FLOW moves call centre to Jamaica, promises more than 350 jobs
KINGSTON, Jamaica – A partnership agreement has been signed between FLOW and Advantage Communications Ltd. (ADV) that sets the stage for the telecommunications company’s multi-million dollar investment to repatriate its call centre to Jamaica, and create 350-plus jobs.
Officials of both companies welcomed the move that they said would see more Jamaicans finding gainful employment in a world class state-of-the-art Customer Call Centre of Excellence never before seen in this part of the world.
“Clearly, this significant investment to bring back the call centre to Jamaica is a direct response to what our customers have been telling us. We are making a huge investment of some US$6 million in Jamaica as we move to totally transform our customer experience,” CEO of FLOW Jamaica, Garry Sinclair said at the official signing ceremony earlier this week.
“This is certainly a case of putting our money where our mouth is.”
ADV has completed the first phase of the programme which is scheduled to be fully operational by mid-year.
“We currently have over one hundred of the best and brightest Jamaicans, trained and developed to deliver unprecedented customer experiences, on the phones serving our FLOW patrons,” said ADV Communications Director and Chairman of its parent Company ICD Group Holdings, Joseph Matalon Joe Matalon also said.
Sinclair expressed confidence in the capacity of ADV to deliver.
The addition will bring to two the number of Customer Call Centres of Excellence situated in the Caribbean for the Cable & Wireless Communication group.
The centre will co-exist with FLOW’s already operational call centre in Trinidad. However, calls originating in Jamaica will be routed to Jamaican agents.
Related story:
C&W, Columbus Communications fail to reach agreement in St Lucia
From Jamaica Observer
CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) says negotiations with respect to the proposed merger between Cable & Wireless and Columbus Communications International have ended, without the parties reaching an amicable agreement.
In a statement Wednesday, ECTEL said from the announcement of the merger in November 2014, ECTEL and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions (NTRCs) have been working assiduously to reach an agreement with Cable & Wireless.
It said this was necessary as existing legislation does not give ECTEL sufficient legal standing to stop or impose remedies on companies partaking in mergers and acquisitions in the telecommunications sector.
ECTEL says the agreement sought to address issues, such as, but not limited to, the minimum speed and price for entry-level broadband packages, maintaining an open Internet, sharing of telecommunications infrastructure for existing and new entrants to provide new services, and protection provisions to ensure customers are not disadvantaged by new services and pricing, to be implemented following the merger.
ECTEL says in the absence of an agreement, it will continue to fulfil its mandate as set out in the Treaty establishing ECTEL, namely to promote open entry, market liberalisation and competition in the telecommunications sector of the contracting States.
“The Telecommunications Act will guide ECTEL and the NTRCs as they seek to maintain a fair and liberalised market environment.”
ECTEL says it is also working to secure the passage of the draft Electronic Communications Bill which was consulted upon from October to December 2015, and which will further assist with managing any adverse effects on consumers and other stakeholders, by giving ECTEL additional powers and tools with which to regulate.
ECTEL is also currently conducting a pubic consultation on a suit of new regulations including regulations of access to network infrastructure, retail pricing and consumer protection, which are intended, in conjunction with the proposed Electronic Communications Bill, to further strengthen the regulatory environment, promote fair competition, and safeguard consumer rights.
“As we seek to maintain a competitive environment in all ECTEL Member States, the public is hereby requested to report to the NTRC in their respective jurisdictions, any actions in the telecommunications market that infringe their rights as consumers, or degrade their existing service,” the ECTEL statement noted.
For more on this story go to: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/C-W–Columbus-Communications-fail-to-reach-agreement-in-St-Lucia
