Nationwide set to send jobs to India

8:40am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News By Katie Bond

Nationwide headquarters in Pipers Way, Swindon Nationwide headquarters in Pipers Way, Swindon

Nationwide has announced plans to transfer clerical jobs to India, which will result in a reduction in the number of temporary and contract workers needed here in Swindon.

The building society, which has its HQ in Pipers Way and is one of the town’s biggest employers, has said it is changing the way its back office operations are run in a bid to improve customer service.

As a result, jobs will move to India where a new processing centre will be created, while the need for temporary and contract workers in Swindon’s back offices will be reduced.

Richard Wainer, head of policy and public affairs at Nationwide, was keen to point out that almost 50 permanent jobs were being created for Swindon.

He said: ”We have found a partner organisation in India to create a new processing centre.

“We have started the transition of this work, which we expect to be complete by the end of October. This will reduce our requirement for temporary and contract workers across different locations in the UK – but these are not call centre or other customer-facing roles and this will not lead to a reduction in permanent positions in Swindon.

“I would also add that we are currently advertising permanent Swindon vacancies on our website.

“We remain fully committed to Swindon as Nationwide’s headquarters and continuing to provide the highest level of service to our members.”

The advertised jobs include a variety of roles across the business including marketing, finance, human resources and legal.

A spokesman for the company said they were unable to give a figure on the number of employees affected.

She said: “This is by its nature a workforce which ebbs and flows depending on what is happening across the business, and not just in one area.

“At the moment, Nationwide is actively recruiting and has around 50 vacancies in Swindon alone and we are in the process of converting around 30 temporary workers into permanent employees. There are medium term plans to move a number of skilled jobs from other locations in the UK to Swindon.”

One reader, of Park North, contacted the Adver after his friend, a 20-year-old temporary clerical worker at Nationwide, heard about the plans. He said: “It has been going on for quite a long time and my friend has been told several times she might be going soon.”

Robert Buckland, Swindon South MP, said he would be arranging a meeting with Nationwide to discuss the situation.

“I realise that any job losses will be a significant loss for the town and I will do all I can to lessen the impact,” he said.

Comments(49)

RichardR1 says...
8:51am Wed 3 Oct 12

Realistically if any company still believes customer service in India or any other non first language, English speaking country is a good idea are clearly on a different planet.

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silvergran says...
8:54am Wed 3 Oct 12

Big mistake - don't they realise what a disaster it will be. I think they'll live to regret moving work to India.

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Raef Barnes says...
8:55am Wed 3 Oct 12

Perhaps a name change is needed (Inter)Nation(al)wid
e, doesn't really roll off the tongue.

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oldbutawake says...
9:28am Wed 3 Oct 12

Experience with other service organisations has proven to me that once work goes abroad a) the customer cease to matter and b) service ceases to exist.

The standard then becomes extremely polite ways of telling you that what you need doing can't be done.

It is an almost universal experience of mine that when you deal with the Indian sub-continent soemthing will be done completely wrong or not at all.

My advice to Nationwide is depsite the "cost savings" moving work abroad shows on paper it will cost you a lot more in lost customer goodwill and probably customers.

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LordAshOfTheBrake says...
9:59am Wed 3 Oct 12

Whilst it may be that the outsourcing is for non customer facing roles and only internal clerical is impacted, you can bet that there will be a scope creep due to the perceived savings of the move and other parts of the business will also move over time.

My experience and that of people I know if that it doesn't provide the savings claimed and the service offered is of a much poorer quality that claimed.

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Robh says...
10:04am Wed 3 Oct 12

A very bad move. They are one of the last bastions of british business and this move can only be detremental.

You constantly hear complaints about overseas, mainly Asian customer services. I cannot see how anyone can consider this move.

If they are doing it to save money they should ask their customers first if they want an extra 0.1% interest or good quality customer service.

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Lips1964 says...
10:14am Wed 3 Oct 12

Read the article properly - it is not call centre or customer facing roles that are moving to India - when you speak to Nationwide you will still be dealing with staff in the UK and it is to improve processing time and efficiencies which will greatly benefit the customers of Nationwide

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RichardR1 says...
10:36am Wed 3 Oct 12

Lips1964, so what if their literary and numeracy skills are not up to scratch that will seriously impact on customers, as would the disclosure of their personal details which has shown to be endemic in overseas call centres.

