SECTOR OF CONTACT CENTERS

Guatemala is experiencing a strong growth in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. To take advantage of its strategic positioning, in March 2007, the Contact Center Commission of Guatemala was established by initiative of businesspeople, product and service suppliers for the sector, with the objective to promote, represent and oversee the interests of its associates contributing to the development of the Contact Center Industry in Guatemala.

MARKET:

Guatemala has the competitive advantage of having a growing telecommunications industry. According to the World Economic Forum, the country is attractive for foreign investment in service technology. Also, it is considered to be the largest near shore markets in the region. Currently there are 12 call centers that oversee international accounts and approximately 65 in-house call centers (Contact Centers which manage the call center of their own company). Among the services offered in the market are those of customer service, collection, reservations, help desk, back-office, punching in data, data processing, IVR and telemarketing, among others. Currently, they provide service to Latin America, United States and Spain. The most important languages the services are provided in are English and Spanish. 

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT:

Growth potential in the following years depends on skilled workers. To offer a sustainable and quality service, the campaign www.quetzalesfortalking.com was launched in 2007, promoted by Invest in Guatemala and the Contact Center Commission. The objective is to promote this industry and generate job opportunities for young Guatemalans. The campaign consists of motivating young people who speak English to sign up in a classified database so that potential candidates can be contacted and interviewed for a job. This campaign also communicates the concept of the Contact Center as well as the benefits and advantages of working in this industry. 

According to recent surveys done by human resource experts, 80% of University students are interested in working in call centers due to schedule flexibility and attractive salaries. Due to the growth of the industry, there is an opportunity for professional development for employees allowing them to develop a career in these companies.

The commission has made strategic alliances with government education institutions that currently promote training and development programs. Also, it has participated in international trade shows that have positioned the country in the industry and have given it access to new markets, increasing rapidly the growth of the industry at the international level.   As a result, this industry provides jobs for 5,000 Spanish speaking and 2,500 bilingual receptionists, and demand is growing.

More information:

Tel: (502) 2422 3400

Fax: (502) 2422 3434

portal@agexport.org.gt