AN AMMANFORD call centre has scooped double at an awards ceremony which recognises people working in the industry that contributes to millions of pounds to the Welsh economy.

At the glittering ceremony Kelly-Anne Ralph from New Road call centre PHS Group, won Contact Centre Manager of the Year and was also instrumental, with support from the group’s IT team, in claiming the Technology award.

The event, held in Cardiff’s Millennium Centre on March 6, was hosted by TV chat show host Jonathan Ross and attended by almost 700 invited guests from an industry that generates around £650 million for the Welsh economy.

Sandra Busby, managing director of organisers the Welsh Contact Centre Forum, said the call centre industry is becoming one of the Welsh economy’s real powerhouses making it more difficult each year to win an award, so for PHS to get the vote from the judging panel in two of the three categories it entered is an outstanding achievement.

Head of Call Centre Operations at the New Road centre, Kelly-Anne was praised by the judges for her dedication and persistence in the role, attributes that made her the stand-out nominee in a category which included candidates from iconic businesses such as Barclays, 118, Tesco and the Sinclair Group.

As well as her individual accolade, Kelly-Anne also worked with PHS’s in-house IT team to create an app that won the technology prize for capturing sales leads on handheld devices, smartphones and tablets, generating a robust mobile solution for PHS to instantly process cross selling opportunities, whilst delivering an enhanced and seamless customer experience.

PHS’s chief marketing officer, Jonathan McGregor, said: “These awards are another important milestone as we seek to benchmark ourselves against the best in the industry. I am even more pleased that the changes implemented by Kelly-Anne in Ammanford have been recognised for delivering the high quality customer experience that we would expect from a professional call centre operation.”

On a personal note, Kelly-Anne was keen to point out the contribution of her team to her success at the event.

She said: “Winning these awards is a tremendous achievement and one that many people have contributed to. I am delighted to receive the recognition of both my peers and the industry in which I work.”

The annual event organised by the Welsh Contact Centre Forum rewarded winners in 19 categories. In addition to the categories PHS won, Ammanford Call Centre Advisor Lisa Yarnold was nominated for the Contact Centre Advisor of the Year.