Call centers have reshaped the entrepreneurial landscape in Mauritius. Ébène is, moreover, the nest of these foreign companies where young Mauritians work to save money or while waiting to find better. But this sector seems to have an uncertain future!
Mauritius is one of the destinations that many investors, companies or even service providers have chosen to outsource their back-office work. The island is home to more than 400 call centres: Euro CRM, Outremer Telecom, Convergys and Axa are just a few examples.
It must be said that choosing Mauritius to set up a call center has advantages that other countries do not have. Thanks to its geographical location, the island benefits from a very advantageous time zone with only a few hours difference with Europe and Asia. The country between the two zones can thus perfectly satisfy the demand from both sides.
And since the establishment of these companies in Mauritius, many jobs have been generated, especially for the youth. Saving money for school, working until they find a better job or working during school holidays are just some of the reasons why young people work irregular hours or on a shift system.
Call center, an uncertain future
However, a career in call centres can be risky! This risk is even greater with the arrival of the Internet and self-care. More clearly, the consumer has the possibility to search for the answer to his problems on his own on a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).
A practice that is becoming more and more frequent, which makes the work of call centre advisors less useful. The future is therefore uncertain for those who work in this sector. No more waiting, no more background music to keep you waiting or endless relays to finally solve the problem. This is the advantage of the self-care service! So how can call centers compete?
Of course, we must admit that the results to solve technical or other problems ourselves end in failure (according to a study of the search engine Bing). This would seem to be an unpleasant “User Experience” (UX) for consumers, who end up solving their own problems. In call center policy, however, there is such a thing as “consumer centricity”, which puts customer satisfaction at the heart of the work. This is demonstrated by the many prizes and awards that have been awarded to this sector, which is making progress and is claiming to be professional. Recent global studies by Accenture, Frost & Sullivan and Rage show that not only is customer service not improving, but it is also falling further and further behind expectations.
AI could be the solution
With the emergence of new digital tools, it is highly likely that the solution to solve customer problems will be artificial intelligence (AI). The extensive research in this area points to the certainty that using AI would be the solution to address consumer issues in a timely manner. The creation of platforms, social networks, or other specialized sites, controlled by an artificial intelligence would be in the process of completion. Through these platforms, answers to questions asked by consumers or other problems will be handled by AI.
Technology will therefore replace human labour, casting a shadow over the future of call centres, not just in Mauritius, but all over the world. Even if companies in the BPO sector in Mauritius seem to be spared for the moment, the future remains uncertain!
