One says Sitel, the other says Compaq. The contact center industry continues to grow, so many CSRs have hope of moving up. Growth is so swift that contact centers are sometimes forced to promote agents to management without enhanced skills. In response, Centennial College offers a customer service manager's institute, taught two days a month for six months. By arrangement the staff can teach the class as a seminar at an employer's site.
Promotions can happen fast, but indications are that three years is a common timeline.
Four people who went through Centennial's CSR program three years ago were in its management institute in November, Ng reports. The economy in Ontario offers other opportunities as well. While the Municipal Act prevents local governments from offering financial incentives to entice businesses, the provincial government does offer a few perks in job-poor areas. Education and job creation grants are available to those who meet hiring requirements. Executives at the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development are ready with a wealth of information and business contacts to help contact centers succeed and many local economic development agencies are standing by to help facilitate site selection, leases, utility contracts, fast-track permits and to help screen and hire employees.