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Barrie, Ontario, Canada, May 3, 2018 -- A Barrie call centre has boosted its wages in a bid to attract 150 more entry-level workers.

Hinduja Global Solutions, located in the Kozlov Centre on Bayfield Street, is offering new employees $16 an hour, which is $2 above Ontario’s minimum wage.

The customer service workers help Rogers Cable customers if they have questions or problems with their service.

Howard Miller, senior director of operations, said the Barrie location was chosen for expansion because it has a high rating for customer satisfaction.

"They’ve really distinguished themselves within the company," he said. "We measure ourselves by customer satisfaction."

But finding enough workers in the Barrie area was difficult due to the lower wages, Miller said.

"Barrie is not the least expensive place for people to live," Miller said. "We realized there would have to be a more competitive wage to make it more attractive to them."

The positions are full-time and include a health benefit plan.

Human resources generalist Libby Torrance, who started as a call-taker with the company, said the job requires some specific skill sets.

"It’s not easy. It’s a challenging job," she said. "It’s one of the hardest jobs I've ever had."

The customer service positions require computer literacy and excellent people skills, Torrance said.

Torrance said recruitment classes are filling up for the new positions. But out of 40 applicants per class, only an average of 15 new employees are added.

Some applicants have come from Transcom, a Barrie call centre that closed last month, putting 280 people out of work.

Transcom closed all its "brick-and-mortar" operations in North America, following a review of its global operations.

Transcom spokesperson Caroline Spivak said a dramatic change in customer service has found customers prefer text messages instead of voice-to-voice service.

But Torrance said Rogers customers using the Barrie call centre want a live person who can guide them through a particular problem.

"People tell us, they just want to call in," she said.

Hinduja Global Solutions is a multinational corporation with businesses in "nearly every sector of the economy," Miller said, adding that leadership positions are filled internally.

#contactcenterworld, @teamhgs

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: https://www.simcoe.com