The projections by executives from the companies 24 / 7 Customer, the Commission for Contact Centers and BPO’s from the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport), also include the creation of some 15,000 positions for workers who provide services in Spanish.
"The vice president for Latin America from 24 / 7 Customer, Ravjanshi Kapil, said that developments that call centers and BPO’s have made in the country are due to the benefits exist such as the telecommunications infrastructure which is one of the most outstanding in Central America, so investors are spared having to provide infrastructure.
Ravjanshi also highlights the proximity to customers, as they only offer services to the United States, which gives them a time zone advantage, and the fact that the English accent is neutral, as well as the friendliness and hospitality of the Guatemalans.
The activities of the BPO are divided as follows: customer service 35%, telemarketing 25%, support 13%, and forecasting 10%. However, the industry has its reservations regarding the conditions offered by the country, mainly regarding the number of people who are fluent in English and the government’s incentives for businesses. ‘We have asked, since we moved, to become a free zone because the services are exported ... In Nicaragua there are incentives and the rents are lower. In Guatemala, the electricity costs are higher, the latest increase had an impact of 50% on business costs", noted vice president of the company;” in an article in Siglo21.com.gt
Source: sigloxxi.com
More on this topic
April 2009
In order to grow, the call center industry needs to train 22 thousand Guatemalans over the next two years.
As part of the annual meeting of the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals, Central America chapter, Mario Lopez, Transactel executive, noted the need for a bilingual workforce in order to remain competitive.
July 2009
24/7 Customer will double its operations during this year, adding 500 people to their current workforce of 900.
As the first phase of their hiring process, the call center will stage a "24 Hour recruiting day" on July 24, where it aims to hire as much people as possible in 24 hours.
April 2009
The multinational service outsourcing company has a payroll of 1,200 employees and it expects to hire 700 more people.
Future employment increases will depend on demand for the company’s services, and "the incentives that the state might grant (in tax matters)."
The multinational company provides customer service outsourcing to Spanish and American companies.
April 2010
El Salvador is located close to the United States and Canada and in their same time zone, and offers competitive prices when compared to neighbors Mexico, Panamá or Costa Rica.
Such conditions make it an attractive location for outsourcing services, call centers and BPO. Still, El Salvador has much to do to take advantage of these conditions.
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