As 147 Media Ltd has been nominated for a prestigious Cambridgeshire Business Award (View Post) today we had two judges visit Contact-Centres Towers just to confirm what they had researched on us was in fact true.
The office was duly dusted down, empty coffee cups removed, staff briefed and the proverbial pot of coffee was put on to give a good impression in anticipation of the VIP visit.
“What are the benefits, if any, of working in a contact centre?
After going through the workings of the company I was posed the question “what are the benefits, if any, of working in a contact centre?
As I believe that one of my functions as being Editor/Publisher is to promote the many positive aspects of the industry this was my opportunity to both promote the industry whilst simultaneously blatantly plugging 147 Media Ltd.
It’s funny that when you use the words call/contact centre in a phrase it always gets a reaction, normally negative; it’s funny how everybody has an opinion of our industry and how everybody has been held in a queue for hours upon end.
Well I replied, as though I have been briefed by a Government Spin Doctor, the contact centre industry has over 650,000 agent positions, employs over 1 million staff, substantially more if you include all the service industries; can provide flexible working for staff in additional to other benefits such as crèche’s, social activities together with a structured training and career path. Overall I am a true believer that contact centres put the service into Customer Service. (Don’t know where that saying came from I thought after saying it!)
Cleary taken aback with my reply he commented ommented that in conclusion contact centres were the business equivalent of Marmite ‘You either love them or hate them’.
I suppose its down to me and Ann-Marie Stagg of CCMA fame to change Joe Public’s or Judges Perceptions!
Looking at the Michael Buble Office Calendar I can’t believe that Customer Contact Expo is just around the corner Register Here even without the numerous prompts from PR Companies trying to persuade me or my colleagues to visit their ‘clients stand’.
My thoughts went back to the early days of contact centre related exhibitions – who can remember one of the first? ‘Telemarketing’ held near the Hammersmith Fly Over? (1988?) Or Voice Exhibition organised by Advanstar? (Am I showing my age here?)
Well the Team will be in force over the two days at Expo – Feel free to email me if you want to buy mea Champagne based lunch or, if you are a PR Company please telephone me, Press 1, leave a message and who knows I may even get back to you!
Have a good week ahead!
Regards
The Editor
