The Contact Center Sector Continues To Grow In Spain

According to the report “Market Study on the Situation of the Contact Center in 2017” of the CEX Association (Association of Companies of Experience with Clients), the contact center sector continues to grow in our country. Likewise, the study reflects the greater professionalization that is experienced in the customer services offered by the call centers of the companies, characterized by the quality and qualification of the agents.

According to data of the report, in Spain, the turnover of the contact center sector was 1,606.48 million euros in 2017, which implies a growth of 3.14%, while abroad it was 211.34 million euros, 9.12%. Globally, companies belonging to the CEX Association billed a total of 1,817.82 million euros, 3.8% more than in 2016.

The number of people employed in the sector also grows. In total, there were 74,196 people working during fiscal year 2017, a figure that represents an increase of 5.2% over the previous year.

86% of professionals of the companies of the CEX Association work as agents are they tele-operators, specialists or telephone managers. According to the study, this figure has grown by 4.8% in 2017. For its part, the coordinators represent 6.4%, with the number of service coordinators and descendants having risen by 4.7%, 2.8%, the dedicated coordinators. The number of supervisors has increased by 7.5% and the structure staff by 10.9%.

Which Sectors Demand More Call Center Services?

Both in Spain and abroad, the main sector that requires contact center services continues to be Telecommunications.

The considerable increase in the weight of the Banking and Financial Services, Insurance and Media sectors stands out over 2016 data. There is also a notable decrease in the Utilities sector and to a lesser extent in the Public Administration.

Customer Service continues to be the most demanded, with a weight of 48%, a percentage slightly lower than the previous year (50%).

Secondly, there is the Sale, with 22% and at a great distance are Technical Support and Back Office, both with 8% and Withholding, with a percentage of 7%.

Where Are Most Of The Jobs In The Contact Center Sector Concentrated?

By Autonomous Communities, those that concentrate most of the jobs are, in this order, Madrid, Andalusia and Catalonia, which account for 69% of the total number of people employed. Outside of Spain, the country that concentrates the most jobs is Colombia, with 10,882 agents and, secondly, Peru, with 7,474. In global figures, employment abroad has grown by 25% compared to 2016.

Increasingly Qualified Agents

Training is another important point of the report, as they increasingly meet demands of greater complexity and sectors that require a high degree of specialization.

According to data from 2017, 31.3% of the agents have university studies, 48.4% have secondary education and 20.4% have primary education. In addition, it is noteworthy that 14.2% of the agents have a second language and that this figure has grown almost 6 percentage points with respect to the 2016 financial year.

According to Íñigo Arribalzaga, president of the CEX Association, “the contact center sector has been taking the course of professionalization for years, something that is evident both in the quality of the services offered by the companies and in the qualification of the professionals. The most important asset is undoubtedly the people because they are the engine that allows us to offer our customers a customer experience of excellence.”