Between offshore call centers and carriers' increasing reliance on artificial intelligence to handle calls, customers are fed up. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been pushing back against offshore outsourcing, urging US businesses to reshore call center operations. AT&T is answering the call.
Back to the US
AT&T has committed to onshoring. | Image by Brendan Carr
Around 70% of US companies have outsourced at least one department. Foreign call center staff aren't always fluent in English, which can lead to language barriers. To ensure customers get the outcome they want when they call a business, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr proposed bringing call centers back to the US and improving service at existing ones. In March, Charter decided to bring Cox's call center jobs back to the US as it was in the process of acquiring the company.
Carr recently announced on X that AT&T is also bringing its customer service operations back to the US. Apart from eliminating linguistic barriers, the move will also boost employment in the US.
How do you feel about the decision?
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AT&T is fixing a pain point
Reddit and other social media platforms are riddled with complaints about subpar telecom customer service. While many complaints now target inept AI chatbots, plenty of subscribers still express frustration over overseas reps who struggle to understand their queries, let alone resolve them.
AT&T aims to fix this by having US-based staff handle all inquiries from home internet, phone, and postpaid subscribers.
A voluntary move
While the FCC has considered restricting foreign call centers, the Commission doesn't seem to have strong-armed any company into bringing operations to the US. Still, staying on the FCC's good side has its perks.
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For instance, Charter's acquisition of Cox was approved around the same time it decided to onshore all job functions. That is not to say AT&T is trying to curry favor.
The FCC is also considering other measures, such as requiring companies to disclose the location of customer care reps and giving consumers the option to be transferred to US-based agents. AT&T probably decided to shift its operations proactively rather than wait for the FCC to enforce the proposed rules.
A welcome step
Readily available customer care is one of the features that separates postpaid from prepaid. Lately, though, postpaid companies have been mimicking the prepaid model by pulling back on call center spending.
Wireless customers who pay top dollar expect rapid problem resolution and certainly don't like being bounced between representatives who don't have the faintest clue what they are talking about.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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