Contact Centres
There are around 150 call centres in North East England, employing more than 53,000 people. The regional sector is still experiencing growth, with an estimated 14% increase in jobs (around 7500 jobs) predicted between 2005 and 2008.
According to ContactBabel (2006), the region has the highest average size (240 agents) of contact centres and the highest percentage of total regional employment in the UK.
Two of the six largest UK call centres - Garlands and 2Touch - are located in the region (Precision Marketing’s Telemarketing league table).
Major international companies such as Convergys and Procter and Gamble have multilingual centres in the region serving the European market.
Functions include customer and back office support in financial services, IT, pharmaceuticals and mobile communications, as well as outsourced activities.
Companies located here report the lowest rates of staff turnover and unauthorised absence from work.
This is one of the world’s leading personal finance providers. It has created a new contact centre, employing around 500 people, at Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside. A partnership comprising the company, One NorthEast, Tyne and Wear Development Company and JobCentre Plus helped establish the office in the region and recruit the workforce. This was set up to meet a big increase in demand for GE Money’s financial products.
Contact Centres Fact Sheet [pdf]
(371 KB)
