CallingtheCape Highlights Newsletter - November 2006

Dear Stakeholders,

This month in Key Dates you'll find information on our upcoming Telecoms Conference, the Annual Convention of the UK's Call Centre Association and our Events Calendar for 2007.

In the news section we bring you the winners of the SACCCOM (South African Contact Centre Community) Awards where winners of the different regions competed at a national level.

Also featured is an article on the expansion of Budget Insurance UK's Cape Town based contact centre. They will be growing from 200 to 700 seats with the assistance of a South African tax incentive. For more information on this tax incentive please contact Rhomeez Hendricks at rhomeez@callingthecape.org.za.

If you have any suggestions or views that you would like to share please forward them to rhomeez@callingthecape.org.za.

(i) Telecoms Conference
Wednesday 31st January 2007, 08h00 - 12h00
Venue: Auditorium 2, Cape Town International Convention Centre

Due to the success of the Telecoms conference in January 2006, CallingtheCape will once again host a VOIP Telecoms conference in January 2007 at the CTICC. The focus will be on real value and ROI from VOIP - "Reduce capex, opex and improve services".

Panelist, Sponsorship and speaker packages are available from Judith Middleton at judith@duomarketing.co.za.

For ticket sales please contact Nicky Floris at nicky@callingthecape.org.za.

(ii)Annual Convention of the UK's Call Centre Association (CCA)
14th - 15th November 2006
Edinburgh, Scotland

Sometimes one needs to head further afield to see what kind of international best practices are out there. The UK's contact centre industry is now extremely mature - with approximately 700 000 agent positions - and the industry there has developed very significantly in recent years. In particular, due to deregulation in the UK economy, structural change in areas like financial services (e.g. direct selling), and a proliferation of new competitors for existing services, and new services altogether, the need for market leading customer services has become increasingly acute. Speaking to people in the UK contact centre industry, they will tell you that customers have become much more demanding over the last 5-10 years. Is it too fanciful to think that many of these trends might well appear in our economy before too long?

We believe that it may be of interest for contact centre managers from Cape Town to learn more about how their UK counterparts have managed these changes - in particular, the emergence of greater competition and much more demanding customers.

One of the premier events in the UK dedicated to these topics is the Annual Convention of the UK's Call Centre Association (the CCA). This convention takes place this year in Edinburgh, over two days from 14th November 2006. You may recall that both our call centre manager of the year and our supervisor of the year will get to attend this event as part of their prizes.

We would really encourage contact centre managers in particular to consider attending with them. We believe this programme could be very useful indeed to our managers. We have negotiated a discount rate of GBP 499 for our stakeholders to attend (see attached proposal). There is a parallel event for team leaders, priced for us at GBP 299, which you could also consider.

If we can muster enough support in the industry to attend this event, the CCA have also promised to lay on additional events for us - such as best practice workshops and site visits. There are some site visits already planned which you will be able to attend.

Please come back to Nicky Floris nicky@callingthecape.org.za if you are interested in participating in this mission. We will collate the numbers and revert back to the CCA (and ensure we get the best possible prices). Their contact details are also in the attached proposal, if you want to contact them please feel free.

iii) Calendar of Events (subject to change!!!)

Please find a list of the future events that we are planning below. We don't have all the details of each of the events at this point but will be sending out more information closer to the time.

Leadership Development Workshop
Wednesday 7th February 2007, 08h00 - 16h30
Theme: Call Centre Management
This workshop is aimed at Managers

CallingtheCape Awards Banquet Launch
Friday 30th March 2007, 09h00 - 11h00
Venue: CallingtheCape Offices

Leadership Development Workshop
Wednesday 23rd May 2007, 08h00 - 16h30
Theme: Performance Management & Labour Law
This workshop is aimed at Call Centre Managers

CallingtheCape Awards Banquet
Saturday 4th August 2007, 18h30 - 00h00
Venue: Ballroom, Cape Town International Convention Centre

CallingtheCape Stakeholders Forum
Tuesday 28th August 2007, 16h30 - 19h00
Venue: CallingtheCape Offices

Leadership Development Workshop
Wednesday 19th September 2007, 08h00 - 16h30
Theme: BEE Codes of Practice

(i) FrontRange Solutions

Multi-award winning FrontRange Solutions is the leading independent provider of service management, CRM and Communication applications tailored for the SME market. This allows organisations to deliver extraordinary customer relationships. The applications are easy to implement, enjoy a low total cost of ownership and provide a quick return on investment.

