The phones began ringing in Saint John, New Brunswick, at the TD Insurance (home and auto) Client Service Centre in 2004 and they have been ringing steadily ever since. TD Meloche Monnex Group, a member of the TD Bank Financial Group, purchased the Canadian operations of the Liberty Mutual Group and has grown the center from the original 50 workers to its current employment of 244.

Senior Manager Brian M. Sypher attributes the success of the contact center in Saint John mainly to a great sense of community. Of the last 80 people who were hired, 70 were referred by word of mouth. “It is much more difficult to create that sense of community in larger cities,” says Sypher. “To me, that sense of community strikes to the essence of what it is to operate here.” And from this feeling of community comes higher employee retention. Over the last few years, the turnover rate has not exceeded 8 percent.

Over the next two to three years, the TD Insurance Contact Centre plans to double its work force and add 48,000 square feet to its existing facility. “Our organization has decided that our clients would be better served by centralizing the location where their call is received when initially reporting a claim,” says Sypher. “Our site has been chosen to house this function. This is a huge vote of confidence for our center and the Province of New Brunswick.”