Call Center Workers Forced to Announce Location If Out Of US?

Senator Announces Leigislation for New Protocals

By Neil Zawacki
Updated: May 02, 2012

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill (D) has stated that she wants to pass legislation that would require call center agents who perform their duties outside of the United States to identify themselves and their geographic location before they can conduct business or provide service to customers.

McCaskill discussed the idea at a press conference held inside Missouri Book Services in Columbia. She said, “I don’t know about you, but I have called for help sometimes and I can’t get them to tell me where they are when I’ve been frustrated because there’s been a language barrier, or understanding what I’m talking about or even when somebody doesn’t know where I’m talking about.

She added: “I think [the legislation] gives a boost to American-centered call centers because I think most Americans would prefer to use a call center that’s located here in the United States.”

Vindy.com, an Ohio-based news site, agrees with her supposition. They have theorized that should the legislation pass, Americans will start hanging up on phone calls that originate outside of the United States due to personal feelings about job loss. They have also discovered that the number of call centers in Missouri have dropped dramatically - they were at 13,000 in 2007, but are currently just 9000.

The news site declared, “Whether this legislation, if passed, would restore many jobs in this country in call centers is anybody’s guess. But it’s an issue that captures the attention of some voters.”