Norwich-based OpenContact has been awarded the contract to manage telephone bookings and customer service calls for The View from The Shard.

The Shard, the iconic, landmark building on the London skyline, designed by master architect Renzo Piano, will be the tallest building in Western Europe.

The firm, based at Sapphire House, Roundtree Way, Norwich, beat national competition to be the partner that will help to deliver the customer experience required by the premium visitor attraction.

Steve Gregory, OpenContact's head of client services, said: 'The Shard is an international icon and work of art. The View from the Shard will enable visitors to unlock London's culture, architecture and history and we are thrilled to be involved in one of the most significant international launches of 2013.

'It's a significant one for us – the beauty of this contract is that although we are taking sales calls, we will also be doing service calls, so if for some reason people cannot get to the building or want to change dates, they will call us.'

Spanning three floors at the height of 244m, The View from The Shard, which opens to visitors on February 1, is nearly twice as high as any other viewing platform in London and will offer an unparalleled encounter with an incredible building that invites guests to experience the most spectacular views of London.

OpenContact, founded more than 11 years ago has recently taken on 10 additional staff to cope with the busier summer period taking the total number of workers up to 63.

Some will work on the new contract and Mr Gregory said the extra business has meant that some contracts will be extended beyond an initial six month period.

The firm will be reporting to The View from The Shard's management team including Anders Nyberg, chief executive, and Sandy Clark, operations director.