Advantages to Call Home About

Ontario is home to more than 3,000 call centers, employing more than 150,000 people. According to the "KPMG Competitive Alternatives: Comparing Business Costs in North America, Europe and Japan" report, Canada has a 14.5-percent cost advantage over the United States, with overall costs in specific Canadian cities 10 to 20 percent lower than their regional U.S. counterparts. In the corporate services sector — which includes contact centers — Canada has a 19.7-percent advantage over the U.S., the report maintains.
        Downtown Peterborough, about 60 miles (96 km.) northeast of Toronto, is the location of ICT Group's new 500-employee call center. This brings to 12 the number of centers operated in Ontario by the Langhorne, Pa.-based provider of customer relations management solutions. ICT opened another call center in Lindsay, Ont., earlier in the year.
        Convergys Corp. has invested $4.7 million to renovate a former department store and turn it into a 400-seat call center in Welland. The 45,000-sq.-ft. (4,180-sq.-m.) facility will generate 700 new jobs.
        Minacs Worldwide recently opened a new center in Oshawa, where the OnStar Customer Center will be located. More than 500 new jobs have been created at the location where enrollment requests from Canadian customers will be handled initially. Minacs agents will deliver a full range of services to OnStar subscribers in the coming months.