FrontRange Solutions established its reputation with award-winning GoldMine for contact management and sales forces automation, and with HEAT for complete service management, including Help Desk Management.

The company is headquartered in Dublin, California, with offices globally. Customers world-wide include market-leaders such as UCS Solutions, Barloworld, Nissan, Coris Capital, Daimler-Chrysler, Datacentrix, De Beers, Financial Services Board, Johannesburg Water and Standard Bank.

To learn more about FrontRange Solutions, visit our website on www.frontrange.co.za.

To advertise contact Rhomeez Hendricks.

This month's new members are:

If you are interested in becoming a member of CallingtheCape please contact Rhomeez Hendricks.

(i) SACCCOM National BPO Industry Awards

The South African Contact Centre Community (SACCCOM) Awards for the BPO sector was held in Cape Town on Saturday 4th November. The winners of the regional awards went through to compete at a national level in the final round of this year's awards.

The categories, regions and its winners are as follows:

Industry Awards 2006:

HR Service Provider of the Year
Emmanuels Advance
Western Cape

International BPO Centre of the Year
Lufthansa Global Telesales
Western Cape

Outsource Service Provider of the Year
Direct Channel Holdings
KwaZulu Natal

Technological Innovation of the Year
3iSolutions
Western Cape

Non-Technological Innovation of the Year
Circle & Square, ABSA, Emmanuels
Gauteng

Best Outbound Campaign of the Year
O'Keefe & Schwartz
Gauteng

Community Spirit Award
Lufthansa Global Telesales
Western Cape

Training Program of the Year
Connectivity
KwaZulu Natal

Design & Ergonomics
FNB Contact Centre
Gauteng

Customer Excellence Awards 2006:
Customer Excellence Award - Large
Direct Channel Holdings
Gauteng

Customer Excellence Award - Small
Yellow Pages
KwaZulu Natal

People Awards 2006:
Agent of the Year
Kathy Heyns, Woolworths
Western Cape

Supervisor of the Year
Deorah Narainsammy, Standard Bank
Gauteng

Manager of the Year
Naseema Moorgas, Eskom
KwaZulu Natal

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners and wish them the very best for the coming year.

(ii) Cape Town winners at SACCCOM awards

Congratulations to the five Cape Town entries who were honoured at the annual SACCCOM banquet last weekend, especially Agent of the Year Kathy Heyns of Woolworths. This is the second year running that the Agent of the Year has been from Cape Town.


We've also scooped the awards for international performance two years running, with Lufthansa Globaltelesales being named International Business Process Outsourcing Company 2006 as well as winning for Best Community Spirit.

Other winners are Emmanuels Advance as HR Provider of the Year and 3iSolutions for Technological Innovation. Congratulations to all these winners for their outstanding performance in a field of very strong contenders.
(iii) CallingtheCape SMME Development Programme
SMME Development has always been a key focus area for CallingtheCape. Nomakhaya Mngqibisa was appointed four months ago as manager for SMME (Small Medium Micro Enterprise) Development. CallingtheCape has recently launched a SMME Development Programme to assist SMME companies in the BPO sector.

This is a long-term programme which will consist of different phases the first of which will be a Capacity Building Audit. The audit will be conducted by SAB&T Inc. to identify areas of development and the challenges facing these businesses.

The audit will focus on the following key areas:

  • People
  • Process
  • Technology

Once this process has been completed, SAB&T will be developing the following for each company that participates:

  • Developmental Plan
  • Business Plan
  • Company Profile

If you are interested in participating in this programme or require more information please do not hesitate to contact Nomakhaya Mngqibisa at +27 21 487 8618 during office hours or email nomakhaya@callingthecape.org.za.

(iv) Learning Community Stakeholders Meeting

CallingtheCape has embarked on establishing a Learning Community for the Contact Centre Industry in the Western Cape. This learning community has a two-fold objective; to bring lifelong learners and facilitators together to promote and support the objectives of lifelong learning within the Contact Centre industry- from agent to call centre manager level.

On November 23, 2006, Christopher McCreanor will be hosting a Learning Community Stakeholders Meeting to discuss the proposed community. This meeting will provide an opportunity for interested stakeholders to provide additional input on the proposed community and will give you an opportunity to be part of the founding committee.

