I retired from AT&T Network 12 years ago after 33 years of service. In the good old days people received the training they needed for the job and we never imagined there would be such a thing as outsourcing. Because my phone, internet and cable service is from AT&T, I have had the occasion to have contact with AT&T customer support to resolve problems with service.The people in India or the Philippines are only as knowledgeable as their flip charts. They speak English, they just don't understand it.
When I retired AT&T was in the consolidation phase of service centers in various regions. More workload less people. I was retired when the outsourcing occurred. Whoever made the final decision on what passes today for customer service really didn't care about the customer. The philosophy seems to be a body is a body in any job. It's better for shareholder value if the body gets paid $10 a day.
It's unfortunate that America's skilled workers are being displaced and the American consumer is paying the price.