Proximity to Right Labor Pool is Key to Successful Call/Contact Centers

Every contact center project is unique and there are no universal standards. But beyond requiring the right location, the common requirement shared by all contact centers--the new buzzword for call centers--is proximity to the right labor pool, writes Van Power, COO of NAI Global Contact Center/Site Selection Services, in the Summer 2008 issue of Development Magazine. That is a key distinction between contact centers and other properties--it all starts with the demographics (quantity, quality, availability and cost) of the local labor force.

Contact centers typically average  40,000 to 50,000 rentable square feet and can be housed in a variety of property types, including office buildings, retail facilities and warehouses. Many centers are ground-up developments as build-to-suits for corporate clients.  New developments use tilt-wall construction, much like industrial/flex buildings, primarily because they are less expensive but also because they can accommodate the tight four- to eight-month time frames most corporate clients demand to become operational.

Power also notes that flexibility is essential for both the tenant and the developer.  Contact center tenants normally sign 10-year leases, but expansion, and sometimes escape, options are included.  if the employee base is there, the labor cost is sensible and productivity meets expectations the tenant will want to stay there and grow.  It is a lot easier to expand in a successful location than to find a new location and rehire and train new employees.

But at the same time, developers must aim to create a property that can be re-leased or easily re-purposed if the tenant leaves. 

It is a very difficult balance.

For more information on the acquisition, development and operational aspects of call centers, contact centers and back office operations centers, visit www.naiglobal.com or www.naicontactcenters.com.

Comments

[Brian French]

Great piece, Van.
Any chance you'd consider posting it on CREOpoint with a link back to here??
Would be a great way to boost mutual readership.
Cheers,
Brian