Strong support from CallingtheCape, the dti and other public sector bodies has generated an explosion of entrepreneur-driven contact centres in Cape Town – and some are coming up with innovative ways to stand out from the crowd.
At OTT Outsourcing, founded by former Dialogue employee Ed Bham, the emphasis is on Hollywood-style glamour with an avant-garde layer of sophistication, pointing to a unique style of business. “We don’t interview our people, we audition them,” says Bham. “We’re an unconventional business and we look for unconventional thinkers; it’s the attitude that counts, not their past training. If we get someone with the right attitude, we can develop their talent.”
Workers in OTT Outsourcing’s contact centre are not “agents”, says Bham, but rather independent service providers who are entrepreneurs in their own right. “Our clients include blue-chip banks and financial services companies, so our service providers are in many cases offering financial advice. We provide the training to ensure they can do that at a high level. As a result, we’re able to charge premium rates and in turn reward service providers well.”
Bham says he is “all for” the controversial clawback system by which clients can demand a refund of fees paid for sales which fall through within three months. “We make 100% sure that we match the needs of the customer with the products we sell them, and we follow up if the first or second premium is not collected. This means we minimise cancellations.”
With a seat capacity of 156, Bham has ambitious plans to grow to 600 by the end of 2010. “We’re targeting clients who sell high-value services, where the glamour and elegance we bring can really make a difference. We add a touch of sophisticated, personalised service that makes our clients – and us – stand out.”
“The contact centre industry globally is sometimes perceived as a 21st-century sweatshop environment,” says Bham. “We are proof it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“OTT Outsourcing has indeed come up with a unique business offering, which we believe will bring a different flavour to the BPO&O industry,” says Sipho Zungu, CEO of CallingtheCape.
