jobs axed after just five weeks
100 new Government call centre jobs promised for the North West have been axed – just five weeks after they were heralded by regeneration chiefs.
In what has been described as a “body blow” for workers, Liberata has confirmed that the posts, administering educational maintenance allowances, EMAs, have been axed.
The call centre positions, based in Nelson, have been axed amid the ongoing chaos surrounding the educational allowances system.
Last week it was revealed that thousands of students were at risk of dropping out of further education bec-ause 90,000 were still waiting for their allowances to be processed.
The Nelson centre was part of Liberata’s catch-up plans, to overcome the delays, which has left councillors in Pendle questioning what has led to the job losses.
Borough council chief executive Stephen Barnes, back in September, said the Liberata deal was “fantastic example of Pendle Council bringing more jobs to Pendle”.
And Liberata performs a host of ‘back office’ functions for Pendle Council, although this would not have incorporated the educational allowances system deal.
Coun Mohammed Iqbal, Labour group leader, said: “Clearly the loss of 100 jobs is a body blow for Pendle, as when these people were taken on it was said that the majority were long-term unemployed.”
But Coun Iqbal has questioned why Liberata, as a working partner of the council, had not given more notice of the job losses.
Coun David Whipp, Liberal Democrat, added: “I think it is quite disgraceful though that people have been turned out of jobs in the way that they have.
“The sad and sorry saga of EMAs, and the way they have been handled, brings no credit to Liberata.”
Council leader Coun John David, who said he was told of the announcement at 2pm on Thursday, said he would be asking Liberata for a greater level of “courtesy” in their dealings in future.
28-Oct-08: Charity appoints Orbital Response & Fulfilment
Orbital Response & Fulfilment has been selected by Will Aid to provide an information request service for the charity’s campaign.
The UK-based charity encourages people to make a will with a solicitor whilst simultaneously raising vital funds for nine associated charities, including Save The Children UK and Help the Aged.
Orbital Response & Fulfilment was chosen to provide call-centre and fulfilment services for the fifth consecutive campaign since 1998.
The drive runs throughout November and will be publicised through press and magazine editorial, along with features in radio and TV programmes. Citizens Advice Bureaux, public libraries and church activities also promote and support the initiative.
Solicitors participating in the scheme donate their time to draw up a basic will free of charge. In return, a donation (usually equivalent to the solicitor’s fee) is made to Will Aid.
Up until 2008, this has been a biennial event but such is its success, the scheme will now take place every year making November the National Make a Will Month.
Orbital Response & Fulfilment will handle all telephone enquiries. Callers will be given advice and will be sent an information booklet, along with contact details for solicitors in their local area that are participating in the scheme.
Sue Randall, Head of Sales, Orbital Response & Fulfilment, said: “As a charity-led organisation, Will Aid is a campaign that we are thrilled to be involved with. We were amazed by the vital funds that the campaign could potentially raise for charity and are keen to apply our expertise to increasing contributions.”
Shirley Marsland, Campaign Manager, Will Aid, said: "Having a proper will is imperative, especially in these times of economic uncertainty. It is the only way that we can ensure that what we own goes to the people and causes that we hold the closest to us. A speedy response in putting potential willmakers in touch with a local participating solicitor is vital. Most people are very reluctant to think about the future in this way and the quality of the call handling is vital in encouraging them to take that first vital step in contacting a solicitor. Orbital Response and Fulfilment offers the highest standards in call handling and we know they will ensure this campaign is a success."
26-Oct-08: John Lewis / Waitrose tops Which? credit card satisfaction survey
The John Lewis / Waitrose group credit card has been named best for customer satisfaction in a survey by Which? Money.
John Lewis/Waitrose received the top customer satisfaction score of 90%. The retailer, which also topped the same Which? Money poll last year, was rated highly for accuracy and clarity of statements, customer service and for its offers and discounts.
Nationwide came second in the poll of over 4000 Which? Money readers, with a customer satisfaction score of 87%. Smile took third place with 86%.
Poor scoring credit cards
Many of the well known credit card providers scored poorly – Abbey received the lowest customer satisfaction score at 52%, while Lloyds TSB rates as one of the worst for customer satisfaction with a score of 60%.
Customers rated the accuracy of statements as the most important aspect of the service given by credit card providers, with 83% of people saying this is very important.
Which? Money also found the most common reason for people choosing their main credit card was already having a product with the same company, with 26% of people choosing for this reason.
Best Buy credit cards
Martyn Hocking, Editor, Which? Money, says: ‘You could be wasting money if you don't shop around and just choose a card from your existing bank. Of the big four banks, only Barclays currently offers a card that makes it into the Which? Money Best Buy tables.
‘With the credit crunch making everyone tighten their purse strings, it’s more important than ever that you get the best deal on your credit card. The difference between the worst and the best credit cards can be substantial, so it’s worth doing your homework.’
23-Oct-08: Call centre worker caught out by boss after posting 'sickie' plan on 'Facebook'
After a particularly heavy night out Kyle Doyle decided that he would phone in sick and treat himself to a day in bed. To celebrate his day off Kyle, a 21-year-old call centre worker, updated the status on his Facebook page to reflect the fact.
Unfortunately for Kyle, his online boast did not go unnoticed by his employers.
On his profile on the site he wrote: 'not going to work, f*** it i'm still trashed SICKIE WOO.'
Now an email exchange between Kyle and the HR department at the call centre where he worked has been forwarded around the world.
When Kyle protests that his absence was because he was ill, the HR employee simply forwards him a clip of his Facebook profile.
The exchange begins with an HR employee, Niresh Regmi, asking Kyle to provide a medical certificate for his day off.
Kyle objects to the request and says that his contract does not require him to provide a certificate if he is off sick.
However, Regmi is insistent and informs Kyle that his line manager has decided that his absence was not related to medical reasons.
Seemingly angry, Kyle again refuses and insists that his leave is processed as normal.
It is at this point that Regmi simply replies: ‘I believe the proof that you are after is below’ and attaches a copy of Kyle's Facebook profile.
The call centre have said that they will be launching an investigation
22-Oct-08: Littlewoods owners threaten Call Centre job cuts
Jobs could be cut at a major Preston call centre after home shopping giant Shop Direct announced changes.
The group, which is the parent company of Littlewoods, has told staff at its centre on London Road in the city centre that they must either retrain or face the axe.
It comes as part of a move away from its traditional mail order service towards online.
The changes will affect 278 staff across its eight call centres, which are headed by the Preston office which employs around 600 workers.
In a statement, the group said: "In order to serve customers effectively, it has become necessary to re-align resources to meet customer demand."
"To facilitate this Shop Direct group call centres are seeking to up-skill or change the shifts of around 278 advisors. However, these proposed changes may result in a number of potential job losses."
Staff were told of the changes on Monday and union officials have been assured that any redundancies at the call centres will be voluntary.
Mike Aylward, of divisional officer at shopkeepers' union Usdaw, said: "At the moment we are still in the process of consulting and looking at ways to reduce the number of redundancies."
It said that since 2005 online sales have risen from 15% of its overall sales to more than 50% and it is expected to rise to 70% by 2011.
Chief executive Mark Newton-Jones said: "We have seen a progressive change in the way customers engage with our contact centres. As a result, we need to re-align our resources to meet changing customer demand."
20-Oct-08: Telemarketing veterans launch call-blocking gadget for consumers
Two telemarketing veterans are helping consumers reject sales, scam and nuisance calls with a device for the home that allows consumers to blacklist offending companies.
Steve Smith, one of the pioneers of telemarketing software, and John Price, who runs telemarketing company Price Direct and chairs the DMA's Contact Centre council, have been developing their TrueCall product for four years and claim it is a world-first.
The pair authored the 2005 Brookmead Report, which raised industry awareness about the impact of nuisance calls such as silent calls made by predictive dialling machines.
The telemarketing industry has been supportive of the product, according to Price. "By stopping complaints, by hearing consumers we are not restricting the indsutry, in fact we're helping to sustain it," he said. "We're heading off an opt-in regime and we're demonstrating that the industry can police itself."
The product is on sale via TrueCall's website from £99.99, is the size of a small paperback book and connects to a landline socket.
It allows calls from numbers approved by the user to be connected straight away. Users can either pre-approve numbers or approve any incoming calls by pressing the '*' button.
However, callers it does not recognise have identify themselves before TrueCall rings the householder's phone to and plays the caller's message, allowing the householder to answer or not.
This means that the householder's phone will not ring when a predictive dialler generates a call, until a call centre worker comes on the line to talk to the TrueCall.
Callers householders do not like can be put onto a "Zap" list, which means future calls from the same number will be answered by TrueCall's own automated message politely telling them the recipient is not interested and the phone will not ring at all.
What could give TrueCall a greater impact is an as yet unactivated feature that makes it possible for it to download a list of blacklisted numbers via the internet from a central server.
Price said: "We're not going to set up a central database just yet but it might be something we would do in the future, to [let users] say 'I don't mind hearing from charities but I don't want to hear from double glazing companies'.
He stressed that he himself did not want to be in the position of distinguishing between "good" and "bad" businesses but would instead source third-party lists users could download.
17-Oct-08: No cash guarantee for redundant call centre staff
Call centre staff today slammed a broken promise which they fear could cost them redundancy cash.
About 170 jobs were lost when furniture giant MFI announced it was closing its centre in Sunderland, in July, and calling in administrators.
About 70 staff stayed on until the building shut last month, following a 90-day consultation period.
On the final day, workers refused to leave the building after initially being told there was no guarantee there would be enough money to pay their redundancy.
They only relented after managers reassured staff that their money was safe.
But many say they have now been told that there is no cash available to pay the redundancy package to them next week as expected.
Instead, they will have to go through the Government scheme and wait for their applications to be processed, which could take up to six weeks.
And they are unsure about whether they will get the full amount, in some cases believed to be five-figure sums, that they were expecting from MFI.
Statutory redundancy entitlement depends upon age and length of service.
Susan Surtees, who worked at the call centre for five years, said: "I rang Acas (the arbitration service) and they thought that we should get the full amount, but weren't sure."
She said it depended on whether the Government would pay for working through the consultation period as well as the redundancy package.
Like many former MFI employees, the 50-year-old, from Southwick, is angry about how they have been treated over the promised redundancy money.
"I think it's absolutely despicable," she said. "They are the lowest of the low. They just told us what we wanted to hear to get us out of the building. People have been left without a wage to pay this month's bills."
Steve Hounslow, 32, from Roker, worked at MFI for more than five years.
He said: "My girlfriend is working and her wages cover the bills and the rent, but that's about it. And there are lots of people in a worse situation than us."
Mr Hounslow, and former colleague Steve Storey, from Hylton Castle, are angry that the firm is not paying up, despite still trading after a management buy-out saved half of the company's 192 stores nationwide.
"Our redundancy money should have been put to one side if they were allowed to carry on trading," said Mr Storey, who said he was looking into the legality of the situation.
No-one from MFI was available to discuss the issue, and administrator Kroll said it would not comment as the redundancy deal was made before it was appointed.
15-Oct-08: New COO for Sitel EMEA
The newly appointed chief operating officer for Sitel EMEA steps into his role this week.
John Kellett has joined the leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) provider and was most recently the most senior customer operations leader at Lexmark.
Using his extensive customer support expertise and influence, Kellett will help Sitel to be the major customer management player in the region. He reports directly to executive vice president of global operations, Chad Carlson.
"John Kellett comes to Sitel with an unmatched pedigree in strategic customer service" said Chad Carlson. "His natural dynamism, client-side mindset and significant international experience make him ideal for this crucial role. This appointment brings a strong leader to our team and enables Sitel to build a reputation for operational excellence and service improvement."
John Kellett returns to Europe following an expatriate assignment in the US, as General Manager Worldwide Customer Operations for Lexmark where he was accountable for global service operations. During his tenure at Lexmark, John also served as Director, Customer Support EMEA, based in France and managed Lexmark's Pan-European Customer Support Centre in Ireland.
Talking about his new appointment, John Kellett said, "While working with Sitel at Lexmark, I was consistently impressed with the company's progressive attitude to all aspects of customer care. I plan to use this experience as a customer to enhance Sitel's evolving service offering and lead the EMEA Operations team to positively distinguish the brand in the region."
Prior to Lexmark, John Kellett held a number of executive and senior managerial positions with Zomax Inc, Applied Magnetics Inc, Acco-Rexel and Prime Computer Inc. and was also a founding board member of the Contact Centre Management Association Ireland and the Irish Production and Inventory Control Society.
15-Oct-08: Consumers "intolerant of poor customer care"
The latest Customer Experience Impact Report shows that while outstanding service remains the top reason consumers will recommend a company, consumers are even more likely to tell others about poor treatment following a negative customer experience.
Nearly three-quarters of consumers are likely to tell others about poor treatment following a negative customer experience, research has revealed.
Outstanding service remains the top reason consumers will recommend a company, but 74 per cent of respondents said they have told others about a poor experience, according to a study sponsored conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by technology provider RightNow.
The study also found that consumers are becoming increasingly intolerant of poor customer care. For the third year in a row, there is a growing trend for consumers to stop doing business with a company following a negative customer experience.
This year, 81% of consumers will remove their business following a poor experience versus 76% in 2007 and 65% in 2006. However, despite a tough UK economy, the survey also found one in two consumers (50%) are willing to always or often pay more for a better customer experience.
The survey found that far from being apathetic, consumers are fighting back against poor treatment in a number of ways, many of which could directly influence a company’s bottom line, these include:
A huge 81 per cent of consumers will remove their business following a poor experience — this is up from 76 per cent in 2007 and 65 per cent in 2006.
However, in spite of the turbulent economy, the survey also found 1 in 2 consumers are willing to always or often pay more for a better customer experience.
Further results include:
• 61 per cent of customers have complained to the company at fault over operational issues while 37 per cent return products
• Poor customer experiences can also bring forth emotional outbursts from consumers. Following a poor experience 32 per cent of consumers have sworn, 25 per cent have shouted and six per cent have felt their chest tighten.
• However, 53 per cent of consumers will recommend a company to someone else because it provides outstanding service
Joe Brown, RightNow’s UK and EMEA general manager, said: “Against the current economic backdrop, more than ever before businesses need to understand the significance of delivering good customer experiences.”
“Emphasis has to be placed on retaining existing customers by fostering loyalty through satisfying interactions. The risk of not doing so exposes businesses to heightened customer attrition and will make it tougher to acquire new customers.”
14-Oct-08: Open Mind - New Angles and Bright Ideas
What's it all about?
The original catalyst for Open Mind was to bring together public and private sector movers and shakers from the Service Delivery world to discuss commonalities, differences and share good practice.
It will be focusing on issues affecting all of our citizens / customers and our own professional lives - taking into account how to sustain cost effective cultures while maintaining high levels of people engagement. Whether that's wider governmental concerns or commercial private sector.
