As of November 2026, CXBPO staffs customer care from U.S. sites and U.S. work-at-home agents (onshore), from Puerto Rico and Guatemala (nearshore) and from the Philippines and India (offshore). TSI runs 20+ global sites, 10 of them in the U.S. You choose the location for each program or queue, the same training and call scoring apply everywhere, and client data stays in TSI's U.S. data centers.
Results vary by program, volume and channel mix.
- Spanish billing callsGuatemala City
- Chat and emailMetro Manila
- Hardship and complaintsU.S. site
- Federal program queueU.S. only
- U.S.93.8
- Guatemala94.1
- Philippines93.2
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Location is a cost decision and a compliance decision
Most location comparisons stop at the hourly rate. The rate matters, and offshore seats usually cost less than U.S. seats.
What decides whether the savings last is everything around the rate. Can the agent take a hardship call in Spanish? Will your regulator or contract allow the data to be seen from outside the U.S.? Is the team awake when your customers call?
A blend usually wins. Routine billing questions go offshore, Spanish-language queues go nearshore, and the calls your contract or commission says must stay in the U.S. stay in the U.S.
The three models, compared
| Onshore | Nearshore | Offshore | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSI locations | U.S. sites and U.S. work at home | Puerto Rico, Guatemala | Philippines, India |
| Cost per seat | Highest | Lower | Lowest |
| Time zone | Your own | Close to U.S. Central time | Agents work U.S. hours on night shifts |
| Language | English, Spanish at every site | Bilingual English and Spanish | English |
| Best for | Contracts that require U.S. staff, complex or sensitive calls, in-state requirements | Spanish-language queues, U.S.-hours support at lower cost | High-volume routine contacts, written queues, overnight coverage |
| Watch for | Hiring in tight labor markets | Holiday calendars that differ from yours | Contract or data rules that bar access from outside the U.S. |
What stays the same at every site
One training standard
Agents learn your products, scripts and the laws that apply, pass the same stage-gate exams and take their first contacts in a supervised nesting area, wherever they sit.
Every call scored
Ripple, TSI's real-time compliance and quality monitoring tool, scores every call for quality and compliance at every site. The quality team that reviews the scores reports to the chief compliance officer.
Your data stays in the U.S.
Client data is stored in TSI's U.S. data centers. Agents outside the U.S. work through TSI-controlled desktops, under the security program described on the trust page.
One report
Service level, quality and staffing come back in one set of reports, split by site, so you can compare locations on the same numbers.
Where each location fits
Onshore: U.S. sites and work at home
Use U.S. agents when the contract requires it, when calls are long and complex, or when your state wants agents who live there. Many federal and state contracts require U.S.-only staff and data access; federal tax information under IRS Publication 1075, for example, can't be accessed from offshore. Those programs stay onshore, in a U.S. site or with vetted U.S. work-at-home agents.
Nearshore: Puerto Rico and Guatemala
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so its agents work under U.S. law and are often treated as onshore in contracts. The Guatemala City team is fully bilingual and keeps hours close to U.S. Central time. Both suit Spanish-language queues and U.S.-hours coverage at a lower cost than mainland seats.
Offshore: the Philippines and India
Teams in Metro Manila and in India work U.S. hours on night shifts, which is normal for contact center work there. They fit high-volume routine contacts, chat and email queues, and overnight or weekend coverage behind a U.S. team.
How to split a program
Sort contacts by what they need
List call types with their volume, handle time, language and any rule about who may see the data.
Mark the ones that must stay onshore
Contract clauses, data rules and in-state requirements decide these first. Everything else is open.
Price the blend
Compare an all-onshore price with two or three blends, with the same service level target in each.
Start with one queue
Move one routine queue offshore or nearshore, compare its quality scores and complaints with the onshore team for a few months, then decide on the next.
General information, current as of November 2026. It isn't legal advice. Rules change and differ by state, so check the sources linked here and talk to your own counsel before you act on it.
The company behind the work
Questions buyers ask
What's the difference between onshore, nearshore and offshore call centers?
Onshore agents work in your own country. Nearshore agents work in a nearby country with a similar time zone, such as Guatemala for U.S. companies. Offshore agents work farther away, often in the Philippines or India, where costs are lower and teams work night shifts to cover U.S. hours.
Where are TSI's contact centers?
TSI runs 20+ global sites, 10 of them in the U.S. CXBPO delivers customer care from U.S. sites and U.S. work-at-home agents, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, the Philippines and India.
Is a nearshore call center cheaper than onshore?
Usually, yes. Nearshore seats tend to cost less than U.S. seats and more than offshore seats. The bigger gain is often language: a bilingual nearshore team can answer Spanish-language calls during U.S. hours.
Is Puerto Rico onshore or nearshore?
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so many contracts count it as onshore. It's often marketed as nearshore because of its bilingual workforce.
Can offshore agents see our customer data?
Only if your contract allows it. Client data is stored in TSI's U.S. data centers, and offshore agents work through TSI-controlled desktops. Programs that bar access from outside the U.S. stay onshore.
Do you offer US-based call center outsourcing only?
Yes, if that's what your program needs. You can run a program entirely from U.S. sites and U.S. work-at-home agents.
Can we use more than one location on the same program?
Yes. Many programs split queues between locations, for example Spanish-language calls nearshore, chat and email offshore, and complex or sensitive calls onshore.
Price your program three ways
Send your call types and volumes. We'll price all-onshore and two blends at the same service level, and mark the queues that have to stay in the U.S.
Got a letter or call from TSI about your own account? Go to the Consumer Support Hub or make a payment.
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