Call Center Hiring

Consumer Cellular, a provider of wireless phones and services mostly for seniors, opened its second U.S.-based call center in the Valley, and the company plans to staff it with about 100 employees by the fall.
Employees at the 8181 S. 48th St. center in Phoenix will provide sales and support for the company's customers from a 39,000 square-foot building. The company said there are 24 new employees on the job and another 80 will be hired by September.

Consumer Cellular also has a customer service facility at its headquarters in Portland, Ore.
"Our Phoenix expansion allows us to meet the demands of our expanding customer base by providing additional time zone coverage, increased data security, and emergency back-up customer support when needed," said John Marick, CEO of Consumer Cellular, in a statement. "We chose to locate the new call center in Phoenix because of its excellent talent pool and business-friendly environment."

Consumer Cellular's Valley expansion comes six months after the company celebrated double-digit annual revenue growth from nearly $65 million in 2008 to more than $100 million in 2009.

Founded in 1995, the privately-held company is the exclusive wireless provider for AARP members. Its niche is basic cell phone service for seniors.