Qatar Telecom Qtel Wins Gold in International Call Centre

Qtel’s Customer Service division celebrated four awards at a major ceremony in London recently, which looked to honour companies that provide the highest standards of support and response for customers.

The organiser of the Awards, Contact Centre World, is the leading global support organization for the international contact centre industry. Over a thousand applicants submitted entries for the 2009 program and the best were shortlisted and invited to present at the London event.

Waleed Al-Sayed, Executive Director, Customer Services, Qtel said: “Qtel is very proud of the strong success that our team enjoyed at the Contact Centre World Awards, and believe this international recognition justifies our ongoing investment in our Call Centres. Our people in these Centres provide the essential human touch for our customers when they need support or advice, and we are very pleased to see them honoured by these awards.”

Qtel’s Call Centres are among the most technologically-advanced and progressive in the region, managing a massive volume of calls every day of the week. In recent years, the company has also implemented a range of pioneering human resource techniques to ensure that Call Centre workers remain motivated and eager to help with customers’ questions and inquiries.

Professionals at the Call Centres are trained to deal with a wide variety of issues, ranging from Internet access through to mobile phone updates. With Qtel closing in on nearly two million mobile phone customers, the rate of calls has increased significantly in recent months – rising from 50,000 a day in 2007 to in excess of 100,000 a day in 2009 – reflecting Qatar’s ongoing growth and dynamism.

However, the enhanced processes within the Call Centres, combined the professionalism and positive attitude of the Call Centre staff, has enabled Qtel to manage this increased volume of calls, and has actually seen the Centres successfully increase the number of positively resolved inquiries and reduce call waiting time – an important achievement in an increasingly busy society.

At the Award Ceremony, Qtel received the Gold Award for the Best Outbound Campaign, in reflection of the ongoing work the Call Centre does in contacting customers and keeping them informed about changes to their accounts and billing.

The Call Centre also received the Silver Award for the Best Community Spirit, in recognition of Qtel’s ongoing work with the people and charities of Qatar, in which the Call Centre team play an essential role.

In recent months, Qtel has organized a variety of events and initiatives for the local community, including the Qtel Free Family Fun Festival, which was one of the largest free public events held in Qatar this year. It is also supporting a range of charitable activities under its corporate social responsibility strategy, “For Qatar, Hand in Hand”. Call Centre employees played a key role in the success of all these initiatives, lending their time and expertise.

Qtel also received the Silver Award for Best Technology Innovation and a Bronze Award for Best Trainer, awarded to Lamya Gad.

Qtel has taken the lead in deploying artificial intelligence solutions for analyzing technical issues, resulting in a faster reaction time for complex and challenging communication issues.

To help further develop the skills and competencies of the Call Centre teams, Qtel has developed its pioneering “Me and My Customer” training program, which was tailored specifically for employees.

Al Sayed said: “We are very keen that the Call Centres should provide a productive, engaging work environment for our employees, and that we continue to help them develop the skills and experience they need to further develop their careers. We see the Call Centres as an unbreakable link with our customers, so we continue to invest in their development.”

Qtel continues to enhance the number of workstations and positions within its Call Centres, reflecting the company’s dynamic development and growth.

4/8/2009