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Politically Incorrect? If I am, Then So Be It

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Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

This morning, while responding to comments on my blog post about the frustration of dealing with computer techs in India, something occurred to me.

I'm sure it's politically incorrect, but I'll say it anyway.

Why are we all just "going along with it" when the quality of our goods and services keeps falling due to outsourcing? Why are we still supporting companies who are taking U.S. consumer's dollars to hire overseas workers while U.S. workers search in vain for employment?

Why don't we all seek out companies that hire only U.S. employees and sell only U.S. made products - and encourage them to advertise the fact?

If we could easily recognize those companies, I think a whole lot of us would make it a point to do business with them exclusively. I'm feeling annyed with myself for purchasing an HP computer - because when I looked at the tag I saw it was made in China. And when I called tech support, I got India.

This is no help to the U.S. economy. made in USA logo

Why don't we quit filling our homes with cheap "junk" from overseas and instead pay a little more to buy products made here at home? Do we really need such a volume of "stuff" that we have to go for the lowest prices?

Of course - being made with cheap overseas labor doesn't always result in low prices. The expensive athletic shoes your kids want are made in China too. So are some darned high priced jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, etc.

I'm going to start looking for those companies that use only U.S. employees - and keeping a list. And any time I get a chance to give them a plug, I'll do it. (If you know of any, please let me know.)

Maybe I should also start advertising that every bit of marketing copy produced by Copy by Marte is "Made in the U.S. A." (Sounds silly, but some ad agencies do outsource.)

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Christine Koch
eXp Realty - San Antonio, TX
Realtor - eXp Realty San Antonio TX

Marte, Thank you for the pro America blog.  I am definitly on board!

Jul 18, 2011 07:41 AM
Andrea Bedard
Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD
Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

Marte, I'm right there with you! I've noticed a growing trend towards Made In USA and especially Buy Local, e.g. Nearby Eggs and just hope it will keep growing and growing .. and take off! I became extremely frustrated when I had kids and saw all the "cheap" plastic toys that didn't seem to last very long. I'm now mostly buying wooden toys and seek out the US and European companies. There are a little pricier but then again, how many toys do your kids really need? I'd rather spent more and have quality .. the positive side effect, less toys cluttering my family room.

I've also sort of boycotted the call-center outsourcing. My mortgage servicers got into the bad habit of posting my payments wrong. After many hours on the phone and nothing getting resolved, I started to just request the Headquarters in the US! And it worked! They have to transfer you upon request.. if more people do that, then maybe they'll start realizing that the outsourcing is a waste of money!

Great post. If you are politically incorrect, so am I!

Jul 18, 2011 07:50 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Christi - Good!

Andrea - I'm glad to hear that asking for the headquarters in the U.S. works. There was an email going around about that a while ago, but I had my doubts about whether these companies even HAD any people in the U.S.

Next time I have to call any support line, I'll do it. You're right - if all of us started demanding to speak to people in the U.S. they'd be forced to hire more here and less there.

Jul 18, 2011 07:55 AM
Bill Gillhespy
16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL
Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Marte,  I'm with you big time on this one.  My bet is that if you started a " social site " devoted to helping people find U.S. made products it would be very well received !  Good luck !

Jul 18, 2011 08:02 AM
Jennifer Chiongbian
Specializing in all types of Manhattan apts & townhouses - Manhattan, NY
Real Estate Broker - NYC

Its tough to adopt that policy of buying only Made in the USA.  First of all, I don't see much of made in the USA around!  

Corporations are always going to find somewhere else to make their bottom line more profitable, they don't care about anything else.  What about those that have to penny pinch just to survive in this tough economy and to pay a little extra for Made in the USA could be one less meal for their family.  Or just not be able to outright afford it.

I think we need to start educating the American workforce to have pride in their jobs and be able to even speak proper English.

