The next time someone telephones your estate agency office out of hours, the call is likely to be answered by someone working in sunny New Zealand.
Moneypenny, the call-answering company whose 6,000 customers include a large number of UK estate agents, is moving some of its staff from Wrexham, Wales, to live and work in Auckland.
The firm wanted to provide a 24-hour service, but found that most of its staff did not want to work nights. But 40 of the 280-strong workforce were interested in a scheme to work abroad.
Now four of the staff have been relocated to New Zealand, where they answer the phones in the daytime – during Britain’s night. When they return home, they will be replaced by another four who will be flown out to New Zealand.
Jess Edwards, 24, one of the first four workers, said: “It is a fantastic opportunity – I’m loving it.
“It was a bit strange to start with but it works very well. We go to work in the morning just as the staff in Wrexham are going home for the day. I am getting to see places I probably never would have the chance to see otherwise.
“I have visited Australia and both the North and South Islands of New Zealand and generally thrown myself into the experience.”
The four staff share a rented house and work a rota of four days on, four days off, to enable them to see more of New Zealand.
Company founder Rachel Clacher said: “We had looked at hiring staff to work overnight at our offices in Wrexham.
“But we weren’t confident service levels could be maintained so would have never taken that risk.
“By working on the other side of the world we’re now able to offer a truly 24-hour first-rate service, with bright, chirpy and wide-awake people.”
Rachel Clacher founded the company with her brother Ed Reeves in 2000 on a £15,000 shoestring. It has since won numerous awards for service and innovation, and has been in the list of the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For three times.
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