- Improving service with the same resources
- Influencing perceptions driven by media
- Cultural attitudes in business
- Making customers the performance target
- Managing change in a traditionally interfering leadership culture
When ?
12 November 2008 - London
Click here to book your place
12-Oct-08: Call Centre cleared in unfair dismissal case
A woman who claimed she was unjustly sacked from her job at a call centre has lost her claim for unfair dismissal.
Julie Sekowski, of Salterford Road in Hucknall, was sacked after she racked up more than 100 sick days between March 2004 and March 2007 during her time at Jobcentre plus.
She claimed she had been unfairly sacked and had been bullied during her job at Jobcentre Plus by line manager Jason Middleton.
Ms Sekowski claimed he had made comments about her Polish background and also denied her toilet-breaks she needed after an operation, allegations strongly denied by Mr Middleton.
She told the hearing: "I felt I was being picked on but I put up with it. Jason Middleton had it in for me. My life at Annesley became too much and I got stress symptoms.
"There was a general feeling that Jason Middleton was always looking to get at someone. Looking back, I was fooled into thinking it was the norm and I should have done something."
But the Nottingham tribunal also heard she had received regular praise for her hard and consistent work and had even received glowing praise in reports from Mr Middleton.
It was also revealed how Ms Sekowski had received repeated warnings about her absence record.
She also failed to mention Mr Middleton as a cause for any her absences during meetings with management and did not make any complaints against him.
In dismissing the case, Mr Lancaster said that Jobcentre Plus followed the correct procedures and gave Ms Sekowski repeated warnings about her absences
12-Oct-08: TSC Chief Executive steps down
Ken Hills has stood down as the chief executive of TSC, the Scottish-based contact centre company which merged with Indian conglomerate Hero in a £40m deal last year.
Hills, who will remain as a non-executive director of the company, is joining LloydsTSB Development Capital. He has been replaced by David Turner, who joins from Trinity Horne.
Turner said the company is now looking at using its Indian resources to offer customers a more complete package.
“With Hero’s presence in India, we are able to offer much more back office resources as well as voice services. As customers become more cost conscious, we think that is going to prove attractive,” said Turner.
“We think there are going to be a number of opportunities for us in areas such as the financial sector and as firms look to outsource as they cut costs.”
TSC is Scotland’s biggest contact centre company and the UK’s fourth largest. It started in Rothesay in the 1990s with seven staff and now has premises across the UK employing just under 3,000 people. Its clients include Vodafone, T-Mobile, HSBC and Hewlett Packard.
Six years ago it was the subject of a £22m management buy-in funded by Lloyds. Hills joined after the firm hit problems and helped turn it around before last year’s £40m deal.
The Scottish-based management run all of Hero’s contact centres including its Indian ones. Earlier this year, TSC reported a 12% rise in turnover to £55.1m for 2007.
10-Oct-08: Barclays creates over 200 call centre jobs
Barclays is creating over 200 jobs with the establishment of a new outbound call centre at its facility in Liverpool.
Barclays says it will recruit 24 full and part-time account consultants every month for the next 10 months for a new "proactive" division that will be established at its Wavertree Technology Park building. The facility already houses an inbound call centre employing 1000 staff.
The new unit will be Barclays' second centre focusing on calling customers, following the establishment of a division in Sunderland 18 months ago.
Says Alan Longmuir, head of premium segments, Barclays: "Our proactive contact centre division has grown rapidly to meet the needs of our customers and clients right across the UK retail banking portfolio - from our personal customers to our local business and premier clients."
10-Oct-08: Shattering blow for call centre workers
Auto Windscreens has announced 56 of its 259-strong contact centre workforce, on Storforth Lane, Chesterfield, are facing redundancy.
Soaring fuel prices and the current economic downturn have been blamed for the company's decision to axe nearly a quarter of its call centre staff.
A consultation process is now underway into the restructuring plan, which will also hit other Auto Windscreen centres across the country.
Abu-Haris Shafi, managing director, said: "Auto Windscreens prides itself on being a leading local employer, so to make these redundancies is a decision we have not taken lightly.
"We will be working with local agencies and other Chesterfield employers to do our best to redeploy the colleagues affected."
The company says the long term impact of rising fuel prices and the economic downturn has seen the amount of kilometres travelled on UK roads decrease by a billion since the start of the year and is down 1.6 billion compared to this time in 2007.
This in turn has dramatically reduced the calls for glass replacement coming into Auto Windscreens contact centre.
The company produces 250,000 windscreens a year at its dedicated factory in Chesterfield.
Abu added: "Our business, like so many, is feeling the impact of the credit crisis and soaring fuel prices which have had a knock-on effect in the automotive industry.
"By making these redundancies we will secure the long-term future of the company for colleagues, customers and suppliers."
10-Oct-08: UK's top call centre revealed!
The UK’s biggest ever call centre benchmarking exercise has revealed First Direct to be the top performer in customer service.
The telephone and online bank topped the charts with an impressive 92 per cent in the benchmarking exercise conducted by independent market research company GfK NOP.
The study, which involved 20,000 mystery shopper calls to 50 well known brands, revealed that call centres are getting the basics right, with 93 per cent of callers getting through on the first attempt and a staggering 96 per cent first-call resolution.
The Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service programme is organised by CCF and editor Claudia Hathway made an impassioned speech at last nights gala dinner to honour the achievements of the Top 50, claiming it was the end of the call centre as the “unsung hero” of UK business.
Other top performing centres included Denplan, ING Direct, F&C Investments, Lloyds TSB Insurance and Laithwaites, illustrating strong performance from within the retail and financial service sectors.
“There may be some way to go to transform the public perception of the industry,” said Hathway, “but no longer will the call centre be the unsung hero. Thanks to everyone involved in the Top 50 programme, we are finally able to communicate that far from being 21st century sweatshops barely worth a second thought, call centres should be recognised as performing a vital function — and performing it well.”
"It’s fantastic to get be able to communicate, not only to the industry, but also to the general public that call centres are doing a brilliant job in sometimes difficult circumstances."
Click here to visit the awards website and see all the winners!
08-Oct-08: Jet2holidays brings call centre back to UK
Tour operator Jet2holidays has brought its call centre back from Delhi to the UK, creating 30 new jobs.
Based at the company’s headquarters at Leeds Bradford airport, the call centre will employ either travel agents, former travel reps or other people with experience in travel and tourism.
Call centre sales manager Katriona White said: “We have been successfully running the overseas call centre for more than a year now, but feedback from our customers showed that they wanted an enhanced service where they can book a holiday with people who have first-hand experience of our destinations.
Meanwhile, the operator's sister airline Jet2.com will continue to have its call centre in Delhi.
“Jet2.com has a strong established relationship with its outsourced call centre provider in Delhi and is actually in the process of extending that particular contract. However, there are significant differences between booking or amending a flight and booking a Jet2holiday for customers," said White.
“Purchasing a holiday is a more involved process, whereby knowledge of destinations, accommodation and amenities is crucial from a travel advisor. Despite us being an online business, many customers still want the option of friendly reassurance and expert advice on the end of the phone. Therefore, we only employ staff who can demonstrate a thorough understanding of what our customers want.”
08-Oct-08: Alliance & Leicester fined a record £7m for call centre mis-selling
Alliance & Leicester has been hit with a record £7m fine by the financial regulator after it was caught training call centre staff to pressure loan customers to take out expensive payment protection insurance (PPI).
The Financial Services Authority said yesterday that it had found evidence that A&L's call centre staff had failed to give customers details of the cost of PPI, and that the bank had tried to sell the product "without properly considering its customers' needs".
Between January 2005 and December 2007, A&L sold about 210,000 PPI policies to its personal loan customers, with the average policy costing £1,265 - turning over an extra £265m.
The City watchdog said yesterday the bank had failed to make it clear that the cover was optional, and had even trained staff to put pressure on personal loans customers when they asked why PPI was included in quotes for repayments.
Margaret Cole, director of enforcement at the FSA, said: "The failings at A&L are the most serious we have found ... Customers should be able to rely on impartial advice based on their individual needs and demands.
"It is particularly unacceptable for a firm to train its advisers to put pressure on customers when recommending insurance cover which they have not asked for and may not need."
The FSA said the company qualified for a 30% reduction in the penalty by settling at an early stage of the FSA's investigation. Were it not for this discount, the FSA said the penalty would have been £10m.
David Bennett, A&L's chief executive, said: "I apologise sincerely for our shortcomings. We will be writing to every customer concerned and will be working with independent accountants and the FSA to ensure we put right any disadvantage."
08-Oct-08: UK customers demand local call centres, not offshore ones
Moving call centres overseas does not lead to improved customer service levels, a survey conducted by Surveylab has found. In this recent study, 66% of participants reckoned their call to a UK company ended up overseas but only 7% reported their call was trouble free. The vast majority experienced problems:
• 88% found it difficult to understand the agent
• 68% of consumers have seen customer care deteriorate since call centre operations moved abroad
• 57% felt that the agent had difficulty understanding the caller
• 42% felt the agent had insufficient knowledge of the product or service involved
• 41% felt that the call centre agent relied too much on scripts
• 38% felt that the agent had no or limited authority to resolve the caller's issue
• 35% felt there was poor call quality or noise on the line
• 21% said that promises made were not kept
• Just 7% have a problem free experience contacting an offshore call centre
• Only 5% think it is easier to contact an offshore call centre compared to when it was based in the UK
More than two thirds of consumers taking part in the survey (68%) felt that the overall level of customer care is worse or much worse compared to when the call centre operation was in the UK.
One of the reasons for offshoring was to make it easier for customers to contact but only 6% of respondents thought it was. Just over a quarter felt it made no difference and 68% worse.
"From the customers' perspective, 'offshoring' call centres has not improved customer care," explains John Kemp, Customer Service Director at Surveylab
"Although never popular, companies still seem keen to make their customers talk to someone thousands of miles a way if they have a problem with the products and services they use. The original argument for offshoring was to improve customer care levels and at the same time make cost savings. Teething problems were expected initially but this survey suggests that the quality of service provided by many offshore centres is getting worse rather than improving”.
A staggering 91% stated that they would prefer to deal with an organisation that made a point of not using overseas call centres.
08-Oct-08: Tesco scotches Indian rumours
Up to 60 jobs at Tesco’s major call centre in Dundee are being transferred to India, the company confirmed last night.
Spokesman David Nieberg said there will be no redundancies, as the affected staff at the customer contact centre in Baird Avenue will be offered new roles.
He said all the jobs being transferred do not involve direct contact with the public—the main function of the centre.
Mr Nieberg also said Tesco is ahead of schedule with a recruitment drive for 300 new posts at the centre.
“The rumours going around that 300 jobs are going to India is utter nonsense,” he said.
“The people affected by that (the outsourcing of jobs to India) in Dundee will be offered alternative roles within the company. It is not going to decrease the headcount.
“We are an international business operating across 14 countries so we are constantly carrying out reviews to ensure efficiency.”
Dundee West MP Jim McGovern said Tesco Scotland’s corporate affairs manager, Tony McElroy, reassured him the centre remains at the forefront of the company’s plans.
He said Mr McElroy told him the staff complement at Baird Avenue increased from 396, in May, to 578, and 95 more staff are expected to be recruited in the next six weeks.
Mr McGovern said the overall increase in posts must be seen as a positive, considering the economic situation.
08-Oct-08: All bets are off in call centre strike
Hundreds of workers hung up their receivers at a major betting call centre in Liverpool last weekend.
The Union of Shop, Distribution and Allied Workers (Usdaw) members at the Ladbrokes call centre site, in Aintree, held a 24-hour strike on Sunday.
Pickets gathered outside on one of the busiest betting days in the horse racing calendar after the company maintained a below-inflation pay offer of 3%.
It was the second one-day action this year, and saw staff come out from 5am on Sunday until 5am Monday. This meant many phone lines were unavailable to take bets for a showcase race in France – the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Usdaw’s area organiser Michelle Owens said: “Staff on site are furious the company has not increased its 3% pay offer at a time when inflation is nearer 5%.
“This is the second 24-hour strike, the first was on August 23 and was very well supported. Industrial action is a last resort for our members."
08-Oct-08: New intake for Utilities Call Centre
30 new employees have started work at the United Utilities call centre at Whitehaven this month, bucking the national trend of job losses associated with the credit crunch.
And there are also future “ambitious growth plans’’ on the table that will provide further career opportunities for the local community, says the organisation.
All the new employees were recruited from Whitehaven and surrounding area, following a good response to two open days held in August, the Whitehaven Jobs Fair in September and job advertisements in The Whitehaven News.
Peter Rowbottom, head of customer care at United Utilities, said: “We’re delighted to receive our new starters and pleased that we now have a really welcoming work environment for all our employees, including our brand new restaurant area and deli bar.
“We have a terrific team of motivated staff here at Whitehaven and UU recognises the importance of providing people with a good work-life balance. Employee satisfaction is very important to us.’’
The design of the new restaurant facilities is based on direct feedback and suggestions from staff.
Peter said: “The Whitehaven office plays a key role in United Utilities’ focus on continuous improvement in customer service. We have a bedrock of excellent staff who have come from the Whitehaven and surrounding areas and we also have ambitious growth plans which will provide further career opportunities within the local community in the future.”
Last month the Whitehaven call centre was shortlisted in the UK’s Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service. Vicky Bigrigg, 29, of Cleator Moor was also shortlisted at the European Call Centre Awards, as one of the top seven customer service advisors across all centres in Europe.
05-Oct-08: The Listening Company hears call for jobs
The Listening Company has pledged to create 500 jobs at its new offices in Newcastle this year and to double that number within six months.
TLC plans to open a contact centre in St James Gate at the start of next month and is now recruiting customer service, sales advisers, management, training and recruitment staff.
The £55m business, with a nationwide workforce of more than 2,500 people, recently acquired the essentiagroup which already runs a call centre in Newcastle’s All Saints Business Centre. Essentia works with public sector clients including the Department of Health, but the new Listening Company centre will concentrate on the private sector. Its first customer is BSkyB and it is in talks with a mobile provider.
Listening Company spokesman Philip Shuldham-Legh said Newcastle ticked a number of boxes for the expanding company, which has seen its business grow by 40% year-on-year for the last three years.
“It’s a fantastic place for contact centres. We have quite a presence in the South and we already have offices in Newcastle through one of our subsidiaries. Newcastle, for our client base, is right in the middle. It gives us a great geographical spread.”
He also pointed to the area’s reputation as a centre for the industry, which meant there was a strong pool of experienced candidates available for employment.
Around 55,000 of the region’s 1,141,000 workers – or 5% of the region’s working population – is estimated to work in call centres. There are more than 150 such centres in the region, accounting for 5% of employment, compared to 3.5% across the whole of the UK, according to One NorthEast.
ONE’s chief executive, Alan Clarke, said the arrival of The Listening Company was great news for the region.
“This is fantastic news for Newcastle and for the whole service sector, which is such an important part of the North East economy,” he said.
