Outsourced Call Centers Starting To Come Home

December 09, 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 a recap of having to deal with someone with an accent too strong to understand, yet claiming to own the name “Bob”.

A conversation over the turkey dinner at Thanksgiving had a similar ring, yet with an added dash 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. There’s nothing quite like getting downsized and still bearing the responsibility for your replacement to carry on the work.

The strategy proved fruitful for a number of companies seeking the healthier bottom line. After all, workers in India were willing to do the job for a lot less money. The problem is these companies didn’t always anticipate the reaction they would get from their U.S.-based customer and those that maintained the U.S. base dominated in their industries.

For others, the strategy has changed and they’re aiming to bring jobs back to the states. Drivers behind the new strategies include changes in technology, the rising cost of overseas labor and continued language barriers. Damaged company images and the desire the turn the tide toward the positive are also contributing factors. A recent Business Facilities post examined the trend.

TeleTech ( – ) Holdings is one company with an eye on local expansion. 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 came after the company opened a center in Sherwood, Az., that created 250 new jobs and a second site in Jonesboro, Az., that created another 150.

Rio Rancho, NM, is about 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 new 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 just brush the surface of the opportunities popping up throughout the U.S. market as companies seek to bring jobs back to U.S. soil. And while it may be a while before we no longer need 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 in bringing call center services back home.