Perceptions of Call Center Outsourcers, by Peter DeHaan

There are many good things happening in the call center industry.  Millions of people are employed in productive positions that benefit both commerce and the economy.  These jobs are desirable nonmanufacturing positions and essentially nonpolluting, making them highly attractive to state and local governments’ job-creation efforts.  Call center agents receive extensive training on customer service skills that are not covered in schools and universities.  This expertise is in high demand in virtually all sectors, preparing these people for advancement within their companies or for migration into other industries.  

Call center industry associations are proactively and successfully moving forward with certification and self-regulation initiatives, effectively raising standards and improving results.  Most importantly, call centers serve all industries by helping them lower customer acquisition costs, increase customer retention, save money in the provision of personal customer service, and increase marketing effectiveness, thus aiding them in becoming more competitive and responsive.

Unfortunately, people outside the industry would never know that...

(read the full article online or check it out in the March issue of Connections Magazine)