My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica: How to find work in Jamaica at Call Centers - FullGram International lands US$20 million dollar Quality Assurance Contract with US-based Education Source

Friday, June 20, 2014

How to find work in Jamaica at Call Centers - FullGram International lands US$20 million dollar Quality Assurance Contract with US-based Education Source

“It's a big thing for Jamaica. It's a contract that every other country would like to have”

President and CEO of Fullgram Karl Graham commenting on landing a US$20 million contract to provide Quality Assurance services to Education Source

FullGram International seems to be on an expansion move.

They’ve already landed a large contract with Telecom Provider Digicel to expand on their Call Center services for both Prepaid and Postpaid Services as stated in my blog article entitled “Digicel cuts 120 Call Center Jobs - Fullgram Solutions to benefit as Antonio Graham speaks of an AEPP future by the Ocean”, and they’ve made yet another move in the Lucrative Call Center World.

This time, they've landed a lucrative contract worth US$20 million with US-based Education Source, a provider of information on higher education opportunities as stated in “Local call centre lands US$20-m deal”, published Wednesday, June 18, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

FullGram International started out as FullGram back in 2008 with 44 Employees with the CLARO Jamaica account as I'd chronicled my blog article entitled “Digicel cuts 120 Call Center Jobs - Fullgram Solutions to benefit as Antonio Graham speaks of an AEPP future by the Ocean”. They've apparently grown as they now have a total of 30,000 square feet of Call Center space in two locations in New Kingston at the following addresses:

1. 12-14 Oxford Terrace (5)

2. 24-26 Trinidad Terrace (5)

Again, the maps below show the location of the two (2) locations for their Call Centers, with their Oxford Road Location being the best place to drop off any applications that you may intend to make to become an agent at FullGram International!

This bit of news from their secretive world comes to my attention thanks to a tip-off from an employee working inside the Call Center to The Jamaica Observer, who wasted no time in doing an exclusive phone interview with the President and CEO of Fullgram Karl Graham. In it he has revealed some key details of this deal that should be of interest to those seeking employment in a Call Center:

1. US$20 million Contract with Education Source is to last for five (5) years

2. 400 Workers needed in the next three (3) months by September 2014

3. 400 Workers already working with FullGram International

4. 800 Workers will be the grand total

For those who've worked in the Call Center Environment as long as I have, you'd know that Education Source would be somewhat similar to Education Online Services Corporation is located at the JM Building that's within walking distance from New Kingston. It's just across from the Spanish Court Hotel and is on the same side of Trafalgar Road as the British Embassy as can be seen from the Map below.

So this is clearly outsourcing of Quality Assurance services for Education Source, with FullGram International getting this huge responsibility of grading and monitoring Calls for Call Centers located in the following countries:

1. Belize

2. Dominican Republic

3. Philippines

4. United States of America

Additionally, it's good to know that this is really an outbound account, not Inbound. The function of Education Source is to call young high School Leavers (ages 18 to 24) in the United States of America and pitch offers to them on behalf of the Various Colleges and Universities that they represent. You get paid a basic Salary with Commissions based on the number of persons you manage to convince to sign up for College.

Also, based on this announcement and my knowledge of Education Source, it's clearly not Call Center agents that they are recruiting. Rather, the 400 persons may really be Quality Assurance Agents and Supervisors to monitor and listen to calls from the above locations. This is to ensure that the key KPI (Key Performance Indices) are being achieved mainly:

1. Handle Time

2. Quality

3. Schedule Adherence

4. Speech Quality

Not sure why Education Source would need to come all the way to Jamaica to hire Quality Agents. But if our work ethic is as good as Education Source Chairman Mike Connors claims, then it would make sense. They may be having difficulty finding such skills at a low enough cost in the above countries, which are mainly Spanish speaking.

They may not have a good command of American English. Thus English and our ability to be taught how to speak like Americans plus of JA$300 per hours wages as concluded in my blog article entitled “Convergys and Aegis Communications Call Centers Coming – FDI powered Call Center Renaissance in Jamaica thanks to our Good English”, are the real reason for Education Source outsourcing the work of Quality Assurance Agents and Supervisors to Jamaica as this is usually chosen from persons in-house.

Sales isn’t my thing, hence I’m not interested. Still, if you're interested, in FullGram International, you can apply right NOW via their Online Application Form, as they are currently recruiting personnel. Good luck, dear reader, as you seek work in Jamaica’s Call Center Environment!

Here’s the address: