LIME has taken its call centre contract from Xerox and given it to Canada-based TELUS International in an effort to better manage its relationship with customers.

Formerly known as ACS e-Services, Xerox handled the telecommunication company's call centre operations for the past three years but LIME said TELUS is a better fit to take it through to the next step in managing customer issues.

"ACS has served us well and has helped us to achieve a lot of our customer care objectives," Managing Director Garry Sinclair said. "TELUS has demonstrated that it can leverage the wealth of experience that aligns with our plans for the next few years."

The transition to the Canadian telecommunications company will happen over the next three months, LIME said, with "immediate service improvements to customers" expected on completion.

TELUS customer service will include people who are able to handle a wider set of enquiries, for example, resulting in faster responses and fewer transfers.

LIME was not able to say if this meant fewer people would be hired under the new model.

"Just under 300 people worked on our account at ACS," said an employee who did not want to be named.

"TELUS has their own model so the number of agents needed would vary," he said.

New centres will be established and managed by the Canadian company in Montego Bay, St Lucia and Barbados to serve the region.

The re-establishment of a customer care centre in Barbados was also a direct response to customer needs, LIME said, since customers on that island had repeatedly asked to talk with people who sounded more like them.

Although reluctant to say exactly what would happen to those agents who worked on its account through Xerox, LIME said "adequate provisions" had been made for those affected.

In addition, "all agents in Kingston would have an opportunity to apply [for a job] at the MoBay centre. It would be up to them, however, to relocate," the company said.