Saving jobs
Fayette County needs to do whatever it can to save 175 jobs from evaporating. NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, notified employees that it is considering outsourcing jobs at its call center in the Fayette Business Park. We would hate to see these jobs lost to overseas without a good fight. The commissioners, Fay-Penn Economic Development Agency which leases space to the call center, and area lawmakers need to discuss with NiSource if anything can be done to keep these jobs here. The company claims that no final decision has been made, but like so many companies before it NiSource buzzes with the phrase “cost containment” as a way to find a cheaper way to handle customer service calls. Many of these jobs have been lost to India. The Dayton (Ohio) Daily News published stories this weekend on the rapid economic growth in India that those with Internet access might want to read. In one story, the reporter writes of how the call center employee adopts an “American” accent upon noting the area code of the caller. We’ve all been on these calls, and we aren’t duped. As consumers we can tell the difference between talking to someone who understands where we live and what we need done to make us a satisfied customer, and someone who is striving just to understand our language. NiSource might save a few dollars by outsourcing these jobs, but customer goodwill will be sacrificed in the process. Isn’t it about time that companies start placing a value on that?