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TMCnet Outbound Call Center Week in Review

By David Sims
TMCnet Contributing Editor

Kicking off an exciting week in the Outbound Call Center space this past week, TMCnet reported that Houston entrepreneur Fred van der Neut, the founder of iDriveonline, announced the launch of uNotifi, a national provider of customer-centric inbound marketing programs for automotive dealers, service centers and aftermarket retail operations.

Van der Neut, who has 30 years of direct marketing experience in the automotive industry noted,

“The technology and how people communicate has changed dramatically over the last few years. UNotifi takes advantage of this change by creating a messaging platform that supports the one-on-one relationships between consumers and automotive dealers and service centers that are so critical to customer loyalty and retention today.”

TMCnet also featured a piece on how the digital age of technology products and online services will double the demand for BPO agents over the next decade, according to research conducted by Caleris, a business process outsourcing (BPO) provider.

This is because the usage of electronics and online services by consumers and organizations is causing tremendous demand for skilled BPO agents. BPO agents, who are technically skilled and can solve complex issues posed by users of electronics and technologies, will enjoy more demand over the next 10 years, according to Caleris.  Caleris employs nearly 350 BPO agents in its three rural Midwest locations.

“Electronics and online services may be making our lives easier, but they're also making it harder when they don't operate correctly and require customer support to remedy the situation,” said Rick Grewell, co-founder of Caleris.

“Over the next ten years the BPO industry will nearly double the amount of its workforce to handle the growing tide of electronics and technologies that will require technically minded individuals to help support customers of those items,” Grewell added.

Tracey Schelmetic reported that Stamps.com, a provider of online postage and shipping software, announced that it won the Gold Medal for Best Innovation in Customer Service at the Call Center Olympics presented by the American Teleservices Association West Coast Chapter.

The Call Center Olympics is an annual ATA West Coast Chapter event that allows call centers from the western U.S. region to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. Fortunately there were no positive tests for steroids at this year’s competition.

Founded in 1983, the American Teleservices Association is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to the advancement of companies that use contact centers as an integral channel of operations. ATA members include companies with inbound or outbound contact centers, users of teleservices, trainers, consultants, and equipment suppliers who initiate, facilitate, and generate telephone, Internet, and e-mail sales, service, and support.

While it was a contender in the category of “Best Innovation in Customer Service,” Stamps.com was evaluated by the ATA on its approach and methodology to achieve an optimal customer experience. The company successfully demonstrated its innovation in customer service with impressive statistics.

And finally,  APAC Customer Services, a provider of global outsourced services and solutions, opened a new contact center in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is located in Aguada Park, an international center for global services situated in the free zone area of Montevideo. APAC will occupy three floors of the building with initial capacity for 630 customer service associate workstations.

This APAC location is expected to generate at least 300 new jobs in Montevideo in 2011. The jobs will include customer care, technical support, sales, and back office positions. The center will offer business-to-business and business-to-consumer products.

"The development of the Montevideo site is an important step in APAC's global growth plan," said APAC CEO Kevin Keleghan.