Edinburgh Napier University

  In the second-half of the twentieth century, the emergence of contact centres has literally changed the way of communicating between suppliers and consumers. The capability of firms and companies to provide various types of services, information and technical support to customers located in spatially remote areas has considerably increased during these years. As a result, the presence of contact centres is commonly shared by companies operating in very different markets at global level. In addtion, the significant level of employment generated by these businesses has stimulated a constant debate among regional and national policymakers about the necessity to preserve the industry from the threat of off-shoring. Despite these concerns, empirical studies and academic research on contact centre businesses and activities at regional level are very limited. The work presented in this book seeks to contribute to the literature regarding the contact centre industry. By exploring data collected in the North- West region of England, the author examines agglomeration of contact centres and related offshoring issues at regional and local levels.