Businesses 'not keen on offshore call centres'

Date: 31/10/2011

British businesses could increasingly be looking to purchase 0800 numbers and establish call centres in the UK.

This is because, according to new research from independent analysis firm Ovum, many no longer believe offshore outlets to be the ideal option.

It was discovered that at a time of economic uncertainty, many enterprises consider it too risky to establish operations in foreign countries in case it leads to a loss of customers.

Just two per cent of the executives surveyed said they are planning to move their customer service centres offshore over the next 12 to 24 months.

Report author and lead analyst at Ovum Peter Ryan said: "In this tough economic climate, enterprises are less willing to send their contact centres to low-cost offshore locations because they feel there is greater risk that quality will become an issue."

A previous Ovum study called Consumer Preferences in Customer Service: United Kingdom found language barriers and not being able to understand accents are two of the things Brits find most annoying about overseas contact centres.