The frustrating experience of trying to speak with customer support only to be transferred to a foreign call center and connected with someone who barely speaks English could soon be coming to an end thanks to the Trump administration.
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it had “voted to launch a new proceeding looking into the use of offshore call centers.” The agency explained that bringing call centers back to the United States would be beneficial for several reasons.
First, moving call centers overseas takes jobs away from Americans and causes “language, communication, and other barriers that make it difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to get a satisfactory resolution to their problem.” Offshore call centers also create national security issues as “bad actors working inside foreign call centers have been known to illicitly access customer data or information to advance criminal endeavors.”
As a result of these issues, the FCC is seeking comments on “actions that would encourage and facilitate the onshoring of call centers,” on “steps the FCC can take to improve the customer service and security of communications between an American and any call center that remains abroad,” and on “steps we can take to address illegal robocall scams that originate inside foreign call centers.”
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr explained in a statement that Americans deserve better than the current service they are getting from call centers and that the agency is taking action to ensure they do get better service moving forward.
“American consumers deserve call centers that speak proficient English, provide clear answers, and are based here at home – not halfway around the world,” Carr said. “So today, the FCC is taking action to change that. We adopt proposals to reshore call center jobs and improve the customer service experience at the ones that remain – including by seeking comment on requiring call center workers to be proficient in American Standard English.”
The notice included several proposals, such as prohibiting “providers from using call centers located in ‘foreign adversary’ nations,” requiring “a cap on the fraction of calls providers may handle via foreign call centers,” and limiting “certain transactions to domestic call centers.” The agency is asking for comments on how these proposals can potentially be carried out.
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty praised the agency’s notice for spotlighting the risks of the nation’s call centers remaining overseas.
“A trusted, reliable, and secure communications ecosystem is paramount to ensuring that consumers continue to benefit from a dynamic marketplace where innovation and investment can thrive,” Trusty said. “And so, I welcome today’s NPRM to address risks to Americans that originate from call centers located overseas. In particular, I appreciate the Notice’s focus on protecting the privacy and security of consumers’ sensitive information and proposing ways to more proactively identify and mitigate threats before they impact American consumers.”
The notice even received support from Anna Gomez, who serves as the only Democrat-appointed commissioner at the FCC.
“I believe that the FCC does best when our work honors the people we serve. That is why I support action by this FCC that honors consumer concerns,” Gomez said. “Consumers rely on customer support lines to solve the problems they experience with communications services. Thus, questions about how to improve the customer service experience are within our remit and a meaningful way to ensure we continue to serve the public.”
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
Far too much of everything Americans can and will do has been given away. Bring back our basic manufacturing and other jobs. I saw what we have now coming as far back as the 1970s when it was being promoted that America would move to a Service oriented
( office paper shuffling ) economy with manufacturing of all kinds would be carried out elsewhere. As it turned out, even customer service jobs when elsewhere too. Globalism at it’s finest.
PASS COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION TO CARVE IN STONE THAT ENGLISH IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF AMERICA AND NO OTHER.
LEARN IT WELL, USE IT WELL, OR LEAVE.
This could be the greatest and most appreciated achievement of President Trump’s! I’m all for it!
Yes, bring them back! Last time I called for a cell phone issue, the woman’s Indian accent was so heavy I had to keep asking her to repeat. I was a language student in school and can understand most accents, but the Indian (I assume maybe a new English speaker) seems to be the worst for me. I already had an issue I didn’t understand and she was no help. Waited until my 18 year old grandson got home and it took 2 minutes for me to get it!
I absolutely dread calling customer service! I know I am going to get someone who doesn’t speak english well and it’s going to be a nightmare call! I have a headache within 3 minutes. This is totally ridiculous and absurd. We should not have to put up with this nonsense! Bring all customer service back to the good old USA Now!
I am so sick of trying to hear and understand someone from Pakistan or India who allegedly is trying to help me with a problem.
Every time I receive a statement from the med. ins. it has translations in I did not count how many languages, why bother learning English when you are accommodated and expect to be.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! BRING PROFICIENT AMERICAN ENGLISH SPEAKING CALL CENTERS BACK TO AMERICA!!!! THANK YOU!
I am for this! I’m sick and tired of talking to someone in either India or Bangladesh!
Nothing is more exasperating than calling customer service and have someone who is obviously a foreigner answer the line and he has no idea what you are talking about. It’s all about the money (them saving theirs) and nothing to do with customer service (for you). If anyone can fix this, Trump can!
