Monday was a tough day for my fair city. Startek, a local customer service call center, sent a mass email to its employees and the media letting them know that they were being laid off. Fear not for the company though as they are putting finishing touches on a new call center in Costa Rica!
Apparently Costa Rica has become the new India for customer service centers. Once complete the center will employ over 500 workers at a fraction of the cost of the Alexandria center. And let's just say the benefits package for workers in Central America is far cheaper than one in the states!
Oddly enough I am not sure who/ if anyone to blame for this. In a cut throat business environment Startek is doing what it can to stay afloat. Blame the workers you say? As in all Americans are lazy and overpaid? Startek paid workers between 20,000-30,000 a year. Hardly enough to live the Miller life!
Perhaps blame could be placed on our politicians. In an attempt to lure the business, Startek was given all sorts of tax breaks. With their early departure let's just say the city coffers aren't exactly at flood stage...
But such blame would be shortsighted. Had the city not offered such breaks, the business would have located elsewhere from the begining. On some levels isn't it better to love and lose than never to have loved at all?
In the end perhaps sadness is a better emotion. Our economy is changing and these workers (along with our city on some level) were simply left behind. It would be cliche to mention the plight of being let go at Christmas. Frankly losing a job in March would be just as bad.
These workers are in for a tough recovery. There simply are not 330 extra jobs floating around my market. Many will need some form of government assistance. Some will need our help as Realtors. All need our prayers.
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