Contact Centre company expands out West

Despite doom and gloom statistics about low dairy prices, falling business confidence and volatile global sharemarkets, one Auckland company is bucking the trend with plans to expand its business with a new 100+ seat contact centre at the new NorthWest development in Westgate. 

John Chetwynd, CEO of contact centre operator Telnet Services, says the expansion has been about a year in the planning. “There is a lot of business out there. We need more capacity.” 

Telnet, whose clients include a diverse range of national and multinational clients, has grown significantly over recent years. The company’s Australian based revenue has almost doubled each year for the last three years – and now comprises more than 25 percent of Telnet’s business.

“Global brands increasingly identify with New Zealand as a region for investment growth”, Chetwynd says. “Our reputation for delivering superior cost saving ingenuities is highly attractive for these brands.”  

Telnet already has more than 200 seats in its Queen Street contact centre but says Westgate is the ideal location to attract new staff in a growing population area.  

“Our can-do attitude and ability to deliver promised results has translated into increased business opportunities. We intend on capitalising on these by investing further in our people in locations which provide much needed jobs.”

The company has also grown in past tough economic times by investing in knowledge management systems. “What sets us apart has a lot to do with technology and the way we apply it to the industry. We make it easier for our contact centre agents to do their job and we give them the tools they need to satisfy customer queries faster.” 

Telnet has focused on first call resolution and on making call lengths shorter, thus reducing the need for customers to ring back. “This is a self-fulfilling cost-saving prophecy for our customers”, Chetwynd says. The company’s success has also been a combination of technology and attitude. “We find out how things can be done rather than find reasons why things can’t be done. Our size now delivers the infrastructure companies’ need, without compromising our company culture.” 

Telnet has won several new multinational clients despite pitching against global, larger contact centre businesses. “Our efficient systems and smarter operating models mean we can help reduce our clients’ contact centre costs by up to 30 per cent while at the same time providing a better customer service experience and significant improvements in their business performance.”

The falling US and Aussie dollar has been an added bonus in the past few months. “Kiwi businesses can now take advantage of new export opportunities where previously our goods or services may not have been as competitive.”