Pending Federal Legislation - Call Centers

[CHR]

HR 1776: Call Center Consumer's Right to Know Act

3/29/2007--Introduced.
Call Center Consumer's Right to Know Act - Directs each U.S. corporation or subsidiary that utilizes a call center to initiate telephone calls to, or receive calls from, individuals located in the United States to require each call center employee to disclose the physical location of such employee at the beginning of such call.
Requires such corporation or subsidiary to annually certify to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) their compliance with such requirement. Subjects noncomplying corporations or subsidiaries to such civil penalties as the FTC may prescribe.
Directs the FTC to prescribe rules for effective monitoring and compliance with such requirement.

The FTC testified before a House Committee regarding the issue On Sept. 11. The bill is still sitting in the committee awaiting action.

FTR, per the law, a call center is defined as

In this section, the term `call center' means a location that provides customer-based service and sales assistance or technical assistance and expertise to individuals located in the United States via telephone, the Internet, or other telecommunications and information technology.

Sounds like a dOG's nightmare.

 

[bloomz]

Wouldn't that definition fit all of us? We all take orders on the telephone.

I guess that's totally fine anyway...

I never understood not disclosing your location. Websites without addresses?

Only a dummy would order from them.

But I know - dummies are not in short supply.

 

[Rhonda]

Jon, let's not rehash that "aren't we all order takers?" bit. The fact is when someone calls weasley and thinks they are ordering from a shop in Millinocket ME...thanks to their misleading web pages....
Most of them answer "flower shop or florist" anyway...without giving a Name...
I think this is a good idea... (considering the call center here in our town sells Cancun vacations at certain times of the year and their operators do and are encouraged to pretend they are located in Cancun)

 

[RWK]

I would not mind that......."Thank you for calling RWK Designs, The best in Columbia" or something to that effect. Should not present any problem to incorporate stating your location in your phone answering technique.

 

[mumsandmore]

I would not mind that......."Thank you for calling RWK Designs, The best in Columbia" or something to that effect. Should not present any problem to incorporate stating your location in your phone answering technique.

I agree. We already try to answer the phone with, "Thank you for choosing Mums & More." If the caller ID shows a number that is not local we change it a bit to, "Thank you for choosing Mums & More, your local florist in Wagner."

 

[VJD]

Pending FTC Legislation

.​

Here's some of the testimony regardinging call centers identifying their physical locations...​

""....the bill’s underlying purpose is to provide members of the public with a way to know when they are dealing with an overseas call center. ​

As currently drafted, however, the obligation to disclose physical location would apply broadly to all entities that have telephone contact with consumers, .... This would likely include local pizza parlors, flower shops....​

To reduce unnecessary compliance burdens.... the disclosure requirement could be tailored precisely to apply only to call centers operating outside the United States.28""​

Thanks Cathy, for bringing this to our attention. VJD​

.​

 

[CHR]

Well... great sleuthing Valerie... but I bet a bunch of florists and locksmiths (who happen to suffer from the same types of piracy that we do) could write some fan mail to the sponsor and make him rethink his 'out of US' bent.

If nothing else, it may put a dent in the Canadian (Vancouver mostly) and Indian dOGs.

As always, you are the lady who knows the ins and outs of deceptive marketing laws better than anyone.

 

[Tuberose]

There are still plenty of dummies that also think their Proflowers order is going to come arranged in the vase.

Trish

 

[RWK]

yeah, You are probably right - lods of dummies who think they are still going to get the PF flowers in a vase......however, those people that are not so dumb will get it.

If this legislation goes through - PF will have to give their location ( corporate office in San diego btw ) as San Diego and if you are trying to call a shop in Kennewick WA - and hear San Diego - You are going to wonder "WTF - How didi I dial San-Diego, aplogoze, hang up the phone, and re-check the number

 

[lori042499]

This is also going to affect anyone that has a teleflors or ftd aftre hours answering....They will have to identify if they are answerinf in ok, phillipines, etc...even though your physical location is stationary and the order will be made out of your location, you are still using a calling center to answer calls and where ever that call center happens to be located..This could be an equal nightmare for small florists trying to make a living and people thinking they've reach an OG...Glad I answer my own phone after hours...