Jim Trobaugh of CB Richard Ellis' nationally recognized Phoenix Call Center Solutions Group tells GlobeSt.com that the market is capable of holding about 40,000 call center jobs. It now is home to 65,000 jobs in 155 to 160 call centers. Trobaugh's research finds that call center operators looking to open new locations should lean toward markets with 2% or less of their labor force dedicated to call center jobs. He admits every call center developer has different needs and could target Phoenix, or any other dense market, despite prevailing competition.

Trobaugh and teammate Mark Seely recently distinguished themselves by getting their findings published in a study by Purdue University's Center for Customer-Driven Quality. The study, in conjunction with Benchmark Portal Inc., goes beneath the surface in analyzing the call center market.

Trobaugh and Seely conclude cities with high household incomes are more likely to have high costs per call and high turnover rates while smaller cities tend to have higher quality workforce and higher productivity. Centers in areas with older populations have lower productivity and higher costs per call ratios. And, the best performing markets are areas with high unemployment. From a regional perspective, the Southwest US routinely outperforms the Northeast in call center success.

Founded in 1989 by Trobaugh, the Phoenix Call Center Solutions Group has selected sites for more than 100 call centers. Trobaugh says the four-part process includes benchmarking needs and profiling potential sites, visiting and evaluating sites, negotiating tax and incentive programs and implementing real estate plans for the centers.