Claim: U.S. companies operating overseas telephone service centers must transfer a customer to a representative in the U.S. upon request.
Example:[Collected via e-mail, April 2009]
Hi Everyone,
I want to share with you some great information that I found out purely by accident. I believe it can also save and create jobs in America while giving people better customer service.
So, how many times have you called a companies service phone line and found that the rep. can barely speak English? Once with a major mortgage company it
was so bad I demanded to speak with someone who spoke English. Right at that moment I broke the code, the secret password for customer service.
Come to find out that every American company using overseas operators must transfer you to an American rep. by saying "I want to speak to a representative in America." (Don't take no for an answer on this)
This was confirmed by the American rep. that they must transfer you after that request. I've tried it on a half a dozen major companies including cable, bank, phone and mortgage companies. It works every time and I actually get my issues taken care of.
Another thing to help save even more jobs ... don't use the automated check out lanes they are pushing at the big box stores. Once again, I found out that if we use those check outs rather than cashiers, people lose their jobs too. I've refused to use the automated check outs and have had two cashiers already thank me for help saving their job. I didn't know we could do this, and will start doing it from now on to keep Americans working.
Origins: Research in progress.
Last updated: 4 June 2009
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/servicerep.asp