News

Sitel Named Best Performing Contact Center by Global Services

The winner of the category of "Best Performing Contact Center" needs no introduction as a contact center leader. The three things that make it stand out are global sourcing, global operating standards and a global private network.

Sitel once again bagged the top slot in the category: Best Performing Contact Center. Interestingly, this year’s top 10 list of global contact centers has many surprises, including ACS making to the third slot from last year’s nowhere position, NCO Group jumping to the fourth position from the last year’s 10th slot, Convergys entering into the category for the first time and making to the second position.

The winner of the category, Sitel needs no introduction as a contact center leader. The three things that make it stand out are: a) global sourcing — which is about its flexibility to source the most appropriate global talent; b) global operating standards — which is about using 32 years of experience supporting 3 million customer interactions a day to deliver consistent service every day; c) global private network — which is about ensuring uninterrupted service to customers to route voice and data seamlessly throughout its 140+ global facilities.

On its capabilities to serve efficiently, one of Sitel’s customers Joann, Director Strategic Alliances, Pitney Bowes cites, “Although Sitel is a large global company, they have demonstrated that they value Pitney Bowes as a customer. From the beginning of the partnership when Pitney Bowes launched with approximately 35 agent positions in two global locations, Sitel provided the appropriate level of operational support and access into Sitel’s senior management organization. I think Sitel’s ability to meet customers at their level is one of the reasons Pitney Bowes and Sitel have been so successful together — small and then medium.”

Many such deals continue to get signed. For example, in Feb. ’09, Sitel inked a multiyear, approximately $40 million, outsourcing deal with a new customer to provide inbound customer care and other customer-service activities. The company has already employed approximately 400+ associates for this project.

However, market conditions have impacted Sitel as well. “The positive impact has materialized as large new outsourcing initiatives that have been typically associated with consolidations, asset reallocations and re-badged employees. Due to this, we expect to see several new companies join our roster of customers in 2009. The down side impact is realized primarily through the erosion of forecasted volumes. Our volume decreases are a direct reflection of dampening in new customer sales, activations, reservations, claims, product releases and account opens,” said David Garner, CEO, Sitel.

To serve customers facing the challenging economic conditions, Sitel has developed special service offerings, including a packaged offering targeted at low balance collections — this solution is optimized to profitably collect early in the process using a unique blend of interactive voice, live agents and non-agent assisted collections strategies.

Will the current slowdown continue to affect Sitel in 2009? “Sitel is bullish about the future. We believe we will be a significant part of our customer’s successful navigation of the current economic environment Sitel Worldwide and their emergence from this turmoil.