The IBM customer support centre in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin, opened 15 months ago. It now employs some 600 people. Last year the centre dealt with 1.2 million calls in 29 countries.

The company uses 11 European languages, including French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish. Calls from Russia and eastern Europe are dealt with in English.

The centre provides technical support for IBM PC products in the United States and Europe. It operates for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. "December 26th is our busiest day of the year," says David Cornick, director of the centre.

IBM is one of the world's leading suppliers of computer hardware, software and services. The Dublin centre's mission is to maintain customer satisfaction. Every month, up to 1,500 customers are called at random and asked to give satisfaction ratings on the staff who dealt with their queries. End of year bonuses depend on those ratings.

In their first year, call agents can expect a gross annual salary of £15,000. This includes base salary, premiums for working different hours and annual bonuses.

Cornick sees the key to good teleservices support as good communication skills and the ability to adapt and learn quickly. It doesn't suit everybody. "It's a fast-moving, dynamic environment. We're a service industry where the customer is king. People have to be flexible and be prepared to work shifts. There's a lotof training involved, especially in sales and technical support. We are constantly introducing new products."