For British CX buyers and their BPO partners, identifying new destinations from which to serve their customers has become increasingly challenging in recent years. The UK has long been ahead of many other major English-speaking markets in recognizing both the value and opportunities offered by emerging offshore delivery locations, placing it in an enviable position when it comes to global sourcing options. That said, as established nearshore and offshore locations mature, talent pools tighten and costs rise. With business continuity, stability, quality and cultural affinity remaining key considerations for UK businesses, perhaps it is time for British executives to look beyond the usual destinations to the east and south and instead turn west towards Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
While not necessarily the most conventional choice, Canada’s Maritimes present a compelling opportunity for UK CX leaders looking to strengthen and diversify their delivery portfolios in a high-value region. There are several reasons why this location deserves closer consideration, with the following among the most compelling:
- Accessibility & time-zone: connecting from the UK to major commercial centers in Atlantic Canada is straightforward. With direct flights of under 6 hours to / from Halifax’s and St. John’s international airports into Heathrow and Gatwick, Canada’s Maritimes have an immediate advantage over established offshore locations such as India, South Africa, Jamaica and the Philippines in terms of sheer travel time for Atlantic crossings. With so many UK clients and their CX services partners placing an emphasis on straightforward access to delivery points, Atlantic Canada scores an immediate advantage in this regard. This also applies to time zones; Newfoundland & Labrador is 3.5 hours behind the UK, while the other Maritime provinces are 4 hours behind, meaning workday alignment is more advantageous relative to Caribbean destinations and those in Asia.
- Affinity: there are notable areas of cultural alignment between the UK and Canada’s Atlantic provinces. Popular culture, history, linguistic nuances, culinary choices and even in some cases spoken accents are all aspects in which there is overlap between the Maritimes and Great Britain. This provides an obvious empathetic step up for Eastern Canadian agents when managing interactions with English-speaking consumers on the other side of the Atlantic.
- Stable delivery platform: in an era when risk management is among the most important strategic concerns among CX buyers and their BPO partners, Atlantic Canada provides a stable, diverse foundation from which to support UK consumers. Consider that populations of at least 80,0000 can be found in 7 cities across Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador, each of which has commercial real estate, connectivity and electricity of very high standards. It should also be noted that with high-speed broadband networks available across rural areas in these provinces, sourcing remote-based workers is also a major opportunity.
- Legacy: Canada’s Atlantic provinces have a strong pedigree in customer experience delivery, dating back to the 1980s, when New Brunswick essentially pioneered this industry for the region. This serves prospective UK CX investors well, due to the existence of critical components of a contact center infrastructure already in place (as noted in the point above), but also from the fact that this sector is part of the region’s commercial DNA. There are literally families in Atlantic Canada that include generations of front-line agents, middle managers and executive leaders. To this day, many global and locally owned brands maintain a CX presence in this region. Combined, these factors render onboarding as straightforward process as it would be anywhere.
- Value: to be clear, Atlantic Canada is a premium destination for customer experience management, and is unlikely to be the spot for British businessess to perform transactional, mass-market support. Labor and facilities are certain to be more expensive than in other traditional offshore locations to be found in Asia, Africa or the Caribbean. That said, for premium-quality functions, these four provinces may make sense for high-end support into the UK. Agents come to the table with native English, a reputation for strong customer service capabilities and a solid affinity with British brands / culture. This would be ideal for any UK company seeking smaller workstation volumes with a white glove touch for premium customers. And at rates roughly 30% lower than British onshore due to lower labor costs and exchange rate favorability.
