Advantage, a people business

By Charlotte MacAulay

“We are proud to be 100 per cent Island owned and operated” said the President and CEO of Advantages communications, Kent MacPhee who took over the operations of the company a year and a half ago. Advantage Communications have offices in Charlottetown and in 2003 they set up in Souris, and are located in the Matthew & MacLean Building on Main Street.
Advantage Communications is a community based business that takes calls from everywhere in North America for companies worldwide.
The employees work in three different departments either technical support, customer service or sales. Mr MacPhee said the workplace has an informal atmosphere where employees are relaxed and can pass that calm attitude on to the customers they are dealing with.
There are other employees from Kings County who are able to work from home.
This strategy is convenient for people who can’t afford the added expenses that come with working outside the home, said Mr MacPhee.
This option can’t be offered to everyone and it isn’t something everyone would like to do, but it is good to have another option to give to potential employees, he said.
There are two components to the call centre business , the customers and the employees.
Management at Advantage know how important it is to have happy workers and recently they have developed a new way of thinking that shows the employees how important they are. Everyday the leadership teams find the difference makers and lets them know they are making a difference said Mr MacPhee. “It could be something as simple as coming in an hour early to help fill a shift, or making someone smile who is having a rough day,” he said.
This is most definitely a people business and also a growing business said Mr MacPhee.
Currently there are 12 employees in Souris, but plans are in the works to add 20 more positions in the near future.