Softbank Mobile announced it will open a 900-person call center in Fukuoka City this April. The center will be managed in-house to develop phone support know-how and improve customer service. Softbank already has six call centers around Japan, including one in Fukuoka, and all but one are run by subcontractors. The increasing complexity of rates and services has led to a significant uptick in inquiries, so the company has decided to bolster customer service by boosting the number of in-house call centers. Softbank chose Fukuoka because of the city’s large population of women and the ease with which it can recruit talented workers. The company will launch the center with 350 operators and plans to increase this number to 900 by the end of March 2014. Operators will be hired as contract and part-time workers and be given the chance to switch to permanent positions in the future. The company also plans to offer highly motivated operators tuition reductions to Cyber University (a subsidiary of Softbank Corp.) in Higashi Ward as part of its training program. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun Jan. 11