“We’re delighted that The Listening Company is making this significant investment in the region and we very much look forward to hearing about the plans in more detail in the coming weeks.”
05-Oct-08: Call Centre Strikes Called Off
A strike by thousands of council call centre workers planned for this week has been called off after bosses offered a new pay deal.
Unions have already called two one-day strikes involving 150,000 council staff after they rejected a pay offer of 2.5 per cent.
Next week was to see the start of a series of targeted strikes with call centre staff at 19 councils due to stop work for a week.
Cosla spokesman Michael Cook said: "The unions have taken this deal away for consultation - but the good news for communities is strike action planned for next week has been suspended."
The deal is understood to be worth 5.5 per cent over two years - with three per cent the first year and 2.5 per cent the second.
A Unison spokesman said: "There is still a lot of work to do but strike action is suspended."
01-Oct-08: Recruitment is "number one issue for call centres"
The number one issue for British contact centres is the ongoing requirement for new recruits, according to new research.
According to the UK Contact Centre Operational Review, conducted by ContactBabel, agent salaries have decreased in the last year and a lack of upward progression makes call centre work difficult to recruit for.
The new study shows that attrition rates in the 200 companies surveyed is around 30 per cent and many staff leave the industry entirely with just 13 per cent transferring to another call centre.
However, 81 per cent of the companies questioned by ContactBabel said they were looking to recruit over the next year to increase headcount.
Steve Morrell, author of the report, said: "There are contradictory pressures on the UK contact centre industry where HR is concerned."
He added the majority of call centres planned to have a recruitment drive in 2009
01-Oct-08: Jobs go as MFI call centre closes
Hundreds of call centre workers will be out a of a job today, as MFI closes its Wearside operation.
It was announced in July that the furniture giant planned to close the site at Wayfarer Road, Low Southwick.
The firm is believed to have employed as many as 300 people at the centre to deal with increased call volumes in the peak sales period at Christmas, but the closure announcement affected 170 full and part-time employees.
The firm began a 90-day consultation period over the plan in July.
That deadline is up today – and a company spokesman confirmed the centre would close at the end of its last shift this evening:
"MFI has completed a period of consultation with employees at its customer contact centre in Sunderland and the facility will now be closing.
"Continued customer satisfaction remains to be a priority for the business with the majority of MFI's customer services functions now handled by showroom teams to ensure excellent service is delivered at a local level.
"A number of customer service roles remain in Sunderland, backed by regional call centre operations."
MFI has worked closely with local recruitment firms and other businesses to find alternative work for those staff hit by the closure plan and it is believed about 70 per cent of the team at Sunderland have jobs to go to.
MFI plans to transfer part of the customer services work provided on Wearside to a smaller contact centre operation in Cardiff, which the firm has been using as a back-up for the Southwick centre since March.
01-Oct-08: Call centre to move after arson attack
The owner of a West Midlands call centre completely wrecked in a suspicious blaze yesterday has told how the business will now have to relocate.
Paul Shergill, who has owned Time Leisure Services in Wolverhampton for two years, said everything essential to the running of the directory inquiries-type service including computers had been ruined.
Fire crews were called to the firm in Strawberry Lane, Wednesfield, at 12.30am today, just two hours after the late shift finished work.
Mr Shergill, aged 34, was alerted immediately as soon as the alarm went off and phoned all 25 staff members early today to tell them not to come in.
“There’s no way we can work in there now,” he said. “Everything’s been pretty much destroyed, our equipment, the servers, everything. I rang round the staff members this morning and left messages saying not to come in but some did and they were just devastated.”
Crews from Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, Willenhall and Walsall attended the blaze. Fallings Park crew commander Paul Lovell said it was being treated as suspicious after fire officers discovered traces of an accelerant.
He said: “We were called at 1am and left at around 4.15am. The police and fire investigators were taking over then.
“I’d say at least 30 per cent of the building has been destroyed. The main office is gutted.”
The building was today a blackened shell, with the roof and walls very badly damaged. Charred debris, including computers and office chairs were piled up outside.
Mr Shergill, of Wednesfield, said he was now contacting the landlord and his insurers to find a temporary new home.
He said: “It’s really early days so I’m not quite sure what the next step is. We were still here working at 11.30pm last night so it’s quite a shock. Everything has changed in just a few hours."
28-Sep-08: Barclaycard fined for silent calls
Barclaycard has been handed down the maximum fine of £50,000 by the telecoms watchdog for making 'nuisance' silent calls to its customers.
Ofcom said the calls were not generated with 'malicious intent' but were the worst case of 'persistent misuse' of a communications network it has ever investigated.
These calls occur when call centres using automated calling systems generate more calls than their available agents can deal with. When the person called answers the telephone, there is no agent available, resulting in silence on the line.
The resulting silence can be unsettling for older people, those who are being stalked or those who believe burglars use this device to check if people are at home.
The watchdog said it believed Barclaycard was in breach of its rules in June, following an investigation between October 2006 and May 2007. The credit card provider then had two months to supply a defence, which has apparently been rejected.
Ofcom published its rules on silent calls in 2006, which only allows 3% of any call centre's live calls made in any 24 hour period to be abandoned. However these must carry a short recorded information message identifying the source of the call. The calls must also have caller identification attached, so that the person can trace the caller.
Ofcom fined Abbey £30,000 earlier this year for the same offence and has previously fined Complete Credit Management, Space Kitchens, Bracken Bay Kitchens, Carphone Warehouse and Toucan for breaches of its rules on silent and abandoned calls.
In a damning indictment of Barclaycard's practices, Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards said: 'Taken as a whole, this is the most serious case of persistent misuse by making silent and abandoned calls that Ofcom has ever investigated. Had we not been limited by the statutory maximum, we would have imposed a larger financial penalty to reflect this misuse.'
25-Sep-08: Jobs go as Bradford and Bingley closes call centre
Bradford and Bingley is closing a mortgage processing call centre to cut costs as sales volumes plummet as a result of the credit crunch.
About 300 call centre staff will go at the processing unit in Hertfordshire and the work will be transferred to a centre at Bingley in West Yorkshire.
The company, which specialises in buy to let mortgages, has struggled since the onset of the credit crisis and lost £26.7m in the first half of the year.
25-Sep-08: Pension centre creates 70 new jobs in Dundee
The Scottish call centre market received a boost today with the news 70 permanent jobs are to be created at a contact centre in Dundee.
Dundee Pension Centre, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, says the high quality of staff in the area has allowed them to expand. The news will come as a huge relief from current uncertainty in the economy and the employment market.
The Pension Centre opened in 2002 and the department say it has proved a success story for both the DWP and for Dundee.
The centre serves customers across the UK claiming state pension and pension credit. The customer base includes local regions (Tayside, Fife, Perth & Kinross and Grampian) as well as Highlands and Islands, the West of Scotland and parts of Yorkshire and the English Midlands.
The 70 jobs will be created during the next 12 months and recruitment to fill the initial 30 places will start this month
Sandra Dancer, Pension Centre manager said, “We are very pleased with this expansion, both for the centre itself and for Dundee. The calibre of staff we have been able to recruit from Dundee and the surrounding areas has been one of the main reasons for our success.
“Now we’re looking forward to our next phase and welcoming 70 new colleagues.”
25-Sep-08: Energy Providers "Worst for Customer Satisfaction"
As the spotlight grows on energy suppliers, Which? has revealed that they are the lowest performing of all industries when it comes to customer satisfaction.
In the first ever energy supplier satisfaction survey from the consumer group, five of the big six companies achieved satisfaction scores of less than 50 per cent, but it was Npower that performed worst with a score of only 32 per cent.
Npower's customers gave it a resounding thumbs-down for its billing, customer service online support, telephone support and value for money. British Gas, who recently hiked gas prices by a record 35 per cent, also performed poorly, scoring just 40 per cent for overall satisfaction and awarded just one out of five for value for money.
Utility Warehouse was rated the best supplier in the survey, with a satisfaction score of 72 per cent. Customers awarded the company excellent marks for customer service, the quality of its telephone support and value for money.
One in five Which? members surveyed experienced problems with their supplier over the past 12 months. These included not getting bills or getting bills with errors on them, suppliers not coming to read the meter and problems contacting or resolving queries with suppliers. In addition, just one in three told Which? they'd received any advice on how to save energy.
Suppliers could also be setting direct debits too high. More than one in five gas customers and around one in six electricity customers who pay by direct debit and were in credit with their suppliers said the credit on their account was more than £100. As a result, Which? estimates direct debit customers could have overpaid by around £660m in total.
Jess Ross, Editor, which.co.uk, says: "This is the first time that we've asked members about their energy suppliers and we're shocked to see the results - too many suppliers are letting customers down and charging them more and more for the privilege! These companies are providing essential services that people can't live without, but this isn't an excuse to offer poor value for money."
25-Sep-08: National Customer Service Awards - WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
The winners of the National Customer Service Awards were announced this week at a sold-out Awards Ceremony & Dinner.
An audience of over 1,700 in the Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London saw twenty-eight winners pick up the prestigious award trophies.
The winners and finalists are:
Back Office Customer Service Team of the Year
Winner: Metropolitan Police
Finalists:
EDF Energy
Metropolitan Police
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Vodafone
Best Use of Technology in Customer Service
Winner: Chiltern Railways
Finalists:
Butlins Skyline
Chiltern Railways
Contact Leeds
Highways Agency
Customer Service Team of the Year - Airlines, Transport & Distribution
Winner: Eurostar (UK)
Finalists:
Chiltern Railways
Eurostar (UK)
London Underground
Merseytravel
Customer Service Team of the Year- Financial Services
Winner: NatWest
Finalists:
Barclays Personal Investment Management
Legal & General Assurance Society
Lloyds TSB Insurance
NatWest
Customer Service Team of the Year - General Companies
Winner: Abel & Cole
Finalists:
Abel & Cole
EDF Energy
Fresenius Kabi
Punch Taverns
Customer Service Team of the Year - IT & Telecommunications
Winner: Active Digital
Finalists:
Active Digital
Opal
Postcode Anywhere
Vodafone UK
Customer Service Team of the Year - Leisure & Tourism
Winner: Wycombe Wanderers Football Club
Finalists:
Butlins
Butlins Skyline
Loop Customer Management
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club
Customer Service Team of the Year - Public Services & Education
Winner: Merseyside Police
Finalists:
Merseyside Police
Metropolitan Police
Surrey Police
Torfaen County Borough Council
Customer Service Team of the Year - Recovery Situation
Winner: Carnival UK
Finalists:
Baxter Healthcare
Capita
Carnival UK
Norwich Union (part of Aviva)
Customer Service Team of the Year - Retail
Winner: The Peach Pub Co
Finalists:
Advance Security UK
Oasis Stores
Specsavers Optical Group
The Peach Pub Co
Customer Service Award for Field Service Management
Winner: JLA
Finalists:
Fujitsu Services
JLA
RBS Insurance
RM Education
Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year
Winner: O2
Finalists:
Britannia Building Society
Coventry Building Society
EDF Energy
JohnsonDiversey UK
Loop Customer Management
Marks & Spencer
Stannah Stairlifts
O2
Tesco Personal Finance
Yorkshire Water
Customer Service Contact Centre of the Year (over 100 seats)
Winner: RS Components
Finalists:
Autoglass®
Barclays Bank
bss
Dell Corporation
EDF Energy
Lloyds TSB Insurance
RS Components
Telefonica O2 UK
Ventura
Vodafone
Customer Service Contact Centre of the Year (up to 100 seats)
Winner: Coloplast
Finalists:
Barclays Personal Investment Management
Coloplast
Coventry Building Society
Experian (CreditExpert)
Liverpool Housing Trust (part of the Vicinity Group)
M&G Investments
Pindar Set
South West Trains
Vertex
Zen Internet
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Jill Jones, Thames Water
Customer Service Contact Centre Professional of the Year
Winner: Elaine Bridge, Royal Mail Group
Finalists:
Sheila Anderson, Capita Life and Pensions
Elaine Bridge, Royal Mail Group
Helen Cooksey, Telereal
Mel Brant, Zurich Intermediary Group
Customer Service Leader of the Year
Winner: Vernon Barker, First TransPennine Express
Finalists:
Caroline Fry, Charlton House Catering Services
Vernon Barker, First TransPennine Express
Jan Cavelle, The Jan Cavelle Furniture Company
Jason Cripps, Zurich Financial Services
Customer Service Management Team of the Year
Winner: Royal Bank of Scotland
Finalists:
Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions
Barclays Personal Investment Management
Coventry Building Society
Denplan
DPD
Liverpool Direct
Loop Customer Management
Norwich Union
Royal Bank of Scotland
Scottish Water
Customer Service Manager of the Year
Winner: Omar Nadeem Malleck-Amode, Vodafone UK
Finalists:
Harjinder Dilku, AXA LIFE
Gary Dinnell, Barclaycard Business
Tony Marsell, Barclays
Gwen Cumming, beCogent
Andrew Baldwin, Carnival UK
Collette Gunning, LEX
Rachel Collins, LOVEFiLM International
Steven Collier, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets
Omar Nadeem Malleck-Amode, Vodafone UK
Customer Service Newcomer of the Year
Winner: Andrew Hart, Norwich Union (part of Aviva)
Finalists:
Lisa Nicolson, Barclaycard Business
Emma Birtles, Experian
Andrew Hart, Norwich Union (part of Aviva)
Hannah Wilkinson, Vodafone
Customer Service Training Team of the Year
Winner: Butlins
Finalists:
Butlins
Capita
National Express Dot2Dot
Waitrose
e-Commerce Customer Service Award
Winner: Swiftcover.com
Finalists:
Egencia
Photobox
Swiftcover.com
Thames Water Utilities
Front-line Customer Service Team of the Year
Winner: London Borough of Haringey
Finalists:
Cable & Wireless Europe, Asia and US
Denplan
Fresenius Kabi
London Borough of Haringey
Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police
Ocean Village Holidays
Scottish Widows
South West Trains
Vodafone UK
The ICS Front-line Customer Service Professional of the Year
Winner: Daniel Opoku, South West Trains
Finalists:
Iffat Bashir, Cable & Wireless Europe, Asia and US
Lynne Yuill-Kirkwood, Capita Life and Pensions
Teresa Steer, First Capital Connect
Georgina Grant, Liverpool Direct
Tammi Swain, London Borough of Redbridge
Dele Bolude, Metropolitan Police
Mark Beale, Metropolitan Police
Eric Rees, RA Business Services
Pamela Eddison, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets
Daniel Opoku, South West Trains
The SOCAP Award for Innovation in Customer Service
Winner: The True Lovers Knot
Finalists:
DPD
Lloydstsb Telephone Banking
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts
The True Lovers Knot
The WOW! Award
Winner: Legoland Windsor Park
Finalists:
Haringey Council
Legoland Windsor Park
The Jewellery Channel
The Mortgage Broker
Young Customer Service Professional of the Year
Winner: Lauren Mitchell, Experian
Finalists:
Alex Harms, Active Digital Communications
Jennifer Curtis, AXA Insurance
Lauren Valentine, Bank of Scotland
Lauren Mitchell, Experian
Lauren Beasley, HBOS
Carly Whittam, NatWest North Region
Adam Moore, NTL: Telewest Business
Ashlie Morris, Office Depot
Paul Bentley, South West Trains
Helen Fawcett, Telereal Service
The Huthwaite International Customer Service Team of the Year
Winner: Abel & Cole
24-Sep-08: Call centre delays 'top irritant'
Being kept on hold by a call centre is the thing most likely to make people angry, a survey suggests.
