Per SNOPES - Origins: Although the practice of U.S.-based companies operating call centers in other countries (where labor costs are cheaper) to handle customer service issues has been the focus of some legislative interest, there is not yet, as claimed above, any federal law requiring companies which utilize foreign call centers to disclose that information to their customers or to transfer such calls to U.S.-based operators upon customer request. Legislation aimed at restricting the use of foreign call centers has primarily been intended to eliminate the transfer of jobs from the U.S. to overseas locations and to better protect the privacy of American customers personal information. In September 2009, Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania took a stab at the issue by introducing the Call Center Consumers Right to Know Act (HR 3621) to Congress, a bill which sought to require employees at a call center who either initiate or receive telephone calls to disclose the physical location of such employees. That bill was referred to a House subcommittee with no further action taken. In May 2010, Senator Charles Schumer of New York addressed a similar issue when he announced he would be introducing legislation which would require U.S. callers be informed when their calls were being transferred to a foreign country and would impose a $0.25 per call excise tax on any customer service calls placed inside the United States that were transferred to agents in foreign locations. Despite the announcement, Senator Schumer has not yet introduced any such legislation to Congress. Although the practice is not yet legislatively mandated, some U.S. companies have established policies and procedures of their own that instruct foreign call center operators to transfer calls back to U.S.-based reps upon customer request. Last updated: 22 July 2013 Read more at snopes/politics/business/servicerep.asp#zH65XAVDEhj1b46e.99
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 06:06:19 +0000
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