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MrBstard says...
10:41am Wed 3 Oct 12

Well I'm off into town to close my account.

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SockPuppet says...
10:50am Wed 3 Oct 12

I thought they were proud of not off-shoring?

Obviously not.....

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jerry59 says...
10:51am Wed 3 Oct 12

I'm also off into town to close my account!

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Bobfm , says...
10:58am Wed 3 Oct 12

RichardR1 wrote:
Lips1964, so what if their literary and numeracy skills are not up to scratch that will seriously impact on customers, as would the disclosure of their personal details which has shown to be endemic in overseas call centres.
What an idiotic comment based on, at best, non-anecdotal evidence.

Oh the irony that you spell "literacy" as "literary".

By the way, have you seen where Britain's education level currently stands against the rest of the world? If anyone needs to worry about literacy and numeracy skills, it's the UK.

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The Real Librarian says...
11:16am Wed 3 Oct 12

QUOTE
Lips1964 says...
10:14am Wed 3 Oct 12

Read the article properly - it is not call centre or customer facing roles that are moving to India - when you speak to Nationwide you will still be dealing with staff in the UK and it is to improve processing time and efficiencies which will greatly benefit the customers of Nationwide
UNQUOTE


And which member of Nationwide management are you?
.
Let me tell you one reason why this is a bad idea.
.
Nat West did this exact same thing. You speak to the British Call Centre who then send the request to India for the processors to process. The Brit Call Centre operator would ask you for your details and check your name and address to verify that they are speaking to the right person.
.
The reason why they kept mucking up my account, according to the Nat West Complaints manager I spoke to, is that when the Brit Call Centre Operator sends the details to India, they only send your account number and sort code. If the Indian processor gets the number wrong when they input it to the system, the wrong account gets updated; hence all the mistakes on my account.
I asked the Complaint Manager if she could guarantee me that the mistakes would be stopped and she agreed they could not, because the process was weak. Hence I moved my account.

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The Real Librarian says...
11:21am Wed 3 Oct 12

QUOTE
Bobfm , says...
10:58am Wed 3 Oct 12

RichardR1 wrote:
Lips1964, so what if their literary and numeracy skills are not up to scratch that will seriously impact on customers, as would the disclosure of their personal details which has shown to be endemic in overseas call centres.

What an idiotic comment based on, at best, non-anecdotal evidence.
UNQUOTE

Non anecdotal evidence is the good stuff, its anecdotal evidence that is weak.
.
If its evidence you want then have a bit of this

http://www.scmagazin
e.com/customer-data-
stolen-at-indian-cal
l-centres/article/34
020/

http://www.thebureau
investigates.com/201
2/03/19/bureau-recom
mends-2p-starting-pr
ice-for-your-stolen-
life/

http://www.scmagazin
euk.com/indian-call-
centre-staff-selling
-confidential-person
al-data/article/2329
00/

http://www.v3.co.uk/
v3-uk/news/2098893/i
ndian-centres-sellin
g-uk-financial-pence
-user

Report this post »

The Real Librarian says...
11:26am Wed 3 Oct 12

On the bright side, Nationwide may soon discover they have made a mistake

http://www.computerw
eekly.com/blogs/insi
de-outsourcing/2011/
07/staff-churn-as-we
ll-as-cost-and-servi
ce-levels-will-mean-
more-jobs-come-back-
from-india.html

http://www.techrepub
lic.com/blog/tech-ma
nager/onshoring-it-s
ervices-and-bringing
-jobs-back-home/7485


http://www.finextra.
com/community/fullbl
og.aspx?blogid=5554

Report this post »

RichardR1 says...
11:32am Wed 3 Oct 12

See what happens when you try to be clever Bobfm, you make an even bigger mistake than me, which was simply putting an R instead of a C.

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Bobfm , says...
11:34am Wed 3 Oct 12

Would you like me to cut and paste numerous examples of UK-based call centre staff doing the exactly the same kind of things?

It may come as a shock to you but fraud and incompetence exists in the Uk too.

