Call center needs 240 workers

A national customer service company will hire 240 more people for call center jobs in Spokane as soon as possible.

West Corp., which bought Dakotah Direct in 2002, will begin hiring immediately for the jobs at its three Spokane locations, said Dave Pleiss, vice president of investor and public relations. The company has locations in downtown Spokane, at the airport and in Spokane Valley.

“We need them right away,” Pleiss said. “We’re ready to go.”

The new employees, who mostly will handle inbound customer service calls for a large, undisclosed telecommunications client, will earn up to $10 an hour, plus benefits, according to a news release. Most of the jobs will be full-time, although part-time work is also available, Pleiss said.

The new jobs will include several weeks of paid training and some new employees may be eligible for one-time bonuses depending “on the position and project assigned,” the release said.

Omaha-based West Corp. has 27,000 employees, including 1,450 in the Spokane area.

Jon Eliassen, director of the Spokane Area Economic Development Council, said call center jobs are “good entry-level jobs” which sometimes offer part-time work or flexible hours, meeting the needs of a certain segment of the population.

Because of their low rate of pay, they are not the type of jobs the EDC spends time recruiting, Eliassen said. However, he added, “When a company chooses Spokane or chooses to expand in Spokane, we certainly work with them to provide all the support we can. When a call center operation comes to Spokane, we think that’s positive.”

Pleiss said the new jobs will offer some opportunity for advancement, to management-level or human resource positions within the call centers. Additional growth opportunities may be available if an employee is willing to relocate, he said.