A Step Backward for the Industry

The call centre industry has come a long way since its inception, transforming from a cost-driven, high-turnover sector into a critical pillar of customer experience and brand loyalty.

However the strike by Teleperformance employees in Greece, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/14/teleperformance-strike-greece-apple-google-netflix ?bring back unsettling echoes of the industry's darker days in the 1990s. This incident not only tarnishes the reputation of a leading global outsourcing powerhouse but also raises important questions about the industry’s future direction and ethics.

A Step Backward for the Industry

The 1990s were a time when the call centre industry was synonymous with relentless cost-cutting, poor working conditions, and minimal regard for employee well-being. Companies often prioritised profit over people, resulting in high attrition rates and customer dissatisfaction. Fast-forward to today, and many organisations have worked hard to shed this image, investing in employee engagement, advanced technology, and customer-centric strategies.

Yet, the situation at Teleperformance highlights how quickly these gains can be undone. The strike—sparked by allegations of inadequate pay, gruelling workloads, and concerns over workplace surveillance—sends a ripple effect across the industry. How can an organisation of Teleperformance’s stature, serving high-profile clients like Apple, Google, and Netflix, find itself embroiled in such controversy? The answer lies in understanding both sides of the story.

Teleperformance’s Perspective: Navigating Complex Challenges

As one of the world’s largest outsourcing providers, Teleperformance operates in a highly competitive environment where margins are thin, and client expectations are sky-high. To remain competitive, the company has to balance cost efficiency with delivering high-quality service to global giants.

From Teleperformance’s perspective, several factors might explain their position:

Global Standardisation Challenges: Operating in multiple countries with varying labour laws, economic conditions, and cultural expectations makes it difficult to implement a one-size-fits-all approach to employee management.

Client Demands: Serving tech giants with exacting standards can put immense pressure on the workforce. These clients expect flawless execution, often without fully considering the human cost of such demands.

Scale of Operations: Managing a workforce of hundreds of thousands is no small feat. Ensuring consistent practices and addressing grievances across such a vast network can be overwhelming.

While these points provide context, they do not absolve responsibility. Instead, they highlight the need for companies like Teleperformance to innovate and adopt more sustainable practices.

Lessons for the Industry

The strike at Teleperformance is a wake-up call for the call centre industry and BPO sector. It underscores the importance of balancing operational efficiency with ethical responsibility. Here are three key lessons:

Invest in Employee Well-Being: Happy employees are the cornerstone of great customer experiences. Companies must prioritise fair pay, reasonable workloads, and a supportive work environment. Employee well-being should not be an afterthought but a strategic priority.

Transparent Practices: Allegations of excessive surveillance undermine trust. While monitoring is often necessary in a call centre setting, it must be done transparently and with respect for employees’ privacy.

Collaborative Client Relationships: Outsourcing providers and their clients must work together to set realistic expectations. Clients must recognise the human element behind their outsourced operations and own their CX too, and be willing to share responsibility for fair labour practices.

Moving Forward

The call centre industry is at a crossroads. Incidents like the Teleperformance strike threaten to undo decades of progress and rekindle outdated stereotypes. However, they also present an opportunity for reflection and reform.

Global outsourcing leaders must lead by example, demonstrating that profitability and ethical responsibility can coexist. By learning from this incident and committing to better practices, Teleperformance and its peers can ensure the industry continues to evolve into one that values its people as much as its profits.

The road ahead will not be easy, but it is clear that the industry’s future depends on its ability to learn from the past. Teleperformance has the chance to turn this crisis into a catalyst for positive change, not just for itself but for the entire sector.

#contactcentres #bpo #cx

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