Expanding Call Centers find Plenty of Qualified Applicants

By Tracey Drury, Business First

Buffalo (NY) has become a magnet for call-center operations.

Already accustomed to wearing a hands-free headset while driving, thousands of Western New Yorkers now spend their entire day tethered to a telephone, most of them sitting in front of a computer, as they work jobs in customer service, debt collection and other back-office call centers. Such jobs now number close to 20,000 and, officials say, will continue to grow.

Some have lamented what seems like the transformation of Buffalo into a call-center town, criticizing economic development officials for pushing low-paying jobs as replacements for a dwindling manufacturing base. Others say there’s a misperception that all these jobs are low-paying, a point disputed by labor officials and company executives.

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