Retail giantTesco is to open a contact centre for its finance
operationsthat will employ 1,000
people.
Tesco said in April that it will buy core banking system
software this year to support its plans to open bank branches
in its UK stores.
The centre in Newcastle will manage customer sales and service
for Tesco Bank's home and motor insurance. Tesco has partnered
Fortis UK to provide insurance.
Tesco Bank hopes to offer current accounts in the next two years
depending on the availability of the right technology.
Andrew Higginson, chairman of Tesco Bank, said Tesco is building
a different kind of bank. "This new customer service centre will
help us provide our banking and insurance customers with the same
great service they have come to expect in our stores. It is an
important step forward for the business and will support our
ambitions to bring great value new insurance products to many more
customers."
According to research from Celent,
banks will face growing competition from non-bank financial service
providers using new systems to deliver services such as Web 2.0
applications.
"New players and new ways of doing business in terms of
alternative banking systems will start sprouting up," said Celent.
These include retailers, phone companies and pre-paid card
suppliers.
Tesco, like other non-bank financial service providers, hopes to
take advantage of the squandered reputation of banks following the
credit crunch.