From: news 
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Re: Foreign Call Centres - anyone got a list?
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 17:36:39 +0000

In article , tim 
<520061495900.removethis@t-online.de> writes
>
>"news"  wrote in message 
>news:ov8$Z5bjcZEAFA8B@artful.demon.co.uk...
>> In article , Stephen Burke
>>  writes
>> >"tim" <520061495900.removethis@t-online.de> wrote in message
>> >news:bup2if$829$03$1@news.t-online.com...
>
>> >Aside from the cost savings I suspect that part of what is pushing companies
>> >to outsource call centres is that expansion in the UK is difficult because
>> >there just aren't many people available who want to do such a job.
>>
>>   ....or are qualified. It is not just customer service centres that are
>> migrating. Call centres for sales forces and number crunchers are the
>> new wave. Call centres are operated by graduates in India. Call centres
>> are operated by people speaking several languages in Prague and
>> Budapest.
>
>But they only need to do that because they *are* located in
>Prague or Budapest.  Except for travel companies there is little
>demand for multi-lingual tele-staff.  British finance houses generally
>only talk to brits, there is no need for their staff to speak a foreign
>language.
>

Where do you get the idea that only travel companies require 
multi-lingual staff? A growing proportion of finance houses in the UK 
are not British. Think Citibank, ING and Deutsche Bank as a few 
examples.   They need international support centres. And finance houses 
are only a part of the industry. Every large company has an 
international sales force and these require support.

   An average call-centre worker in Prague or Budapest will often speak 
three languages, handling staff and customers in the UK, US, Germany and 
their own country.

  As McKinsey and other consultants point out, it is not just cost which 
is the main  driving force for call-centre relocation but globalisation. 
Some moves actually cost companies more because of disruption and extra 
management.

-- 
David Lawson