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Kantar Operations Shutters UK Call Centre
In response to what it describes as 'shifting trends in market research', Kantar Operations will be shutting a telephone centre in Warwick, UK, in June. Local reports say that up to 137 people could lose their jobs as a result of the closure.
The firm - the internal operations division for WPP's insight arm the Kantar Group - said it has experienced a 50% decline in telephone volumes since 2005, as online methodologies have become a more popular means of data collection.
According to UK Managing Director Sara Crabb: 'It's not the number of interviews conducted overall by Kantar Operations that's going down - it's a case of the interviews being collected via a different methodology.'
Kantar Operations recently undertook a review of its four UK telephone centres, and the outcome indicated that the business had no commercial alternative but to consider closing the Warwick-based centre on Trojan Business Park.
Crabb said the firm recently consulted with staff to explore alternatives to the closure, and together with employee representatives, the conclusion was that there was no viable option to closing the centre.
'We need to ensure our business remains competitive and relevant in an increasingly challenging and dynamic industry environment,' she added. 'It goes without saying that this announcement is not being made lightly and that we will work with staff and look at any redeployment opportunities, and support them throughout this difficult period.'
Last year, Kantar Operations shut down its dedicated consumer interviewer panel due to the continuing advance of online data collection. Recently, the firm announced that it will be closing its call centre in Corpus Christi, Texas in June, resulting in 87 redundancies.
Web site: www.kantaroperations.com and www.kantargrouptns.com (Flash only).
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