WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced its plans to limit telecom firms’ employment of foreign call centers.
As part of its movement to bring American jobs back, U.S. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the Commission plans to vote on proposals regarding offshoring call centers this month, which include the following points of discussion:
- Reforms that encourage businesses to bring call center jobs back
- Improvements in customer service, including requiring American Standard English proficiency from agents
- Addressing illegal robocalls that originate abroad by seeking comment on the use of tariffs or bonds
The Chairman issued the following statement: “Americans get frustrated when they call a U.S. business and end up connecting with a call center located abroad. Language and communications barriers often make it difficult for callers to promptly and efficiently get the results they want.”
In addition, Carr believes that these foreign-based providers create an unwarranted heightened security risk. To mitigate this, the FCC will be looking into proposals to reform how U.S. call centers operate and the quality of service they provide.
The Underlying Context Behind These Discussions
Over the years, offshoring has become the norm within most U.S. corporations, with nearly 70% outsourcing at least one department. These strategic decisions are observed not only to take jobs away from the country but also to create unnecessary issues.
Consumers across the U.S. have regularly experienced poor customer service when connecting with a foreign-based provider. Barriers, such as language and communication, have made it difficult, if not impossible, for them to get immediate, satisfactory resolutions for their concerns.
The FCC also deems this over-reliance on foreign call centers a risk not only to customers’ privacy but also to companies’ data and even national security. These providers handle sensitive information yet lack the same legal protections as in the U.S.
