Agero plans to ramp up hiring in Clarksville
Jimmy Settle, The Leaf-Chronicle 11:05 p.m. CDT July 21, 2014
Agero plans to ramp up hiring in Clarksville.(Photo: The Leaf-Chronicle/Jimmy Settle )
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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Since opening for business here in 2012, the roadside assistance call center, Agero, has outperformed similar Agero facilities in other areas of the country, company officials said Monday.
Clarksville’s workforce has impressed to the point that Agero now plans to increase its Clarksville payroll this year by 25 percent. The facility at 2971 International Blvd. currently has about 460 people on its payroll, and it’s expected that the number will grow to somewhere above 500 employees by the end of this year. A specific figure wasn’t cited Monday, but executives expressed confidence in Clarksville’s short-term expansion.
In a news release, Agero officials said it’s part of a companywide expansion across its four regional locations in Clarksville, Sebring, Florida., Tucson, Arizona, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
These centers provide critical roadside assistance to over 75 million drivers throughout the U.S. “This hiring initiative is in response to growing customer demand and to deliver new capabilities in Agero’s high-touch roadside assistance services nationwide,” the company release said.
Exceeding other locations
The Clarksville site opened its doors in October 2012, and in addition to adding hundreds of associates from the greater Clarksville community, it has also become an active participant in local economic, education and community affairs.
“Right now, Clarksville’s performance is exceeding some of our other locations. We’ve really hit the ground running here, since opening two years ago,” said Agero Clarksville Human Resource Site Director Cathy Tylutki. She said the Clarksville facility’s employees exhibit good “Southern charm” when dealing with often-distressed callers.
“In Clarksville, our employees tend to naturally use words in conversation like, ‘please,’ and ‘thank you,’ and you can’t underestimate the importance of that in good customer service,” Tylutki said. “I personally see the difference, and I love this community. I moved here from the Tucson site.
“We always ask our people to envision the driver they are on the phone with as someone as close as their mom or dad, or spouse,” she said. “Our Clarksville employees do this very well.”
CEO’s comments
Agero CEO Dave Ferrick said in prepared comments Monday that the company is seeking people “who can demonstrate the utmost professionalism while working to aid drivers who are often in highly-stressful situations.
“With demand for our services increasing, we are thrilled to be hiring hundreds of high-quality personnel across our four regional service centers,” Ferrick said. “Maintaining an employee base with a strong skill set is key to taking advantage of new opportunities and staying ahead in the industry. That is why one of our fundamental values is to provide our associates with career opportunities and ongoing training that promotes job advancement.
“I know this as well as anyone, having started my career with Agero doing this job. With a strong group of skilled professionals, we can transform roadside assistance from being a necessary service into an experience that impacts the brand loyalty of our customers,” he said.
Providing ‘safe, quality, efficient service’
Tylutki said the drivers that make up Agero’s customer base “expect safe, quality and efficient service, and it is our job to provide that.
“Agero’s continual investment in new technologies, as well as professional training for call center operators, equips us with the tools to address the needs of today’s drivers,” she said.
In Clarksville, the company originally acquired a pre-built office building supplied by the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board. Tylutki said that building continues to serve the company well. “It’s a fantastic facility,” she said. “Although we’ve been open there for two years, it still looks showroom-new.”
Agero is headquartered in Medford, Massachusetts. For more information on available positions, visit .
Jimmy Settle, 245-0247