The Convergys Experience In India
01/01/01 saw the start of Cincinnati-based Convergys’ India subsidiary with, you guessed it, 1 employee. Since then, it has grown to house 10,000 employees in 6 call centers across India. While the rest of the world hails it as phenomenal growth, India tags it as simply ‘healthy’. Employee no. 1, Jaswinder Gumman, country manager demurs,
“Really, it's just a question of keeping up with the industry.”
Much of last year’s US$2.4 billion revenue was generated from outsourcing American companies’ billing and customer assistance services. 60,000 of its employees are distributed across the globe – 45,000 in North America, 10,000 in India, and the rest in other countries such as the Philippines. India houses its call centers in and around New Delhi and Mumbai, and outsources human resources benefits packages for companies in Pune and Hyderabad. Convergys is a spin off from phone company Cincinnati Bell, with which it retains close ties, and counts telecommunication companies in its roster of clients.
Gumman maintains that Convergys’ expansive service coverage is due to customer demand, and has not been at the cost of American jobs. He assures clients that even with the New Delhi office employees outnumbering those in the corporate headquarters in Cincinnati,
“By and large, our headcount hasn't really gone down in North America”
A Convergys call center employee is paid the industry standard wage for college graduates – around 10,000 rupees (US $377) a month – along with state government-mandated benefits: medical coverage, tuition reimbursement, and pension benefits.
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