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Take The Mozilo Pledge: Don't Send Your Back Office Abroad.(Editorial)(Column)
A little more than a year ago, in a column, I suggested that mortgage-related firms that send their back offices overseas were committing "economic treason" against the U.S. In particular, I singled out the financial services arm of a conglomerate best known for their light bulbs, jet engines and the hit television sitcom "Friends."
Not only did the conglomerate's mortgage PR staff blow a gasket when the original column appeared, but the letters/e-mails I received were split 60/40 on the issue. Sixty percent (more or less) said: grow up, and get with the program - outsourcing office jobs overseas makes good economic sense and relieves U.S. workers of the more mundane tasks of paper pushing and telemarketing.
The minority agreed with me - that by sending jobs overseas they were adding to the unemployment woes of Americans and reducing, potentially, the number of consumers who might be able to afford a home.
One critic even accused me of being "protectionist" and belonging to the Democratic party.
Over the past year, I've spent a good deal of time thinking about the issue and I can't say my opinion has changed a whole lot, except for maybe on the issue of using overseas software engineers (think China, India and even "communist" Vietnam.) After all, it's hard to feel sorry for software engineers and writers who were making well into the six-figures during the height of the dot-com boom. If you can believe some of the press reports, many laid-off software professionals are now waiting tables.
Not too long ago I asked Countrywide chairman Angelo Mozilo about the issue of sending mortgage call center jobs overseas. His response: "I won't do it."
But first a disclaimer: Countrywide, he said, has few qualms with using overseas software writers, but that's as far as it goes. A five-decade veteran of mortgage banking, Mr. Mozilo is probably in the minority in his beliefs regarding sending jobs overseas, but as far as I'm concerned his rationale is sound.
- Plano, Texas-Based EDS Plans to Add Call-Center Jobs Overseas.
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News September 3, 2003 700+ words
By Andrea Ahles, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Sep. 3--Electronic Data Systems plans to more than double the number of workers in its offshore call centers and software development groups, Chairman Michael Jordan told investors Tuesday. Speaking at an investor
- Consumers "right to know" on call center workers.(Addressing Outsourcing Jobs...
- Magazine article from: Customer Interaction Solutions February 1, 2004 700+ words
Consumers "Right to Know" on Call Center Workers. In today's economy, consumers...Philippines. The US has lost 250,000 call center jobs since 2001. John Kerry wants to keep jobs on the booming call center market here in America, and help...
- American Express to Move Utah Jobs to Lower-Cost Philippines Call Center.
- Newspaper article from: The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News) March 8, 2002 700+ words
...Advisors said Thursday its call center in the Philippines will take...are proud to be working in a call center," Earle said. "In fact...move domestic manufacturing jobs overseas than call center jobs, said Chris Roybal of...
- Citigroup to Open Tucson, Ariz., Call Center, Hire Up to 1,300.
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News March 9, 2004 700+ words
...arrival signals an uptick in call center employment after a period...Association of Southern Arizona. Call center job losses to overseas outsourcing...have that issue of sending jobs overseas," said Hawkins, who is call center manager for the Communications...
- Call center offshoring still an experiment, prof says in new book.
- Magazine article from: Mississippi Business Journal Gillette, Becky March 1, 2004 700+ words
...professor who has been studying the call center industry for more than eight...that the out-sourcing of the call center jobs overseas will run into the same structural...whose book "Bottom-Line Call Center Management: Creating a Culture...
- New gas company call center set to open: ; Business expected to employ 50...
- Newspaper article from: Charleston Daily Mail RY RIVARD October 22, 2009 700+ words
...would be lost at the Fairmont call center because of the changes. Mountaineer...outsourcing trend and not sending call center jobs overseas to India and other countries...which will help operate the call center, said in the last couple of...
- US Airways closes baggage call center at Findlay Township, Pa., location.
- Newspaper article from: Beaver County Times (Beaver County, PA) March 21, 2005 700+ words
...Airways employee and baggage call center worker. Hall, secretary...Pittsburgh reservation call center. None, as far as Hall...dreamt they would take our jobs overseas," said Betty Mancini, a baggage call center worker from Moon Township...
- Omaha, Neb.-Based Telemarketer to Hire 750 at Hampton, Va., Call Center.
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News December 6, 2003 700+ words
...explaining why the company seems to be bucking an industry trend that has seen companies move thousands of call center jobs overseas. The company is promoting the new seasonal jobs as idea for high school and college students, as well as for...
Source: HighBeam Research, Take The Mozilo Pledge: Don't Send Your Back Office...