United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
India call centres ‘bad for business’
Relocating call centres to India could threaten a company’s reputation and profits, according to an industry analyst.
Scott Watson, director of performance at human resource consultants, Summit Consulting and Training, said locating call centres in India could damage the UK’s call centre industry and threaten a company’s credibility. Summit specialises in call centre development.
Mr Watson said: “While the lower wage bills, high levels of education and impressive IT systems are attractive, these are coupled with a sensitive political situation, poor telecommunications infrastructure and a widespread inability for Indian-based staff to understand British regional accents. This can severely impact on the customer’s experience and perception, as well as damaging the company’s reputation.
“There is huge potential for a backlash from customers who find they are being dealt with by someone 6,000 miles away rather than in the UK, as well as what they perceive as possible exploitation of low-paid employees in a poor country. Companies also face the problem of attracting adverse media publicity that could damage their corporate image and ultimately, their profits.
“The highly optimistic growth rates for Indian call centres may not be as realistic as some industry watchers claim.
“Focusing on costs alone will not be enough to sustain the growth of the industry in India. As well as being the cheapest, they also need to prove they are the best, and that remains to be seen”.
Mr Watson said that Prudential recently relocated its Reading based call centre to India, resulting in the loss of over 850 jobs, and large corporations like HSBC and GE Capital already have established call centres in India. In the travel industry, Delta Air Lines announced last month that it was locating a call centre in India.
Read our previous stories:
15-Oct-2002 Delta puts call centres in India
Related News Stories:
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Storm Lilian travel chaos as bank holiday flights cancelled