Jul 18, 2011 08:19 AM
Karen Burket
Bank of Oregon a division of Willamette Valley Bank - Medford, OR
Valley Mortgage Grou, Conventional, FHA, VA, mortgages

Marte I'm right on board with what you are saying!  Recently, hubby purchased a new pesticide sprayer for us to use on our property....we went OUT OF OUR WAY looking for a box with a Made in USA label on it.  While we paid $40.00 more for it over the Made in China box, we felt it was well worth it!  Thanks for the Pro US BLog!  

In fact, Country singer, Toby Keith has a great new song just along these lines.  "He's American Made" I believe it's called.  

Jul 18, 2011 08:26 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Bill - that might be a very good idea.

Jennifer - I do agree with some of what you're saying.It can be difficult to find things made in the U.S. - It took me about 3 different shopping trips to find a toaster. I'm still hunting for a new coffee pot.

And I know there are people who can afford little else than food. But... when I go into a store and see families using food stamps to purchase cases of soda pop, and pre-packaged food, void of nutrition, it makes me want to holler at them. "Learn to cook!"

And as for clothes, toys, and the various junk we all have in our homes... When I was handling Fannie Mae repos every house was filled with it. Truckloads of clothes and toys and dishes and you name it. People buy far more than they actually need.

Meanwhile, anyone who really does need some clothes - because the kids have outgrown them, for instance - can find thrift shops everywhere offering nice things. Our tiny town has 4 different stores where you can buy good used clothing for very little - much of it still with store tags.

I also agree that American workers should be taught to speak well and to have pride. If every item had a "made by" tag with the employee's name I'll bet they would. Of course - that won't work on an assembly line.

Karen - Good for you! You helped an American keep a job.

Toby Keith is great - in fact, almost all of our Country singers are pretty darned pro-America and proud to say so.

Jul 18, 2011 09:17 AM
Bobbie Smith
Stroudsburg, PA
570-242-1891

Made in USA. Absolutely! Let's hope many others will repost this blog and it will spread and more and more people will shop MADE IN THE USA.  I know I will.  Thanks for the post Marte.  Come on Active Rainers, re-post and spread the word.  Love the social idea of where to find made in the USA products

Jul 18, 2011 01:10 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Bobbie - It really would be nice to know which companies support U.S. workers and which do not.

Jul 18, 2011 02:50 PM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

This is right up my street.  We still have local merchants in some of our towns and villages.  Sadly - most of White Plains and New Rochelle has gone big-box or franchise - they can afford the rents....If you buy local more money STAYS IN THE COMMUNITY.  That supports jobs and the tax base.  And "Made in the USA"  seems to be really hard to find - but I TRY....

Jul 19, 2011 03:33 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Ruthmarie - I try too. And it's saving me money. The last few times my friend Sally and I have taken a "girls day out" and gone to Spokane shopping, I've purchased very little. I like having a new top to wear - even though no one ever sees me working here in my basement. (The dogs don't care if I wear old rags, and my husband doesn't notice.) But... every time I saw something interesting and picked it up I rejected it for the "Made in China" or "Made in Taiwan" tags.

I did make one exciting find on our last trip - 6 pairs of sox on a mark-down table - and made in the USA!

They say... if you want to keep your money in the U.S. buy at yard sales.

Another great way is to buy real estate - and provide income for good old USA real estate agents! Oh - and hire an Idaho copywriter, of course. :)

Jul 19, 2011 04:27 PM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

THere you go Marte - This is WHY we need the real estate market to recover.  It is a major source of well paying jobs that impacts many industries.

Jul 20, 2011 05:02 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

That's right - and when you pay a real estate agent a lot of other people get paid too - like appraisers and loan officers and stagers and title people and movers. And maybe cleaning people and decorators and landscapers - all jobs that get done right here at home.

Jul 20, 2011 05:26 PM
Karen Bernetti
Southington, CT

I understand your concern, but we have so few choices - it seems like just about everything is made outside of the USA

Jul 23, 2011 06:36 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Karen - I know it is becoming more and more difficult to find things made in the USA. The good thing is that's it's saving me money. Now I stop and ask if I really need something. The answer is usually "no."

Jul 23, 2011 06:42 AM
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