Bringing jobs from overseas back home
President Obama is pushing his new plan to help U.S. companies "insource" -- bring more jobs home. In his weekly address, the president urged Congress and businesses to get on board. To help make his point, Mr. Obama showed off some items made in the U.S. CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano tells us how one U.S. company is insourcing.
After seven months of pounding the pavement, customer service agent Tiphani Edmonds is happy to be working steps away her newborn son.
"I don't have to put him in daycare," she said. "I don't have to fight traffic. Gas is very expensive."
Janet Hess, a customer service instructor, came out of retirement when her husband became ill.
"I did not want to compete with a 25-year-old for a corporate position again," she explained.
Both women are part of a trend to bring call center jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, a move that's actually better for business.
"If you're calling because you need to get your snow blower repaired," said Angela Selden, "speaking with someone in India who likely doesn't know what snow or a snow blower would be a very difficult conversation."
Selden is co-chairman of Arise Virtual Solutions, a Florida-based company that is bringing 11,000 call center jobs back home to service Fortune 500 companies like Walgreens, AAA and Carinival Cruises
Arise calculates that to solve a customer issue, overseas operators require 2.3 calls for every 1 call answered in the U.S.
"If you have to do two or three calls to get that single question answered," said Selden, "in the end it's about the same or even slightly more expensive to have it done offshore."
Selden was invited to the White House this week where President Obama made a pitch to bring manufacturing jobs back home.
But this "repatriated" job comes with a catch..Edmonds gets no benefits, no overtime. In return, she can set her own hours and work for the companies she chooses.
"Altogether it's working great for me," she said.
Edmonds makes $10 an hour now, but there's room for advancement to trainer, supervisor or sales.
