U.S. Bank to begin hiring for call center in Coeur d’Alene

Have a question about your credit card statement? Wondering about an ATM withdrawal?

If you’re one of U.S. Bank’s 11 million customers, the answers to your questions could eventually come from a call center on Seltice Way.

Becky Kramer
Staff writer

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/business/story.asp?ID=20186

U.S. Bank begins hiring today for a $15 million call center operation that will open next spring with about 150 employees. Company projections are for 500 employees at the end of five years. In addition, the 60,000-square-foot building will be constructed so it can expand in the future.

"This business will grow and grow and grow," predicted Richard Davis, U.S. Bancorp vice chairman, at a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday.

The bank’s customer service calls are increasing, the result of increased use of debit cards, electronic payments and "affinity programs," Davis said. Affinity programs are the partnerships between banks and retailers that reward customer purchases with perks like free airline miles.

U.S. Bank, a Fortune 100 company based in Minneapolis, operates a similar call center with 1,200 employees in Fargo, N.D.

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U.S. Bank’s call center will open in the spring of 2005 and projections are that it will employ 500 people within five years. U.S. Bank’s call center will open in the spring of 2005 and projections are that it will employ 500 people within five years. (Photo courtesy of Ankrom Moisan Associated ArchitectsPhoto courtesy of Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects )

Job information

For job information, contact U.S. Bank online at http://www.usbank.com. Information is also available at Job Service, 1221 Ironwood Drive, (208) 769-1558.

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In Coeur d’Alene, the jobs will start in the $8.25 to $8.50 per hour range, with higher pay for employees with bilingual skills or managerial experience, said Patricia Wesner, an executive vice president for U.S. Bank. The positions include benefits such as health insurance, a 401(k) plan and a retirement package.

Employees will answer in-bound customer service calls. Wesner said the future work load could include more sophisticated operations, such as credit card fraud detection.

The city of Coeur d’Alene was one of four finalists for the bank’s second call center. U.S. Bank wanted a location in a Western time zone, making it easier to staff for evening calls from East Coast and Midwest customers. The company also studied the labor pool and unemployment rates, which hover between 6 and 8 percent in Kootenai County.

The relatively low proportion of other call centers here was attractive to U.S. Bank, Wesner said. The company opened the first call center in Fargo, but now faces competition in hiring workers from other large operations located there, she said.

Kootenai County has about 1,700 residents working in call center jobs, a loosely defined category that includes directory assistance operators, telemarketing jobs, customer service and order processing.

The state of Idaho and local developers also provided inducements. Idaho’s Workforce Training Fund will contribute up to $2,000 for each new U.S. Bank employee trained. Developers Tom Johnson and Cliff Mort donated 10 acres in the Mill River development along Seltice Way for the call center building.

U.S. Bank looked into overseas locations for the call center, but never very seriously, Davis said.

"We’re patriotic, and I mean that very sincerely," he said. "We don’t want U.S. Bank customers to have to deal with a customer service representative from Bangladesh."

Salaries might be lower in developing countries, but the language barrier remains a problem, Wesner said. Agents must have the ability to carry on detailed conversations and negotiate over the phone. Customer service is critical to retaining credit card customers, she said.

U.S. Bank conducts the first interview for call center agents by phone. Applicants with poor phone skills get weeded out right away, Wesner said.