Calling Jobs Back to U.S.

Dec. 14, 2008 — -- Many consumers are used to getting customer service on the phone from international call centers, but now some companies are offering domestic aid for a price.

Telephone inquiries for computer giant Dell are typically fielded in India, but now the company will guarantee that customers speak to someone in North America — for an extra $12.95 a month.

"Not only are companies choosing in many cases to deliver customer care from the U.S., but they're actually choosing to deliver customer care from agents' homes," said IDC customer service analyst Stephen Loynd.

Dell isn't the only company moving away from outsourcing; cell phone company Jitterbug boasts in its ads that its operators are in the U.S.

"We really believe that our customer satisfaction saves us more money in the long term than off shoring," said Jitterbug CEO David Inns.

The move from overseas back to the States isn't just about ending years of customer complaints about not being able to reach an operator stateside.

"Over the last few years wages have been rising in India at a pretty rapid rate," Loynd said.

Also, lawmakers are trying to make it even less attractive for companies to send calls overseas by trying to pass a new law that would mandate customer service reps identify where they are handling calls from.

"I think with what's happening with the economy now we want to give companies every incentive for businesses to hire people in America to do those jobs," said Rep. Jason Altimire, D-Pa..

The bill's passage may be a long shot, but the idea is appealing to some consumers.

"As a consumer in the U.S. […] we ought to be able to be guaranteed getting help from someone in the U.S.," one woman said.