Bangalore: Dell today (Nov 10, 2004) announced the opening of a customer contact centre in the Chandigarh Metro Area to support its growing global customer base.

This is Dell's third India-based customer support centre. Operations are expected to begin in the new centre in March with approximately 300 employees, a company statement said.

Dell will begin recruiting immediately, and will hire technical support and customer relations agents, as well as managers, over the next few months. New employees will receive intensive information technology and customer relations' skills training, it said.

"Dell opened its first Indian customer centre in Bangalore in 2001. Since then, we have added a Product Group and Global Software Development Centre to the operation," said Romi Malhotra, managing director, Dell India. "The accomplishments we made encouraged us to open an additional customer contact centre in Hyderabad in 2003. The successes of these two centres gave us confidence to expand our operations with a new facility in Chandigarh."

Dell selected Chandigarh based on key selection criteria for customer contact centre sites: a talented work force and high quality of life, the statement said.

"Our focus in India will continue to be preparing our team members through high-end training programmes, and retaining them by providing career path opportunities, good benefits and a great place to work," added Malhotra.

A recruiting and training centre opened in downtown Chandigarh on November 8. The permanent centre will open in the Quark IT Park in Mohali, Punjab next year. The new 1,80,000-square-foot centre will include a cafeteria, gymnasium and other modern recreational facilities.