800 expected at job fair Contract servicer seeks local talent for talking jobs
23-Sep-2010Chattanooga Times Free Press
800 expected at job fair Contract servicer seeks local talent for talking jobs
September 23, 2010
By: Ellis Smith
Chatter from a hundred excited voices filled the ballroom at the Residence Inn on Lee Highway, as Chattanoogans from all walks of life queued up Wednesday to interview for one of 140 jobs at the HomeServe call center opening in November.
Susan Smith, former customer service manager at a defunct Dodge dealership, said 20 years of dealing with customers should give her “as good a chance as anybody else” at landing a job.
She showed up on the first day of the two-day job fair in which more than 800 applicants are expected by 8 p.m. tonight.
If hired, Smith and other applicants will answer phone calls at The Pointe Centre off East Brainerd Road, where they will talk to homeowners who want to purchase or redeem protection plans for home emergencies involving utilities, heating or air conditioning.
As she waited, a steady flow of salesmen, security guards, home inspectors, teachers and students filtered through a progression of interviews, ranging from benign questions intended to weed out unqualified job seekers to difficult tests to determine the cream of the crop.
“Please, let me get someone with a resume,” grumbled one interviewer after meeting several candidates with no resumes and no experience.
The interviewer’s prayers were answered when the next applicant. He had sales, service and home repair experience and was sent onto the next room for his first real interview.
“Those are just the knockout questions,” said human resources manager Dale Jones, explaining how his team focuses on job seekers they are likely to hire.
Michael Thurmond, a clergyman and former manager at Krystal, felt good about his chances.
“Customer service is really solving people’s problem, making sure they’re happy,” he said, noting that as a pastor, he already works “with a lot of different people” to do just that.
Chuck Cobb, a retired teacher, showed up because he wants to supplement his income with a job where he can “talk to people all over the country.”
He’s got call center experience already, and that’s exactly what HomeServe is looking for, said Myles Meehan, senior vice president of account management for the company.
“We’ll also consider people with retail experience or other jobs where there’s interaction with people,” he added.
Based in the United Kingdom, HomeServe has grown to 500 employees in the U.S. after expanding here in 2003, serving 35 states, he said. It serves 1.2 million contracts domestically and 10.3 million internationally.
“We’ve identified the U.S. as a growth market for this type of service,” Meehan said. “That’s why we’re making this investment in Chattanooga.”
Smith, a waitress, passed the knockout interview. If hired, she would be eligible for 401(k) and dental plans and holiday pay.
“I hope it turns out well here for everyone,” she said. “It benefits everyone when they create new jobs.”