VodafoneThree repatriates 400 jobs back to the UK from India

VodafoneThree is bringing more than 400 customer service roles back to the UK from India into new contact centre operations in Belfast and Sheffield, 

This is the biggest Vodafone Three recruitment dribe since the merger. Around 200 positions will be created in each location. Recruitment has already started in Belfast.

Vodafone Three says the move is a commitment to serving UK customers from UK-based teams. The decision comes against backdrop of heightened political scrutiny, rising customer service expectations and the operational realities of integrating two national networks.

Customer care has long been weak point for UK mobile operators, particularly where offshore contact centres ar eused. Returning these roles to the UK may help VodafoneThree address service consistency during a period when customers are likely to have issues with billing, contract and coverage changes linked to the merger.

Specialist care

The new teams will work across specialist care and sales functions and will receive training in supporting vulnerable customers. They will add to the 830 -plus customer specialists already operating from Stoke-on-Trent and Glasgow,

The timing of the announcement will not go unnoticed in Westminster. The Vodafone–Three merger was approved following extensive political debate, with commitments around investment, jobs and connectivity forming a central part of the narrative. Bringing customer service roles back to the UK is an example of those commitments being acted upon.

Jon Shaw, head of consumer operations at VodafoneThree (below) , said customer care teams should be located close to the customers they serve”,

Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment, said: “This is a major boost for our digital and tech sector. It’s great to see VodafoneThree investing and creating opportunity in every part of the country.”