This would be fantastic. I am so tired of call for customer service and reaching someone who barely and sometimes has no clue what my problem is. I dropped my cable internet service when they last year moved their call center to the Philippines m. And anyone dealing with T mobile would be estastic.
Another great reason to thank our President. Why is it we have tolerated this bad service for so long. Our representatives certainly never suggested that call centers need to be on our shores. Besides jobs for Americans, customers with hearing challenges simply cannot get information, the language barrier is so pronounced
how is it going to get ENGLISH to be the official language of this country?
the problem above would be solved in 3 attoseconds!
I recently changed my bank because of them farming out their fraud prevention. I received a call from a very rude non-English speaking representative telling me there was suspicious activity on my debit card. I was about to just hang up when he revealed some information about my account only the bank should know. I immediately called my bank, and they confirmed his message and that this service was now handled overseas, they also shared that many customers were complaining about it. I asked if the bank manager was aware of the complaints and she said “yes” but did not know what he intended to do about it.
YES, PLEASE!!!!!!!
What an excellent policy. Again President is on the forefront of America First. Especially for our senior citizens who can’t understand these foreigners. How many times have I asked for an English speaking person. They talk too fast and with a heavy accent it’s impossible to hear what they say. Especially when we are hard of hearing. Plus hackers have been calling with a heavy accent which confuses the elderly and before they know it they are out of thousands of dollars. How many times after you call a company, right after you get a call from a hacker, about that company and your problem. Only they are scammers. DMV callers and insurance companies especially are targeted with these call centers. I had this happen many times. Always call these govt agencies and insurance back to make them aware. And I am not saying this won’t happen when they are in country, but with oversight I feel it would be safer than a company in India or Pakistan which cannot be checked. Plus it would create thousands of jobs. I think Americans should be helping Americans. Made in America should mean something again. We are already living in a computer age. We don’t interact with one another. You call a company you get a menu to choose from. The AI voice can’t understand you and the call is broken. You want to pay a bill in the middle of it they hang up because the robot missed something. Sometimes we need human beings to fix things. Every time you call a govt dept they always say to speed up your call go on the internet. I have never found there faster service. Plus I don’t trust computers I want to talk to a human being. To make sure the spelling is right and the numbers are correct. I say a big hoorah to President Trump for starting this process. Of course the left will object and take him to court. For they are pro foreigners and anti Americans.
Yes!!!!!
And lately Amazon customer service reps have lied to me many times about issuing refunds, etc. which is another problem with foreign call centers.
Absolutely, bring back Call Centers to the USA now and bring back American Jobs now.
Very glad to read this! It’s gotten so bad that I dread having to deal with someone. I even had it that when I had to keep asking a woman to repeat what she was saying, she implied that I was the one having the problem. I mentioned that her accent was difficult for me to understand and she became very offended!
This can’t happen soon enough.
Bringing these back to the U.S. is great, as long as they don’t put them in someplace that also has thick accents that are hard to understand.
I try to be tolerant, but heavy accents are difficult, Personally, I like all the accents/ dialects of the World, but when english is slurred and inflection just ruins the understanding, I just hang up.
I just emailed my representative & senators requesting they do all they can to support this.
For once it should be supported by both parties <GASP!> What a concept!
I totally support this!
That would be a good thing. Nothing more frustrating than dealing with someone who has a thick accent.
Ideal US Call Center locales:
MN ND SD ID MT OH KY TN GA ME VT OR
UT
I am so behind this!
Music to my ears! This would be fantastic.
this would be great get someone who speaks English without the accent
Executive order signed by Pres. Trump making English the official language of the USA; but, enforcing it is a different story. Companies are still pandering to people who don’t speak English proficiently.
It is about time something is done about these service call centers. I am tired of getting someone who doesn’t speak English attempting to help me. It’s frustrating and I always have to ask to be switched to someone in the USA for help,
GET IT DONE!!!
The FCC could make the proposal extremely simple and not open to “interpretation”. Merely state “ALL call centers WILL be located within the borders of the United States and ALL call centers WILL speak fluent English and NO call centers will access ANY other provider other than those located on US soil and speak English. NO foreign adversary or friendly nations will be allowed to provide call center service.”
Hooray! Long overdue. I avoid calling for help, even when I need it, for this reason. There are already enough people with foreign accents who live in this country. No, I’m not prejudiced, my parents were immigrants, but it took them years to learn proper English without much accent.
