The adoption of virtual call centres will help to ensure that the sector saves its employment numbers as well as protect its bottomline in the wake of the hugely disruptive coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging widely in severity.
The first known severe illness caused by a coronavirus emerged with the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in China.
Another serious outbreak of severe illness began in 2012 in Saudi Arabia with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
China first recorded COVID-19 cases last December, but the virus has now spread across the world and affected various markets and international trade. COVID-19 cases to date are nearing 700 000 worldwide, with over 30 000 deaths having been recorded to date.
CCAZ president Dr Lance Mambondiani said current challenges facing the sector can be overcome through the adoption of remote working systems.
“In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the local call centre industry, which currently employs over 9000 people, is facing significant challenges in protecting its workers and bottom-line.
“The pandemic has brought about extreme levels of uncertainty. But the sector does not have to fold. Quite on the contrary, increased uncertainty tends to be accompanied by a jump in the volume of calls fielded by call centre teams,” he said.
“Service-oriented businesses have had to review workforce locations, but for the call centre industry in particular, the adoption of virtual call centre systems is essential as it will allow for remote working and business continuity.”
Virtual call centres are typically geographically dispersed, rather than being situated at work stations in a building operated by an organization.
“Virtual call centers are actually an attractive arrangement for Zimbabwe, even beyond COVID-19, because of the flexible working hours, reasonable equipment costs, and lower employee turnover rates compared to physical call centres,” he said.
Zimbabwe has around 43 in-house call centres and six companies providing business process outsourcing (BPO) services targeting European and American markets, which are already feeling the impact of COVID-19 pandemic as both local and global markets are struggling to cope.
CCAZ secretary-general Mr Rinos Mautsa has said the establishment of a national call centre can play a critical role during pandemics such as the current one.
“In our view, the State should seriously consider the development of a national contact centre. It can provide services to ministries, tourists, private players and the general public.
“And in situations like we are currently facing, the national call centre can cater for the provision of critical citizen information, as well as assist in the provision of mobile health services when required,” he said.
The country has over 1 000 inbound call centre seats in the telecommunications, insurance and banking sectors. Encompassing over 90 members, the CCAZ is the country’s main body driving the growth of the local contact centre and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.