In 2009, Step Change Outsourcing was founded with a simple ambition: to do telesales differently.

17 years later, a lot has changed – the way businesses connect with their customers has evolved, technology has transformed and customer expectations continue to grow. But many of the principles that shaped SCO from the beginning remain at the heart of what we do today.

When SCO first began, customer interactions were largely centred around the telephone. Today, customers expect businesses to be available across a much wider range of channels, including voice, live web chat, email, SMS and WhatsApp. As those expectations have changed, so have we, continuing to expand our capabilities to support sales, retention and customer experience campaigns across both phone and digital channels.

Technology has also transformed the way we work. Data and reporting now play a central role in understanding performance, identifying opportunities and measuring the customer experience. We’ve continued to develop the technology and tools we use, such as our state-of-the-art dialler, to support our teams and clients, while maintaining the operational expertise needed to turn insight into action.

But while technology, channels and customer expectations have changed, one thing has remained consistent: our belief in the importance of our people. Our training-led approach continues to be a key part of how we operate, from classroom training and coaching to e-learning and ongoing development. We continue to invest in giving our people the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to create positive customer interactions and deliver brilliant results, while providing opportunities for them to build their careers and progress within the business. Many individuals in our leadership team started their careers in junior roles at SCO, demonstrating the opportunities available to those who want to develop and take the next step.

We’ve grown significantly since those early days in a modest office in Hitchin, starting off with just 14 team members. Today, our team of 300+ employees in Stevenage supports a range of clients across sales, retention and customer experience, with new opportunities continuing to shape the business.

As we celebrate 17 years of Step Change Outsourcing, we’re proud of how far we’ve come — and excited about where we’re going next.