A Climate of Change:
Managing the Consumer Revolution

By Tim Searcy

June 2007

The day-to-day management of the contact center industry has been riddled with government regulations recently.  Even after "Do Not Call" regulations were implemented, there are still frequent consumer complaints concerning contact center operations.  The American Teleservices Association, the association that represents the contact center industry, has created a powerful initiative to improve the customer experience and reduce the need for government intervention.

On April 23, 2007, the ATA released the first public draft of self-regulatory standards for the contact center industry at their annual legislative summit, ATA Washington Summit: Managing the Consumer Revolution [see our photo coverage].  The standards were compiled by the ATA's Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO), which is comprised of industry executives from a variety of vertical markets - all with a stake in the future of the contact center industry.  The standards are designed to provide better customer service and establish a well-balanced, symbiotic relationship between businesses and consumers by regulating such issues as interactive voice response systems, disclosures, up-sells, and many more issues of consumer concern relating to inbound and outbound contact centers.  The standards are available for public viewing and commenting until June 22.

Following the sixty-day comment period, the ATA SRO will come together once again to review all comments and revise the standards accordingly.  Once completed, the standards will be offered to the FTC, FCC, and other regulatory agencies, as well as to consumer advocacy groups for review and comment.

The release of the self-regulatory standards was merely one element of the Washington Summit.  The theme of the event focused on managing the consumer revolution - delivering a strong, positive message of improvement to consumers, gaining back public support for teleservices, and rallying the industry around new, self-regulatory standards.

Paul Begala, a political analyst on CNN, delivered a keynote address on framing an argument and winning back the American public's approval of the teleservices channel.  William Greener, founder of the consulting firm Greener and Hook, presented the results of their 2006 analysis of the challenges the teleservices industry faces with the public and policymakers.  He offered solutions and clear direction for gaining an increase in public support, as well as first steps toward improvement and growth.  The final keynote speaker was FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch.  Rosch thrilled attendees with his support and encouragement of the ATA self-regulatory standards.

"The FTC strongly encourages self-regulatory efforts that provide clear guidance to the industry and create effective enforcement mechanisms to protect consumer rights," said Rosch.  "I would like to compliment [ATA] on the thoughtful and thorough job [ATA] has done in undertaking this comprehensive self-regulatory initiative."

Commissioner Rosch acknowledged that professionals within an industry have the "inside knowledge on how best to craft best practices."  He also commented that self-regulation within an industry provides a "critical complement to the FTC's law enforcement actions."

Other presenters at the 2007 Washington Summit educated attendees on 2007 state and federal legislation and how to best to deal with current compliance issues affecting the industry today.  Attendees participated in a variety of networking events throughout the summit, including a trip to Capitol Hill for a reception at the Senate Russell Building.  The final day of the summit sent several leaders within the teleservices industry back to Capitol Hill to lobby their Congressmen.

So, the movement has now begun.  After much debate, strategizing, and planning, ATA is ready to begin the next phase of channel preservation.  The recent Washington Summit symbolized the close of the planning era and the beginning of the action era, and the momentum from our members is contagious.

Tim Searcy is chief executive officer of ATA.