Teletech gives boost to Glasgow

The Glasgow area is set to receive a boost in the next few weeks when a leading US customer service company announces plans to build a call centre there.

The call centre will be operated by Teletech, a fast-growing US company that specialises in the business of answering phones on behalf of large technology and service companies

The call centre will initially employ around 800 people as telephone customer sales and technical support representatives.

"We are interested in the UK as a growth area for our business," said Ken Tuchman, president of Teletech. He added that he could not comment on any projects that were still subject to negotiation.

Locate in Scotland said it could not comment on any inward investment negotiations before a decision had been made.

It is believed that several possible locations are under discussion, among them East Kilbride and Falkirk. Teletech is understood to be keen to tie up the best regional aid deal before it signs up.

The company says it prefers to locate its facilities in areas where education levels, as well as unemployment, are high, so it can recruit literate and numerate staff quickly while paying moderate wages.

Pay rates at the company's US facilities start at $7 (pounds 4.40) an hour, though more technically competent staff can earn up to $18 (pounds 11.25) an hour.

In the US, Teletech runs call centres in California, Colorado and in northern New York state.

Teletech already has one call centre in the UK, in Reigate in Surrey.

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