eTelecare Loses It

How would you like to be the relationship manager at eTelecare Global Solutions who just lost a major account? The Manila-based company, which debuted on the Nasdaq just a few months ago, saw its shares drop below its IPO price after it disclosed that the "significant client" cancelled a program that brought in $15.6 million in revenue during the first half of 2007.

Customer churn is part and parcel of the BPO business, but when you are a newbie company touting the superiority of your outsourcing practices, losing a major customer deals a body blow to your reputation.

eTelecare expects 2007 annual revenues to be in the range of $240 million to $250 million, with net income of $19.2 million to $21.5 million, or $0.63 to $0.71 per diluted ADS. This compares to the previous guidance for 2007 annual revenues in the range of $250 million to $260 million, with net income of $22 million to $25 million, or $0.72 to $0.82 per diluted ADS.

Which customer did the BPO lose? From ETEL's prospectus:

As of December 31, 2006, we had 21 active clients for which we had performed 51 different programs since January 2006. We have a particular expertise in communications, technology and financial services. We also serve clients in the travel and hospitality, media and retail industries. Our largest clients in terms of revenue are American Express, AOL, Cingular, Dell, Intuit, Sprint and Vonage.