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EmmBee says...
11:47am Wed 3 Oct 12

Nationwide have been offshoring for years - most of the programming for their banking systems is done by companies like Infosys and Tata. So don't be misled by Mr Warner's words; this is just "more of the same", along with a policy of outsourcing everything that's not nailed down.
Nationwide would call this "getting others to do what is not our core business (i.e. banking)". Industry analysts would call this "making the business lean, in preparation for converting to a bank from a mutual"

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RichardR1 says...
12:00pm Wed 3 Oct 12

EmmBee haven't they tried on a number of occasions and it has be roundly and emphatically rejected.

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PaisleyRed says...
12:23pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Trouble is companies cannot recruit good staff in the UK due to poor education standards and the over generous welfare state.

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Morsey says...
1:02pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Seriously considering removaing all accounts from Nationwide who have taken the p1ss totally with savers as their derogatory amounts of interest show us all that money in their coffers is losing value. Fair enough, other financial institutions are just as unfair with the distribution of savings account interest compared to loan rates, but I put my money in Nationwide because THEY ARE BASED IN SWINDON, not in some dumping ground of the world that's stealing work from under our noses!!!

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Bobfm , says...
1:13pm Wed 3 Oct 12

RichardR1 wrote:
See what happens when you try to be clever Bobfm, you make an even bigger mistake than me, which was simply putting an R instead of a C.
You were suggesting Indian call centre staff may have trouble with literacy but then you spelt "literacy" as "literary". I found that ironic. But not surprising.

Report this post »

The Real Librarian says...
1:35pm Wed 3 Oct 12

QUOTE
PaisleyRed says...
12:23pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Trouble is companies cannot recruit good staff in the UK due to poor education standards and the over generous welfare state.
UNQUOTE

Oh you can get good staff in this country, you just have to pay good wages.
Companies would rather pay £2,000 a year than £1,500 a month.

Report this post »

The Real Librarian says...
1:42pm Wed 3 Oct 12

QUOTE
Bobfm , says...
11:34am Wed 3 Oct 12
Would you like me to cut and paste numerous examples of UK-based call centre staff doing the exactly the same kind of things?
UNQUOTE

Yes, I would.

QUOTE
It may come as a shock to you but fraud and incompetence exists in the Uk too.
UNQUOTE

Its not a shock, because people are people and people will steal if the circumstances are right. The difference is that these people start from a different point on the risk/reward ratio, for a number of reasons.

They are easier to buy.
In this country, someone earning £20,000 a year is unlikely to risk their job for the sake of £100.
In India, these people earn less than £2,000 a year.£100 is a fortnight's wages. £1,000 is six months.

Report this post »

WoodsideLady says...
1:54pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Well I HAVE read the article properly and taken note of the details but I will still be closing my numerous accounts. I've been misled by Nationwide, I thought they were loyal to the UK - seems they're not!!!!

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jerry59 says...
2:35pm Wed 3 Oct 12

This has nothing to do with literary and numeracy skills. It's another example of companies employing foreign workers to do our jobs instead of our own on the cheap. How can we expect to get our economy going when were not putting money in our own people's pockets?.
They can stick their account!

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oldbutawake says...
3:58pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Balance sheet versus customer service and CS loses out every time to the bean counters which is why our country is in a mess. To quote an old friend

"They know the price of everything and the value of nothing"

The day we started to assess whole businesses purely by the numbers was the day that entrepeneurs folded up their tents and went abroad. In today's climate even the Richard Branson's and Billy Butlins of this world wouldn't get started in the UK.

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1 2 Could B says...
5:10pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Unfortunately most businesses are run by accountants these days.
When that happens, all focus is on the monthly balance sheet instead of the daily running of the business.

For mosr businesses this means no parts are in stock, minimal staff, and a poor customer service

SBC are run by an accountant
Hmmmmm?

I wonder if the Nationwide call centre in India will be in as stately a setting as the Swindon headquarters

www.flickr.com/photo
s/73970391@N03/70394
24131/in/photostream
/

Report this post »

Lips1964 says...
5:39pm Wed 3 Oct 12

1 2 Could B wrote:
Unfortunately most businesses are run by accountants these days.
When that happens, all focus is on the monthly balance sheet instead of the daily running of the business.

For mosr businesses this means no parts are in stock, minimal staff, and a poor customer service

SBC are run by an accountant
Hmmmmm?