The poll for BBC Two programme Losing It found 26% said call centre delays were the most infuriating situation.
Some 23% said being physically attacked was most anger inducing, while being insulted and queue-jumping were rated joint third at 8% each.
The poll of 3,787 people coincides with the two-part documentary presented by comedian and actor Griff Rhys Jones.
The programme looks at how anger affects people in everyday life.
The survey suggested people in the West Midlands were the angriest - 16% from the region said they had trouble calming down when they got angry which compared to a national average of 11%.
Three-quarters of those surveyed mentioned being kept on hold on the telephone as a source of annoyance, even if it was not the most annoying thing.
Those in Scotland and the West Midlands were most likely to use alcohol to help calm themselves down when they got angry (19%).
People in Wales (68%) were more likely than average (60%) to get angry about queue jumping. Only the East Midlands had a higher figure (69%)
Public transport delays caused Londoners (50%) to get more angry than the average (42%).
More women than men - almost three-quarters compared to two-thirds - said they took a deep breath to calm down.
The programme, Losing It - Griff Rhys Jones On Anger, was screened on 23 September. The second episode will be shown on BBC Two at 2100 BST on Tuesday 30 September.
23-Sep-08: Turbulent times for the Call Centre Industry
Keith Gait, Founder and Principal Consultant at Orchid Consulting, comments on how the current economic crisis is likely to affect an already battered industry, and issues an impassioned plea to his peers to look beyond short term cost issues and remain focused on delivering real quality for the customer.
The State of the Market
Turbulent times for the Call Centre Industry. As companies merge and some go under, what are the implications for the Call Centre market as the credit crunch and the wider economic slowdown begins to bite.
Firstly, we have already seen hundreds of job losses, and we are likely to see thousands more. Between them Lloyds TSB and HBOS have literally thousands of seats across over a dozen sites in the UK. Consolidation and closure of some of these is inevitable, with ensuing job losses.
In the aviation sector, this is already happening, with the collapse of XL leaving hundreds of call centre staff out of work, and Thomas Cook closing a site as the market shrinks.
Outsourcers are fairing little better, with Ventura closing a site with the loss of 700 seats, and profits sharply down. With many of the medium sized outsourcers all having grand ambitions for expansion, and all chasing the same limited pot of work, surely the time has come for some of them to put their egos to one side and merge, or be squeezed.
The unknown of course is the impact for offshoring. The warnings signs are there, but we must pray this is not a return to the dark days of the turn of the decade, when cost reduction was the only business imperative, and to hell with the customer experience.
We must look to clients to see beyond these troubled times, and to recognise that customer demands and expectations have moved on, and that delivering a great experience, first time, is the only long term strategy to pursue.
Lets hope all this doesn’t result in a decline in service for customers, any undue hardship for those facing redundancy, or damage to the industry’s already fragile reputation.
21-Sep-08: Capita named European Call Centre of the Year
This week saw the most glittering night in the call centre calendar take place at the CCF European Call Centre Awards in Birmingham. The great and good of the industry gathered at the Hilton Metropole to see Capita’s Sheffield call centre crowned with the overall accolade.
Among the other winners on the night were Citibank for best virtual call centre, London Underground for best small call centre, HMRC bathgate for best team, and British Gas Services for best centre to work for.
The full list of winners is :
Advisor of the year
Winner: Hayley Lythgoe, Barclays Gadbrook Park
Highly Commended: Liz Coghlan, London General Insurance Company
Best small call centre
Winner: London Underground (Customer service centre)
Commended: Bedfordshire Police
Best large call centre
Winner: Capita, Sheffield
Highly Commended: Thomas Cook
Best virtual call centre
Winner: Citibank
Highly Commended: JobCentre Plus
Commended: QVC
Best outsourcing partner
Winner: Capita-DSG
Commended: Vangent-Southwark Council
Commended: BSS-LearnDirect
Best Improvement Strategy
Winner: Coventry Building Society
Highly Commended: Garanti Bank, Turkey
Commended: Cega Group
Best use of technology
Winner: Homeserve Group
Highly Commended: Citigroup Poland
Commended: LV
Best centre for customer service
Winner: Global Bilgi, Turkey
Highly Commended: Lloyds TSB Insurance
Best outbound campaign
Winner: Garanti Bank, Turkey
Highly Commended: British Gas
Commended: EDF
Best people practice
Winner: HCL Technologies, Belfast
Highly Commended: RBS
Commended: RIAS
Best centre to work for
Winner: British Gas Services
Highly Commended: Coventry Building Society
Commended: Cardiff City Council
Best multi-media strategy
Winner: Virgin Wines
Samaritans corporate responsibility award
Winner: beCogent
Highly Commended: HMRC, Dundee
Commended: HBOS
Call centre manager of the year
Winner: Michelle Blayney, Lloyds TSB
Highly Commended: Sue Sixsmith, Vertex
Commended: John Fitzsimmons, British Gas
Team of the year
Winner: HMRC Bathgate Team 8
Non-European call centre of the year
Winner: Kencall
Highly Commended: 24/7 Customer, Bangalore
Judge’s Special Award
Winner: David Stoddard, Lloyds TSB Insurance
European call centre of the year: Capita, Sheffield
18-Sep-08: Police told to improve their customer service
Service levels offered by the police have to improve for public confidence in the force to be restored according to Ian Johnston, president of the Police Superintendents’ Association.
Mr Johnston said that public confidence in the police had been ‘dented and bruised’ by poor standards of behaviour and said too many officers had allowed ‘pride and ego’ to get in the way of improvements that were necessary in dealing with the public.
Mr Johnston, a chief superintendent in Gwent Police, added: "Over half the complaints against the police are about rudeness and incivility and about lack of service. We need to pay attention to that. The only way we are going to get better is by admitting that on these occasions we don’t get it right. I think pride and ego comes into play with a lot of officers and there will be some who are offended by the things I am saying."
18-Sep-08: IT drains call centre productivity
A survey released today on the attitudes of over 500 UK call centre workers has revealed that IT is perceived as the biggest drain on productivity.
Despite this, Siemens Enterprise Communications’ “Listeners Report” found their staff enjoying the challenge of handling more complex problems and systems.
Although other recent research found contact centre service and response levels had deteriorated in the last ten years in consumer’s eyes, the survey found 45 per cent of calls were resolved in the first instance and that staff were also increasingly handling email, SMS and other customer interactions.
In doing so, only a quarter of call time was found to be spent talking. But the report found a trend towards carrying out complex data entry and administrative tasks over speaking to customers led to IT’s non-productive image.
Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of respondents reported a significant IT upgrade in the last year, which rose to 85 per cent in the last two years. And on average, contact centre workers used five separate applications when dealing with a call and only spend 29 per cent of each call actually talking with the customer.
A slowdown in IT resource spending was considered the biggest drain on productivity by 63 per cent of those questioned. And nearly 1 in 4 calls (22 per cent) were affected because of IT issues.
But technology was not seen as all bad, as the survey reported that increased use of complex IT systems had led to a more professional workforce.
Staff felt that call centre technologies allowed for more flexible business operations and working practices, like home workers or back-up staff to manage service demand during peak periods for example.
Perhaps this is why contact centre staff appeared to be surprisingly loyal – at odds with the job’s popular image as transient and low skilled.
The survey respondents typically stayed in their jobs for over two years, had over four year’ experience, actively sought further training and were keen to progress professionally.
“Contact centre workers are experienced, dedicated and satisfied workers. Unfortunately, whilst the working environment is fulfilling its potential, technology hasn’t lived up to its promise,” stated the report.
18-Sep-08: Convergys buys software firm
A call centre company has bought out another firm for £188 million in a deal which is hoped will set them as a market leader, according to reports.
Convergys has acquired Intervoice, a software provider, with services like web self service, live agent services and speech automation now being adopted by the business.
According to the reports, the move is hoped to make Convergys a relationship management market leader and will mean it can add voice response, contact centre and mobile messaging to its services.
Dave Dougherty, chief executive and president of the firm, said "This acquisition is about investing to address the current and future needs of our clients."
He added relationship management for telemarketing clients will be improved and assured that customers would get "industry-leading technology, professional services and support solutions".
18-Sep-08: Jobs fair for axed call centre staff
A recruitment day aimed at finding jobs for the 150 staff who worked at the Travel City Direct call centre in Swansea is being held in the city.
Workers were sent home after parent company XL went into administration.
Around 200 posts are on offer at other call centre operators including HSBC, Conduit, Communications Direct and Cellcom Communications.
Jobcentre staff said advice on benefits and retraining would also be available at Saturday's event.
The call centre staff were sent home on Friday within hours of all XL flights being cancelled and its airplanes grounded.
Travel City Direct operated flights out of Cardiff International Airport providing package holidays in Florida as well as rugby tours and school trips.
The call centre at Swansea Enterprise Park had been operating for more than 10 years.
Administrators said the future of the business was still unclear.
18-Sep-08: Centre of excellence
Scotland's best employer title has for the second year in succession gone to a call centre firm.
BeCogent was named Employer of the Year at the National Business Awards for Scotland.
At the ceremony in Glasgow's Hilton Hotel last night, the Airdrie firm received the title held last year by Uddingston's Kwik-Fit Financial Services.
BeCogent, which employs more than 3000 people across Airdrie, Erskine, Kilmarnock and Glasgow, runs its own academy, giving staff training and perks such as free massages, gym membership, in-house shopping and even beauty treatments.
The firm also received the Business of the Year Award.
Philip Forrest, chairman of judges at the awards, said: "The list of contenders defied the reported atmosphere of doom and gloom about the economy and produced another outstandingly high quality entry list.
"Every category contained organisations of such quality that the competition for finalist places could have been filled twice over.
"The outlook of almost all of the finalists also remained healthy although an element of caution has been built into their forward planning.
"However, as far as 2008 is concerned, it is another very competitive year with the judges facing another difficult task in deciding which of the outstanding organisations to select as a winner.
"This year's entries prove there is still plenty of vigour and appetite for success among UK firms."
18-Sep-08: TalkTalk sees ‘biggest improvement’ in customer service
Once-troubled broadband provider TalkTalk has seen massive improvements in customer service, according to new research.
The bi-annual customer satisfaction survey by BroadbandChoices revealed that TalkTalk's customers are now better satisfied with their service than ever before.
Overall in the six categories, TalkTalk came second only to Sky Broadband with 71 per cent of customers saying that they’re fairly / very satisfied with the “overall quality & stability” of their home internet service.
53 per cent of customers were fairly / very satisfied with the ISP’s “after sales support” an area where TalkTalk has previously had problems - up 10 points on the last survey six months ago.
When the company first launched its revolutionary “free broadband” back in 2006, Charles Dunstone, Carphone Warehouse CEO, was forced to admit that the provider had failed to anticipate demand for the hugely popular offer; delays were rife and customer service almost non-existent.
“But with a lot of investment and hard work TalkTalk has managed to turn that around,” said Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director.
“It’s nice to see TalkTalk’s service is improving, with users voting more positively for this ISP in most categories since February’s survey. We look forward to seeing how these stats will develop in our next survey,” he added.
10-Sep-08: Ventura puts dent in Next profits
The fashion retailer has announced its results for the first six months of the year, with declining profits at Ventura being blamed for a large chunk.
Overall, pre-tax profits for the six months to July were £173.5m, down 12.4%. This is at the upper end of analysts’ estimates of £165m to £177m. Next stores saw a dip in revenues from £1,029m to £996m.
The weakest spot was the group’s third party call centre business Ventura, where pre-tax profits sunk from £11m to £3.5m – a significant chunk of the overall decline. This came on the back of loss of revenue from two key clients, one of which was Northern Rock.
09-Sep-08: Customs call centre to create 350 jobs
About 350 jobs will be created when a new call centre for HM Revenue and Customs opens in west Cumbria.
A new contact centre will open at West Cumbria House in Lillyhall, between Whitehaven and Workington, officials have confirmed.
It will also secure the jobs of 53 staff who work at the Whitehaven tax office at Blencathra House and they will get the opportunity to work in the new centre.
The revenue and customs department has 20 contact centres across the UK where calls about tax self-assessment, PAYE payments and tax credits are handled.
The department will be working closely with the West Cumbria Development Agency over the coming months to make sure the building meets the revenue and customs standard.
Linda Maslen, head of HMRC contact centres, said it was "very good news for the region".
"I am delighted that our new site will be here in west Cumbria, and I am really looking forward to working closely with my new team to put Lillyhall Contact Centre at the forefront of providing an excellent service to our customers.
"The opening of this new contact centre brings great opportunities for colleagues from Blencathra House, and for the local community."
West Cumbria Development Agency director Tim Hirst said: "This is excellent employment opportunity news and demonstrates the commitment by many parties to continue to improve the economic prospects for west Cumbria into the future."
09-Sep-08: Co-op on top in Bank customer satisfaction
Banking customers in the UK are even more satisfied with their bank than before the onset of the credit crunch, although some institutions do little to inspire consumer confidence.
The Co-operative Bank scores best out of 13 banking institutions surveyed by the annual JD Power and Associates retail banking customer satisfaction survey. It is followed by Nationwide Building Society, which has been dogged by delays to its Isa transfers over the past year, and RBS.
Abbey was the worst rated of all the banks, while HSBC, Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Clydesdale Bank were all rated below average by the survey's consumer index.
The banks were rated on six factors: transactions, account opening/product offerings, fees, account statement, problem resolution and convenience.
Despite the credit crunch and the fall of Northern Rock, overall confidence in the UK banking sector is up, according to the survey.
Three quarters of people would recommend their bank to other people, while another quarter believe the stability of their bank has not changed over the past 12 months.
Another three quarters of the 3,300 customers surveyed said they are likely to use their current bank again when looking for other banking services.
However one fifth of banking customers had a problem with their bank over the past year. Among complaints, banking fees were the most prominent.
Caspar Tearle, head of research at JD Power, said: 'High levels of customer satisfaction inevitably impact the number of positive recommendations that customers are willing to give, which in turn vastly reduces potential acquisition costs and positively impacts the bottom line for banks.
'Recommendations are also the single most important resource when customers want to switch their bank, so more positive recommendations can give customers more options and more confidence as they search for a new retail banking institution.'
