In large Brazilian cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the contact center outsourcing market is booming. According to recent analysis of the market at Nearshore Americas, outsourcing companies building new sites in the northeast and south of Brazil are seeing a host of benefits for their employees and customers and for their businesses overall. They are doing so well that they are even beginning to offer services that traditional outsourcing centers typically do not provide, such as multichannel and non-voice solutions.
The most immediate benefit for Brazilian call center employees is that they have a lot of choices when they decide where to work. If they do not like the pay or working conditions at one call center, they can easily swap to another. Indeed, this has become the reality as call centers work hard to retain employees by offering them competitive pay rates, solid benefits, and good working conditions.
That marked improvement in conditions has reportedly affected the overall nature of businesses as well. They are seeing lower turnover rates and improved customer service because their employees are happy with their jobs. In some cases, call centers are also finding out that they can receive tax breaks other areas of the world may not provide.
As a result of their improved environments, outsourcing centers are beginning to provide services they traditionally did not offer. The Nearshore Americas report indicates that Brazilian customers are increasingly using social media, online chat services, and email to contact representatives. To respond to that growing demand, call centers are investing in non-voice contact solutions that meet their customers' needs. In addition, call centers, in greater numbers, are providing automated voice solutions that lessen the need for live agents, and they are taking on the specific market of debt collection because of worldwide demand for that service.
Overall, call centers in the area are banking on a 2013 regional market value of R$11.18 billion (US$5.19 billion) that analysts estimate will grow to R$18.28 billion in 2018 (US$7.34 billion). There is certainly room for growth, and many call centers and client businesses are getting in on the mix.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson