Customer Service

Customer service centers

Customer service companies have discovered the benefits of combining East Tennessee hospitality and the region’s high-bandwidth telecommunications infrastructure. 

The consolidation of administrative corporate functions and the need to provide ease of access 24/7 to the customer via internet and telephone for services such as pharmaceutical, finance, insurance and numerous other products and services has placed this sector on an exciting growth path.

This sector is a major economic cluster in the region with more than 7,500 employees, particularly in finance, insurance, and healthcare.  These companies benefit from a growing pool of qualified workers, competitive labor costs, the availability of direct flights to major cities, an exceptionally attractive cost of living, and available buildings that are competitively priced compared to other cities in the Eastern US.  The region’s outstanding quality of life is a key consideration to this sector.

Service centers in the region process credit cards, loans, insurance, collections and banking services, and back office accounting services, as well as technical services.  The region offers a rich and diverse talent pool, unparalleled quality of life, and ready access to world-class technical expertise and technology transfer opportunities.

Business Climate  
Pro-business environment - Favorable business tax climate consistently in the top 1/3 of U.S. states

• Attractive state, local, and utility incentives for new job creation and capital investment
• State taxes ranking among the nation's lowest 
  • No state property tax 
  • Competitive corporate taxes 
  • Available targeted jobs tax credit
• Competitive gas, water, and sewer rates   
  • Electricity generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority at rates 19% below the U.S. industrial average 
  • Electricity reliability at 99.999% since 2000
• Available Buildings and Sites
  • Building costs 19% below the national average (RSMeans Construction Index 2012) 
  • Competitive lease rates
• Right-to-work state

Talent 

• Flexible, growing workforce of 570,000 in 15-county region
• Workforce of 780,000 in 32 laborshed counties
• A large and growing student population from the University of Tennessee along with 12 other 4 and 2 year colleges in the region (reword)
• 65,000 college and university students
• Average wage 19% below the national average (BLS 1Q 2011) 
• An underemployed adult workforce in technical and professional positions
• Fastest growing metro area in the State of Tennessee
• Competitive workers compensation rates
• Customized workforce training
• Transferable skill sets
• Available part and full-time workers

Accessibility

• Major regional airport with more than 120 flights daily to 19 major U.S. destinations
• Located at the juncture of three major interstates I-40, I-75 and I-81
• 70% of the US market within a day's drive
• Robust telecommunications infrastructure

Technology

• Home of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Technology Corridor
• State-of-the-art telecommunications capabilities comparable to the Silicon Valley and Research Triangle
• Advanced communications infrastructure that supports the Oak Ridge National Laboratory available to companies
• Redundant fiber and electric power available