Shapiro, Shaik, Defries & Associates (SSDA) – COVID 19 Collections Press Release
20 April 2020 The arrival of COVID 19 onto the world stage in early 2020 and its subsequent spread across the globe has, and continues to have, a catastrophic impact on global business and its citizens. This global pandemic has necessitated a truly global response. From government and Health Organisations to NGO’s and individuals, we have seen a global community rise up to support their fellow man.
The impact of this period in history will be long and far reaching. Kickstarting businesses and economies will again be a global responsibility as individuals, communities and countries have to navigate the new normal. Social distancing, remote working, transport and logistics will all have to change. There has been a lot of talk in recent years about The Global Village, and now its time to get to know your neighbours!
When the Lockdown was announced for Friday 27th March, South African businesses essentially had 3 days to either adapt or die. While every business navigated their options, arguably one of the biggest challenges faced the Call Centre industry, both in South Africa and around the world.
On Friday 27th March, SSDA opened for business at 07h00 with 33% Business as Usual operating capacity, and by Monday 30th this number had increased to over 50%. Over the coming weeks in Lock down, our executive team has continued to engage with our clients, not only on our contracted work, but also as regards the essence on which our partnerships were built: Support and Strategy.
To this end SSDA activated hundreds of additional seats both for the local and international collections market, overflow capacity in General Business Continuity Management and numerous COVID specific digital strategies across a multitude of industries. Not only was this done seamlessly for our clients, but with 100% adherence to both regulatory and contractual obligations such as Quality Assurance, Voice recordings, reporting and communication. A truly herculean task, executed by a super human team.
There is no doubt this will mark a dark time in our global economies, but while some of our peers are having to reduce their operational workforce or in some cases, close their doors, SSDA have consistently been activating additional capacity, increasing our Quality Assurance and operating at a level of cadence above and beyond the situational landscape.
Thanks to longstanding, honest relationships with our suppliers, trust built on a culture of “People First” and a teamwork mindset of “How Can I Help?”, SSDA has ensured that we are here to meet the commitments made to our clients and firmly put our hand up to say to our local and global partners, “We are here to help!”
I want to personally thank every one of our employees who have contributed whole-heatedly to business continuity and growth in this time. To our clients, for their commitment and belief in our value led partnerships and to our industry bodies for their support and guidance though these uncharted waters. Thanks to you all, SSDA remains open for business and positioned to provide our world class service, both through this crisis and beyond into the global business arena that is to follow
