British Airways' Diane Corrie strikes a pose with a diabolic- looking Cedric McDonald. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
BRITISH AIRWAYS (BA) has stated that it will close its local call centre operations from May 31.
Diane Corrie, the airline's commercial manager for the north Caribbean, stated that call centres in Barbados, Kingston, Antigua and St. Lucia would be closed. The closure follows a global strategy by British Airways to generate savings and boost the airline's efficiency.
The closure follows "an extensive review" of its Caribbean call centre operations, she said. The customer contact operations will be consolidated into the existing North American call centre in Jacksonville, Florida.
The call centre in Kingston currently handles calls from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The centres in Barbados, Antigua, and St. Lucia, will cease operations on June 30, 2006.
COMMERCIAL RATIONALE
"This decision has been purely based upon commercial rationale and in no way reflects upon British Airways' continuing commitment to serving the islands of the Caribbean," she stated. She insisted that the change will not impact negatively on clients, and due to extended opening hours at Jacksonville, "we will be able to offer an improved call centre operation with Jacksonville able to handle calls on a daily basis from 7:00 a.m. EST to 1:00 a.m. EST."
The new contact numbers are to be announced soon.
Hundreds of jobs are being cut in the airline's U.K. operations as customer service centres are also to be closed there. The airline is facing difficult operating conditions with the advent of low-cost competition, high fuel costs and a softening in its prime market segments.
