Call Center Industry Prepared to Propose Sweeping Change - April 4th 2007
Indianapolis, IN- The political climate of the call center industry has been riddled with government regulation. Even after “Do Not Call” regulations were implemented, there are still frequent consumer complaints concerning call center operations. The American Teleservices Association, the association that represents the call center industry, has taken a proactive stance to improve the customer experience and to reduce the need for government intervention.
The Self-Regulatory Organization of the American Teleservices Association recently completed the first draft of a series of contact center standards designed to provide better customer service and to establish a well-balanced, symbiotic relationship between businesses and consumers. The standards will regulate such issues as interactive voice response systems, disclosures, up-sells, and many more issues of consumer concern relating to inbound and outbound call centers.
“Each customer experience with a call center drives the customer’s attitude of both the specific center, as well as the teleservices channel as a whole. We recognize consumers need to be able to have positive and clear expectations of the channel, which are met with each and every contact they have with a center” said Tim Searcy, chief executive officer of the American Teleservices Association.
The American Teleservices Association will release the draft on April 23 at its legislative event, the Washington Summit. Industry professionals will provide their feedback on the standards before they are finalized and sent to regulatory agencies and consumer advocacy organization.
The proposed standards could have a dramatic effect on the contact center industry. According to Mr. Searcy, “For the first time, the [contact center] industry will be engaged in a public dialog about the nature of what it can and will do for consumers. This discourse will radically change the way call centers measure service and satisfaction in the foreseeable future. Although change will not be immediate, we will push an aggressive agenda of standards adoption once the content is agreed upon by our members and other Summit participants.”
The Summit has several speaker highlights as well- Paul Begala, political strategist, and J. Thomas Rosch, commissioner for the Federal Trade Commissioner, will be speaking at this event. Mr. Begala’s presentation will focus on earning back the trust and respect of consumers, while FTC Commissioner Rosch will share teleservices “news and views” from the FTC.
Founded in 1983, the American Teleservices Association represents more than 4,000 contact centers employing more than 1.8 million professionals in the United States and numerous foreign countries. The association provides educational events, legislative representation, industry and regulatory updates, and business networking opportunities focused on the professional and ethical use of the telephone as a vehicle for conducting business.
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