1:01 pm, May 1, 2025
It’s undeniable, the lift we all get when the sun shines. But for those of us relying on the great British weather, sunny days are few and far between. With its year-round sunshine and average daily temperature of 24 degrees, it’s no wonder Tenerife is home to over 60,000 UK expats.
But it’s not just individuals who’ve recognised the appeal of Tenerife’s sunny shores – businesses are enjoying its benefits too – in particular Runcorn-based customer experience experts, Direct Affinity.
Phil Williams, managing director of Direct Affinity is used to the reactions he gets when people discover the majority of his call centre team are located in the Canary Islands, ‘Without fail eyebrows are raised when clients first hear that we have CX agents based in Tenerife. But when they hear why, they get it immediately.’
Way back in 2016, Direct Affinity were looking for ways to improve their staff retention and quality. Opening the floor to ideas at a team meeting, one colleague tentatively suggested they consider recruiting in Tenerife. Rather than dismissing the idea out of hand, Phil – known for his people-focused approach and passion for listening – gave his colleague time to explain his thoughts: ‘He told us that there were huge volumes of expats on the island and that their employment choices were slim. Bars, restaurants or selling timeshare were the main occupations out there. He felt we’d have our pick of the crop if we were offering work outside those fields.
‘And he wasn’t wrong – we put out the simplest advert, “call centre, not timeshare, coming soon” and within 24 hours I had 32 CVs in my inbox of the calibre I’d fight for over here.
‘We started small, but within six months we had to expand our business over there – not because it’s cheaper – but because the team we’d built there was doing exceptionally well.
‘Now, over two-thirds of our call centre team are in Tenerife – we’ve got a mature, enthusiastic team who are keen to do meaningful jobs. And because we’re fulfilling that need for them, our retention rates are much higher. Which in turn means we’ve got consistent, experienced, and knowledgeable staff; and that gives us great options when it comes to finding the right fit for a project.’
Beyond these practical advantages, Phil, an astute observer, also noticed an unexpected but significant benefit to hiring a team in Tenerife: ‘What we hadn’t accounted for, investing in a team based out there, was what we call the dopamine effect. It’ll be a surprise to no one that year-round sunshine and sea air is a great mood enhancer! Our Tenerife team are so warm (literally and figuratively!) and relaxed. And that happiness makes for an even better customer experience.’
How happiness drives customer engagement
Think about the last time you had a truly positive interaction with a customer service agent – their enthusiasm likely shone through. ‘Happy people make happy phone calls,’ says Phil. ‘Our Tenerife team bring that level of positivity to each and every call. Ultimately, they’re brand ambassadors for our clients, so we need them to bring their A-game every day. And their environment undoubtedly plays a part in that – who wouldn’t feel good waking up to sunshine every day?
‘We play our part too. We’re absolutely committed to their well-being, training and development. I’m a firm believer that if our team are happy, then our clients and their customers will be too.’
Ready to sprinkle a little sunshine onto your customer experience? To discover how Direct Affinity can help you make every customer contact count, visit www.directaffinitycx.com.
