The Ethics of Outsourcing Customer Service

(page 2 of 2)

As anyone can attest who has had a poor customer service experience with residents of Bangalore, Manila, and other cities where U.S. outsourcing is popular, company representatives there for the most part are not measuring up, so they ought not to have jobs where the art of communicating well in English is essential.

This conclusion should not be interpreted as a slight against the intelligence or integrity of non-U.S. citizens. It is simply to say that working on the front lines of customer service means, first and foremost, being able to understand what the customer needs and then meeting those needs efficiently. Outsourcing customer service subverts both of these crucial objectives. Showing a profound disrespect for customer satisfaction is why outsourcing customer service is unethical, and the damage that this practice does to a company's reputation and long-term financial prospects is why it is an unwise business move.

What Should Business Be About?

The goal of a business, unlike a charity, is to make a profit. Not only is there nothing wrong with this, it is hard to imagine what the world would be like without a profit motive. Where too many businesses falter, though, is leaping from the premise, "Money is good," to the conclusion, "We ought to do anything legal that will maximize profits." This leap of logic is ethically troublesome, since much wrongful behavior is legally permissible. Furthermore, the obsession with making the most money sooner rather than later blinds one to the very thing that promotes a flourishing business in the first place: Satisfied customers who keep coming back for more. Not only will a business not succeed if it puts greater emphasis on short-term gain than on customer satisfaction; it can't succeed.

Corporate officers should explain to shareholders that the smart business is one that values meeting the needs of customers above all else, including short-term financial gain. Only by having its priorities straight can a company count on long-term financial gain. The goals of making a profit and satisfying customers are not only not mutually exclusive; they are inextricably bound.

Here, then, is a challenge to your own company: Put a premium on serving the needs of customers by keeping customer-service jobs in this country. You'll make your clientele happy, generate positive word of mouth, enrich our own economy, and, in the long run, enjoy continued growth and success. Your customers (and shareholders) will thank you for it.

Weinstein is the corporate consultant, author, and public speaker known as The Ethics Guy. He has appeared on numerous national TV shows and is the author of several books on ethics. His Ask the Ethics Guy! column appears every other week on BusinessWeek.com's Managing channel.