Five-year milestone for Convergys

This week, Deveau celebrates five years with her employer and Convergys—which offers service to customers of a large U.S. wireless provider—celebrates five years in the community. Now the region’s largest employer, the inbound call centre has recently renewed its building lease, evidence of its plans to operate well into the future

That long-term success was doubted by some when Convergys opened its doors five years ago because it wasn’t the first call centre that had announced intentions to settle here. Another company was supposed to move into the same community-owned building two years earlier and employ 400 people, but plans fell through and dashed the hopes of many.

So optimism was guarded when the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency later announced Convergys would moving into the Cornwallis Park building, and employ 170 within two years of its start date.

Today, Convergys Cornwallis has more than 500 employees.

Deveau, now a team leader, has been promoted twice since being hired, and aspires to Wendy Reid-Saulnier’s job as site leader, and has every intention of retiring at Convergys.

Although Reid-Saulnier isn’t about to vacate her job—she and her family moved to Digby from Dartmouth just a year ago—she says Deveau’s plans to move up the corporate ladder are realistic and welcome. “Once you’ve entered our doors the possibilities are endless. “We have a tuition reimbursement program, succession planning and training, development and ‘career-pathing’,” said Reid-Saulnier. In addition to the Cornwallis site, Convergys also has Atlantic Canada locations in Truro, Dartmouth, New Glasgow and St. Johns, Nfld., so employees can also transfer from one location to another.

In her own case, Reid-Saulnier has been with Convergys for 10 years. Her husband is a native of Digby, so she seized the opportunity to become the Cornwallis operation’s site leader and says moving to the area was a lot like coming home.

Reid-Saulnier says although Convergys employees are encouraged to think in terms of ‘career’ rather than ‘job’, not everyone is upwardly mobile and not everyone stays. The centre is continually hiring, currently offering two training classes a month.

Those who find their comfort zone in customer service are rewarded with performance bonuses as well as perks. “We have a person solely dedicated to sales recognition,” says Reid-Saulnier. “And this year we had two reps who went on a cruise.”

There are also incentives for referrals, and many employees bring friends and family members aboard.

Beyond the pay cheques and the perks, Convergys employees pride themselves on community involvement. Last week, teams assembled Easter baskets for distribution to local children in need and in the past few months employees have donated thousands of pounds of groceries to food banks in Annapolis and Digby. They are also supporters of the anti-bullying campaign, breast cancer awareness, and the Wharf Rat Rally. This year Convergys will have two teams in Digby’s Relay for Life.

The positive feelings resulting from supporting the local community spill over into the workplace and Reid-Saulnier said it contributes to both to the positive atmosphere and the quality of service. “Our relationship with our client is extremely solid. And the work ethic here it’s the best I’ve seen so far.”