| According to ContactBabel (2006), the region has | | | | and 2007. |
| the highest average size of contact centres and | | | | 3. Large British based companies see North East |
| the highest percentage of total regional | | | | England as a good investment location for a |
| employment in the UK. | | | | contact centre [ shared services, back-office |
| Two of the six largest UK call centres - Garlands | | | | outsourcing, and customer communication work in |
| and 2Touch - are located in the region. Major | | | | financial services, IT, pharmaceuticals and |
| international companies such as Convergys and | | | | communications. Key multinational companies have |
| Procter and Gamble have multilingual centres in | | | | multilingual contact centres in the region offering |
| the region serving the European market. Functions | | | | customer services. |
| include customer and back office support in | | | | 4. North East England is one of the top two |
| financial services, IT, pharmaceuticals and mobile | | | | regions for the lowest reported rates of staff |
| communications, as well as outsourced activities. | | | | attrition and unauthorised absence in England. |
| GE Money is one of the world's leading personal | | | | 5. The North East has one of the best UK |
| finance providers. It has created a new contact | | | | information technology infrastructures. All internet |
| centre, employing around 500 people, at Cobalt | | | | connections are fully linked to broadband and |
| Business Park in North Tyneside. A partnership | | | | independent switches and connections to |
| comprising the company, One NorthEast, Tyne | | | | international, national and continental networks |
| and Wear Development Company and JobCentre | | | | promote resilience in the system. The region also |
| Plus helped establish the office in the region and | | | | hosts several key data storage and recovery |
| recruit the workforce. | | | | facilities. |
| Companies are often looking for opportunities to | | | | 6. An industry-led regional strategy has been |
| develop their business further. In the contact | | | | developed to support and help the contact centre |
| centre expertise area it is important that you | | | | sector become more competitive in the region. |
| have the right staff and the right backing in the | | | | Initiatives have included an industry-led advisory |
| region you are moving into. North East England | | | | group, individual work groups assessing |
| has one of the highest concentrations of call | | | | interventions and solutions for key issues and a |
| centres in the UK. | | | | regional conference. |
| Below are 7 Reasons why you should consider | | | | 7. North East England has an integrated regional |
| relocating your contact centre to the North East. | | | | infrastructure that delivers comprehensive |
| 1.Companies located here report the lowest rates | | | | vocational training for contact centres opportunity |
| of staff turnover and unauthorised absence from | | | | [ through a network of specialist training facilities |
| work. | | | | and a dedicated North East Contact Centre |
| 2.There are 93 contact centre experts businesses | | | | Academy. |
| in North East England employing over 50,000 | | | | Expertise and support organisations place North |
| people. The sector is still experiencing growth with | | | | East England in a unique position to support |
| a 14% increase in jobs predicted between 2004 | | | | companies in acquiring contact centre expertise. |