RCN brings call centers to Pa. from Philippines and finds customers happier

RCN' call volumes have decreased and its customers are happier since the company brought all of its calls back to the United States, RCN chief operating officer Chris Fenger said in an interview.

The Princeton-based overbuilder has opened call centers in Wilkes-Barre and the Allentown area over the last five years, hiring 150 to 200 employees. RCN also contracts with an outside call center in the Pittsburgh area for heavy volumes.

At one time, in 2009 and 2010, 60 percent to 70 percent of RCN's customer calls were routed to the Philippines, Fenger said.

"You can't have somebody call the Philippines and ask when the Phillies are playing tonight and the customer rep says 'Who are the Phillies?' in broken English," Fenger said.

Fenger said a mantra at RCN is "to give people what they want." The company recently launched the streaming product HBO GO on the television through RCN's TiVo set-top box.

RCN Telecom Services offers its cable-TV and Internet in Pennsylvania's Delaware County and the Allentown area.