Convergys Corporation have recently chosen Brandon, the second largest city in Manitoba, as the site for its newest call centre.
The Cincinnati-based company provides integrated billing and customer and employee care services through outsourcing or licensing. It has been active in Manitoba since 1994, when it launched Convergys in Winnipeg to deliver technical and customer services support to Fortune 500 companies. Since then, the Winnipeg workforce has grown to more than 1,700 employees, making it the city´s largest inbound call centre. Another 300 jobs will be created at the new call centre in Brandon by the end of 2006.
Convergys´ reasons for expanding its Manitoba operations included geographics and the quality of the local workforce. "Manitoba´s location in the central time zone allows our telephone associates to be in contact with more clients and prospects from coast to coast every day, within their regular business hours," explains Gloria Griffin, senior director of site planning and development. "Furthermore, the verbal and language skills of our employees are superb. Their ability to speak French and a number of other languages enables us to better serve our customers throughout North America.
Other important factors were the province´s telecommunications infrastructure, hi-tech know-how, low operating costs and quality of living. “Manitoba´s telecommunications infrastructure is second to none,” adds Griffin. “This was critical in our decision, along with the province´s advanced expertise in information technology, low electricity and other business costs and the healthy and affordable lifestyle it offers our employees."
With 13,000 people working in 14 centres across Canada, Convergys employs more than 55,000 people in 57 customer contact centres, data centres and offices worldwide.