AT&T to take back outsourced jobs

AT&T announced Thursday it will bring home approximately 2,000 technical support jobs that had been handled by outside providers.

The U.S. phone giant said it will use in-house employees to assist customers with their self-installation of DSL (digital subscriber line) broadband access. The support staff will also answer other general questions about Internet or DSL service, e-mail, registration and browsers.

The change follows an agreement between AT&T and the Communications Workers of America union. The CWA negotiated the wage rates, benefits and duties associated with the jobs, which were formerly contracted out to third parties both in the U.S. and overseas, the union said.

The 2,000 new AT&T employees should be added to the payroll by the end of 2008, the carrier said. The company is still deciding on where to locate the call centers.

This is the second round of jobs that CWA has secured with AT&T. Earlier this month, both entities announced that the company would bring back about 800 installation technicians to work on U-verse, AT&T's new TV service.

[HecticDialectics]

Anyone that needs help...

Anyone that needs help installing a self-install DSL service needs someone that speaks as simple, basic, and slow English as possible. God knows that the big numbered foldout with 6 pictures of what to do with words like "plug in" and "place CD in drive" are too confusin' for most us American folk.

[dacjr]

Should ask for help over here

There's employees that can help in this regard. Most customers assist each other in most trivial installs, we even have a direct forum for the harder issues that are beyond basic install as well. A good place to get info for anything you are looking for.

For ameritech: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/ilec,am

For SWBT: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/ilec,swbell

For SNET:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/ilec,snet

For PacBell/nevada Bell:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/ilec,pcb

[bob donut]

good but disappointing

I had hoped that AT&T had got some integrity, but it looks like they were simply forced to do the right thing by a union. It's unfortunate that companies are so amoral.

[Ted Miller]

I agree

I would almost consider any company that outsources good americian jobs as a traitor to their own country by undermining the economic base. It would be nice to see Corporate America stand up. I believe more americian consumers will support them in their endever!

[Binkster1]

Great news

I have Verizon DSL and had many problems. But I kept them because I always got a call center person who could understand me, as in a fluid English speaking tech. I had AOL and ATT dial up previously, horible service and even worse help from India. Now Verizon has an Indian call center and its the pits.
I may look at ATT now.

[brian.lee]

Didn't you hear integrity was put up for sale

Along time ago, anything to save a buck.

[chuck_whealton]

Re: Didn't you hear integrity was put up for sale

Yea, true... But at least they're doing the right thing now. Grant it, they should have been doing it all along, but better late than never.

Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com