Safelite Group opens contact center in Phoenix area

Safelite Group, Columbus, Ohio, is hiring for 195 jobs in its new contact center in Chandler, Ariz., according to an April 12 release.Located at 2080 W. Chandler Blvd., the center opens on June 1 and will eventually employ more than 1,000.“We’re thrilled to grow our company in the Phoenix area and to be able to provide a stable working environment for hundreds of local residents,” said Tom Feeney, president and chief executive officer, Safelite Group, in the release. “This new facility helps support our business continuity plan by expanding our contact center operations to a second city outside of Columbus, Ohio. We chose Phoenix for several reasons, including its strong business community and highly educated workforce; access to a growing Hispanic and Latino-speaking employee base; the later time zone; and the climate.”There will be an information session on April 15, 2010 at 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Maricopa Workforce Connections at 735 N. Gilbert Road, #134. Interested candidates can learn more about open positions and the hiring process for the center.

Hiring will include full and part-time positions to field inbound calls for customers wanting to schedule vehicle glass services. Safelite Group provides flexible schedules, competitive compensation, and potential promotion from within for new and existing employees. The contact center is located on a bus line.

“Given the current economy, it’s more important than ever to bring jobs to Chandler,” said Mayor Boyd Dunn, in the release. “We’re thrilled to have Safelite locate in our community and even more excited that our residents will have an immediate opportunity to apply for jobs.”Jim Trobaugh, Rob Marsh and Chris Hook of CB Richard Ellis’ Phoenix-based Labor Analytics Group, along with John Lenio in the firm’s Economic Incentives Group, represented Safelite in its site selection and lease negotiations. The landlord, Double Delta Arizona LLC of Chandler, was represented by Karsten Peterson and Dave Seeger of Cushman & Wakefield in Phoenix, according to the release. “Safelite made an extensive search throughout a number of cities in the Mountain and Central time zones,” said Hook, in the release. “After assessing the viability of each labor market, Chandler came out number one with the quality and availability of talent that best met Safelite’s long-term employment goals.”“We are pleased to see a quality company like Safelite expand in Greater Phoenix,” said Barry Broome, president and CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, in the release. “Their growth brings jobs to the region and provides a much-needed boost to our local economy.”

Safelite started its contact center operations in Columbus in 1991 with 12 customer service representatives. The company currently employs more than 1,700 people who answer calls as a third-party administrator for insurance companies as well as manage overflow calls from the company’s retail vehicle glass repair and replacement business. With the new contact center opening, the company will employ nearly 400 between its contact center and retail operations in the Phoenix area. The 86,000-square-foot, contact center will be staffed 365 days a year. Customers may call 800/800-2727 to schedule service, regardless of their location in the United States.