Teleperformance to open Cainta facility

REPORT FROM BUSINESSWORLD IN LINE with its two-year expansion initiatives, Teleperformance, a contact center services company, is adding another production seat facility in its local operations. In an interview last week, Teleperformance Philippines Managing Director David Rizzo said the Utah-based call center operator is expanding to Cainta, Rizal in the latter part of the year. "We’re planning to open another one [site] this year, probably sometime in the third quarter. It’s approximately 1,500 seats and that facility will be located in Marcos Highway," Mr. Rizzo told BusinessWorld. The new Cainta site, a one-level, 6,000-square-meter production seat facility, was previously a Robinsons Department Store. Located along Imelda Avenue, the site will primarily provide voice services. The Cainta facility will be employing 2,500 people. Hiring will start in the middle of the third quarter, and training should follow immediately after. "It’s a very strategic area considering it’s along the highway and has plenty of untapped labor from good schools," Mr. Rizzo said. Teleperformance Cainta will have the same amenities as the other local sites, including fitness and entertainment areas. "We have a proven track record in this industry of taking care of its people. We will continue doing that in Cainta," Mr. Rizzo said. Mr. Rizzo said investments for the Cainta facility would be almost the same as the company’s 7,000-square-meter facility in Sucat, Parañaque. He, however, declined to disclose exact figures, saying only that it would amount to "several millions of dollars." Contact Center Association of the Philippines Executive Director Jojo J. Uligan said based on industry’s standard, setting up a contact center facility costs $7,000 to $8,000 per seat. Mr. Rizzo could not say when the Cainta call center would start operating. He noted this would be hinged on the direction of another facility, which will rise in Sucat. "We’ll focus our efforts there once we fully complement Sucat," Mr. Rizzo said. The 1,200-seat facility in Sucat will start receiving production calls on Feb. 18. Teleperformance intends to fill the 2,000-employee requirement of Sucat within the year. Apart from Cainta and Sucat, Teleperformance is currently operating four facilities; two in Pasig and one each in Mandaluyong and Bacolod. Last October, Teleperformance opened its biggest local call center, the 16,000-square-meter EDSA IT Center in Mandaluyong City. The company recently transferred 300 employees from the Mandaluyong call center facility to other sites after a technical support account downsized. — Marian Grace S. Ramos/BusinessWorld