Export a significant part of call centre’s work volume
The Telegram
Founded as a traditional answering service with two employees in 1966, Telelink Call Centre, has grown to become one of the leading-edge call centres in North America. Over the years the company has maintained its focus on providing award-winning customer service while automating and expanding into new technologies ahead of the competition.
While attending the Canada/USA Businesswomen’s Summit in Toronto in 1999, Telelink CEO Cindy Roma sealed her first export deal. Roma and others in the firm, notably co-owner Sydney Ryan, knew there were risks in dealing outside the country but while working on a potential export contract with a large company in Atlanta, they went for assistance to the Export Development Corporation. In subsequent meetings with the EDC they learned of the range of products and services available to them – for example, EDC’s accounts receivable insurance which protects companies against 90 percent of losses if their foreign buyers fail to pay. Without delay, Telelink signed with EDC’s Emerging Exporters Team which specializes in helping small businesses with export sales of less than $1 million.
Shareholders Barbara Ryan, Cindy Roma and Sydney Ryan operate Telelink Call Centre as an inbound customer service call centre specializing in web-based applications. The company has grown from basic answering service to a comprehensive customer relationship management company utilizing new technology and innovations. It now boasts over 600 client’s domestic, national and now in over 43 US cities.
In 1996 the name and identity of the call centre was changed to better reflect the direction the Newfoundland-owned and operated company was taking. Three years later, several factors would lead the owners to pursue the export market, chief among those was the fact that global market barriers no longer existed for telecom companies due to the Internet and the lowering of long distance telephone rates.
The businesswomen also realized the provinces labour force was comprised of responsive people always willing to go “that extra mile”, giving Telelink a competitive advantage. In 2000 Telelink was one of the first 8% of call centres in North America to become web-enabled, shortly thereafter hired a sales representative in Atlanta, and a year later began an aggressive Internet marketing campaign that is still the foundation of its export marketing strategy.
The company now offers everything from traditional messaging services to on-line order entry for e-commerce sites throughout Canada and the U.S. With its loyal and diversified client-base, Telelink’s 2002 sales topped $1.3 million. Export revenues contributed 21 percent of that figure and new clients are being added each month.
In the last 8 years Telelink has won 9 national awards for delivering quality customer service. In 2002 Telelink won the 2nd annual Call Centre Award of Distinction offered by the Canadian Call Management Association. Quality service, and innovative management and marketing strategies are giving Telelink the competitive advantage in the international market.
