CRM - May 2008 - (Page 41)

companies looking to diversify [a] global footprint,” Sitel’s Kokes says, and particularly for those looking to tap into a rapidly emerging U.S. demographic—the Hispanic market. According to the University of Georgia business school, America’s Hispanic population controlled $926.1 billion in total disposable income in 2007, and U.S. Census Bureau statistics reveal Hispanics to be the fastest-growing demographic. In other words, U.S.-based companies better be prepared to tailor their customer service strategies to cater to the Hispanic population. “What you’re seeing, from the outsourcers’ perspective, is that they are strategically locating contact centers in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Argentina, and Chile to support [the] U.S.-Hispanic market,” DeSalles says. That market is a huge opportunity for Mexico and the rest of Latin America, as they have what Amit Shankardass, Sitel’s senior vice president of global marketing, believes North American companies need: multilingual contact center agents. “As the number of U.S. Spanish-speaking consumers increases, so, too, will the demand for contact center support for this demographic,” he explains. “Mexico has the unique advantage of providing ‘context-specific’ support,” he adds, noting that other Latin American nations, such as Panama and Colombia, are also clamoring for a piece of this market. A large stumbling block is the preconception that these countries are still war zones, unsafe destinations for milliondollar contact center investments. “For some people, the mention of Colombia or Nicaragua calls to mind images of violence and instability,” Shankardass explains in his report, “Latin America: The Next India?” “But, contrary to this view, these nations have become safe and business-friendly with governments that are keen to secure attractive foreign investments.” (See “Why Nicaragua?” and “A Nearshore Niche in Nicaragua,” July 2006.) Kokes notes a positive example: Many Nicaraguans who fled to Canada or the U.S. in the 1980s have since returned with high levels of education www.destinationCRM.com http://www.books.infotoday.com/books/RealTimeCRM.shtml http://www.books.infotoday.com/books/RealTimeCRM.shtml http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - May 2008

CRM - May 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Is CRM Too Hard for Microsoft Vendors Go Virtual For Feedback Sense-sational Marketing How UGC Can Benefit CRM DestinationCRM Dashboard Price Check, Aisle 5 Required Reading The Moving Target The Excellence Myth Seven Steps to SOA Success And They're Off! Are You Ready to Party? Skin in the Game The Right Numbers Secret of My Success Re: Tooling Connect Pint of View

CRM - May 2008

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