Call centre Qualfon yesterday announced long-term plans to expand its business in Guyana which could see thousands more Guyanese being employed and these plans are due to the recent upgrade in bandwidth by GT&T whose new fibre optic cable will offer customers faster internet service.
Chief Sales, Marketing and Client Services Officer of the Mexico-based company Abelardo Cruz yesterday said that in another few years more offices would be opened country wide and more persons would have to be employed.
Speaking at the company’s first press conference since it opened its doors almost five years ago, Cruz also told the media at the Grand Coastal Inn that Qualfon has just one local client. He said too that with the new bandwidth the company will be taking on new employees shortly.
Cruz said he was not at liberty to disclose the identity of the local client as that client has asked to remain anonymous, but said that is not the case with all of Qualfon’s clients around the world as while some wish to remain unknown others have no problem with being identified.
He said the company’s 1,300 employees continue to serve clients well as they have expressed satisfaction with the service provided in Guyana.
He stressed that the Beterverwagting-based office is fully staffed by Guyanese, something that Qualfon is “proud of.”
He announced that the company is in talks with other clients who are interested in outsourcing their business to Guyana adding that once they come on board the expansion will become a reality.
He said over the next three to five years, if the current political stability continues and the service level remains the same “two or three more sites” would be opened.
Meanwhile, asked about reports that the company saw a high staff turnover and paid its employees poorly, Cruz said that was not the case. He said some persons might not be happy with the schedule at the company but Qualfon treated its employees with respect.
He said that only recently salaries of employees were increased and new opportunities would be created for them. He explained that some clients were demanding more skilled persons and employees will be exposed to more training. This could also lead to them travelling to other countries where the company has call centres and assisting with work there.
“We are about people and good human value,” Cruz told the media adding that those who work with Qualfon are treated as “brothers and sisters.” However, he said while some may be talented they may have issues with the schedules or have family problems and while the company sometimes tries to be accommodating at other times it has to make the difficult decisions to let them go.
Qualfon’s Country Manager Luanna Persaud and its Human Capital Development Officer Shaun Prince, both of whom were present at the press conference, held themselves up as testimony to the goodwill of the company. They both started at the bottom when the company opened its doors in 2005 and today they hold top positions.
Meanwhile, Cruz said the majority of Qualfon’s clients are from the US, while a few are based in Mexico. He explained that before coming to Guyana the company looked at a number of factors. He said the company decided it was not only a good venture for its clients, but also for the country and the company. He pointed out that initially it was not all smooth sailing as the company experienced problems with electricity, bandwidth and many other issues but these were worked out.
Qualfon began its operations in Guyana in November 2005 making it the third office outside Mexico, where its headquarters is located.
The company started with 50 agents and it described the first years as challenging, but the “management turned challenges into areas of opportunity and have emerged [successful] in endeavours.”
At first the company only rented part of the building it is located in but now it occupies the entire building. The company in the past has boasted about contributing to Guyana’s economy by using local vendors for supplies, maintenance and transportation.
“Among many of Qualfon Guyana’s noted achievement are the opening of its foundation during the year 2006 which has helped with the distribution of milk, installing their first radio station to improve their services and being recognised with the Best Partner Award by their clients, thanks to their world class Guyanese workforce,” the company had said in a release.
Large companies usually route their business calls through developing countries because it is cheaper, since they pay the agents a fraction of what they would have to pay persons doing the same jobs in places like the US, UK and Canada.
