The UK call
centre industry is continuing to grow, even though firms are transferring work
to overseas countries, according to a new report.
The number of
staff in British call centres has reached 435,000 and will increase to almost
500,000 over the next four years, research firm Datamonitor said.
It predicted
that the number of call centres would rise from 5,980 to 7,320. Growth is
particularly likely in public sector organisations and in healthcare, the study
concluded.
"Given its
maturity, the UK call centre industry could appear a daunting challenge for new
entrants," said Peter Ryan, author of the report.
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"However,
there will be excellent opportunities in specific niche areas and particular
industry groups. Success in the UK call centre industry will mean concentrating
on developing offerings for smaller centres," he added.