Outsourcing: Workforce management values

I have not always been a brand loyalist, but I have always been a Customer Service loyalist. I quit doing business with Sears for about ten years because their retail outlet in my local area was home to the rudest and most poorly trained sales staff I have ever encountered (before or since). They eventually closed that outlet and built a new store in the area with the goal (seemingly) to right all past wrongs. As a result, I am happy to include them on my list of places to shop for absolute necessities.

I am extremely concerned about the availability of quality follow-up service on purchases I make... especially if the purchase cost is $100.00 or more. When it comes to big ticket items, I have to go with the company that has the best reputation or has given me good service in the past. It only takes one bad experience to drive me into the wanton aisles of a competitor.

Knowing that many companies are now outsourcing their Customer Service work, this article from rense.com (via what really happened) makes me wonder where the major retail companies managed to take such a radical wrong turn.

(excerpt)

If accountability is the thorn in StarTek's side integrity is its Achilles heel. In a written evaluation of StarTek's business principals weighted against current practice a former StarTek management employee gave them a score of ten out of one-hundred. He wrote "Integrity-- This is where I feel the management team is struggling the most. Decisions on a site level, get made without, what appears to be, taking constructive input from the other departments possessing a make-it-happen, attitude. Preparation for change needs to be a focus. Input from those that are affected by the change needs to be taken into deeper consideration as opposed to putting out fires after the fact. False promises get thrown around, the things will change, cliché has become a standard - some form of stability should be in place. People are given promotions, based on unknown criteria, without the benefit of a proper, ethical job bid to determine if there are other suitable candidates available. Information is distributed one way, and changed on a whim. Again, structure is needed in order to achieve goals. Knee-jerk reactions to situations should be minimal, and stronger preparations for what if, should be taken into consideration."