First thing they need to know ...

"DSG admitted they didn't have the know-how or ability to run a customer service call centre!"

The first priority of a call centre is to answer the phone promptly -- with a PERSON, not a machine. And to make sure that if a competent real person is not immediately available to take, they get the competent person to call back within half an hour and not put on hold.

Of course, with most companies the root problem is that there *IS* no competent person. For that, it makes no difference whether the person is in house or contracted, the customer will still not receive the deserved service.

It's worth investing in good people to deal with telephone problems because it does more than anything else to retain customer loyalty.

These things change again and again and again and

I used to work for a major IT multinational.

When I started working for them they were in the habit of outsourcing everything.

By the time I stopped working for them they had started bringing anything in-house again.

My manager (who had worked with the company for 20+ years) said that these things go in phases depending on a variety of factors.

The one she had identified earliest was fashion. When everyone else outsourced, our company did too. The second one was cost... Nice to know their priorities were straight.

Is the reason that DSG is not continuing with outsourcing to Capita due to a problem with costing, effectiveness, lack of competency or something else?

Someone learnt how to add!

Looks like someone finally realised that paying senior managers at an outsourcing company costs money! Also, I didn't think PC World could even run its self, employing staff who know nothing and charging prices that are quite frankly ridiculous!

Crapita

"Current conditions present a healthy flow of opportunities for Capita and the Group is well placed to continue its growth"

or

We are happy to announce that we have embarked on a venture travelling in self-propelled water vessel. The craft is to undergo extensive renovation beginniing with the replacement of the means of propulsion. Some concern has been raised about the waters that we are currently navigating and to any environmental impact upon the crew. We are confident that current procedures will be sufficient should there be any effect to staff in the unlikely occurence of a turnover.

Middle manager cull

"Capita recently began the process of making 42 middle managers redundant."

That's made my day, although most middle managers I've ever met have always been redundant in one sense of the word.

Presumably this is a reflection of PCW having so few customers

that even their in-house support monkeys will be able to look after them to the usual high standard

LolL

They realised that their competitors are winning business from them with great customer services. Customer are willing to pay a little more if they can get good answers and decent support.

Personally I hope PCW etc go tits up then the place I work for will pull their finger out and get their retail stores from the US and bring them over here.

Ahem

I have read the article and all comments and there appears to be no use of the word "Crapita" anywhere. I'm relieved to have addressed this oversight.

And the difference is ...

"DSG admitted they didn't have the know-how or ability to run a customer service call centre!"

So what's going to be different from a Crapita-run 'service'?

Ha. Ha hahahaha

I worked there when we got taken over by Crapita. They ruined everything and we all knew it. We all wished to god DSGi would realise their fuckup and take it back. But obviously they couldn't, contracts and yadda yadda.

It was very obvious to us all how terrible they were though. It's why I left.

@ Ascylto

Well, if Crapita fucked it up then they would have someone else to blame!