Glasgow and the West of Scotland is now regarded as one of the fastest growing call centre areas in Europe, say experts in an industry which continues to soar both in financial importance and in the number of people it employees.
For the uninitiated, call centres are telephone-based operation centres mainly dealing with customer requests for goods and services. West of Scotland call centres now handle thousands of customer calls every hour of every day. Regarded as remarkably cost-effective, additional Scottish call centres are scheduled to be established in the near future. Several thousand new jobs have already been created within the industry.
An underlying factor behind the West of Scotland's share in this growth is that call centre customers are considered more likely to be receptive to a Scottish lilt in an operator's voice. ''Advances in modern global telecommunications mean that these customer service facilities can be located anywhere a modern telecommunications infrastructure exists,'' said Bill Dobie, a senior executive with Teledata. Based in Glasgow and London, it now employs several hundred operators.
''There has been a phenomenal growth in the telemarketing industry. These centralised call centres have had a huge impact on sales figures for several leading firms. But while some companies have been able to introduce their own call centres very successfully, others have found it hard to establish the right approach. Often they have overlooked the most important consideration of all - the human element.
''Outsourced call centre specialists put a greater emphasis on the person answering the telephone - because at the end of the day that is the face of the company. That is where the sale will be achieved.'' That, in turn, say many of the industry's experts, is where Scotland scores. A Scottish accent in an operator's voice can make all the difference.
''Customers can arrange anything over the telephone from banking and car insurance to information about which computer to buy and which airline flights are available.'' One Scottish company's operation currently handles tens of thousands of calls each day from all over Britain for accounts which include American Express Travel Insurance, Microsoft and the American Embassy in London.
The Microsoft situation is often cited as an example of what can be achieved by the use of an outsourced call centre. When asked to handle queries from Microsoft customers, the call centre concerned recruited staff - including graduates - who had in-depth knowledge of the computer industry.
At that time, Microsoft had over 20 telephone numbers for its various customer services. They operated from a variety of locations, each with a different style and level of service. All are now managed through one call centre, consolidating the services through one 0345 number.
Apart from helplines and marketing services, call centres now provide several public information services. One, named Clubcall, can give up-to-the-minute official news on 90% of British football clubs - and currently contributes nearly #2.5m to the clubs concerned.
''The constantly growing expertise now available means consultancy and full facilities management can be added to create integrated call centre solutions,'' said another Scottish call centre executive. ''That can include leased circuits, switched circuits, bespoke facilities and number translation services. The growth of the market in Scotland has already been particularly strong, with a wide range of companies from Kwik Fit insurance to Sky TV recognising the facilities we have available.''
The rapidly expanding market has also attracted the attention of a growing number of property developers who are now turning their attention to the need for suitable accommodation for operatives and their equipment.
The quality of the Scottish work force is proving another factor in attracting more call centre operators to this area. As their requirements grow, a important move has been taken in a joint initiative pioneered by the Glasgow Development Agency and the Call Centre Association, the industry's professional body.
They have come together with the Scottish Qualification Authority - formerly SCOTVEC - the national body in Scotland for the development of vocational qualifications, to initiate a Professional Development Award for call centre operators.
''We have identified call centres as a major growth area for Glasgow,'' said Ian McPherson, of GDA's business development division. ''We have already targeted it with some success. We see this new award as yet another example of the city's place at the forefront of the sector and a demonstration of our determination to maintain and strengthen that position.
''The award, which is aimed at those already working in call centres, complements another GDA initiative in introducing a number of training programmes designed to help those looking for jobs in the sector to achieve the generic skills necessary.'' The Glasgow Development Agency reckons that over 4000 people are now employed in call centres in and around the city. Glasgow hosted the first two National Call Centre conferences in Britain and the headquarters of the Call Centre Association has been established here.
Working closely with leading companies in the sector, the GDA and the Call Centre Association are developing training programmes tailored to the needs of companies and have agreed performance standards which will be applied as a new benchmark of competence for centre advisers.
In the further development, the Scottish Qualifications Authority was invited to play a cental role in the creation of performance standards and in shaping the new Professional Development Award.
''It is our intention not only to expand the available pool of labour able to move into call centre posts, but also to maintain the highest possible standards once people have successfully moved into employment,'' said Ian McPherson. ''Our aim to keep Glasgow as the call centre capital of the United Kingdom.''
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