House Bill Calls for U.S. Call Centers

A toll-free call center connection to someone in India has been a
punchline for comedians and TV sitcoms for years, but for the thousands
of Americans who have lost their jobs in call centers, outsourcing is no
laughing matter.

But proposed legislation introduced this month in the House of
Representatives would give consumers the choice of using a U.S.-based
call center and ending federal subsidies for companies that send jobs
offshore.

The “Press 1 for America” bill would require call center workers to
identify which country they are from and give customers the option of
speaking to a U.S.-based employee. It would also require companies that
outsource call center jobs to be placed on a public list, with
outsourcing corporations ineligible for federal loans or subsidies.

“Companies that choose to outsource American call center jobs overseas
should forfeit their eligibility for federal financial assistance – it’s
that simple,” said co-sponsor Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.).

The legislation has drawn support from both sides of the aisle.

“My No. 1 priority in Congress is West Virginia jobs, and this bill
could help save thousands of them,” says sponsor Rep. David McKinley
(R-W.Va.).

Tens of thousands of good-paying call center jobs have been outsourced
to India, the Philippines and numerous other low-wage countries in the
last decade. Despite the practice’s popularity with many corporations,
outsourcing has led to high levels of dissatisfaction from consumers who
are often unable to communicate with some employees, resulting in some
companies bringing the work back to America.
- - -

Seems like a good idea, but...what happens when you get connected to an
"American" call center and the guy on the other end of the phone is
PsychoScotty, and you need technical support with your web browser?

"Hi, this is PsychoScotty at WoeBeGone Tech Support. Let me first tell
you about your foreign-born, white-hating, black president and why you
should support the Klan, er, the Tea Party."