
What in the World
What in the World
Meet the call centre workers dealing with your complaints
19 May 2026
9 minutes
Available for over a year
Most of the world’s call centres are based in India and the Philippines, but major hubs are also on the rise in other regions - especially in Latin America. In countries like Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, thousands of young people work in this industry to earn money while they’re studying. They mainly answer customer services calls coming from the US, trying to solve their problems and dealing with a lot of frustrated customers - all in their second language.
BBC Mundo reporter Santiago Vanegas Maldonado, who’s based in Miami, explains why this industry is growing so much in Latin America - and how it’s affecting the local economy. Plus we hear from people who’ve worked in call centres to find out what it’s like.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Santiago Vanegas Maldonado, William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates
Video producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde
