Safaricom launches a call centre
Posted on Apr 28 2009
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Mobile telephony service provider Safaricom has Monday unveiled an 800 million ultra modern call centre.

The Jambo Contact Centre (JCC) located in Mlolongo area along Mombasa road boasts of latest telephony technology and data system tools and has the capacity to effectively handle about 100,000 contacts from customer service lines.

Safaricom Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Joseph said the JCC would provide services such as prepaid and post paid customer inquiries, data service dedicated to handle data products, M-PESA service, dealer service line and directory services.

“This contact centre will act as a medium between the customer and Safaricom to effectively handle and resolve all customers’ queries. The inquiries will be received through telephone via any of Safaricom’s free customer lines,” he said.

Joseph said the call contact centre would act as the main interface between Safaricom and its customers.

“It is through the call centre that customers give us feedback on our products and services, the network and suggestions on how we can improve and their appreciation for the service we provide as a company,” he added.

Traditionally, the mobile service provider receives queries for its prepaid  and post paid customers who call through 100 and 200 respectively while those for M-PESA use 234, Directory Service Information dial 191 and dealers through 300, email or SMS.

According to Joseph, the Jambo Contact Centre is the first of its kind in the whole of Africa with a seating capacity of more than 1000 staff who work in shifts on a 24 hour basis.

To ensure that employees get job satisfaction and motivation to serve customers, the JCC has facilities installed for the staff such as a gym, a cybercafé, medical centre and a nursery school to look after their children as they work.

“Safaricom values its people and believes in a comfortable working environment for high performance and delivery of results. We not only want to create a good customer experience but we certainly want to amaze our customers with excellent solutions and offers,” said Joseph.

He disclosed that the company employs 30 new customer service employees on a monthly basis and that there are three company buses running daily from the city centre to ferry passengers to and from work.

Information and Communications minister Samuel Poghisio lauded Safaricom’s initiative saying this was a positive direction because the global trends required highly skilled individuals to offer real time solutions to customer needs.

In a speech read on his behalf by assistant minister Major (Rtd) Dhadho Godhana, Poghisio assured Kenyans of cheaper calling rates upon the landing of the fibre optic cable in the country by June this year.

“It is gratifying to see these companies preparing themselves in advance to avoid the last minute rush. This will reduce call costs significantly,” the minister said.