In addition, he will share the proposed vision and mission of the community and we will put the "each one teach one community" into a learning context. This community can be a vehicle for connecting people to other people's stories, experiences, and mentoring, which results in accelerated learning and the sharing of "tacit" knowledge within your organisation and the Contact Centre (BPO&O) industry. This will also enable all community members to share best practice on a regional, national and international basis and will encourage continuous professional development through sharing tacit knowledge and low (no-cost) learning and learning support opportunities.

We are pleased to invite you to attend this informative Stakeholders Meeting. The meeting will be held in Cape Town, on November 23, 2006 at 09:00. The meeting agenda will be forwarded to all those registered prior to the meeting. To RSVP or for enquiries please contact Christopher McCreanor at mccreanor@polka.co.za or call +27 83 564 3990.

Please RSVP before or on November 16, 2006.

(v) 500 New Jobs for City Thanks to Call Centre Tax Break

Sunday Weekend Argus, 5th November 2006, Page 4

A Bristish insurance company is using a South African tax break to treble the size of its offshore call centre in Cape Town.

Budget said it would increase the number of seats at its centre from 200 to 700 over the next two years but pledged it was still committed to its three UK call centres.

Budget, which is the UK's third largest independent general insurer said the 500 new workers would include more than 200 unemployed South Africans who were being trained in a government scheme aimed at boosting the country's share of the call centre market.

The government will give a tax break worth R60 000 for each person Budget takes on. South Africa hopes to boost the number of call centre seats from 6 000 now to 25 000 over the next five years. The government hopes the R1 billion scheme will attract other UK companies to follow Budget. Asda, Carphone Warehouse and Shell in creating offshore centres.

Adam Winslow, director of Fusion South Africa, Budget's outsourcing subsidiary, said this country had been chosen over India, Malaysia and the Philippines, with the English language, cultural similarities with the UK and high unemployment making South Africa the best choice.

He said wages were 35% lower than in the UK but cost was not the driving force, as wage costs were also lower in rival countries.

Winslow said Budget, which was founded by South African entrepreneur Douw Steyn, was committed to its three UK call centres in Peterborough, Coventry and Sunderland. What Budget has done, compared with other companies, is to have no job losses, he said.

We are recruiting for the other three sites although it is hard. It is challenging for staff recruitment and retention for the reasons that UK operators are well aware of. Budgets recruitment in South Africa will include taking 211 people with matric who have not found a job CallingtheCape, a not-forprofit organisation funded by call centres and local government, will provide training.

Winslow said Budget would abide by employment equity legislation that insists recruitment must match local racial makeup. In the Western Cape that is 60% coloured, 20% white and 20% black.

Luke Mills, Executive Director of CallingtheCape, said: If you look around the world all the established markets for call centres have had strong growth. India now has a war for talent. So we should have a longterm competitive advantage if we get unemployed people into work, otherwise we will all be fishing in the same pool. Rob Cannavo, a counsellor at the South African High Commission in London, said that President Thabo Mbeki had declared that offshoring and tourism were the top priorities for increasing growth and employment over the next few years.

(vi) Specialist Recruitment Group "Reddy" to take the Cape by Storm

Definitively niche market, target specific with recruitment methodology tailor-made to suit all aspects of the recruitment process, the SR Group a 100% BEE company is ready to serve.

Headed up by Proby Reddy, well known contact centre specialist, the Cape Town office is equipped with state of the art recruitment innovations which include:

  • Competency based interviews
  • Skills assessments using the international award-winning QwizPrevisor contact centre assessment tools
  • Detailed CV's that include Job Specific References
  • A Video Clip of all candidates to ascertain suitability prior to interviewing

With 15 years recruitment experience in various disciplines Proby has been exposed to all aspects of the recruitment process for both permanent and temporary positions and is eager to share her expertise and her brand of specialized service with the market place. Call Proby on 021 419 1800 or 082 889 1173 or e-mail her at proby.reddy@srgroup.co.za

Have a great month.

Rhomeez Hendricks
Communications Officer
Telephone No: +27(0) 21 487 8655 : Switchboard No: +27(0) 21 487 8600
Fax No: +27(0) 21 422 3744 : Mobile No: +27(0) 82 927 8021
Email address: rhomeez@callingthecape.org.za Website: www.callingthecape.org.za

 


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