I wonder if the Nationwide call centre in India will be in as stately a setting as the Swindon headquarters

www.flickr.com/photo

s/73970391@N03/70394

24131/in/photostream

/
12CouldB
It is not as you state a Nationwide call centre moving to India ... again read the article before making assumptions.
To everyone else yes I do work at Nationwide in a management role and do know what is moving and why and it is for increased efficiency processing applications and will speed up the customer experience
As for assumptions that fraud and deception will increase is total nonsense.

Report this post »

1 2 Could B says...
6:26pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Eh?
When did I say anything about fraud and deception?

Report this post »

1 2 Could B says...
6:31pm Wed 3 Oct 12

I must admit I flicked through the first paragraph then joined in with the added comments so I missed this bit

"these are not call centre or other customer-facing roles and this will not lead to a reduction in permanent positions in Swindon."

But even so.....

Where have I mentioned fraud and deception?

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Wideangle852 says...
8:46pm Wed 3 Oct 12

. . I saw you clarified that these are 'clerical jobs' . . bravo, there is nothing better in the world than Indian clerrical bureaucracy . . they just love having 4 people doing one person's job pushing paper around . . well done Nationwide . . you will sink into the ground under the weight of all the added paperwork . . . pulling out my savings now . . .

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house on the hill says...
8:47pm Wed 3 Oct 12

I do love these sort of stupid comments. As individuals we are actively encouraged to "shop around" for our goods and services with endless comparison websites and a real rise in interenet shopping which clearly has an effect on high street workers. And now we are having a go at a business who is just doing exactly the same as we are all doing in our lives by trying to save money and get a better deal.
If you dont like it stop using your fingers to moan about it and use your feet to take your account elswhere the same way you do when you dont like something but dont blame Nationwide for trying to save money the way we all do. Would you really buy something on the high street for hundreds of pounds more than the exact same thing on the internet in the middle of a recession? If so you clearly have more money than sense.

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I 2 Could B says...
9:10am Thu 4 Oct 12

Looks like the Mela curry house also just outsourced two employees to India.

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Lips1964 says...
12:28pm Thu 4 Oct 12

I 2 Could B
I was referring to an earlier post made by "The Real Librarian" regards non anecdotal evidence he supplied regards all sorts of examples of fraud, theft of data etc etc

Report this post »

The Real Librarian says...
1:34pm Thu 4 Oct 12

QUOTE
Lips1964 says...
12:28pm Thu 4 Oct 12

I 2 Could B
I was referring to an earlier post made by "The Real Librarian" regards non anecdotal evidence he supplied regards all sorts of examples of fraud, theft of data etc etc
UNQUOTE

I would love to know how Nationwide can guarantee their outsourcers will be guaranteed not to let this sort of thing happen when so many others have failed to prevent it.

Report this post »

Lips1964 says...
2:42pm Thu 4 Oct 12

Can you guarantee anything in life other than death and taxes ?

Of course you can't and if someone wants to commit a criminal act they will always find ways to do so ... read the news everyday !!!!

Report this post »

The Real Librarian says...
3:22pm Thu 4 Oct 12

QUOTE
Lips1964 says...
2:42pm Thu 4 Oct 12
Can you guarantee anything in life other than death and taxes ?
Of course you can't and if someone wants to commit a criminal act they will always find ways to do so ... read the news everyday !!!!”
UNQUOTE


So when you said


QUOTE
Lips1964 says...
5:39pm Wed 3 Oct 12
As for assumptions that fraud and deception will increase is total nonsense.”
UNQUOTE


You were just blustering.

Indian Call and Processing centres are known for regular frauds and the theft of huge tranches of customer data. Thats a fact.

Nationwide are handing their customer data off to a company there.

Asking what they are going to do to safeguard their customers data is a reasonable question.

Lying doesn't help anyone

Report this post »

Lips1964 says...
4:32pm Thu 4 Oct 12

I give in ... they say ignorance is bliss so you must be extremely blissful.

As for blustering I think there only one person full of wind here and it not me.

As for lying well I can honestly say I have not said any untruths whatsoever in any of my comments

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Moth says...
11:37pm Thu 4 Oct 12

There are very few jobs in Swindon, the dole queue gets longer every day yet these idiots want to send jobs to India?

My son is willing to do ANY job but so far, can't find one despite applying for everything he can. He's lucky if he even gets an acknowledgement.