I just called the company I work for yesterday to find out about my 401-K because I will be retiring soon.The lady I talked to sounded like she was from India I could hardly understand her accent was so heavy did not find out what I needed to know. I hope they outlaw overseas call centers this is ridiculous.
Thank you! It’s frustrating! May God continue to bless your efforts ????
Please make it so..These foreign call centers are driving me nuts. Addressing a single problem can take 3 to 4 hours and give me a raging headache.
Hallelujah!!!! Boy would I like to see this happen. The other day we had an electric line come down. I called the line people and after a few questions I got transferred to a real person here in the U.S. The transaction went smoothly and within a couple hours they arrived to fix the line. But at the same time another line came down. We thought it was our internet but it seems it was an old line that should have been gone before. But thinking I needed repairs I called my internet provider. I have great hearing and I can understand a lot of accents but I kept having to ask the man to repeat his questions because obviously English was not his first language.
Hallelujah! I am So tired of trying to understand off-shore call centers. For those whose sales force is off-shore (hello, Bissell) I refuse to give them credit card numbers, etc. put Americans back to work …. Or TO WORK as we should not be paying any able-minded American to not work. These call centers could be “at home” work for the physically challenged, getting our vets OFF the streets, etc!!!! MOVE on this one, people!!!!
It’s about time and I also know that all these communications are but currents in the air and open to anyone with a receiver. But the three things I see is, (1) that the people will decide to work at these jobs, (2) that the employees can hopefully be better screened, and (3) maybe can better catch the ones steeling our info. Who knows, I’ve always thought the powers to be would’ve done a better job at taking of this OUR great nation, but what do I know.
Next do away with the AI Chat when your online.
Bless their hearts, those from the other side of the world try to help but their English isn’t as good as they think it is or maybe they are using us as an English training ground. Many times I’ve had to just hang up and redial in hopes that I’ll get someone I can understand. It’s like a ray of sunshine when I call and actually get someone in the U.S.
It is about time! Let us employ Americans in the United States first and foremost!
Excellent idea! Many of these jobs could be handled by people working from home. I believe this plan could be designed to cut down on fraud, too. .
Thank God. I hate when I have to talk to someone with such an accent that I have to continually ask for them to repeat slowly what they just said. It is such a waste of time.
They can start with the USPS. I had a need to call over one weekend and got an after hours call center that was based out side of our country. Why? They did not speak good English, could barely undestand them at all. I can remotely understand companies doing this but not our government institutions.
What a GREAT and MUCH OVERDUE IDEA, which should become a reality.
Ninety-nine times out of a hundred when you just have a couple of questions, need tech support, or have billing issues, your call ends up in some foreign country where the the representative has such a strong accent you can’t understand a word they’re saying, then get disconnected and you have to start all over again.
And if it’s Verizon, you better have 3-hours MINIMUM to waste while they put you on “IGNORE’, and then they drop your call. This gives you the opportunity and pleasure of calling again. On second thought, you better schedule in 4-hours..
Thank you for posting this article and thank you, FCC for doing something about these foreign-based call centers that have caused so much frustration and downright anger at not only the representative one gets, but at the person’s country. More than once, it has been suggested that India and, or Pakistan (plus other places) be turned into parking lots by sending bomber aircraft to do the job! As a disabled mostly home-bound Senior, I have had more than my share of frustrating experiences trying to communicate with a non-English speaker who is reading a manuscript. When I ask to be switched to a person in the United States of America, the foreign representative tells me they can’t do this. I then ask to speak to their supervisor, I am switched to an equally ineffective voice. At that point, I give up. I do want to say, however, that some businesses have their call reps in the USA – namely, Bank of America and Consumer Cellular. If one can think of others, please post.
Having had the experience, many years ago, of working in a Call Center, I would welcome this idea. First it would bring back many jobs to Americans. Second, we might then be able to effectively communicate with people when we need their assistance and they would not be telling us that they have no means of connecting us to a representative who is actually in the US.
This is an absolute must! I fully agree! It is extremely frustrating when, you, as the Caller, cannot understand the person you’re talking to! Also, I fully believe, these Foreign Call Centers, in alot of ways have made the American Citizens, more open to vulnerabilities due to given access to personal information being exchanged! Bring Call Centers back to America, then put in place a System where personal information is better protected!
Maybe we will be able to understand Them
would be nice then I might be able to understand what they are telling me. Now direction when asking for help are mostly non helpful because of language differences l
All I have to say is;
It is about damn time something is done about this! It should never have been allowed to begin with!
Thank you!
I sure hope so, and I hope thay it happens soon!