April 4, 2006: A London call centre is set to hire at least 350 new customer service professionals in the coming weeks. The jobs will go to individuals who will handle inbound customer service calls on behalf of a client who has expanded their contract with Sykes Canada.
Sykes Canada is also investing over $1.5 million in technology and infrastructure in their Pall Mall Street offices to support the client requirements.
Sykes Canada is an inbound-only call centre with its roots in a London company that was founded in 1955. The client is a leading U.S. financial services company that is expanding their 3-year relationship with Sykes’ parent company, Sykes Enterprises, Inc.
Over 400 full-time workers (or the equivalent) will be needed in total, but the company is moving some individuals from within the company into the new jobs. The 350 new workers, including some Team Leaders, will be hired at a job fair to be held in the coming weeks. Details of the fair will be announced soon, but the company is promising on-the-spot interviews and quick decisions on hiring. Sykes currently employs over 1000 people in London.
“These are great jobs”, says Denis Thibodeau, Vice President of Call Center Operations. “They offer people in the London area the opportunity to be part of a high quality team of customer service professionals. Our employees handle inbound calls, providing a reassuring voice to callers by answering questions and providing solutions to their problems.”
Thibodeau says his company offers excellent benefits including profit sharing, flexible work schedules, the chance to learn and develop important problem solving, decision making and communication skills and, for those who wish to progress, there may be opportunities to move into leadership and management positions in the future.
“I began my career in a job just like the ones we are offering today. Most of our managers came the same route.”
The jobs are good news for London says Steve Glickman, Director of Business Growth and Retention for the London Economic Development Corporation.
“London’s call centre sector is a growing force in London and the continued success of Sykes Canada is a shining example of that.”
A tour of the Sykes London offices, located on five floors in a modern Pall Mall Street office building near Richmond Row, reveals registered nurses talking to Ontario Telehealth clients, customer service professionals offering roadside assistance to stranded motorists across North America and those working for other clients.
For more information call:
Denis Thibodeau, Vice President of Call Center Operations – (519) 646-3384
Sykes Canada Fact Sheet
Sykes Canada currently employs over 1000 people in London - 550 people directly and another 500 in its Clinidata (telehealth) division.
Sykes Canada has served over 100 corporate clients in the private and public sectors.
Sykes Canada (and its subsidiaries) realized a compounded annual revenue of over $100 million in 2005.
Sykes Canada Corporation consists of 3 operating entities
Clinidata Corporation – clients include Telehealth Ontario – access to a Registered Nurse 24 Hours a day
Kelly, Luttmer & Associates – based in Calgary this division specializes in EAP, occupational health and wellness programs
Sykes Canada’s head office is in London. Sykes and its subsidiaries have offices in Toronto, Sudbury, North Bay, Calgary, Moncton and Bathurst, New Brunswick.
Sykes Canada provides Emergency Roadside Assistance on behalf of clients including DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Acura, BMW, Mercedes and Honda. Over 3.1 million customers are able to access the assistance, making Sykes the 2nd largest provider of emergency roadside assistance services in Canada. Sykes dispatched over 350,000 tow / service vehicles in 2005.
Sykes Canada is piloting an “Agent@Home” program where some employees are set up with equipment that allows them to offer call center services from the comfort of their home.
Sykes is evaluating potential expansion opportunities in developing areas such as China, and will be pursuing new markets in 2006.
1955 – The company begins operations in London as the National Auto League.
1982 – The company is purchased by the Chelsey Corporation.
1990 – The company introduces Roadside Assistance. Nissan Canada becomes the first major Canadian auto maker to offer new customers 24 hour Roadside Assistance. Nissan continues to be a valued corporate partner today.
1992 – The company changes its name and becomes Oracle, The Assistance Group to reflect diversification.
1995 – Oracles creates an alliance with Sprint Telecentres and develops the TelAssist division, a state-of-the-art inbound/outbound telemarketing sales centre.
1997 – Oracle associates with a British company to allow the development of expertise in the area of legal assistance services.
1998 - Oracle purchases Lawline Canada and expands its business by working with the Law Societies of Ontario and B.C., and with various Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
1998 – Oracle expands into the healthcare field by purchasing Clinidata Inc., a company providing medical advice and health information on behalf of various provincial governments and pharmaceutical companies via sophisticated call centre support technology.
1998 – Oracle becomes part of Sykes Enterprises Incorporated and changes its name to Sykes Canada Corporation.
2001 – Sykes makes its first foray into dedicated customer relations, launching the Toyota Canada customer relations program, the first outsourced program of its type by a Japanese manufacturer.
2005 – Sykes purchases Kelly, Luttmer & Associates, specializing in employer health services including wellness initiatives, Employee Assistance Programs, and the oversight of occupation health and disability management processes.
2006 – Sykes Canada remains an exclusively in-bound contact centre and adds 400 new positions to meet the requirements of a new client – a major international financial institution.
