I also think when you hear a foreign accent like from India or the Philippines that you immediately get turned off. I think the nearstaffing companies in Central America are fixing this problem as they speak great English with only a hint of a latin accent which is normal these days. 

I also don't get why with the right setup you can't put together a good team. I use a company in Central America www.RepsDirect.com and they are better than any customer service people I could find here. I was allowed to train them and have ongoing communication with them that allows me to get constant feedback and answer questions they may have. They are no less qualified than local candidates. It all comes down to my training and leadership ability. If you have all the proper channels in place I see no reason using an outsourced customer service team can't be a success.