CallingtheCape

Full Circle is a leading contact centre business dedicated to providing international clients with a full range of services.

We aim to provide our clients with a one-stop-shop for comprehensive service, advice and implementation support enabling them to deliver world class customer service from SA.

Since 2005, we have been directly involved in assisting a number of international clients to offshore successfully to South Africa. Our CEO was directly involved in assisting the first two major UK captives, Budget Group UK (known locally as Fusion Outsourcing Services) and Carphone Warehouse (known in South Africa as The Phone House), to transition successfully to South Africa.

Our experience means our clients gain from our expertise, assisting them to transition smoothly and quickly, saving precious time and significant cost.

We are able to assist our international clients and prospective clients right from the offshore strategy stage, regardless of their desired operating model, so whether it’s building their own centre in South Africa or looking for the right outsource solution we are able to provide assistance.

Where they are unsure on their offshore strategy or unsure as to whether South Africa is the right offshore destination for their business, we can assist them in making the decision via our Model Office facility.

Full Circle’s innovative Model Office concept was specifically conceived to encourage, enable and provide potential BPO&O investors with an opportunity to sample, experience and understand what South Africa has to offer, before making any long-term investments or commitments within the country.

Prospective investors are offered a fixed duration trial period, usually between 9-12 months, especially designed to provide them with hands-on experience of the South African market, including facets such as customer experience, call quality, operational effectiveness, productivity, recruitment, training, ongoing staff development, transition and service level management, as well as costs and benefits.

The unique, differentiating feature of the Model Office is that we provide all of the operational and infrastructural services required during this trial period, allowing clients the freedom to manage their operation for the duration of the contract. Typically, Full Circle provides agents and team leaders through their recruitment partners, while clients provide management, trainers and project staff for their transitional phase.

Our Training Business’s latest initiative has been to devise and develop a comprehensive training and facilitation strategy - which fosters productivity and knowledge across the full spectrum of necessary skills and behavioural expertise required by all local contact centre employees – which meets local and international standards, promotes brand equity and exceeds both customer and employee expectations.

With SSETA (South African Qualification Authorising Act) accreditation, Full Circle Contact Centre Training offers the SSETA’s Customer Service Unit Standard Qualification, which covers topics such as customer service basics, communication skills, dealing with customers, and customer service.

We are also internationally accredited through Edexcel, our international accreditation partner. Edexcel, is the UK’s largest awarding body – and the world leaders in educational assessment – remaining fully committed to ensuring that all learners benefit from their education and reach their potential.

Edexcel offer progressive, flexible and accessible e-learning courses and streamlined online marking and administration solutions. Their BTEC qualifications are designed to prepare learners for successful entry into employment, simultaneously promoting future career progression and higher education.

Full Circle’s enterprising contact centre training and facilitation plan includes the BTEC 2 and 3 certificate programmes; the BTEC 2 certificate has been formulated for contact centre agents and assists in providing them with a full understanding of how to excel within the contact centre environment and provide customer care excellence, while the BTEC 3 certificate focuses on contact centre supervisors and team leaders, and is designed to enhance and maximize management and leadership qualities, in order to create a productive and professional working environment.

In addition to these training and facilitation programmes, Full Circle Contact Centre Training offers supplementary modules formulated to enhance individual performance and life skills and promote personal confidence and motivation. The modules include topics such as achieving one’s potential at work, managing personal finances, and understanding diversity within the work place.

Blended learning is utilised in these training programmes, allowing for an effective, practical approach to understanding and applying a variety of different learning styles, topics and activities, ensuring that call centre agents achieve the desired level of expertise and performance.

We believe that through on-going personal empowerment and educational initiatives such as these, sustainable and consistent employee relationships will be forged, thereby increasing expertise, experience and professionalism within the contact centre industry in South Africa.

In summary, we are passionate in our belief that South Africa offers a unique proposition, offering superior customer service at a sustainable, competitive cost base, making it a compelling destination for an offshore business.

Issue date: September 2008 | Full Circle News Release