ABINGDON, Va. – Satellite TV customers nationwide soon will direct questions about high definition channel reception to Southwest Virginia homes.
That’s because top-satellite TV distributor DirecTV plans to hire 100 locals in coming weeks to man a virtual customer-support call center. In other words, the new hires will work from home. All anyone needs to get the job is a computer and broadband access, DirecTV and U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-9th, announced Tuesday.
“This is a special and unusual economic development opportunity,” Boucher said during a news conference at Virginia Highlands Airport in Abingdon.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV boasts on its Web site that it has 18.5 million U.S. customers and 6.5 million in Latin America.
Company officials first toured Southwest Virginia and its broadband infrastructure five years ago, with Boucher as host.
“The congressman has been a long-time proponent of technological innovation that makes leading edge programs like this happen,” said Ellen Filipiak, DirecTV senior vice president of customer service, in a written statement released by Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office.
Company executives intent on expanding into the region returned for a second tour in January.
“We really are the most wired rural congressional district in the country,” Boucher said.
As for stay-at-home work, DirecTV has operated virtual call centers for about three years, Gary Qualls, vice president of business operations and development, said at Tuesday’s announcement.
Virtual call center workers earn the same $10 an hour starting wage and benefits as the company’s brick-and-mortar call center employees, Qualls said.
A local job fair will be held April 6 at the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center in Lebanon. New hires will complete a six- to eight-week paid training course before taking calls from home, Qualls said. DirecTV has contracted with the Convergys Corp. to train at-home agents.
“The employee doesn’t have to come to us when we can bring the jobs to them,” Qualls said. “A happy employee is a great customer service provider.”
mowens@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2549
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