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N.E.W. hiring 40 workers to handle satellite dish calls

Job fair today (Thursday)

N.E.W. is holding a job fair today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the office at 321 Central Ave., the former Bon Marché building.

By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Staff Writer

If DirecTV’s new customer protection plan is an accurate market reader, then people are willing to pay for an experienced human voice on the phone to guide them through electronic glitches and mishaps.

In Great Falls, that means more jobs.

National Electronic Warranty is hiring 40 more workers for its Great Falls call center, many of whom will be helping people adjust satellite dishes over the phone.

DirecTV, which provides satellite television programming and equipment, contracts with National Electronic Warranty to answer questions and help subscribers of its new protection plan, launched 18 months ago.

N.E.W. is based in Virginia and opened the Great Falls call center in 1996.

Subscribers pay a monthly fee to access a 24-hour hotline to help with everything from a broken remote control to adjusting a wind-blown satellite dish.

When it started, N.E.W. had 13 employees dedicated to the DirecTV contract, all in Great Falls.

At the time, DirecTV officials were cautious about predicting how many customers would subscribe to the program.

In August, they signed up the millionth subscriber.

Today more than 400 N.E.W. employees in Great Falls and the company’s call center in Florida help DirecTV protection plan subscribers.

"The program is a great value. It covers everything from wiring, to trouble shooting to manufacturers’ warranties, and I think that’s why customers embrace it," said Steve Bounds, director of service and warranties for DirecTV.

Beth McFadden, the director of operations for N.E.W. in Great Falls, said the 40 additional jobs include customers service representative for other call center contracts, as well as technical assistance representatives.

N.E.W. is holding a job fair today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the office at 321 Central Ave., the former Bon Marché building.

McFadden declined to say what the starting wage for customer service representatives is, but did say it exceeds minimum wage and includes benefits.

N.E.W. employs 600 people in Great Falls, the majority of whom work full time.

DirecTV is a division of Hughes Electronics, a subsidiary of General Motors.

General Motors announced plans to sell its interest in Hughes to News Corp. in April, but that plan must be approved by federal regulators.

News Corp. is an international media and entertainment company. Its assets include Fox Broadcasting, TV Guide and 20th Century Fox film studios.

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20030925/localnews/326862.html

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