ST. LOUIS, Missouri:
NATIONAL ASSET Recovery Services, Inc. (NARS) has announced the opening of a multi-million dollar contact centre in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The 26,000 square-foot facility can accommodate more than 1,200 agents and provides a full array of inbound and outbound customer solutions.
NARS provided services such as debt collection, customer care, telemarketing, data processing and help desk assistance.
"We recognised the growing number of opportunities that were being considered off shore, and have expanded our family of companies to include a very impressive contact centre in 'near shore' Jamaica", said Christopher H. Buehrle, president, National Asset Recovery Services. "Giving our customers substantial cost savings while maintaining the quality they have come to expect from NARS was our main concern."
He explained that "after a great deal of research, we decided that a location in the Caribbean would be a much more desirable location. I can leave our St. Louis, Missouri, headquarters in the morning and be sitting in my Montego Bay office by noon. That convenience, coupled with a first-rate facility and state-of-the-art telecommunications, has our customers very excited."
Phillip Paulwell, Jamaica's Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, said the Government was "delighted that NARS has chosen Jamaica as a location for their contact centre. This is a significant boost for the contact centre industry and an affirmation of confidence in the capabilities of the Jamaican workforce. The Jamaican Government is committed to the development of the contact centre industry and will work closely with NARS to ensure that their operation is successful."
COMPANY
NARS is a receivables management company with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. It has been in existence since 1993 and has worked diligently to develop its reputation as a professional and performance-driven financial services firm. NARS has successfully built an operational infrastructure based on the strongest of management and capable personnel with the latest in call centre technology.
The Windows-based collection system, its telephony and reporting features provide a strong foundation from which the company has grown and will continue to flourish. NARS services accounts nationwide and is ranked among the top consumer collection agencies registered in the United States.
NARS has worked with various professionals in the construction of the facility. The company chose Avaya as it's telephone vendor, Sprint for it's voice and data services, Modern Business Interiors for its interior design and furniture installation, and Safe Harbour as its IT consulting firm.
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than one million businesses worldwide, including 90 per cent of the Fortune 500.
Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in more than 100 countries. The company provided critical voice and data services to NARS' brand new 26,000-square-foot call centre in Montego Bay.
Patricia Eaves, regional vice-president for Sprint's Caribbean business, said "the Sprint team had to use some creative problem-solving in our negotiations and implementation strategy to meet a very tight deadline."
Modern Business Interiors assisted NARS with its interior furniture and facility design. "From the time we started the design process through the final installation, we completed the job within five weeks," said Mitch Stern, principal, Modern Business Interiors. "We installed over 500 workstations, 10 offices, two conference rooms, one training room, two reception areas, as well as several miscellaneous areas. Working closely with our primary supplier, AllSteel, we co-ordinated the job through their international division."
NARS partnered with Safe Harbor Information Group for guidance on critical technology and call centre operational requirements. Safe Harbor is a St. Louis, Missouri-based business and IT consulting firm, focused on improving business results.
