Pay and conditions in call centres 2005

CALL CENTRES

Pay and conditions in call centres 2005

The pay for customer service advisers typically ranges from £13,300 to £16,000 a year and the top-paying sectors are financial services, telecoms and utilities, according to a survey by Incomes Data Services.

Key results

Among the main findings to emerge from the IDS research are these:

  • Bonuses: Around three-quarters of the survey respondents paid a bonus or commission or operated a profit-sharing scheme. The only sector where bonus schemes were not widely used was the public sector.
  • Unsocial hours payments: Of those organisations that operate their call centres during evenings and/or weekends, almost half (47%) said they paid an additional premium on top of basic pay.
  • Starting pay: The average starting salary for a team leader was £17,900, while for a team manager the figure is £26,100.

What you will find in the report by Incomes Data Services

The ninth in an annual series begun in 1997 offers a detailed analysis of salaries paid to call centre operators and team leaders. The 140-page report includes information on:

Introduction and overview of trends

  • profile of the 2005 survey respondents
  • trends in employment levels
  • trade union representation.

Recruitment and retention

  • survey findings on recruitment and retention problems
  • staff turnover rates across the economy
  • unemployment rates in key call centre locations
  • addressing recruitment and retention issues
  • absence levels in call centres
  • initiatives aimed at tackling absence.

Case studies

  • Carphone Warehouse
  • Vertex
  • Which?

Analysis of basic pay

  • summary findings on basic salaries for all jobs
  • customer service adviser salaries
  • pay progression for customer advisers
  • team leader salaries
  • team manager salaries
  • pay reviews for call centre staff 2004/05.

Analysis of other terms and conditions

  • bonuses, commission and profit-sharing
  • shift and unsocial hours premiums
  • hours and holidays
  • other benefits.

Directory of pay and conditions

Listing of named organisations features pay structures, bonuses, hours, holidays, benefits, operating hours and employee numbers.

Want to know more?

Title: Pay and Conditions in Call Centres 2005, Incomes Data Services.

Methodology: The report is based on a survey of call centre managers conducted in summer 205.

Sample size: Data was obtained from 102 organisations running 220 call centres employing a total of 97,000 staff.

Business sectors: The main sectors represented are financial services, public services, retailing and telecoms and utilities.

Availability: To order your copy contact customer services at Incomes Data Services in London, tel: 020 7324 2599.

IDS is a leading UK information and research service on employment issues, providing a range of publications for employers, unions, government departments and other agencies. To find out more visit www.incomesdata.co.uk

Posted 10 October 2005