• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Outsourcing Valley Jobs

August 29, 2014 By Bruce Frohman 2 Comments

Help Wanted (Overseas)
Help Wanted (Overseas)

In the past year, many of the Valley’s low paying jobs have been shipped overseas to the Philippines. More and more companies are moving their call centers out of the area even though wages are among the lowest in the nation.

AT&T

AT & T is closing its call center in Atwater. About 550 jobs are moving out of the area, supposedly to other states. When I called AT & T to inquire about adding service last week, I reached a call center in the Philippines. Previously, I would reach someone in a call center in Pleasanton. Years ago, Modesto had a call center at 12th and M Streets in Modesto.

The Bee

The Modesto Bee originally provided subscription service out of its H Street building in downtown Modesto. A few years ago, it moved operations to a call center in Sacramento. Now, subscriptions are handled through a Philippines call center. No other contacts in the United States are listed in the phone book except the newspaper’s news room.

Problems with Philippines Call Centers

In the case of Philippines call centers, employees do not provide their real names to callers. They provide fake anglicized names and try to disguise the fact that they are overseas. They don’t want U.S. callers to know where they are located because customers are growing increasingly angry about outsourcing jobs.

When I had a problem with my Modesto Bee subscription this month, a fellow who identified himself as “Roger” told me that I had donated 17 days of newspapers to charity during my vacation. When I said this was untrue, he changed his story and said that the Modesto Bee no longer credits vacation subscriptions for days the newspaper is not received. When I told him that the Bee’s automated system says days a subscription is suspended does extend the subscription, he changed his story a second time and told me my account would be credited for the 17 days. I had to ask for a supervisor and threaten cancellation of the subscription before I received the credit. This contact created a basic distrust with the call center.

Hewlett Packard in India

I had a problem setting up an HP printer I had bought at Best Buy. When I called technical support, I reached a call center in India. The person in India could not figure out what was wrong with my new HP printer, so he tried to sell me another HP printer, asking for my credit card number. He told me that HP only ships defective merchandise to Best Buy. Needless to say, I did not buy another printer. Instead, I returned the printer to Best Buy, obtained a refund, and bought a different brand of printer.

Are All Call Centers Moving Overseas?

A call this week to the reservation line for Super 8 Motels yielded an interesting exchange. I started a very friendly conversation with a female call center employee. I casually asked her where her call center was located. She said that the company policy was not to provide the information. I then told her that I knew where she is. She said, “you do?” I said “yes, Manila Philippines.” She responded by telling me that she is located in Asia and that I pronounce the name of the city “Manila” perfectly.

Why Are Jobs Moving?

Proposals to increase the minimum wage have undoubtedly increased the rate of call center job exports. Workers in foreign countries are willing to hold jobs for much lower wages and corporations are willing to provide lower quality service to their customers in exchange for labor cost savings. Sometimes, the quality of service is not noticeably different. Other times, the quality is unacceptable. Companies that miscalculate their customer base stand to lose a lot of business, but not if they all send their call centers overseas.

Filed Under: Featured, History

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna says

    September 2, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    This morning I called the Modesto Bee to dispute the charge for the Merced Sunstar.. I was appalled to find out the person I was speaking to was in the Philippines. Are you kidding me. The Bee isnt even that large of a corp and they are taking jobs away from the Central Valley whom has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. The city I live in has an unemployment rate of over 14% and to boot I worked for ATT in Atwater and they just severanced over 400 people. This needs to stop or better yet the company’s that outsource should be penalized greatly…. Bring our jobs home!!!!

    Reply
  2. Bruce Frohman says

    October 19, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Now American Medical Response (AMR) is shipping 200 jobs to the Philippines. When will the outsourcing end?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

Warren: Voters Must Elect Dems In Midterms Who Would Nix Filibuster To Codify Roe
Warren: Voters Must Elect Dems In Midterms Who Would Nix Filibuster To Codify Roe
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Sunday said she views the midterm elections…
talkingpointsmemo.com
A Farmer’s Quest to Beat California’s Waves of Drought and Deluge
A Farmer’s Quest to Beat California’s Waves of Drought and Deluge
Don Cameron went all in on a trickle-down survival tactic. It could help save America’s agricultural heartland—even if he doesn’t survive the new water war.
www.wired.com
Ten Ways Billionaires Avoid Taxes On An Epic Scale
Ten Ways Billionaires Avoid Taxes On An Epic Scale
This article first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative…
talkingpointsmemo.com
A South Texan?s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
A South Texan’s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
When she began her year-long bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely. She ended up achieving a major milestone and finding her way.
www.texasmonthly.com
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
A top aide said the Wisconsin Republican senator wanted to give Pence the list of pro-Trump electors as he prepared to certify the 2020 election.
www.politico.com
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
“I think it would have helped our party heal, given [people] more facts.”
www.axios.com
'Not safe anymore': Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
‘Not safe anymore’: Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
Homeless encampments now spill well beyond Portland’s downtown core, dividing a city that has invested liberally in support services.
www.latimes.com
Republicans Will Do It Again
Republicans Will Do It Again
They have not been chastened by the revelations of the January 6 committee.
nymag.com
Birdman
Birdman
Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
www.earthisland.org
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Martins were bit players in politics, until they put Doug Mastriano one step away from becoming Pennsylvania’s next governor.
nymag.com
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Prominent Christian leaders accuse Trump allies of spreading misinformation about election and Covid, while distorting Christian teachings at ReAwaken America events
www.theguardian.com
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears 'moment of reckoning'
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears ‘moment of reckoning’
As the Colorado River water shortage worsens, major cutbacks are needed to reduce most perilous risks, a federal official tells senators.
www.latimes.com
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Supporters who thought they were donating to “election integrity” instead saw some of their money funneled to Trump hotels
www.rollingstone.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design