Call centre giant Garlands goes into administration

The biggest call centre group in the North East of England has gone into administration after losing two of its largest contracts, leaving more than 1,100 staff on the dole queue.

Garlands Call Centres, which was set up two decades ago and at its peak employed more than 3,000 people, foundered after losing major contracts with Vodafone and TalkTalk within a matter of days of each other.

Almost all of the company’s 1,158 workforce employed at its Hartlepool head office and in contact centres in South Shields and Middlesborough were made redundant with immediate effect. About 70 personnel have been retained to handle the company’s one remaining contract and to carry out administrative duties.

Chey Garland, who originally set the business up in the attic of her home, told North East Business: "It’s like a dream and I just feel awful. My main thoughts are with my staff. We made sure we paid them on Friday, but now I am wondering how they will pay their mortgages and find another job."

She added that the contracts had been lost because the industry had been both hit by the economic downturn and undercut by overseas competition.

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