Why Turkey has Emerged as a Hub of Contact Center Excellence

call-center-Turkey

At a time when the economy of the world is not exactly at its prime, there are some nations that have defied the odds and have proven to be market leaders. With close proximity to both Asia and Europe, Turkey’s economic growth is nothing short of a miracle. Last month, the Turkish Statistical Institute revealed data that registers an impressive 5.1% GDP growth in the second quarter.

In fact, in the recent times the country has become a hotbed for foreign investment. For instance, between January- May of this year, the country attracted $4.8 billion of foreign direct investment. Given the growth and confidence bestowed in the Turkish economy, the nation is also expected to become the hub of business services.
Any discussion of business services is incomplete without a mention of the call center industry. Ever since the establishment of the first call center of the country in the 1990s, the industry has rapidly flourished. Here are few interesting facts about the scope and growth of the contact center establishments –

  • According to Turkish Call Center Association, with a total of 1,229 call centers throughout the country in 2016, the total value of the industry is estimated to be around TRY 4.5 billion  employing nearly 85,000 people
  • The above number indicate a 55% growth from 2013
  • By 2030, the call center sector in the country predicts to employ 300,000 people

Reasons Why Turkey Has Emerged As A Hub Of Call Center Excellence

  • Advantage of Geography

    Segregating Europe from Asia, Turkey offers time zone advantage to European companies that are looking to outsource some of their operations. In 2015, Paris based global BPO provider Webhelp acquired Callpex, a leading customer management firm in Turkey. Earlier to that, Danish company GDCC, Data Collection Company set up their contact center in Turkey. Both Eastern and South-east Anatolia is regarded as a favorable designation for call center investment in the country.

  •  Availability of Prime Real Estate

    As a financial capital of Turkey, Istanbul is undoubtedly the best city for investment in the business service sector. Ankara and Izmir are the other two cities where procuring commercial property to set up a business is not that difficult. Office spaces are widely and freely available which improves the ease of doing business.

turkey-location-europe-asia-1

  • Affordable Labor Cost 

    Compared to the US and Europe the labor cost in Turkey is relatively lower. In 2012, the average monthly wage was EUR 415.

  • Procurement of Skilled Workforce

    Turkish education system lays emphasis on foreign language learning and there are nearly 87 universities that offer education in humanities, science, engineering and medicine. Hiring skilled workforce at an affordable price point allow European companies to save up a lot on operations and infrastructural cost.

Turkey Contact Center Conference and Expo – 19th & 20th October 2017

Since the establishment of the first BPO in the early 1990s, the call center industry in Turkey has sustainably grown with time. Besides back office operation, Turkish call centers also deal in telesales, customer upselling, banking operations etc.
Offering customer support in various departments namely IT, health, finance, transport, telecom and retail on behalf of multinational companies of Europe is the mainstay of the Turkish call center ecosystem. Given the potential of this industry, IMI conferences is organizing the 13th Contact Center Conference and Expo at Halic Congress Center at Istanbul on 19th-20th October 2017.
The two day event will have key speakers from some of the well known organizations of the sector to explore business opportunities in the region. Representatives from within Turkey and abroad shall speak on topics related to security, data compliance, occupational safety, fraud, digital marketing, sectoral difference, turnover and much more.
Developing sophisticated and engaging contact center solutions since 2003, Ameyo shall be participating at the event to highlight the evolvement of contact center into engagement hubs. Over time, contact centers have transformed into engagement hubs and are focused towards developing CX memories.
Update: The event concluded on October 20, 2017. Here are Key Takeaways from Turkey Contact Center Conference and Expo.

Why CX Memories are Important

CX-customer-memoriesLet’s take a little help of science to understand why CX memories important. A study conducted at the University of North Carolina concluded that while it is adaptive to forget neutral memories, letting go of poor or painful experiences is not as easy. Scientists believe that when a person goes through a bad experience, neuron activities in the brain intensify. As a result, it is easier to store and recall unpleasant memories. 

To put things in context, it is quite likely that a customer will remember a disagreeable encounter at a call center and he or she may form a negative perception about a brand or product. The business ecosystem is very competitive and retaining brand has never been tougher. Companies just cannot afford to loose customers on the pretext of poor customer experience and service. 

Closing Thoughts

Transforming Turkey based call centers into engagement hubs with robust contact center software will improve customer experience across touch points. This will offer a added business advantage to enterprises who are already benefitting from infrastructure and favorable acumen of the country. 
Businesses and enterprises have to understand that customers may take emotional decisions, but they often justify rationally. Service providers should know that every customer is an independent individual and their needs, levels of rationality and impulse vary. The approach to deal with customers has to be customized. Only then customer memories will be positive and customer loyalty can be retained. 

 
CTA-image-templates-1024x210