Above: Investment Minister Dr Christopher Tufton (JIS Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Convergys, one of the largest agent-assisted customer service companies in the world, will open its first Convergys Jamaican centre in Montego Bay.

The company said it would employ nearly 1,000 people when fully staffed next year.

“We are very pleased to welcome Convergys to Jamaica,” said Commerce Minister Dr Christopher Tufton. “Convergys offers Jamaicans new employment and career opportunities in an industry with a bright future in Jamaica. Moreover, more jobs for Jamaicans positively affect the local economy, which in turn produces spinoff benefits for even more Jamaicans and their families.”

Convergys has 70,000 employees in 69 customer contact centers worldwide. The firm is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“We are delighted to be opening our first contact centre in Jamaica,” said Andrea Ayers, president and COO of the company’s customer management business. “We believe this centre will benefit not only Jamaicans with attractive jobs, but also our clients with a new option for near-shore, agent-assisted English-speaking customer service, including traditional phone, email and chat support.”

The company’s entry to the Jamaican market was hinted at last month, when Ambasador Patrick Casserly, special envoy for ICT with Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce said a “very large player” in ICT was coming to the country.

“The opportunities for job creation from this sector, as well as for the raising of the international profile of Jamaica, particularly within the context of the recovering global economy, are significant,” Tufton said.