from the Gazette-Virginian

Halifax County Industrial Development Authority officials appear to be pleased with the quality and number of applicants attending the job fair under way at Riverstone Technology Park.

On Tuesday, Authority Project Manager Jeff Reed said applicants have been “steadily” coming through the door to apply for the possible 150 call center jobs.

One of North America’s leaders in providing customer contact and back-office processing solutions is considering South Boston as a new site to locate a call center, and the job fair seeking applicants to work at the center is continuing today.

People have been lined up waiting at the door from 9 a.m. and steadily coming all day up until the doors close, he said on Tuesday.

Virginia Employment Commission Employee Services Specialist Kristi Grissom said Tuesday approximately 100 applicants turned out Monday for the first day of the job fair, and the VEC Workforce Center expects a steady turnout through today.

“We are very pleased with the turnout and the quality of the applicants, and we encourage those who have not come down to come and apply. We want to remind everyone this is not a sales position but a costumer contact, all inbound calls, no outbound calls. People hired will not place cold calls for the client,” Reed explained.

Positions require a high school diploma or equivalent, knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook) excellent interpersonal communications both in writing and on the telephone and proficiency in keyboarding/data entry.

Salaries start at $9.50 an hour with bi-lingual candidates (English/Spanish) starting higher. The company offers a comprehensive benefits package as well.

The company job posting indicates it is looking for individuals that can provide outstanding customer care and create sustainable value for residential/commercial customers and rate payers via phone, e-mail, chat, and correspondence.

The positions will handle service requests, provide credit counseling, must understand and explain company policies and procedures, as well as state-mandated terms and conditions.

They also will respond to customer questions related to corporate external communications with credibility, Reed said.

Should the single client for-profit utility call center choose to locate in Halifax County, Reed said an announcement will be forthcoming this month.

The company plans to begin interviewing a possible workforce soon, according to authority officials, and then filling the positions and beginning training later this month before becoming fully operational in February 2012.

They want to have all 150 positions filled by the end of the fourth quarter in 2012, he added.

“We hope to have all the applicants to the client in a week and anticipate they are going to be very impressed,” Reed added.