In descending order, the banks were ranked in the JD Power survey in the following order:
The Co-op
Nationwide
RBS
Alliance & Leicester
Halifax
NatWest
Lloyds TSB
Yorkshire Bank
HSBC
Bank of Scotland
Barclays
Clydesdale Bank
Abbey.
09-Sep-08: First Direct comes out on top in survey
First Direct has come out on top in survey to find which banks customers are ‘most likely to recommend’
Findings from a study of UK banks released today reveals that First Direct is the bank customers would be ‘most likely to recommend’ to friends and family whilst Barclays, HSBC and Abbey came in the bottom three.
The study, sent to over 30,000 consumers, reveals that despite the onset of the ‘credit crunch’, UK consumers are positively influenced more by good customer service than the latest market-beating financial products, offers and services when it comes to making recommendations to others.
Carried out by integrated marketing agency Geronimo, and designed to capture customers’ perceptions of their own banks, the study used the Net Promoter Score* system (NPS) to find that First Direct came first with nearly three quarters of its customers saying they would actively recommend it. Key reasons given include friendly, helpful and efficient staff, ease of use and excellent customer service.
The Co-Operative and Nationwide came second and third respectively, although the reasons given were different. The Co-op was praised for its ethical stance whilst Nationwide was rated highly because its products and charges were perceived to be very fair.
The NPS system, which subtracts the number of ‘detractors’ from ‘promoters’, calculated that Barclays was least likely to be recommended by its customers.
The Top Five:
First Direct
(71% of customers would recommend First Direct and its NPS score is 57%)
Co-operative
(56% of customers would recommend Co-operative and its NPS score is 37%)
Nationwide
(52% of customers would recommend Nationwide and its NPS score is 25%)
Alliance & Leicester
(50% of customers would recommend Alliance & Leicester and its NPS score is 22%)
Royal Bank of Scotland
(36% of customers would recommend Royal Bank of Scotland and its NPS score is 10%)
The Bottom Five:
HBOS
(26% of customers would recommend HBOS and its NPS score is -17%)
Lloyds TSB
(24% of customers would recommend Lloyds and its NPS score is -19%)
Abbey
(24% of customers would recommend Abbey and its NPS score is -20%)
HSBC
(28% of customers would recommend HSBC and its NPS score is -20%)
Barclays
(19% of customers would recommend Barclays and its NPS score is -35%)
Andy Snuggs, MD at Geronimo said:
”It is no coincidence that the top rated banks in our research have a clear positioning – their customers know what they stand for and the banks deliver; be it ‘personal service’ (First Direct), ‘ethical stance’ (Co-op) or ‘fair pricing’ (Nationwide). The big players need to address a number of areas including what they actually stand for, what their customers’ expectations are and how can they start to meet and beat these; also how can they surprise and delight their customers, especially their more valuable ones”.
08-Sep-08: Holiday firm sings the praises of its call centre staff
Call centre staff in Peterborough were treated to a night on the tiles as reward for their hard work and commitment.
More than 80 members of staff from Thomas Cook were invited to the event at Praise restaurant and cocktail bar in New Road, Peterborough on Wednesday.
The event, which was sponsored by the Dubai Tourist Board for Thomas Cook Retail and Thomas Cook Signature Call Centre staff, included drinks and dinner.
The top sellers from the call centre arrived like true celebrities in style in a stretch Hummer limousine and, once inside, enjoyed a lavish awards night.
Spokeswoman for Thomas Cook Beth Harrison said: “The event was organised to thank the staff for their efforts.
“It was also designed to launch the new Thomas Cook Dubai Experience.
“Dubai is quite a new destination for us and is getting more popular by the day.”
08-Sep-08: Hull telecom firm awarded council contract
Telecom company Kcom has secured the contract to provide Hull City Council's call centre services.
The city-based firm beat off fierce competition from more than 100 companies across the UK to operate the council's 300300 number.
Kcom will be awarded the contract subject to due diligence checks.
In line with standard procedure, the contract will go before a council committee around the middle of next month. Subject to approval, it will take effect from December 1.
According to the a council statement, the company secured the deal due to its quality and cost of its services.
The tendering process included an innovative e-auction, which saw the final four bidders lower their prices at the last minute.
The council said the new contract will save taxpayers more than £460,000 every year in direct charges and about £140,000 per year in additional related charges.
Councillor Abigail Walker, portfolio holder for customer services at Hull City Council, said the tendering process had been very thorough and would result in improved service for customers and a substantial savings for taxpayers.
She said: "We look forward to working in a new partnership with Kcom."
Andy Brown, head of citizen engagement for the council, said: "This is great news for taxpayers who will benefit from a much better service at a much lower cost and the call centre jobs will remain in the city.
"For the council, this has been an opportunity to test the market for both price and quality for this key service."
Andrew Tapley, chairman of Kcom contact centres, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have won this important contract and look forward to continuing to develop our partnership with the council to provide this essential service to the people of Hull."
Currently, the number is operated by Kingston Communications (KC), part of the Kcom group.
08-Sep-08: Armed police put an end to call centres team-building
A Team Building exercise misfired when imitation guns were mistaken for the real thing.
Armed police officers swooped on a Southend Call Centre after a member of the public spotted two men, dressed in dark clothing, carrying guns.
Officers surrounded Thamesgate House, thinking an armed siege was taking place, only to discover the guns were fakes and the men were taking part in a company activity.
Essex Police said the company, Converso Contact Centres, had been “offered some suitable words of advice.”
DCI Tim Raymond, added: “The two men involved clearly did not think about the implications of their actions.
“This was potentially a very dangerous situation and, as such, armed officers were deployed.
“It was quickly established the guns were imitations, however, the outcome could have been much different.”
It is not known what type of team-building activity the men were involved in.
04-Sep-08: Thomas Cook to shut Glasgow call centre
Almost 160 staff will be affected by plans by Thomas Cook to shut its call centre in Glasgow.
The company plans to relocate and combine functions in Falkirk, Peterborough and tour operating offices in Bradford in a bid to save £1 million a year.
The company has entered into a 90-day consultation period with the 158 employees involved.
Thomas Cook said it will “work closely with them in order to retain as many people as possible”.
The majority of moves are due to be completed by the end of the year.
The company said the “reasonable commuting distance” of approximately 23 miles would allow those in sales roles the ability to transfer to Falkirk.
There will also be opportunities to expand the group’s homeworking network.
The proposals affect Teletext, Panorama, Manos, Direct Holidays and Style sales centre operations plus credit control functions based in Granite House, Glasgow.
The closure has been announced following a review of the Glasgow and Falkirk sites which found that both have low occupancy of 35% and 60% respectively.
The review found that by combining the operations the company would “realise synergies in excess of £1 million per annum”.
Thomas Cook holidays division executive director Pete Constanti said: “We have a highly-skilled and successful team of travel professionals in Glasgow and we want to keep as many as possible by offering a variety of suitable alternative sales roles including transfers and redeployment opportunities in our Falkirk Sales Centre and by expanding our homeworking network.
“We are absolutely committed to helping them make the best personal choice from options available to them and are very hopeful of achieving a high level of retention, should the proposals go ahead.
“We are equally committed to the long term success of the tour operator brands currently supported by the Glasgow-based sales teams. We continue to invest heavily in their development, marketing and positioning.”
04-Sep-08: T-Mobile moving customer care to The Philippines
T-Mobile UK has signed a deal to outsource its PrePay customer care to a call centre in the Philippines.
WNS Holdings, a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm signed the letter of intent with T-Mobile to handle all inbound customer queries, including managing promotions, charges and credits and roaming, and alert new customers to the range of subscription benefits.
T-Mobile currently operates four call centres in the UK, and contract customers will continue to be supported by UK staff.
Details of any possible redundancies have not been made clear - although the company did cut some 800 jobs in its call centers in 2005 when it outsourced some work to a 3rd party provider.
WNS Philippines is a joint venture between WNS Global Services and Advanced Contact Solutions (ACS), a contact services provider based in Manila, Philippines to offer contact centre services to global clients across a full range of industries.
"T-Mobile is committed to ensuring that our customers receive the best care at all times. We are recognized for our superior customer service, and by leveraging the capabilities of WNS Philippines, we will to take our customers' experience to the next level," said Russell Taylor, T-Mobile UK's Customer Services Director.
"We have chosen WNS Philippines as our partner because they bring a deep understanding of customer needs, have a track record of operational excellence and most importantly, are aligned to our values."
04-Sep-08: TSC rings in with jobs boost
A major jobs boost is in line for Scotland with scores of new telebanking jobs set to be created by Telecom Service Centres at their contact centre in Aviemore.
TSC has yet to put a figure on the number of new posts that will be coming to their base on the Cairngorm Technology Park, but have described it as a "significant increase".
There are currently 125 full-time and part-time staff employed locally by the firm handling a major contract for banking giants HSBC at Dalfaber, at the north end of the village.
The latest recruitment drive is part of the wider expansion plans by the firm which is already one of the area's largest employers and follows strong growth in 2007.
Their latest annual figures just published report a rise of 12% in turnover from £49.3 million to £55.1 million, with profits up £3 million to £5.1 million, for the year ending August 31, 2007.
TSC have said they are planning a radical change in their shift patterns and recruitment policies in a bid to attract more staff to fill the new roles dealing with incoming calls from HSBC customers.
Their site at Dalfaber is one of TSC's nine-strong UK network of bases but the one with most potential to grow, according to Gillian Brannan, the company's local business manager.
"We are particularly pleased to be bringing this good news to the area when there seems to be so much doom and gloom around on so many other fronts," she said.
"There are a huge number of potential employees out there. That is why we must integrate the community into TSC rather than the other way about. We must look at the demographics of the community and fit in."
One of the measures will include introducing what the firm is calling family friendly shifts which are particularly designed to appeal to working mums.
Ms Brannan said: "These shifts are from 9.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday, with all school holidays off.
"We are the only employer in the area to offer this and we know it is ideal for mums with children of school age."
The company is also looking beyond Aviemore for potential employees in the surroundings areas too, in a bid to fill the new posts at their office.
Ms Brannan explained: "We run a staff bus from Inverness and would look to do something similar from Newtonmore, Grantown and Nethy Bridge if the numbers justified it. If there is interest from there, we will do that."
Local Lib Dem MP Danny Alexander has welcomed TSC's jobs announcement.
He said: "This is a major boost to the local economy, and justified recognition of the fantastic work done by the staff at TSC. I have seen first hand the extremely high standards of friendly customer service provided by this successful business."
"TSC is already one of the largest employers in the strath, and it's very good news indeed that it is going to grow further. This is a welcome antidote to some of the gloomier economic news that is being reported at a national level."
Alison Wilson, financial and business services manager with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said: "HIE was able to assist this company to set up in Aviemore, and news of its continued success and plans for expansion is obviously encouraging.
"This company is using the region's high calibre workforce to undertake high value work, and this makes it possible to serve some of the biggest companies in the world from locations as enviable as Badenoch and Strathspey.
"We will continue to work with TSC to maximise the skills of the local labour force and, where we can, support their continuing success in the area."
20-Aug-08: O2 sweeps awards for broadband customer satisfaction
O2 has won awards for providing the fastest broadband service and delivering the best customer satisfaction.
Top 10 Broadband, the UK's broadband comparison site, has announced the results of its inaugural annual broadband awards.
Along with O2's awards, BT was the winner in the Wireless Broadband category and 3 was deemed the best Mobile Broadband provider.
The Top 10 Broadband team analysed data captured in over 310,000 speed tests carried out on the Top 10 Broadband site as part of the judging process.
Broadband packages were also tested against a wide range of criteria to secure awards in categories such as Customer Satisfaction and Broadband Bundle.
O2 won the Fastest Broadband and Customer Satisfaction awards, with an average download speed of 6.128mbps and a customer rating of 3.84 out of 5.
This made O2 attractive to UK consumers who want to download songs and movies, stream live video and play games online without the connection dropping in and out or the download taking a long time.
The Wireless Broadband award went to BT, as its wireless router, the BT Home Hub 2.0, doubles the wireless reach of most routers and supports digital TV.
3 was the clear winner in the Mobile Broadband category, with its expansive range of packages offering a variety of download allowance and laptop options, said Top Ten Broadband.
The Top 10 Broadband Awards and winners:
Fastest Broadband O2
Customer Satisfaction O2
Mobile Broadband 3
Wireless Broadband BT
Broadband Bundle Virgin Media
Value Broadband TalkTalk
Short-Contract Broadband AOL Broadband
Small ISP PlusNet
Gaming Broadband Be
Student Broadband Vodafone
19-Aug-08: Sky creates 350 jobs with new call centre in Leeds
Entertainment giant Sky is to create 350 jobs in Leeds city centre. A new contact centre will open in City Walk early next year.
The centre will offer a variety of new jobs including sales advisors, team leaders, call centre managers and training roles. The majority of the jobs will be full time positions, with about 40 management roles.
Sky bosses said their new Leeds base will help the company meet the "strong demand" for its TV, broadband and phone services.
Dave Rumble, Sky's Sales Director, said: "We're really excited to be coming to Leeds. We looked at a number of sites across the UK but we've chosen Leeds because it's a vibrant city with a strong track record in the contact centre sector and excellent transport links."
"Around one in three UK households already have Sky and more customers are choosing us for a wider range of services than ever before."
"We're investing in our future growth and we want our new Leeds base to help us achieve continued success. There are great opportunities at all levels to join a multimedia company that recognizes talent and is absolutely committed to developing and supporting its people."
Sky has signed up broadband 1.6m customers, becoming the fifth-largest broadband company, and aims to attract three million broadband customers by 2010.
It already has 8.9m pay-TV customers but only 11 per cent of those are currently also buying broadband and telephone services from Sky.
Sky already has a presence in Yorkshire, with around 250 people based in Harrogate at Sky Bet and Football365.com.
18-Aug-08: Contact Centre Planning to focus on delivering the Customer Journey
With around 400 delegates expected for the main conference - plus more participating in the supplier exhibition and Gala awards dinner – the conference, presented by the Professional Planning Forum is the biggest event of its kind in Europe.
An annually-attended event for contact centre directors, MI analysts, resource planners and others, this year's conference is being held in the West London Novotel, with its outstanding conference facilities and accessible location. The conference brings together participants from all industry sectors to learn about best practice in delivering improvements in contact centre performance.
This year's conference theme - Delivering the Customer Journey - gives a focus for seeing how effective planning can help organisations remove the silos that get in the way of a great customer experience. From analysing the root cause of customer contact, through management information and targets that drive the right behaviour, to an integrated resourcing strategy that supports life-style planning and home-working - this year's conference provides ideas and opportunities for centres of all sizes and in all sectors - whether handling inbound, outbound or multi-media contacts. A particular feature of the Forum’s work streams this year also includes a new trend of integrating the planning for front and back office to stream line the customer experience and eliminate unnecessary customer calls or contacts.
