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May 2009 | Volume 27 / Number 12
On The Line

What Is In Our Best Interest?

By Tim Searcy
CEO, American Teleservices Association


Everywhere I turn, I hear cries of anger and frustration at greedy expressions of self interest. But where would we be without some level of self interest? Every company, government entity, non-profit group and individual has the right to pursue what they want within the confines of laws and societal norms. For this reason, I think in this period of countrywide introspection we should ask about our self interest. The question I pose is, "What is in the best interest of the contact center industry?"

RAMPANT, UNASHAMED AND VOCAL OPTIMISM!
Jobs – Let's start with the easy and the obvious. It takes very little investigation on the Internet to see that every week hundreds of new jobs are being created in the contact center industry. A search on my part looking at news from just one week found Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Verizon, ACS, Teletech, Sprint, USA 800 and Marshall & Swift announcing new hiring for June of over 1,000 new call center positions! Certainly some centers are closing, but as I tally each week, we continue to see a net increase in job opportunities.




Self-regulation – Discussions with the FTC continue to encourage me that self-regulation in partnership with the government is a real possibility. Beyond the ability to accredit contact centers and provide them with a seal of compliance, self-regulation is about understanding the ongoing needs of consumers and regulators. We know that regulatory interest is not going to be eliminated by our efforts. However, the encouragement we take away from every meeting with regulatory personnel is that we are on the inside working in cooperation as opposed to outside as a target of scorn and punitive designs.

BALANCE
Right delivery for the right problem – Offshore nor automated voice nor at home workers nor self-service on the Web are panacean solutions. It is in our customers' best interest for the industry to properly balance the delivery of communication. Short-term inexpensive message delivery does not equate to long-term profit. Companies must take a hard look at which applications make sense to be conducted using automated voice, self-directed service, offshore agents, or domestic live operators. The concept of "right sourcing" applies to more than the location of the center; it is the means of contact as well.

Consumer interests and business practices – The first thing marketing people learn to do is to separate themselves from the target audience. In essence, don't write the message as though you are the buyer, because rarely are you the target. This is not true in customer service. We are all customers with similar problems, issues and complaints. You can legitimately put yourself in the shoes of the person placing the call and determine what the right treatment for that prospect should be. If it does not feel right to you, then it is not right for them.

State and federal roles – Attorneys General from different states have been concerned about the American Teleservices Association's request of the FCC for a declaratory ruling on exclusive jurisdiction. Clearly, we need to do a better job of explaining our position. The Association believes that states have a legitimate role in regulating calls initiated and terminating within their borders. Additionally, states are uniquely positioned to provide enforcement to federal officials. However, the federal government also has a legitimate role to create laws and standards impacting calls which cross state lines. These roles need to be balanced and definitively declared.

INVOLVEMENT
Associations – Unfortunately, recent economic realities have negatively impacted many of the trade groups we all rely on to communicate our message in Washington, DC. The ATA has been experiencing an unprecedented level of growth, which has been gratifying. However, I can tell you as the only voice left to carry your message, the ATA needs your participation so we can be loud enough to overcome our detractors. Get involved in supporting the call center industry at www.ataconnect.org!

Education & Industry partnerships – Many of you have recently experienced staff cuts in your management ranks. Although production positions in teleservices have been strong, often the first line of management has not been so lucky. When it comes time to rebuild the ranks of your management team, strongly consider those college graduates with degrees in direct or internet marketing. Customer Interactions Solutions has profiled the Taylor Institute at the University of Akron in the past, and that is a great place to start. Additionally, if you will visit this publication's Web site at www.cismag.com, there are a large number of educational institutions offering degrees in our field. Support this industry by supporting the educational process, which will be the underpinning for the future of what we do.

Let us not vilify self-interest, but rather express our own. As a group of over 5.3 million employees representing a significant portion of the economy, we have as much right to defend our rightful place in the public discourse as anyone. Best of all, our interests align with the country's interest for economic prosperity and a fair playing field. If you want to share your thoughts on our interests, please contact me at [email protected].

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