By KRISTEN GEORGE
Contributing Writer

Is there power in numbers? Lowcountry call centers are hoping so and have recently formed the Greater Charleston Call Center Alliance.

The organization, which held its first meeting last month, was born out of a desire among call center managers for education, networking, community outreach and support. The alliance seeks to unite the area’s call centers in order to grow and support their individual businesses and the collective industry, according to Melissa Kovacevic, owner of CommPlan Call Center Consulting and committee lead for the alliance’s program committee.

The call center industry is one that is growing, particularly in the Lowcountry. The tri-county area is home to several large call centers that employ from 400 to more than 1,000, and dozens of smaller centers. Collectively, it is estimated that more than 5,000 Lowcountry residents are employed by call centers, according to Greg St. Clair, director of the alliance and manager of Intercontinental Hotels Group.

Call centers, though often perceived simply as telemarketing companies, actually encompass a wide variety of businesses that offer a broad range of services. While sales are a big part of the call center industry, call centers also include customer service, tech support and emergency hotlines like 911. Banks, utility companies, hotels and wireless phone companies all have call centers, says Kovacevic.

Local centers include the Intercontinental Hotels Group, which is an international reservation center for Holiday Inn; SunCom; Blackbaud; Vanguard, a reservation center for Alamo and National car rental; Charleston County Park and Recreation; the Medical University of South Carolina; Berkeley Electric and many other businesses and organizations. One of the area’s newest call centers, Verizon Wireless, plans to employ about 1,100.

“For an area the size of Charleston, we have a high number of call centers located here—much more than other areas of the state,” says Kovacevic.

By providing a forum for administrators from these and other local call centers, the alliance plans to increase networking opportunities, provide educational events, organize ways to increase call center visibility in the community and lobby on behalf of the call center industry on issues important to the industry’s advancement.

Some specific issues to be addressed at the alliance’s bi-monthly meetings include recruiting qualified employees, motivating employees and using the best technology available to meet customer needs. By working together, call center administrators can share best practices and brainstorm ideas to improve each other’s centers.

“Compared with other industries that tend to be very competitive, our members don’t hesitate to call each other and exchange information,” Kovacevic says.

Speakers from within the industry (local, regional and beyond) and from related or relevant industries will deliver presentations at the alliance’s bi-monthly meetings. Past speakers included representatives from Trident One Stop and South Carolina Commission for the Blind.

Another of the alliance’s goals is to promote community awareness of the industry. This is a challenge because call centers don’t get the kind of public acknowledgement that businesses that interact directly with local customers do.

“Our industry doesn’t touch a lot of people in the Lowcountry,” says St. Clair. “At Intercontinental Hotels, we take about eight million calls a year, but only a few are from the Lowcountry.”

Still, the industry employs thousands of Charleston-area residents and offers opportunity for a variety of individuals with different career goals. Flexible part-time schedules are ideal for students and working parents. For those interested in a full-time career, the industry offers much opportunity for advancement.

Vanguard, a call center in Goose Creek that takes rental car reservations, works with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind to provide employment opportunities for blind individuals. Other call centers have opportunities for bilingual representatives.

Through the alliance, knowledge of these types of career opportunities can be spread through schools, career fairs and other avenues. 

Another aspect of community awareness is to make the industry known to local leaders. Lobbying for issues important to the industry is a task accepted by the alliance.

“It’s important to make our presence in the community known and provide a unified voice to the industry within the community,” St. Clair says. “This way we can address regulations and rulings that may affect the industry.”

The alliance holds its meetings on the second Thursday of every other month. Alliance members will take turns hosting the meetings.

Membership is $100 per year for a business’s primary member and $60 per year for associate members. For more information, e-mail Lisa Dojan at lisa.dojan@firstdatacorp.com.

The alliance’s next meeting is scheduled from 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on May 12 at Blackbaud. 

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