Also appropriate for senior managers, many organisations bring their key management to discover how other organisations balance the needs of numbers with people and focus on the experience of the customer. Delegates find it a great opportunity to learn from how others achieve their success and to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in a wide range of contact centre planning and information disciplines.
18-Aug-08: Indian outsourcer creates new UK jobs
North East based outsource specialist, Respondez has announced the creation of 100 new jobs in the region as a result of securing several key international clients.
Following the new business wins Respondez, a Hartlepool based global contact centre and outsource specialist, is set to significantly increase its workforce by the end of this month to create a large number of new job opportunities for the area. The new positions will include team leaders, training resource, account management and inbound call centre advisors.
Fast expanding Respondez is the global contact centre and Business Process Outsourcing brand of the Indian owned corporate group Spanco Telesystems and Solutions.
Respondez provides clients from across the world with a complete portfolio of services including an integrated package of outsourced contact centre services, customer service support, technical support and warehouse and fulfilment services.
Sue Marshall, Sales and Marketing Director at Respondez, said: "This has been a truly successful year for Respondez so far and having won several major clients in both our contact centre and warehouse, we are extremely pleased to now be able to announce the creation of the new jobs within the company."
18-Aug-08: Warning over Indian call centre bubble
India's burgeoning call centre industry, which has drawn thousands of jobs from Britain, is heading for contraction within the next two years, according to a new report published today.
The boom in outsourcing sales, customer services and other telephone work to low-paid, English-speaking Indians has generated competition that is driving down prices and pushing up pay, market analyst Datamonitor said in its study.
The report says newcomers to the market are aggressively discounting to grab a share of the £255 million business, resulting in shrinking margins and raising questions as to who will survive.
Datamonitor said a "shake-out" is inevitable within two or three years, and its report predicted this it will largely be driven by consulting companies exiting the market, and either spinning off their contact centre operations or turning over the management of their customer care services to third parties.
Todays report from Datamonitor said: "The Indian outsourcing bubble is showing signs of contraction with some vendors shutting down operations and others being acquired by large Indian IT companies.
"Many prominent Indian business families ploughed investment into building contact centres in Indian hot spots, only to now be faced with under utilisation."
Datamonitors findings confirm recent report from industry insiders who said competition has been intensifying, cutting profit margins and favouring high-volume operators.
13-Aug-08: Barclaycard to increase Call Centre workforce
Barclaycard has announced expansion plans for its Teeside call centre with the search under way to find 120 extra staff.
Barclaycard has already taken on 200 staff at its Teesdale site this year. But it is now looking to increase workforce numbers past the 700 mark due to a growth in business.
The new full and part-time jobs are being created as Barclaycard continues to expand in the UK and after the recent acquisition of the Goldfish credit card business. Barclaycard now has 11.9 million customers in the UK and is seeking to recruit in customer service and sales.
The company began the initial recruitment drive in June and hopes to have all new staff in place by the end of the year.
The credit card giant has had a base in Teesside since 1997.
Elaine Mockler, head of sales and service at Barclaycard, said: “We’re thrilled that we’ve so far recruited 200 new colleagues to the business and they’re helping deliver great customer service to Barclaycard customers. But, we’d like to recruit more and we’ll continue to advertise for suitable applicants.”
13-Aug-08: All work and no play is a bad idea, says O2
Phone giant O2 says encouraging staff to play games at work is boosting their creativity and productivity.
O2 has installed a play room for the 1,800 workers at its Preston Brook customer service contact centre.
Staff are encouraged to unleash their inner child by playing board games, bouncing on giant balls, drawing pictures and hugging plastic dogs.
02’s head of innovation, John Sproats, said: “The room was devised as part of our bright sparks initiative, as a place that could be used for brainstorming and being creative.”
“As for the toys, it’s scientifically proven that when your hands are engaged or playing with something, you are in a more creative mindset.”
Mr Sproats says the room does not include the corporate branding apparent elsewhere.
He said: “We felt there was plenty of this around, and one objective was to develop ideas around non-core activities.”
Communications specialist Claire Robinson, 25, said: “It’s a fantastic room to brainstorm or think outside the box. Playing helps you to relax and think creatively.
“It’s also a great way to bring people together informally.”
11-Aug-08: ScottishPower call in cops over call centre workers' 'scam'
Scottish Power bosses have called in police over an alleged fraud by call centre workers.
The firm believe staff at their customer services site in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, arranged rebates worth hundreds of pounds on their own energy bills.
Yesterday, the Record revealed workers faced the sack after being accused of setting their own tariffs and authorising cheques to themselves for the difference.
Two men and a woman were suspended pending a company investigation and another man has already resigned.
A ScottishPower spokesman confirmed they had been in touch with police.
He said: "We will complete our own investigation before making aformal report."
A police spokeswoman said: "Police have spoken to Scottish Power and we have given them some advice. However, no complaint has been made to police at this time."
The scam is thought to have involved staff accessing their own accounts and setting cheap tariffs no longer offered to customers, and also setting up cheap deals for friends and relatives.
11-Aug-08: Call centre workers to vote on strike action
More than 1,000 workers at a Sunderland call centre are voting on whether to strike in a row over pay.
Ballot papers will be sent to 1,100 employees at Shop Direct, formerly known as Littlewoods, after staff complained that proposed pay rises failed to match inflation.
A spokeswoman for workers said the situation had reached breaking point. She said: "It's got to the stage now where members are coming out with the same kind of money they were getting 10 years ago and they can't do it any longer.
"It's not a nice position to be in, but workers can't afford it any longer. A lot of people who work here are the sole earners and are having to do two jobs because one isn't enough."
The workers, represented by the GMB union, will be sent ballot slips on Tuesday to be returned on September 2.
If the motion is supported, it could mean union members will strike at the call centre at Corporation Road, Hendon.
The spokeswoman said: "Members are very concerned but feel as though they have to make a stand. When negotiations started we requested 3.8 per cent. We were offered three per cent, which was turned down by the membership.
"After negotiations, the company offered four per cent, but nothing for July, August and September."
The GMB's regional organiser, Micky Hopper, said: "The four per cent offer works out the same as the three per cent. All they have done is move the dates around.
"Our members are being asked to work harder, more complicated jobs without a further increase in pay. It's not acceptable."
A spokesman from Shop Direct Group said: "Over the past four months, Shop Direct Group has undertaken lengthy negotiations with its joint trade unions (Usdaw, GMB and Unite) over annual pay increases.
"Despite the challenges of trading within the current economic climate, Shop Direct Group has still proposed a four per cent increase, effective October 2008, and a further four per cent increase, effective July 2009, which equates to a compounded offer of 8.16 per cent.
"Unite members had the offer recommended by their trade union and voted overwhelmingly in favour of this two-year pay deal. The company is, therefore, pleased that this population will be able to enjoy an increase to their salaries from October 2008.
"Regrettably however, the Usdaw and GMB trade unions chose to take a neutral stance, resulting in their members' rejection of the very same offer.
"Shop Direct Group is committed to the fair and competitive remuneration of its employees and strongly believes that this commitment is reflected in its offer.
"It is therefore, deeply disappointed that Usdaw and GMB members have rejected this offer and that their unions are now seeking support for industrial action."
06-Aug-08: Sky's the limit for Response
Contact centre outsourcer Response has secured a multi-million pound three-year contract extension with Sky.
Under the new contract, the outsourcer will work on a variety of sales and customer service activities, and will be delivered from several of Response’s contact centre sites across Scotland.
David Wallace, Response’s chief executive, said: “The outsourcing sector continues to change and develop and we want to be at the forefront of it. This contract is testament to the hard work of the team in making this philosophy a reality across the business."
Dave Rumble, sales operations director for Sky, added: “As an organisation we look to create long term partnerships with suppliers that can deliver flexibility, additional value and certainty for our customers. We look forward to working with Response over the upcoming months and years.”
04-Aug-08: The Finalists of the CCF European Call Centre Awards 2008
The CCF European Call Centre Awards celebrate all the great work that call centres do day in and day out, and this years finalists have now been announced
The winners will be announced at the glittering Gala Ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, on Tuesday 16 September
Click here to visit The Awards Website and see all the Finalists
04-Aug-08: The Listening Company to manage customer service for rail passengers
SouthEastern railway, which serves Kent, South-East London and parts of East Sussex, has appointed The Listening Company to manage its customer services.
The brief includes responsibility for handling bookings, general enquiries and complaints for Southeastern’s 145 million annual passengers.
In a bid to revolutionise the way it handles customer relationships, Southeastern will be using The Listening Company’s customer management software, EpiCentre.
Providing agents with the tools to manage customer communication through email, phone and internet channels, as well as traditional post, the EpiCentre offers a single view of the customer history including real-time access to all past interactions and robust case management functionality to drive customer satisfaction.
The accurate reporting of customer comments and complaints forms an integral part of Southeastern’s customer services. The Listening Company will manage all customer feedback to ensure that all complaints and suggestions are identified and resolved, whilst working towards predetermined customer service targets.
Southeastern will sit alongside leading rail service providers, Southern, in The Listening Company’s portfolio of travel clients. They were appointed following a tender process.
Scot Reid, Head of Customer Services, Southeastern said:
“The way we handle customer enquiries is of utmost importance to us, and we recognise that this means more than just quick response rates. It also means we must look at how issues are resolved, and the eventual satisfaction of the customer. We needed a contact centre that could meet our high standards and were impressed by The Listening Company’s travel experience and technical expertise.”
Rik Vercoe, Operations Director, The Listening Company said:
“Good customer service is at the heart of Southeastern’s proposition. We’ll work closely with Southeastern to deliver the highest levels of customer service to their passengers. In the future we’ll look to encompass passenger surveys, web chat and SMS into our customer service offerings to ensure passengers have the best possible travel experience.”
04-Aug-08: Garlands looks for redundancies
Garlands Call Centres, which has three operations at Hartlepool Marina, has launched a consultation to find the redundancies in their management and support areas.
Call centre chiefs say the redundancies, across all North East sites, will not affect frontline staff.
The announcement follows the launch of a new call centre in South Shields to add to the operations already in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool.
Chey Garland, chief executive of Garlands Call Centres, said the announcement comes as the firm aims "to operate in a more streamlined and efficient way, eliminating workload duplication and therefore maintaining our competitiveness".
She said: "Garlands has started a consultation process with employees to discuss a proposal to make approximately 60 voluntary and non-voluntary redundancies within our management and support teams only.
"Garlands is keen to stress that no customer-facing staff will be affected by the proposed changes."
She said the rapidly-growing firm has to take stock of its position and review management and support areas.
She added: "Due to significant investment in technology and by focusing on key business processes, the company is now able to restructure management and support areas to operate in a more streamlined and efficient way, eliminating workload duplication and therefore maintaining our competitiveness.
"We will continue to make these strategic investments to support our contact centre estate as we grow both our client base and the range of services we offer at each of our four operational sites, including our recently opened South Tyneside call centre."
04-Aug-08: Qantas to close UK call centre
Australian airline Qantas is closing its call centre in London, as well as its Arizona contact centre, leading to the loss of 99 customer service jobs.
The move is in response to changing economic conditions and high oil prices, and will see 1,500 jobs cut worldwide in all areas of the company’s business.
The company will now operate all of its call centre activity from Australia and New Zealand.
Qantas Airways’ ceo Geoff Dixon said every effort would be made to achieve the job cuts through voluntary redundancy, early retirements, an accelerated leave program and converting positions from full-time to part time.
“Acting now, on top of the measures already taken, will protect our competitive position, protect the great majority of over 36,000 jobs and enable us to grow profitably when conditions improve,” said Dixon.
“The redundancy program will be completed by December,” he added.
15-Jul-08: Teletech opens new site in Manchester
A call centre for mobile phone network O2 is to open at the Arndale Tower in Manchester.
Outsourcing specialist Teletech, which has won a contract to provide customer services to O2 users, has signed up for 32,500 sq ft there.
The contract is expected to create up to 700 jobs.
Teletech will occupy three floors in the tower, which is owned by pensions giant Prudential. The rent is close to £15 a square foot.
John Ogden, director of office agency at city surveyors CBRE, which advised Teletech, said: "The Arndale Tower provided our clients with a ready-made solution, in the sense that it had previously been used as a call centre and was therefore highly appropriate for Teletech's use.
"Ideally located, this new base puts Teletech in an excellent position to recruit and retain the workforce required to service the O2 contract."
10-Jul-08: Keith Gait to judge CCF European Call Centre Awards 2008
Orchid Consulting are delighted to announce that Principal Consultant, Keith Gait, has once again been invited to judge at this years CCF European Call Centre Awards.
The CCF European Call Centre Awards are the most highly-respected and prestigious in the industry, and this high profile event has become a firm fixture in the UK business calendar.
The Awards give companies the opportunity to showcase their success stories and to demonstrate their commitment to achieving extraordinary things for customers and staff
The Award Ceremony takes place on Tuesday 16 September 2008, alongside Call Centre Expo
Click here to visit The Awards Website
09-Jul-08: 300 jobs go as Insurance company closes 2 call centres
About 160 people are to lose their jobs after an insurance call centre announced it was to close its Leicester branch, along with another in Manchester - a combined loss of 300 jobs.
Sister companies Hastings and Equity Direct are scaling down operations and the sites are expected to be closed within a year.
The company is losing out to growing numbers of customers who buy insurance on the internet.
Edward Fitzmaurice, chief executive officer of Hastings and Equity Direct, said in a statement: "We fully recognise, and greatly regret, the impact that these proposed closures will have on our loyal staff.
"Every effort will be made to provide the affected employees with assistance and support in the search for alternative employment."
It is expected some staff will be offered posts at the company's call centre in Bexhill, East Sussex.
The firms, which also have call centres in Southampton and Colchester, will continue to employ more than 2,000 people in the UK.
A spokesman for Hastings and Equity Direct said "The reason for this is that Hastings and Equity have had a look at the insurance market and the level of demand they are getting from customers.
"There is increased interest in online sales and price-comparison websites. The companies have looked at their operations and these call centres are no longer viable."
He said the firms would be looking at moving away from the mass consumer insurance market and into specialist underwriting for areas such as taxi firms and pizza vans.
Hastings and Equity Direct, which sell car, home and travel insurance, were bought by Insurance Australia Group (IAG) two years ago, but their call centres are not performing as well as bosses had hoped
08-Jul-08: 150 jobs for award-winning call centre
A call centre company established just two years ago has announced plans to recruit 150 new staff.
The Contact Company, founded in July, 2006, has experienced rapid growth in its two years of trading.
It has worked with clients such as The Jewellery Channel, Woolworths and Comic Relief.
Its reputation was enhanced further in June after they won the Think Big and Entrepreneur of the Year awards at the inaugural Wirral Investment Network awards.
Asif Hamid, CEO of The Contact Company, said: “We are thrilled by this next excit-ing phase of growth, and I am particularly delighted to be able to create so many new opportunities for the local and wider Wirral community.
