1.   The program includes brochures, direct mail, television and radio ads, utility bill inserts and the live-operator call center.

2.   America West has installed a reservations system that would have required the Kansas City call center to be upgraded if it remained open, Nowack said.

3.   And, like any service trade, call centers are plagued by high turnover and seasonal ups and downs.

4.   Another call center is expanding in the Phoenix area.

5.   As a result, Menthon said she has set up labor-intensive call centers abroad, in lower-wage countries such as Ireland.

6.   As for a practical application, IBM believes the product could be ideal for people who work in call centers.

7.   At Pelephone, an Israeli cell-phone operator, the call center is the primary entry point for new hires.

8.   At Customer Asset and other call centers, Indian trainers who have lived in the United States drill new employees in phonetics, American pop culture and colloquialisms.

9.   Automated call centers are only the most obvious way speech recognition will be used.

10.   Barr started calling other call center managers a couple of years ago to meet informally and discuss technology and hiring issues.