Du call centre in Fujairah celebrates its third anniversary

It was the telecoms giant's first to be staffed entirely by Emiratis

The 100 Emirati staff at the du call centre in Fujairah are celebrating three years since the centre opened its doors. Antonie Robertson / The National

FUJAIRAH // Spare a thought for the 100 Emirati staff at du’s call centre in Fujairah because, as they celebrate three years of operation, they now field about 3,000 calls a day.

The call-centre staff are all UAE nationals and deal with customer queries and complaints. Ninety-one per cent of the staff are female.

“I applied for the job through the Fujairah annual job fair in 2012,” said Ohoud Bashkardi, 28. “I went through all the recruitment processes and I got the job.

“I took six months of training and then started working as a call-centre agent.

“This is the first call-centre job I’ve ever had and before I started I thought I would hate it. But it’s enjoyable, I don’t feel boredom or monotony. But I have a problem concerning working hours – it’s long and changeable, with three different shifts every week,” she said.

Each call-centre agent works a 45-hour week, with changing shifts of 8am-5pm, 12pm-9pm and 1pm-10pm, with a salary of Dh12,700 a month.

Basma Al Kindi, 29, is a public-relations graduate who started her employment at du as a call-centre agent in November last year.

She experiences the same issue with working hours, especially the late shifts, but enjoys the work environment.

“As a public-relations graduate, dealing with customer complaints as well as talking to a diverse range of people can be incredibly satisfying,” she said.

“I enjoy the competitive side of my job, with all the goals that we should achieve at the end of the day in order to be recognised for our efforts and eventually get a reward or even a promotion.”

The working hours, however, were a major problem for her.

“Working shift hours are really exhausting, and working until 10 in the evening is a disaster for me and my family. It would be the perfect job if I just finished work at 5 o’clock, that’s why if I had the opportunity to change my workplace, I would definitely do it, especially if it would be in a government institution,” Ms Al Kindi said.

But not everyone had issues with the hours.

“I started working here since the opening of the centre. I got hired through the Fujairah annual job fair,” said Asmaa Al Yammahi, 24, who works in quality analysis at the centre.

“At first I was a call-centre agent for six months and after providing excellent customer service I got promoted to a floor support agent.

“After eight dedicated months I managed to reach the quality analysis position, which requires supervising 18 to 20 employees and handling their quality issues.”

Creating a good working atmosphere is a key part of a call-centre manager’s or supervisor’s role, she said.

“We have our own motivational games and internal competitions to keep staff productive and relaxed. Plus, we have a recognition programme full of rewards to encourage employees to go the extra mile,” she said.

In November 2011 du opened the Fujairah call centre aiming to hire and develop national talent and offer opportunities to UAE nationals. This week, the centre celebrated three years of existence and ongoing progress, with a 90 per cent customer satisfaction rating across the country.