December 9, 2014
The holiday season brings more than just lights, parties, and too much food; it also brings conversations about calling customer service when you need help. Such conversations often lead to recollections of having to deal with someone whose accent was too strong to understand, yet who claimed to be named “Bob.”.
A conversation over the Thanksgiving turkey dinner had a similar tone, though with an added touch of frustration. My cousin has been out of work in his field for a few years after he had to train his Indian counterpart in order to receive his severance pay. There’s nothing quite like being laid off and still bearing the responsibility for your replacement to carry on the work.
The strategy proved successful for a number of companies seeking to improve their bottom line. After all, workers in India were willing to do the job for much less money. The problem is that these companies did not always anticipate the reaction they would get from their U.S.-based customers, and those that maintained a U.S. presence dominated their industries.
For others, the strategy has changed, and they’re aiming to bring jobs back to the United States. Factors driving the new strategies include changes in technology, the rising cost of overseas labor, and ongoing language barriers. Damaged corporate images and the desire to turn things around are also contributing factors. A recent Business Facilities The post examined the trend.
TeleTech ( – ) Holdings is one company looking to expand locally. The provider of customer engagement solutions has announced plans to hire 300 people for call center services at its facility in Melbourne, Fla., as well as another 300 for its Hopkinsville, Ky., location. This announcement followed the company’s opening of a center in Sherwood, Arizona, which created 250 new jobs, and a second site in Jonesboro, Arizona, which created another 150.
Rio Rancho, NM, is set to see new jobs, thanks to a planned expansion by S&P Data LLC. A planned expansion in Troy, MI, will create as many as 420 new jobs, thanks to newly acquired contracts with two major mobile companies. In McDonough, GA, TSYS, a global credit card processor, plans to open a new facility that will employ as many as 450 people.
These announcements only scratch the surface of the opportunities emerging throughout the U.S. market as companies seek to bring jobs back to the United States. And while it may be a while before we no longer have to struggle to understand the accent on the other end of the line, at least these companies are paying attention to the demands of their U.S. customers and making the necessary investments to bring call center services back home.
