Call center services in Turkey: A study about the professional development level

The main objective of this research is to understand the status of professional development of call center service and its potential in Turkey. In this study, firstly occupational sociology literature is examined in detail and criteria for being a profession is determined. The history of the professions has been handled by different researchers ranging from ancient fields such as theology, medicine and law to contemporary occupations, and criteria for being different professions have been defined. The occupational criteria determined were used as a checklist for the area of call centers in the study. Qualitative research design was used in the study. The data set included the curriculum of the call center services departments opened as a bachelory degree program in universities, the training documents of the Call Centers Association, the national occupational standards and qualifications determined by the Vocational Qualification Authority for call center employees, and the activity report data set issued by the Call Center Association. These data were interpreted by document analysis. The number of employees in the call center industry in Turkey is expected to find about 300,000 by 2023. Consistent with this information, it is seen that major steps have been taken in the professionalization process of call center expertise. The national standard approved by the Vocational Qualification Authority shows that the government recognizes call center customer representative and team leadership as a profession. In the study, it is seen that a certain part of the criteria of being a profession used as checklist is also met. However, the call center service does not require any special knowledge, skills, techniques or methods used in the generally accepted occupations, and can use computers and telephones. Therefore, it can be determined that call center service is an occupation rather than a profession according to the literature.