CPFL turns customer service into business
Valor Econômico
With a plan to earn between R$ 30 million (US$ 15.5 million) and R$ 50 million (US$ 25.9 million) a year, the electric energy company of São Paulo, CPFL, started, on Friday, providing a customer service whose purpose is to achieve not only its own clients but those of other companies of the electric sector, of municipal administrations and companies. The new business unit of the group was called of CPFL Atende and it is based in Ourinhos, interior of the state of São Paulo. The investment amounted to R$ 3.5 million (US$ 1.8 million) and the company is created with 300 employees. The vice-president of distribution of the company, Hélio Viana, says CPFL has been studying the project for one year and the city of Ourinhos was chosen due the number of universities in the region, which makes it easier to higher qualified manpower.
In spite of being under negotiations, CPFL Atende has not closed any contract with companies out of the group. At first, it will render services for the eight distributors of the group which supply energy for the states of São Paulo, Paraná, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul. The company already had a similar structure in the municipalities of Campinas (SP) and Caxias do Sul (RS). Ourinhos will initially cater to the clients of CPFL Santa Cruz, Piratininga and Jaguariúna. The unit will also have capacity to receive calls from CPFL Paulista and from Rio Grande Energia.
The new business unit will stay under the umbrella of CPFL Energia. The holding already performs the activities of distribution, generation and sale. CPFL Atende, which intends to sell up to R$ 50 million (US$ 25.9 million) a year, will represent a small slice in the group that only in the first quarter this year registered revenues of R$ 2.4 billion (US$ 1.24 billion).