…scales down Goedverwagting branch after losing key client

QUALFON Guyana Inc. has lost one of its key clients for the Goedverwagting operations and will be scaling down its business there, but staff who will be severed due to this move would have another chance as the company is simultaneously expanding its Providence branch.

Some 200 employees could be affected at the Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara branch. The remaining 50 employees, according to a senior functionary at the company, are also at risk of being handed termination letters in the coming weeks or months but the global provider, of contact centre, back-office, and business process outsourcing (BPO) services, said it is not closing down its operations at the Goedverwagting branch.
The termination letters were handed out in phases with the most recent batch of letters issued at the start of June, 2019. A dismissal letter issued on May 6, 2019 reads: “As discussed in your exit interview, this separation is based upon organisational restructuring which makes your role in your department redundant. Therefore, the company has chosen to end your employment contract. All monies owed to you will be paid in the form of a cheque.” That letter was signed by the Human Development Manager, Denise McGarrell-Murray.

Qualfon Guyana Vice-President of Operations, Steve DiBari, in a Skype interview hosted at Qualfon Providence Campus One, said Qualfon Guyana, which has been operating in the country for the past 14 years, has three locations: Site Two situated at Goedverwagting, and Campuses One and Two located at Providence – none of which are closing.
Each site, he said, has different clients, explaining that one of the clients at the Goedverwagting branch has consolidated its operations – a move which has implications for Qualfon Guyana.

“Their network was consolidated and they made the decision to consolidate their outsourcing work and their customer service work. So within those decisions, they are no longer doing business in Guyana with us,” the Qualfon vice-president of operations explained. According to him, due to the confidentiality clause Qualfon has agreed to, he is unable to disclose the name of the client but would only say that the client has been with Qualfon for 14 years.

REASON FOR RESTRUCTURING
It was explained that as a result of the loss of this client in Guyana, Qualfon began restructuring its operations particularly at the Goedverwagting branch. That restructuring exercise started on January 24, 2019 when the first batch of employees was issued with dismissal letters. Two other batches of letters were since dispatched with approximately 200 employees affected to date, according to the company.

“Every single one of those employees that was let go because of that, they were given severance (pay) which we feel was something that we wanted do because of their tenure and because we had a client for 14 years,” DiBari said.

Fifty employees remain at the Goedverwagting branch, and according to a senior functionary at the company, there is a potential that some, if not all of them, could be issued with termination letters.

But DiBari maintained that the Geodverwagting branch is not closing down.
“That site is still operational. We still have other clients that are there but we do have one client that is shutting down,” he told this newspaper, noting that the employees were and are fully informed.

“Although it is never great news that we are losing a client, just looking back and reflecting on all they have done for the community and Qualfon is something that we are very proud of,” he added.

The vice-president of operations said Qualfon is actively looking for other clients to ensure the effective use and operation of its sites. “We are always looking for perspective clients, and we are actively looking. We have had many clients visit. We are in the process and in talks with many different clients to do work there,” DiBari assured this newspaper. As the largest BPO in Guyana, he said it is important to keep all three sites opened.
At the Providence Campuses, there are approximately 700 employees combined. The company, however, is currently recruiting persons for that location.

“We have three locations, and our goal is to fill every seat in all those locations and to provide as many jobs as possible in Guyana. It is always our goal but we will do what makes sense for our company and what makes sense for Guyana, and what makes sense for our clients,” DiBari said. He said the company maintains very high standards and only recently copped a regional award.