Re Contract

Capita Group PLC 05 April 2004 Press Information 5th April 2004 CAPITA TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO DIXONS GROUP CUSTOMERS Capita signs contract to provide customer contact centre services for Dixons, Currys, PC World and The Link The Capita Group Plc ('Capita') has signed a contract to provide extensive customer contact centre services to Dixons Group plc from Dixons' existing call centre facility in Sheffield. The five-year contract will see Capita handle the full range of routine customer contact operations, such as customer service, product and sales enquiries for Dixons, The Link, Currys and PC World. Under the terms of the contract Dixons Group will pay Capita an annual fee of approximately £18 million subject to the achievement of agreed performance standards and targets. As part of the agreement Capita will also assume Dixons Group's contract for the provision of narrowband technical support to Freeserve customers. Dixons Group will continue to provide all other technical support contact services to customers in-house. Capita will also handle insurance-related customer enquiries for Dixons Group Insurance Services. Under the agreement the 800-strong workforce based at Dixons Group's Nunnery Square site will transfer to Capita and continue operating from the same facility. Capita has committed to a range of customer service and systems enhancements that will ensure more effective transfer of information between customers, the contact centre and business unit teams. Enhancements will include the re-design of current processes, introduction of voice recognition software and improved monitoring of contacts to further improve the quality of the customer experience. A Capita team will manage the transition and transformation programme alongside existing management. The contract commences on 4th April 2004. John Clare, Dixons Group Chief Executive, said: 'We are very proud of the leading-edge customer service facility and the first-rate team that we have created in Sheffield. We are equally determined to find new ways of improving and broadening the services that we offer the millions of customers that shop with us every year. I am confident that our relationship with Capita will bring significant benefits and service improvements to customers over time.' Capita's Executive Chairman, Rod Aldridge, commented: 'Capita is delighted to have been chosen to handle the customer service of such a prestigious organisation. We now plan to re-engineer the processes behind the activity of these centres, to enhance the service received by customers of Dixons Group and Freeserve. We are determined to ensure this operation becomes a beacon of best practice in the retail sector. We welcome the highly skilled and experienced staff who will transfer to Capita with the contract and recognise that they will play a vital role in the service going forward. The new employees will automatically join Capita's staff development programme and benefit from being part of a Group whose core focus is delivering quality customer services.' - Ends - For further information: Capita Press Office - 0870 2400 488 - media@capita.co.uk Dixons Group - Hamish Thompson, 01727 203195 / 07702 684290 Notes to Editors: The Capita Group Plc, is the UK's leading provider of integrated professional support service solutions. The Group's service capabilities encompass customer services, financial services, human resource services, software services, systems and strategic support and property services delivered to both public sector and private organisations. With over 19,000 employees at more than 200 offices across the UK and Ireland, Capita is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (CPI.L) with revenues for 2003 of £1,081 million. In April 2003 Capita was named Company of the Year in the Royal Bank of Scotland Sunday Times Business Awards. Capita has won Management Today's Most Admired Support Services Company Award in 2003, for the third year running. The quality of Capita's customer service operations has been widely recognised by the industry body, the Contact Centre Association (CCA), with Capita-run contact centres having recently gained CCA accreditations in the following areas: Bristol and Darwen for its TV Licensing contract, Glasgow and Belfast for its BBC Information contract, Gloucester for its Lincoln Financial Group contract, Stevenage for its Hertfordshire County Council contract and Liverpool and Darwen for the Criminal Records Bureau. Capita is also Contact Centre Association Member of the Year 2003. Further information on The Capita Group can be found at: www.capita.co.uk Dixons Group plc is Europe's leading electrical retailer. More than 35,000 Group employees work in 1,400 stores across 12 European countries, including the UK, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The Group's values statement, Being the Best, encourages all staff to observe the following core principles: - Operating with honesty and integrity - Giving outstanding service to customers - Respecting our colleagues - Continually seeking ways to improve our performance - Working together to beat the competition The Group's retail and business to business brands include Currys, Dixons, Dixons Group Business Services, El Giganten, Electro World, Elkjop, Genesis Communications, Lefdal Lavpris, PC City, PC World, PC World Business, The Link and UniEuro. Own-brand sourcing operations are managed by the Group's OmniSource division. The Group is also a leading provider of financial and after-sales services. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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