What the eye does not see, the mind cannot reject: Can call center location explain differences in customer evaluations?

Moving call centers offshore may be an effective way to increase service productivity by lowering costs, yet recent research suggests that customers associate offshore call centers with lower service quality. This study clarifies customer evaluations of call centers with a field study that examines how customer perceptions of a foreign accent, call center location, and the agent's customer orientation relate to nonmonetary performance outcomes. Multivariate analysis of data collected from more than 800 customers using call centers located in three countries suggests that neither accent detection nor call center location relates to customer satisfaction, trust, or word-of-mouth communication; only perceived customer orientation has an effect on these outcomes. These findings suggest offshore call center locations are not necessarily associated with lower performance outcomes and that service firms should place a higher priority on ensuring call center agents have a strong customer orientation, rather than on avoiding the use of call centers abroad.

► This study examines customer perceptions of Offshore Call Centers by simultaneously considering call center location, as well as the call center agent's accent and customer orientation.
► Data are collected from a sample of more than German 800 customers using call centers located in three countries Germany, Poland, and Turkey.
► Findings suggest that neither accent detection nor call center location relate to customer satisfaction, trust, or word-of-mouth communication; only perceived customer orientation has an effect on these outcomes.
► Thus, offshore call center locations are not necessarily associated with lower performance outcomes.
► The findings suggest service firms should place a higher priority on ensuring call center agents have a strong customer orientation, rather than on neutralizing accents or avoiding call centers abroad.