The United Kingdom's largest consumer loan provider, Lloyds TSB Group, has capitulated to domestic union and labor demands to stop off shoring activities to India and closed its direct interface operations. Responding to complaints from some customers, Lloyds will use the Indian office only for back-office work and have its U.K. based call center handle direct interface to clients.
Apparently, the Lloyds experience with direct interface with customers back home has been a "disaster" as many of their customers' "dissatisfaction." Some other companies, mostly from Europe, have also closed call centers in India. However, most companies with call center operations are very happy at results.
Industry association will do well to understand the reasons for this failure and issue advisories on pitfalls in setting up call center operations.