SA's largest cellular network, Vodacom, has created more than 700 permanent jobs as part of its customer service reshuffle, following the unveiling of its new brand.
The company last week unveiled its new logo, and now sports the same look and feel as parent company Vodafone. At the time, CEO Pieter Uys said Vodacom would focus on improving customer experience, which includes call centre agents “answering the phone with a smile”.
Vodacom has restructured its call centre system so that it has various centres that are managed by outsourced companies with specialties in specific areas. The changes are intended to improve call centre efficiency and knowledge levels, and result in improved customer experiences.
As part of the changes to its call centre structure, Vodacom has negotiated for more than 700 call centre staff, currently contracted to Vodacom through third parties, to take up permanent positions with various call centre specialist companies.
Last month, Vodacom said it was changing how it managed call centres, and the agents that were contracted to Vodacom through broking companies would be contracted, instead, to outsourced call centre specialists.
However, the cellular company has negotiated with its outsourced partners so that these staff members are no longer temporary workers, but have been hired on a permanent basis. More than 700 staff have moved to the outsource entity.
Vodacom chief officer of corporate affairs Portia Maurice says: “We're pleased that by working with our call centre partners, we've managed to provide more than 700 temporary staff with the certainty and security of a permanent home with specialists in their field. We have through this process managed to create rather than shed jobs.”
Cosatu has been demanding a ban on labour broking, arguing that employment agencies provide cheap labour to their “client” companies, to save them from having to give workers benefits such as medical aid and pensions.
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