Last August, the firm almost doubled its workforce after winning a contract with Woolworths, adding 100 staff to its existing 125-strong staff.
The Contact Company’s chief executive, Asif Hamid, joined forces with former Vodafone and Littlewoods manager Juliet Rhodes to set up the specialist call centre company.
The firm was touted as one of the success stories supported by Wirral Direct, which helps businesses looking to set up in the borough.
Mr Hamid said the latest new jobs “cement our commitment to the area and are testament to the hard work and enthusiasm shown by the existing team”.
He said: “I’d also like to thank Wirral Direct and the broader council for all their advice, support and energy over the last couple of years that has contributed to the phenomenal success we have enjoyed at The Contact Company.”
The jobs will be based at the firm’s Birkenhead offices in Europa Boulevard, and cover a wide range of full time and part time jobs.
The successful job applicants will handle inbound or outbound calls from and to customers of The Contact Company’s clients from a wide range of industry sec-tors and new clients whose projects are being affected.
Cllr Jean Stapleton, Wirral Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and planning strategy said: “This type of work appeals to people who need flexible working hours and is in an attractive location in central Birkenhead. This is a fantastic jobs boost for Wirral.”
08-Jul-08: Strike agreed at 999 call centre
Staff at Hampshire Constabulary's control centre have agreed to strike action over changes to work conditions.
Unison, which represents employees at the centre in Netley, balloted its 110 members of the 188-strong workforce.
Out of 69 responses, about 76% agreed to strike action over changes to shift patterns and the loss of overtime pay.
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Readhead, of Hampshire police, said: "All 999 calls will still be answered and the response to emergencies will not be affected."
The move comes in protest at a move from a working pattern of four 12-hour shifts followed by four days off, to six 10-hour shifts followed by four days off. In a statement, Unison said it would result in the loss of between £60 and £95 overtime pay per month. A strike will not remove the need for the constabulary to implement changes
The union said there would be increased costs for employees in their additional journeys to work and a worse work/life balance.
Also, they said there had been a lack of job re-evaluation.
Mr Readhead said: "We have already prepared contingency plans in order to continue to provide a full emergency response service.
"Nevertheless it's disappointing that some of those UNISON members within the control room who cast their vote have decided to vote for industrial action to pursue their interests.
"A strike will not remove the need for the constabulary to implement changes that are believed to have significant benefits.
"The new shift pattern for the control room is already worked by colleagues across much of the force."
Unison officials and Hampshire Constabulary management are due to meet to discuss the issue next Monday.
08-Jul-08: MFI shuts call centre
Furniture giant MFI has unveiled plans to shut its call centre with the loss of 170 jobs.
The firm is believed to have employed as many as 300 to deal with increased call volumes in the peak sales period at Christmas.
MFI has started talks with the 170 full and part-time employees about the closure.
MFI has been struggling for some time and the decision to close the Southwick centre is part of a drive to make store staff more responsible for customer service.
Chief executive Gary Favell said: "Making significant changes to the MFI business is a necessary task in order to continue to deliver improved performance.
"We aim to offer clearer lines of support to customers whose natural first port of call is their local store.
"The Sunderland contact centre has been a core part of the MFI business for several years and it is not without considerable planning and disappointment that we make this difficult decision."
MFI plans to transfer part of customer services, worked currently provided on Wearside, to a smaller contact centre operation in Cardiff, which the firm has been using as a backup for Sunderland since March.
Head of the city council's business and investment team, Janet Snaith, said: "It's always disappointing when a major employer announces such large job losses.
"We understand that the closure will not take place until September.
"Given the company's highly skilled and well- trained workforce, we hope these employees will soon find new jobs in the same sector, particularly with the recent posts created elsewhere in the contact centre sector in the city."
08-Jul-08: Orchid Consultant wins Interim Manager of the Year
Orchid are delighted to announce that their associate consultant, Prit Ahluwalia has won the REC's 2008 Interim Manager of the Year.
Prit collected the award at a recent ceremony at the House of Commons.
Prit has won the award for his work at a Utilities client, where the challenges were clear;
* Improve failing service levels, which had a massive 20-point gap to target (80%).
* Introduce/embed a performance management culture.
* Introduce a greater commerciality.
* Design/Implement a Balanced Scorecard of KPIs to improve performance.
* Significantly improve performance whilst reducing cost.
* The real question was to identify staff required to achieve benchmark performance.
In parallel with reviewing under-performance, Prit set in motion a number of initiatives; this involved briefing management and gaining buy-in from individuals, of long-standing. As communication was key, Prit took on board the responsibility of addressing all staff, ensuring they understood requirements and expectations.
Having reviewed performance and capability, Prit introduced a change programme to address cultural issues and transform performance.
It was necessary to demonstrate outstanding leadership skills to gain buy-in from skill-sets ‘set in their ways’ – managers indicating they had tried things before without success. Development needs were identified for managers to perform and tackle the challenges.
Focus was on introducing accountability and responsibility for personal performance, enabling productivity improvement. It wasn’t long before staff were motivated to drive core business objectives with a determination to deliver best-of-breed service.
Actions included;
* Role models were identified who would ‘pace-set’ for staff to follow.
* Performance reporting developed.
* Daily feedback introduced.
* Ineffiencies identified.
* Cultural behavioural changes introduced.
* ‘Roll of Honour’ introduced for staff achieving standards.
* Scorecard introduced covering productivity, financial and quality.
Prit tackled the performance/people issues and the outcome was stunning, within 29 days the 80% target was not only achieved but a record level of 91% (Sep) was delivered, a 57% improvement (June 58%). Record performances in the group’s history now being delivered month-on-month.
By December, the service level increased to 96% - 66% improvement.
Abandoned calls were down to 200 (from 2.5k) a 92% improvement. Wait times down to 4 seconds from 10/15 minutes.
This was hugely significant outturn for a utility, matching the highest of financial service sector performance.
Revenue targets were introduced with £2.2m collected in the Q4 and 7k accounts converted to DD.
Beyond the Brief
- Prit provided additional counsel to management, providing strategic direction and new ideas.
- Prit held Customer Experience workshops challenging current thinking.
- Developed a customer charter to ensure a consensus ad idem with customers over expectations – this has been hugely accepted and will reduce unnecessary contacts.
- Introduced written competency tests to identify training needs – to be rolled out across the business.
The client said, “It is an understatement to say Prit made a very significant contribution within such a short space of time and has delivered real sustainable solutions. It didn’t take Prit long to fit in, he brings his own brand of humour to the team and invaluable clarity of purpose”.
02-Jul-08: Smiling through the recession
Companies are helping to take the bite out of the recession by trying harder to keep customers happy, a major new survey reveals.
More consumers are declaring themselves pleased with the way they are treated despite higher prices and tighter budgets, according to the latest national measure of customer satisfaction by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).
The online ICS survey asked 12,000 people how they rated service performance in 12 major public and private sectors.
The results, announced in the latest ground-breaking UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) shows that the index has improved from 69 to 71 out of 100 since the previous index was published in January.
ICS executive director Robert Crawford says: “Although it’s not a huge increase this is definitely a step in the right direction.
“It shows that when times are hard companies and organisations realise they need to try harder to make life easier for the people they serve.
“They have also got the message that when people have a finite amount of money they will be more careful to spend it where they are treated well. They are much more inclined to factor in customer service when it comes to making purchase decisions.
“The only differentiator left in UK business today is customer service. Products can be copied and costs matched, so service is the only aspect where companies can gain an edge.”
But he says before the UK can claim to provide world-class service it needs to reach a satisfaction level of 80, “so there is still a long way to go”.
Crawford adds: “We need to become a nation of grumblers. Complain, complain, complain – that’s the way to spur providers to make even greater efforts.”
The survey – the most wide-reaching measure of customer satisfaction throughout the UK - asked consumers to rate businesses and organisations on key areas such as complaint handling, professionalism, quality, and competence and friendliness of staff.
Responses indicate that overall helpfulness and friendliness of staff have improved markedly but handling of complaints and enquiries remain a sore subject.
The 12 sectors surveyed were automotive, finance (banks), finance (insurers), retail (food), retail (non-food), services, telecommunications, transport, leisure and tourism, utilities, Government departments and agencies, and local government.
For the second time services – covering small enterprises from hairdressers and plumbers to travel agents and shoe repairers – was the top scoring sector, with an improved satisfaction rating of 79.
“Small businesses do well because they give personal attention and are easily accessible if things go wrong,” Crawford says. “But there is no reason why their attributes cannot be replicated by the larger set-ups.”
Second best performing sector was again retail (non-food) where, after launching a concentrated drive on boosting customer service, Boots have leapfrogged John Lewis to take over at the top.
Sue Needs, head of productivity at Boots commented, "We are delighted that our commitment to excellent customer care has been recognised by our customers.
“We have recently delivered a new training programme to all our colleagues to support them in delivering great customer care and we run our own programme to track customer satisfaction in every one of our shops.
This has allowed our store managers to recognise colleagues who have given fantastic customer service and helps them focus on areas of service they can improve further which has been incredibly motivating for our colleagues.
“The fact that this bespoke focus on customer care means we have come top in the UKCSI by the Institute of Customer Service is testament to their hard work and commitment to giving our customers the help and advice they need to look and feel their best."
Worst performing sector was again local government, covering fire services, police forces and local councils, while utilities replace telecommunications as second bottom.
Other key findings show:
Biggest sector gains in satisfaction have been made by local government – despite its still lowly position - retail (food) and retail (non-food), telecommunications and transport.
Waitrose stays top of food retailers with “a highly impressive” rating of 84 and Marks & Spencer moves up to second to dislodge ASDA.
first direct stays supreme among the banks surveyed with another impressive rating of 85.
Local shoe repairers and key cutters have taken over top spot from hairdressers among services providers, with estate agents still the worst.
The Ambulance Service remains top among Government departments and agencies, while jobcentres remain in last place with a lower score than last time.
Northern Ireland and Scotland are still neck and neck as the nations with the most satisfied customers, with England third and Wales last.
30-Jun-08: Chey calls in for CBE
Chey Garland, the woman whose inspiration led to the jobs-boosting Garlands Call Centres springing up in Hartlepool, has collected her CBE from Buckingham Palace.
She received her award from the Prince of Wales after being honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for 2007.
She said afterwards she was thrilled to receive the award, which was for services to business in North East England.
Chey, who was born and bred in the Tees Valley, is no stranger to success.
She was named Businesswoman of the Year in 2005 and picked up the prestigious Veuve Clicquot award.
She was also named Business Services Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2002 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finals and Direct Marketing Business Person of the Year at the 2007 Connect Awards.
Garlands employs 3,200 people across the Tees Valley and mother-of-two
Chey founded the company in 1980, when it was then CJ Garland and Co, a debt collection business run from a small commercial centre in Middlesbrough.
She worked on her own and had just £600 savings to make it a success.
In 1997, she diversified into the call centre industry, with clients including Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Freeserve and Powergen, and two purpose-built offices were opened, in Harbour Walk, at Hartlepool Marina.
Garlands now has eight contact centres, three in Hartlepool Marina, one in Middlesbrough town centre, three at Garlands' Contact Centre Village in Stockton and one in South Shields.
It handles 36 million customer contacts a year.
30-Jun-08: Jet2 best for customer service
A new poll has rated low-cost carrier Jet2 the best 'no-frills' airline for customer service.
The study by consumer group Which? found the airline, which offers cheap flights to Europe from a number of airports in the north of England, performed better than rivals easyJet and Ryanair for customer service.
Which? rated single-plane carrier Plamair the best for short-haul flights, with a score of 80 percent.
Germanwings and Wizz Air also performed well in the survey of 30,000 customers, gaining more points than Ryanair and easyJet.
In the long-haul category Singapore Airlines was voted the best, with Air New Zealand and Indian carrier Jet Airways also scoring highly in terms of customer service.
Neil Fowler, editor of Which? said: "You might think that you get what you pay for, but the best European no-frills airlines prove that you can offer a stripped down service at a good price and keep your customers happy."
Philip Meeson from Jet2 said he was "over the moon" at rating above its closest rivals.
He added: "It's particularly pleasing that we have been singled out for the high standard of service on our flights to Italy, Portugal and Spain."
30-Jun-08: French cars come bottom in satisfaction survey
French cars appear to have lost some of their "va va voom", according to a customer satisfaction survey dominated by Japanese makes.
Six of the 10 worst cars in a Which? poll were French, with drivers complaining of poor reliability, cheap interiors and clunky gearboxes.
Bottom of the heap was the Renault Espace, followed by the Renault Laguna, described by one owner as an "unreliable bag of spanners".
Seven of the top 10 cars were Japanese, although the best car was the German-built Porsche Boxster.
"It's no surprise to see several Japanese cars in the top ten as they are often reliable, economical and good value," said "Which? Car" magazine's editor Richard Headland.
Renault said the company had been working hard to improve quality and reliability and owners of its newer cars were overwhelmingly satisfied with them.
"Renault has acknowledged the quality issues which affected some of its older models, particularly minor electrical faults with the previous Laguna," it said in a statement. "However, vehicle quality is one of Renault's key three objectives in its Renault Commitment 2009 programme."
The survey was based on 90,000 owners questioned in January and February 2008. They were asked if they were satisfied with their car and whether they would recommend it to a friend.
Here are the top and bottom 10 tables, with the year of manufacture and the customer satisfaction percentage score in brackets:
TOP 10
1) Porsche Boxster, 2004 on, (98 percent)
2) Range Rover Sport, 2005 on, (98)
3) Toyota Yaris Verso, 2000-2005, (97)
4) Honda S2000, 1999 on, (97)
5) Mazda MX-5, 2005 on, (97)
6) Mazda MX-5, 1998-2005, (95)
7) Audi TT, 2006 on, (94)
8) Lexus RX, 2003 on, (94)
9) Daihatsu Sirion, 2005 on, (94)
10) Honda Jazz, 2001 on, (94)
BOTTOM 10
210) Chrysler Voyager, 1997-2001, (69)
211) Peugeot 206, 1998 on, (69)
212) Peugeot 307, 2001 on, (68)
213) Volkswagen Sharan, 1995 on, (68)
214) Citroen Xsara, 1997-2004, (68)
215) Renault Scenic, 1997-2003, (67)
216) Fiat Punto, 1999-2005, (65)
217) Mercedes A-Class, 1998-2004, (65)
218) Renault Laguna, 2001-2007, (64)
219) Renault Espace, 2003 on, (61)
25-Jun-08: Insurance firm creates 400 jobs
An insurance company is creating 400 jobs over the next three years at a new operations centre in South Wales, half of which will be call centre roles
Admiral Insurance is moving into a new base at Langstone Business Park, just off the M4 in Newport, later this year.
The company is already a large employer in Wales with 1,500 people in Cardiff and 1,100 in Swansea.
The Newport site, which will initially host a claims department with around 90 staff, will include management posts, injury case workers and call handlers.
