Paulwell
JAMAICA'S description as a "Silicon Island in the Caribbean in the 21st century", appears to be bearing fruit and seems poised to help Minister of Industry, Commerce and Technology, Phillip Paulwell, fulfil his mission of creating 40,000 jobs in the information technology sector over the next three years.
The call centre concept has been mushrooming in the island's second city, Montego Bay and there are indications that most of the players in the market are planning to expand their operations and in the process add thousands more Jamaicans to their payrolls.
During a media tour organised by Jamaica's Investment and Export Promotions Agency (JAMPRO) of several call centres in the Montego Bay Free Zone last week, managers expressed such exuberance about the quality and conduct of the Jamaican workforce, it was only dampened by two companies' concerns about local telecommunications rates which they have been lobbying to get lowered.
Among the companies operating a call centre in the Free Zone is Apple Vacations, which currently employs more than 120 people and has been considering expanding to double the business it now conducts. However, general manager for Apple Vacations, Jennifer Solomon, noting the high telecommunications rates, said they paid more than US$40,000 per month to access telephone services and would like to see that reduced by about 50 per cent.
A call centre is a physical location where calls are placed or received in high volume for the purpose of sales, marketing, customer service, telemarketing, technical support or other specialised business activity. They are set up in large rooms with computer workstations and telephone headsets. In the case of the call centres in the Montego Bay Free Zone, customers in the United States usually dial a 1-800 number, the call is routed to the Jamaican centre and dealt with by agents at the call centres.
Mrs. Solomon said there were various challenges to Apple Vacations' operations in Jamaica, including the high telecoms rates, but one of the reasons they have remained in Jamaica has been the work force which she described as "highly dedicated, very productive, and has a strong work ethic."
She said one of the reasons Jamaica was chosen as an offshore call centre was because of Apple Vacations' success in selling the island as a destination for the past 30 years.
But it has also been the dedication of the workers, their high level of education and their resilience which has encouraged Apple Vacations to remain in Jamaica, said Mrs. Solomon, noting that they provide monthly incentives to staff to drive production.
"We have call centres in Chicago, Philadelphia and California, and it's the first time we are stepping out of the United States," said the general manager.
The Jamaican staff, which books vacations for tourists coming to Jamaica or going to Mexico, also get an opportunity to be trained abroad, Mrs. Solomon said.
Noting that the company currently has more than 2,000 resumes on file from a very wide pool of applicants, Mrs. Solomon said they would like to expand their operations to double their current capacity and in the process employ more people, but that would depend on more competitive telecommunications rates.
NB: The Alex column will return next week.
