Battery hens on the Move

Will all UK call centres eventually move abroad?

Think of battery hens and what comes to mind? Rows of helpless chickens, starved, unloved and cooped up in tiny cages waiting to be killed or do you imagine endless desks of call centre agents, slaves to customer service, chained to their desks, giving in to obedience and submission in their attempt to reach unobtainable targets and bonuses? Many employees consider themselves unfortunate, 'battery hens', treated like a number not a human being,

For the last twenty years call centres have become a popular source of employment, representing financial institutions, tourist operators and mobile phone and transport companies up and down the country. Predominantly they appeared in regions where there was high unemployment, owing to the decline in more traditional manufacturing and production businesses.

For the most part, work within this sector is underpaid and often involves less than ideal working conditions, very little personal development and minimal pay reviews. Resourcing can also be a problem, especially in a pressurized environment if there is insufficient staff to cope with incoming calls. At Royal Mail this was a frequently significant issue of concern as 50 calls often lay waiting in a queue for up to thirty minutes before being answered. Staff shortages can often cause problems with service levels as Emma Cox a 41 year old, ex-call centre operative recalls. "A lot of calls ended up being rushed and customers didn't receive the service they would expect".

These centres were built, largely in the north of England and filled a void within the employment market. The call centre revolution spread through to the south until they were in almost every town and city.

With the rise of the internet, an economic slowdown and contact centres moving aboard to Asia-where costs of outsourcing and labour is so much cheaper. UK businesses are feeling the pressure to do the same.

In 2001 Royal Mail reduced their call centres from twenty to t five. Thousands of jobs were lost and many had to relocate to those centres left open in different parts of the country. Financial companies such as Axa, The Royal London and Zurich have also made significant staffing cutbacks of late.

Within the last five years the AA have axed 100 call centre jobs in Cardiff and Newcastle. Both sites currently employ 1650 people and were also linked to a permanent move to India but this plan has been quashed and the two sites will remain in the UK.

Kevin Sinclair, managing director for AA Insurance, said, "the decision to keep our call centres over here is good news for customers, who will enjoy the improved service, we will invest in the vital technology our staff use".

Customer Service Centres maybe cheaper to run overseas in countries such as India but are all English business going to eventually give in to this?

Terri Blake, 29 ‘Information plus Manager’ for Lincoln Financial Group in Gloucester, was at first convinced a move abroad was imminent, because of various business seminars and conferences she has attended, suggested this was likely. She has had a change of heart, mainly brought about by speaking to customers and reading customer surveys, and says that “British people are extremely vocal and think nothing of shouting and abusing call centre workers. Various articles I have read suggest that Indian call centre workers cannot cope with this. They find the type behavior offensive and it has been the cause of several suicides".

Someone who also believes that businesses will eventually head overseas is Debbie Hester. Miss Hester is a 26 year old, customer advisor who works for Royal Mail in Colchester. She says,” all call centres will move to places like India, however having spoken to agents in India I get frustrated, as they don't understand me or my request".

Call centre representative Rachel Urquhart, 37, from Hucclecote in Gloucester is also of the opinion that they will give in to a move overseas. "I can see centres in the long term doing that. At the end of the day they're a business and they need to make profits and streamline".

In November 2003, Lloyds and Barclays Bank revealed that their call centres were relocating to India, Malaysia and China. Five processing centres in Britain were closed and 1,500 jobs were moved to Bangaloo following an announcement made by Lloyds.

Many companies have been attracted to using English speaking staff in Asia with back office and contact centre staff roles, with HSBC taking the most radical steps so far by conceding all its call centres in the UK will have to be closed.

A survey by Transversal Ltd shows that consumer opinion in particular brands have decreased after phoning a call centre. Fifty seven per cent of customers said “employ agents who know more and are able to handle my call quickly". Others suggested that companies “reduce their numbers of automated menus".

0The future of call centres remains in the balance. The lure of cheaper running costs and workforce is bound to tempt some companies away while others prefer to remain in a country which is used to handling abusive callers and where the native, English speaking are best qualified to service the public in solving their queries and complaint.

While the inevitable battle taking place between the agents demand for more money, better job prospects and working conditions, businesses wanting to streamline, enhance profit margins and the consumers wanting a better all round service; the call centre culture has its work cut out. With some companies choosing to remain in the UK and others opting to leave England it is difficult to predict the future of call centres but for now many are resolved in staying here and improving the service they give to their clients.