Huw Llewellyn, Admiral's group facilities manager, said: "The opening of new offices was inevitable as part of our ongoing expansion.
"And our commitment to south Wales's major cities meant that Newport was an obvious choice.
"We're very proud to be based in Wales and it's fantastic that we don't have to look outside for offices in such excellent surroundings."
Admiral, which is also taking additional space in buildings in Cardiff and Swansea, has already recruited more than 400 people this year for its claims, customer services, sales and renewals departments.
With a turnover of £824 million last year, Admiral is the only firm with Welsh headquarters in the FTSE 100 list of Britain's top companies.
The company, which also has operations in Spain, Germany and Italy, owns several insurance brands including Elephant and price comparison website Confused.com.
25-Jun-08: 50 jobs go as B&Q outsources
A question mark hangs over the jobs of nearly 50 workers at DIY giant B&Q's Hampshire call centre after bosses confirmed they were in consultation with staff over their future.
The Southampton based home improvement chain aims to switch the work to BeCogent in Glasgow. It is considering outsourcing 45 jobs, but said it was too early to say what the outcome of its consultation would be.
Any losses would be the second blow to workers at the centre, after 100 jobs were axed in a restructuring of the installation service centre in March.
The losses strike a jarring chord with B&Q's recent naming as one of the world's best employers.
Martyn Phillips, B&Q human resources director, said: "B&Q can confirm it is restructuring its head office based customer services operation based at Segensworth.
"Elements of customer services will be outsourced to beCogent Ltd, based in Glasgow, who are specialists in this type of service and serve many other well-known retail names.
This is the start of our consultation process. Importantly, certain elements of our customer service provision will be retained in-house where only B&Q could add the necessary value for our customers; which we believe is right for our business and right for our customers."
25-Jun-08: 100 jobs go at wine call centre
Direct Wines has announced that its Plymouth call centre, which opened in 2000 – is to be relocated to Gloucester by the end of this year.
Staff at the specialist wine distribution centre were told of the closure during a meeting on Monday afternoon.
A total of 110 staff will be affected by the call centre closure.
Tony Laithwaite, owner of Direct Wines Ltd, said he hopes many of the staff will be keen to relocate with the company.
Mr Laithwaite said the Plymouth call centre had delivered a “great service” for the past eight years. But he said the time had come to move the call centre alongside a successful new state-of-the-art distribution centre based in The Gloucester Business Park.
He was also full of praise for the staff in Plymouth and heralded their achievements. “The team in Plymouth have been a fantastic part of the Laithwaite story,” he said. “The care and attention that they have given our customers has been extraordinary. I truly hope that some of the staff will follow us to Gloucester where we are building an excellent environment – fit for the future growth of the business.”
Direct Wines Ltd is the world’s largest independent wine merchant with annualised sales in excess of £300 million.
In operation for more than 34 years, Direct Wines Ltd is also one of the world’s largest home delivery wine companies.
24-Jun-08: Jobs hope for sacked Cardiff staff
Cardiff Council is working with the Welsh Contact Centre Forum to organise a jobs fair next week after 500 workers were given notice by Ventura, which is closing its Cardiff site.
Ventura employs over 500 people in the Cardiff office on Ocean Way, many from the local areas of Splott and Adamsdown.
The company has implemented the statutory 90 day consultation period, which will expire in early September. Ventura has said they will do everything possible, to ensure that as many staff as possible are offered alternative employment.
The first opportunity for employees will be a contact centre jobs fair, which is taking place at Ventura's offices next Wednesday, June 25. It is being organised jointly by Cardiff Council, Ventura and the Welsh Contact Centre Forum. The idea is to include local contact centres who are currently actively recruiting.
Cardiff Council is working with the company to ensure other employment opportunities outside of the contact centre field are brought to the attention of Ventura employees as they arise. Staff will be offered help and expert advice on filling out CV's and job application forms.
Meetings between key organisations will continue and support and guidance will be given to the company and its staff for the foreseeable future.
Councillor Neil McEvoy Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council said; "It is important we do all we can for everyone affected by this announcement. I am sure that offering support and actively helping staff at Ventura to find employment will help people through this difficult time.
"The organisations we are meeting with have contacts in the call centre industries and beyond. Working together in this way can really make a difference in securing work for these staff over the next three months."
24-Jun-08: Barclaycard answers to Ofcom over silent calls
Barclaycard could be fined for pestering consumers with silent telephone calls.
Telecoms regulator Ofcom has indicated that the UK’s largest credit card company persistently misused an electronic communications network or services through its use of automated calling systems.
The alleged offence dates back to the period between the beginning of October 2006 and early May 2007.
Ofcom has the power to impose a fine of up to £50,000 on firms that exceeds its permitted level of abandoned or silent calls and the regulator fined Abbey £30,000 earlier this year for just such an offence.
Barclaycard has until 21st July to explain itself to Ofcom, which is promising to continue its campaign to reduce silent calling.
A Barclaycard spokesperson explained the issue surrounded a historic problem with its communications network, which has now been dealt with.
"This relates to an historic issue which we decided to address independently of the Ofcom investigation and has now been resolved," a spokesperson said.
"We have been co-operating fully with Ofcom on this matter for some time. As it is the subject of legal proceedings we are unable to make any further comment at this time."
A spokesperson for Ofcom explained Barclays reaction to dealing with the problem may reduce the size of a possible fine – set to be decided on after the credit card provider has responded to the charges – but the publicity would certainly hit the firm's reputation.
Further investigations in silent calls are also promised by Ofcom.
A spokesperson said: "There still people out there making too many silent calls."
24-Jun-08: Barclays expands flagship Call Centre
Barclays Bank is creating 85 new jobs at its flagship contact centre in Sunderland.
The jobs will be based at a new financial planning telephone advice centre which Barclays is setting up at its Doxford International contact centre - the bank's biggest in the UK, which already employs 1600 people.
The new centre, a first for the bank, will provide customers who prefer it with financial advice over the telephone rather than in a branch or in their own home.
The highly skilled jobs will offer salaries ranging from £13,345 for financial planning agents, £22,000 for financial planning managers, to £28,800 for sales managers, and many of the posts will also offer substantial monthly bonuses.
Barclays' decision to site the new service in Sunderland reflects its confidence in the skills base of the area. More specialist functions are based at Doxford International than at any of Barclays' other contact centres in the world.
Said Alan Longmuir, Head of Premium Segments at Barclays: "The Financial Planning Telephone Advice Team is an exciting new venture and a first for Barclays.
"We are looking to recruit the best talent in the industry to provide a telephone based financial planning service to our customers, allowing them to discuss their financial needs at a time and in a way most suitable to their lifestyle.
It also provides an outstanding career opportunity for anyone wishing to pursue a career in regulated financial services and further enhances Barclays' reputation as the employer of choice in the North East."
Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "Sunderland City Council has worked closely with Barclays since the company first set up its contact centre here in 1999. We’re delighted they have chosen Sunderland as the site for this new centre.
"It reflects Sunderland's growing position as a location specialising in some of the most highly skilled contact centre functions and we look forward to continuing to work with Barclays in years to come."
23-Jun-08: Ofcom is ignored on 0870
Phone companies are still flouting the wishes of industry regulator Ofcom and raising prices for calling 0870 numbers.
Despite pressure from the regulator to bring down charges on these numbers, typically used by call centres, phone companies have instead raised prices - in some cases by as much as four times.
BSkyB and Tiscali have raised charges to 10p a minute and 8p a minute respectively. But T-Mobile has in effect doubled the cost of calling 0870 lines for those on its Flext tariff.
At the moment, Flext customers are charged 10p a minute, but from the end of next month the price will go up to 20p. On some T-Mobile contracts the price could be as high as 40p a minute.
Ofcom has called on phone groups to bring charges for these calls into line with ordinary numbers and to have the calls automatically included in 'bundles' of free minutes.
T-Mobile has instead aligned its 0870 prices with the most expensive calls. T-Mobile said its charges were transparent and that it texted all its customers to warn them of the price rise.
'Not everyone is going to listen to the regulator,' said Tim Wolfenden, head of home services at consumer website uSwitch.com.
Ofcom has been consulting with phone groups on tariffs and will issue a ruling on charges in the autumn, which could finally force phone groups to cut the 0870 charges.
20-Jun-08: HSBC creates 250 call centre jobs
Britain's biggest bank, HSBC, is creating 250 call centre jobs in Newport, south Wales.
The £14m deal will see the company more than double the workforce at its centre as it gears up to handle customer service calls.
The bank says it chose Newport because of the quality of staff and backing from the assembly government.
It comes less than a week after 600 jobs were axed at Ventura's call centre operation in Cardiff.
Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said the decision by HSBC demonstrated the Welsh call centre industry continued to thrive.
"The fact that HSBC chose to invest in Wales, rather than competing locations, is a tribute to the quality of the existing workforce and a significant boost to the local economy and to the Welsh financial services sector," he insisted.
"Assembly government officials have worked closely and effectively with HSBC to secure this significant development for Newport.
"This investment represents an important commitment to the area by HSBC, which already employs some 2,700 people in Wales."
The existing call centre in Newport handles the bank's home and motor insurance enquiries.
However, the company now wants the site to concentrate on its customer service operations, which will see it recruiting a further 250 staff at the site.
Unveiling the investment, HSBC's chief executive for Wales, Alan Jarman, added: "Our customers are increasingly choosing to bank online and over the phone, and our resources need to reflect this.
"HSBC chose to invest in Newport because of our skilled local workforce and our confidence that we can continue to recruit high quality people over the next two years and beyond.
"Furthermore, the Welsh Assembly Government has done all it can to support the development, and to make sure this investment was made in Wales rather than elsewhere."
18-Jun-08: Research shows agents are keen to improve customer service, but not always given the right tools
According to new research, UK agents are much more loyal than they are generally given credit for – over a third surveyed had been in the industry for five years or more.
Agents also are frustrated when they can’t help the customers they deal with, and feel that they are not always given the right tools and information to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
The research has been undetaken to gain a better understanding of the needs, challenges and desires of today’s contact centre agents.
Initial findings include:
Serious transport concerns for agents and a significant Green issue for contact centre operators – nearly two thirds of agents drive to work or share a lift with a friend – and when they get to work it’s always difficult to find parking.
Only 23 per cent travel by bus, 15 per cent walk and just two per cent cycle.
Contact centres need to do much more to reduce their overall CO2 footprint, and to come up with ways to encourage agents to travel to work in a more environmentally-friendly manner.
Disturbingly low levels of call coaching across contact centres of all sizes and sectors, with weekly coaching a rarity, and ten per cent of agents receiving no weekly coaching at all.
Inconsistent use of agent performance metrics – while over eight out of ten agents have their calls measured for quality, under a quarter of them say their monthly pay is impacted by their performance scores
A surprising variance in operational efficiency between the best and worst performing contact centres – 30-35 per cent differences in agent-on-call times (often as little as just five hours a day) suggest an industry that is still too inefficient, despite its comparative maturity, and one that frequently resorts to overstaffing in order to meet demand.
A clear requirement from agents for technology solutions that make it easier for them to do their jobs. The two key technology frustrations most cited by agents were the frequent difficulty they had in actually hearing customer calls, and having to use poorly performing applications that are often complex and too difficult to access.
According to the research:
- Over two thirds of agents have problems hearing calls
- 30 per cent of agents take more than five minutes to login at the start of the day
- A third use five or more application passwords to carry out their daily role
- Over 40 per cent of agents experience slow running IT systems every day
These findings come from the UK’s first ever survey panel of close to 1,000 independently recruited UK contact centre agents which has been put together by Sabio and YouGov in collaboration with Avaya.
This first ‘Voice of the Contact Centre Agent’ research project focuses on customer service issues from the agent’s perspective, and highlights some of the key concerns facing a representative sample of the UK’s 1.2 million contact centre agents who represent some four per cent of the country’s total workforce.
Additional trends identified in the survey include the continued growth in public sector contact centres and the challenge this imposes on private sector agent recruitment; the requirement for more flexibility in contact centres using proven techniques such as hot-desking; and the need for organisations to take more advantage of blended customer service approaches with agents handling both sales and service calls.
YouGov’s specialist contact centre agent research panel was formed to help investigate issues relating to agents’ working lives, contact centre performance and customer service concerns.
The panel reflects the size, geographical spread and market sector split of the UK contact centre industry, and aims to identify key contact centre agent concerns including the most stressful parts of the job, their biggest technology frustrations, as well as information on how long agents actually stay in their jobs, the types of media they interact with, and how their performance is measured.
Only agents who met YouGov’s panel industry sector and demographic profile requirements were selected to complete the online survey.
16-Jun-08: Jobs boost for EDF call centre
Energy giant EDF is set to create up to 300 new jobs with the expansion of its award-winning Wearside call centre.
The firm will take over the office space used by mortgage supplier CitiFinancial when it closes its Sunderland operation. The two companies share a building on the Doxford International business park.
CitiFinancial announced plans to shut its offices last month, with the loss of more than 400 jobs.
Kevin Gatens, EDF director of customer account management at Doxford, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to acquire space close to our current operations that will allow us, over time, to deliver more business activities requiring up to 300 people."
"We are delighted with the quality of people we attract in the North East and this is an opportunity too good to miss."
EDF Energy already employs 1,400 staff at Doxford, handling nearly 30million energy bills a year.
Sunderland City Council leader, Councillor Paul Watson, said: "We have had a great relationship with EDF Energy since they moved to Sunderland more than 10 years ago.
"The city council is delighted the company continues to show its faith in the people and the city by more investment and creating so many new jobs.
"World class companies such as EDF Energy contribute so much to Sunderland and the North East economy, and this announcement confirms yet again that Sunderland is one of the best places for blue-chip businesses to locate and succeed."
EDF Energy's Doxford operation was named Business of the Year and, for the second year running, Employer of the Year, in the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Business Awards last October.
North East Chamber of commerce Sunderland committee chairman Mick Thurlbeck said today's announcement was good news for the hundreds of workers set to lose their jobs with Citifinancial.
"This is fantastic news - again," he said.
"The new jobs should give hope to those at risk with Citigroup. It is just the tonic the business community needs.
"This is hard evidence that the city workforce is very talented and motivated to adapt and support business investment in Sunderland. EDF is showing continued commitment based on that fact."
Chamber chief executive James Ramsbotham added: "This is excellent news both for the employees concerned and the wider Sunderland economy.
"This industry is important to the North East and this decision by EDF Energy shows there is buoyancy in this sector."
16-Jun-08: Jobs threat as BT looks to cut back on call centres
Hundreds of Scottish workers face an uncertain future today after telecoms giant BT announced it was streamlining its call centre operations and cutting jobs.
Unions fear the £100 million modernisation plan will see up to 4000 jobs cut and a number of call centres closed.
Call centres have been one of Scotland’s growth industries over the past few years. BT employs just over 3000 workers in its 23 Scottish centres.
The company has said it will detail exactly