Given that he's held an account with Nationwide for many years, somehow I don't think he's going to be too happy at their plan - which smacks of penny-pinching and greed.

He may well close his account and go elsewhere as I'm sure many people reading this who have accounts with Nationwide will do.

Show your disapproval, close your accounts with them and hit them where it hurts most - in their profits.

Report this post »

Moth says...
11:47pm Thu 4 Oct 12

PaisleyRed wrote:
Trouble is companies cannot recruit good staff in the UK due to poor education standards and the over generous welfare state.
That may be true for some people but what of the ones like my son who, despite life-threatening illness which meant he spent most of his teenage years in and out of hospital but is highly intelligent, has a good command of the English language, both spelling and grammer and is brilliant at maths?

I made sure my son could read, write and do basic maths BEFORE he went to school, something many parents don't do at the present day which I think is sad.

My son's health problems are in the past now. He would be an asset to an employer if only someone would give him a chance but so many employers would rather, like Nationwide, throw vitally needed jobs to India instead of employing our own people.

That is so wrong.

Report this post »

CynicRealist says...
2:13am Fri 5 Oct 12

The bad PR resulting from this move has probably already outweighed any (dubious) short-term cost savings. The comments about the increased risks of fraud are entirely valid - the statistics on fraud perpetrated by low paid workers are clear and long established. Besides all, a mutual, Nationwide is supposed to conduct its business according to principals above and beyond chasing simple profit. Any scheme likely to result in a reduction in jobs (or potential jobs) in the UK in the current climate is misjudged and of questionable ethics when the company making the decision calls itself 'Nationwide'. THATS the clearest irony. When I've worked for large corporates, I've heard any number of management wonks justifying similar decisions - but in just about every case, the ramifications don't show up straight away on the balance sheet - but they sure as hell do later in terms of customer perception, customer experience, data security and overall efficiency.

Report this post »

RichardR1 says...
9:20am Fri 5 Oct 12

This reminds me slightly of the time BA thought it would be 'cool' to change their livery and Mrs Thatcher show her disgust by covering up the tail plane in full view of the attendant media.

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=t4g8zwVfP
AI

It wasn't long before BA reverted to the Union Flag colours. Let's hope Nationwide rethink this.

Report this post »

scotslass says...
11:02am Fri 5 Oct 12

Regardless of what kind of roles are being offshored, I know from personal experience that the work be done for less cost, but it's of a far inferior standard and nine out of ten times requires UK staff to step in and correct any inaccuracies. Seems it still costs less for offshore staff to do a rubbish job 3 times over than it does to pay UK staff to do the job properly just once. As long as that is the case, we don't stand a chance at keeping the jobs onshore. I cannot believe the government is allowing all these companies to offshore jobs - it's a flaming disgrace.

Report this post »

Fox in Exile says...
5:12pm Fri 5 Oct 12

What all of you need to remember is that whatever you say on this tin pot rag will make no difference. If the same happens in the national press then................
....................
....................
........

Report this post »

Spadtrap says...
5:39pm Fri 5 Oct 12

Another kick in the teeth for british workers, if everyone closes there Nationwide accounts they would soon change there mind, your all weak in this country and never stand up for whats right...

Report this post »

Franjg says...
6:22pm Sun 7 Oct 12

Personally I think it's immoral of Nationwide to even consider outsourcing jobs abroad given our current jobs crisis at home.

I hope they will reconsider in the face of public opinion. If not I think we should move our accounts away from Nationwide to show our disapproval of this move.

Report this post »

oldlegtrailer says...
4:07pm Mon 8 Oct 12

I have stayed with Nationwide because they categorically stated they would NEVER outsource jobs to a third party. If they go ahead with this then we will close our current account,our 3 deposit accounts, our insurances and my ISA with them. I did this (even changed my pension) with Aviva as did many others. This is kicking loyal members in the teeth in my opinion.

Report this post »

oldlegtrailer says...
4:09pm Mon 8 Oct 12

Lips1964 wrote:
Read the article properly - it is not call centre or customer facing roles that are moving to India - when you speak to Nationwide you will still be dealing with staff in the UK and it is to improve processing time and efficiencies which will greatly benefit the customers of Nationwide
Absolute tripe - it is bloody cost cutting . I intend to do the same with my accounts.

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