IF ANYONE decided to draw a map of call centres in the UK, it would be heavily biased in favour of Scotland and the north of England.
Jobs agency Locate in Scotland estimates the number of people employed in call centres north of the border will reach 37,000 by the end of the year – more than the number employed in the country’s fishing and oil industries.
In Glasgow alone, 10,000 call-centre jobs have been created in nine years, earning the city the title of call-centre capital of Europe.
Many of the jobs are linked to the financial services but a significant number are, or soon will be, selling holidays for Thomas Cook, Lunn Poly and Travel Choice.
But why Scotland? New, modern buildings, and a big, skilled workforce are among the reasons, but the Scottish accent is key, according to some people, especially where Americans are concerned. They just love the Scottish accent, apparently, while we Brits perceive it as trustworthy, which is important for companies trying to sell something or for anyone in customer service jobs.
Travel Choice Direct managing director Chris Browne admitted the Ayrshire accent was one of the factors considered in deciding to locate a call centre in Kilmarnock, 20mins outside Glasgow.
“When people are parting with money over the phone, they need to trust the person at the other end,” she said.
“But it was also a case of finding the right property and being far enough from Glasgow not to be competing for our workforce with all the other call centres,” she added.
“And the Scots do have a reputation for canniness.”
Travel Choice Direct will set up its new centre with 250 staff by the end of the year, building up to 400 by the end of 2000.
Thomas Cook Direct director John Morris said the decision to open a call centre in Falkirk came down to the grants offered from the European Union for inward investment to Scotland and the availability of a skilled workforce.
“When we were looking for a second site for a call centre, because our first centre at Peterborough was full, I was adamant we would not go to Scotland as there were so many call centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow that we would be competing for staff,” he said.
“In the event, we settled on Falkirk, which is between the two cities, where there is plenty of labour and where we would get financial help.
“We employ 250 staff now and will employ another 100 by January. The aim is to go up to 500.”
Lunn Poly Direct, launched in August, also cited the skilled workforce as a key reason for choosing Scotland.
The agency, which will have 60 staff by Christmas, is building an office west of the city. It aims to have created 1,000 jobs in five years.
British Airways was one of the earliest companies to recognise that developments in communications technology meant a call centre could be situated almost anywhere.
A BA spokesman said: “BA saw all that was needed was a pool of skilled labour and good transport to and from the centre at all times of day and night so staff could get to work easily; Glasgow, with a 1.7m catchment area, fits the bill.”
Its Glasgow call centre, which employs 500 staff, developed from a 20-year-old telephone sales operation and has just expanded in a venture with Strathclyde University where students man phones in a new call centre in term time and BA staff take over in the holidays.
“It has become a very competitive market in and around Glasgow, but also in Belfast, Newcastle – where BA has a second call centre – and Leeds/Bradford,” he added. “In fact, scare stories are always being started by rival regions about labour shortages to try to win the business.”