Calls to Return Telemarketing Jobs Continue

Trying to bring telemarketing jobs back to the U.S. may seem like an exercise in futility or a ploy to patronize uninformed voters in an election year. But that isn’t stopping some organizations from agitating. 

Earlier this week, the Communications Workers of America unveiled a poll suggesting that Americans of all political persuasions oppose sending U.S. jobs overseas and oppose the government giving preferential treatment to companies that do so. 

The union has also launched radio and social media efforts in the districts of Representatives, Senators and candidates who support legislation to encourage companies to return those jobs to the States, according to the Hill.com.

The radio spots will run on stations in Milwaukee and Madison, WI; Albuquerque, NM; Akron and Cleveland, OH; and Long Island, NY, says the CWA. 

The CWA poll of 805 likely voters, conducted in July, revealed that: 

*Respondents overwhelmingly (78%) have a negative view of call centers. 

*They favor proposals stipulating that callers to overseas call centers be given the right to be transferred to U.S.-based telemarketing reps on request. 

*They also want to end tax breaks, grants and loans for U.S. companies that willfully export call center jobs to foreign counties. By affiliation, this breaks out 84% of Democrats, 80% of independents but only 65% of Republicans. 

Keep in mind that resistance to returning those jobs  also comes from countries like India and the Philippines that have benefited from this exodus. According to USA Today, many of those U.S.-based telemarketing jobs have gone to those countries over the past four or five years and the trend apparently shows few signs of slowing down.   

As of last summer, only about 14% of U.S. companies outsourced their telemarketing and mostly for order-taking purposes—leaving more complicated customer service jobs stateside, says Tim Searcy, former president of the American Teleservices Association. That number has since not changed, Searcy confirms. 

It’s worth noting that many movements for change have started small and have ended up becoming the law of the land. All one has to do is look at telemarketing do-not call regulations. Earlier this decade they were enacted not only on the federal level but in most states as well despite fierce industry opposition. 

Will the desire to bring telemarketing jobs back home will carry the same weight?

It just might especially if the economy remains slow and unemployment continues unabated.