EFunds Corp., a technology firm hired to provide processing services for the New Jersey Department of Human Services' food stamp program, transferred a customer service program to the state this month in response to lawmaker complaints.
The company opened a call center in Camden, NJ, to answer consumer questions about using their food stamp cards. EFunds, Scottsdale, AZ, originally provided customer service on the contract from its call center in Green Bay, WI, according to the Courier-Post of Camden.
State officials and lawmakers complained when EFunds moved the call center function from Green Bay to its facility in Bombay, India, as a cost-saving measure. Wisconsin workers were paid $10 to $12 per hour, whereas EFunds paid its workers in India $2 to $3 an hour, according to the Courier-Post.
The new center in Camden cost $410,000 to set up and employs nine agents, the Courier-Post said. New Jersey agreed to pay an extra $73,800 for the service to bring the jobs in-state.
