Call centers in India

[Middleman]

I had a problem with an Apple product today, and I ended up on the line with a hard to understand foreigner. I asked him to repeat himself twice, then asked where he was. He told me India.

Somehow the line got disconnected after I insisted on speaking to someone in the United States. I then called back, complained, and insisted on speaking to an American.

For one thing, who thought it a good idea to have a customer service person not speak English clearly? Yes, it saves them money. There are many bright people in India who make good tech support types. But, it left a very bad taste in my mouth regarding Apple.

Their products are assembled in China and they can't even hire Americans for their tech support! That irritates me. Not only that, my local store was unable to assist me with their product. Everything has to go through Apple. I bought the F-ing thing locally so that if I had a problem, I could take care of it locally. Unfortunately, with Apple products even an F-ing battery change on one of their devices has to go through them.

Two things from this:
1) In the future, if I get a foreign sounding person I will make them take the time and trouble to transfer my call to an American. I, as a customer, insist on help from someone who speaks English clearly.
2) For now at least, Apple has lost my business.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Customer service is cheaper by the Raj.

 

[Oddball]

At least Microsoft teaches them well-spoken English....I was on the line with one for a software issue and started chatting him up. Turns out he was a commercial pilot student and took the phone bank job with Microsoft to kill two birds.

Anyways, in most cases with computer phone bank operations, it's not necessarily the wage issue but that of turnover. Americans quickly figure out that making $50+ an hour as an on-call techie pays better than workin' for the man at $12-$15 an hour.

 

[xsited1]

They have to outsource their call centers because the unemployment rate is so low in America that they just can't find anybody to do the job.

 

[AllieBaba]

What is annoying is when they forward you to the porn lines.

I hate it when that happens, particularly if I'm using a phone at work!

 

[Mad Scientist]

About an hour ago I received a call from "Unknown Number", it was an Indian call center guy trying to sell me insurance of all things. All I said was "take me off your call list".

I can't begrudge people who are just trying to make an honest living.

 

[Middleman]

About an hour ago I received a call from "Unknown Number", it was an Indian call center guy trying to sell me insurance of all things. All I said was "take me off your call list".

I can't begrudge people who are just trying to make an honest living.

I don't consider telemarketing an honest living...

 

[Mad Scientist]

About an hour ago I received a call from "Unknown Number", it was an Indian call center guy trying to sell me insurance of all things. All I said was "take me off your call list".

I can't begrudge people who are just trying to make an honest living.

I don't consider telemarketing an honest living...

What did piss me off was the Indian guy at the Taco Bell drive through the other day. The combination of his clipped tones and the shitty speaker made his voice unintelligible.

Don't managers check that stuff out, speaker voice quality before they assign jobs? But hey, it was an honest living right?

 

[Zoom-boing]

Right up the street from us is a Dunkin' Donuts that used to have a Baskin Robbins inside it as well. The accents on the workers is so bad that nothing we ordered was ever right. We don't go there anymore . . .but mostly because Dunkin' Donuts suck. lol

If I encounter a heavily accented helper on the phone I try a few times to understand them but if I can't I just tell them 'I don't have a clue what you're saying because your accent is too heavy' and call back in the hopes of getting a less accented person.

 

[user_name_guest]

I don't have problem with phone centers being located in India. If we are a country of equal-opportunity, then why not give the people of India to do the job for us. They are fine with the wages that American companies offer them.

Because of minimum wages, they have outsource drive-thrus of fast food to states that offers lower minimum wage. Just wait until they outsource that particular job to India.

 

[HUGGY]

Right up the street from us is a Dunkin' Donuts that used to have a Baskin Robbins inside it as well. The accents on the workers is so bad that nothing we ordered was ever right. We don't go there anymore . . .but mostly because Dunkin' Donuts suck. lol
If I encounter a heavily accented helper on the phone I try a few times to understand them but if I can't I just tell them 'I don't have a clue what you're saying because you're accent is too heavy' and call back in the hopes of getting a less accented person.

HHHHmmmmmmmm...???? greasy fried dough and ice cream...?????

Ya..right..or maybe ya can't fit through the door anymore..

 

[PoliticalChic]

I had a problem with an Apple product today, and I ended up on the line with a hard to understand foreigner. I asked him to repeat himself twice, then asked where he was. He told me India.

Somehow the line got disconnected after I insisted on speaking to someone in the United States. I then called back, complained, and insisted on speaking to an American.

For one thing, who thought it a good idea to have a customer service person not speak English clearly? Yes, it saves them money. There are many bright people in India who make good tech support types. But, it left a very bad taste in my mouth regarding Apple.

Their products are assembled in China and they can't even hire Americans for their tech support! That irritates me. Not only that, my local store was unable to assist me with their product. Everything has to go through Apple. I bought the F-ing thing locally so that if I had a problem, I could take care of it locally. Unfortunately, with Apple products even an F-ing battery change on one of their devices has to go through them.

Two things from this:
1) In the future, if I get a foreign sounding person I will make them take the time and trouble to transfer my call to an American. I, as a customer, insist on help from someone who speaks English clearly.
2) For now at least, Apple has lost my business.

Now, be careful what you say to the Apple techie... next year he'll be doing the open heart surgery on you!

 

[Middleman]

I had a problem with an Apple product today, and I ended up on the line with a hard to understand foreigner. I asked him to repeat himself twice, then asked where he was. He told me India.

Somehow the line got disconnected after I insisted on speaking to someone in the United States. I then called back, complained, and insisted on speaking to an American.

For one thing, who thought it a good idea to have a customer service person not speak English clearly? Yes, it saves them money. There are many bright people in India who make good tech support types. But, it left a very bad taste in my mouth regarding Apple.

Their products are assembled in China and they can't even hire Americans for their tech support! That irritates me. Not only that, my local store was unable to assist me with their product. Everything has to go through Apple. I bought the F-ing thing locally so that if I had a problem, I could take care of it locally. Unfortunately, with Apple products even an F-ing battery change on one of their devices has to go through them.

Two things from this:
1) In the future, if I get a foreign sounding person I will make them take the time and trouble to transfer my call to an American. I, as a customer, insist on help from someone who speaks English clearly.
2) For now at least, Apple has lost my business.

Now, be careful what you say to the Apple techie... next year he'll be doing the open heart surgery on you!

I eat a very healthy diet, don't smoke, drink moderately, and am very fit. So, unless one of my heart valves needs replacing one day, I hope to avoid open heart surgery...

 

[Neubarth]

I had a problem with an Apple product today, and I ended up on the line with a hard to understand foreigner. I asked him to repeat himself twice, then asked where he was. He told me India.

Somehow the line got disconnected after I insisted on speaking to someone in the United States. I then called back, complained, and insisted on speaking to an American.

For one thing, who thought it a good idea to have a customer service person not speak English clearly? Yes, it saves them money. There are many bright people in India who make good tech support types. But, it left a very bad taste in my mouth regarding Apple.

Their products are assembled in China and they can't even hire Americans for their tech support! That irritates me. Not only that, my local store was unable to assist me with their product. Everything has to go through Apple. I bought the F-ing thing locally so that if I had a problem, I could take care of it locally. Unfortunately, with Apple products even an F-ing battery change on one of their devices has to go through them.

Two things from this:
1) In the future, if I get a foreign sounding person I will make them take the time and trouble to transfer my call to an American. I, as a customer, insist on help from someone who speaks English clearly.
2) For now at least, Apple has lost my business.

Now, be careful what you say to the Apple techie... next year he'll be doing the open heart surgery on you!

I eat a very healthy diet, don't smoke, drink moderately, and am very fit. So, unless one of my heart valves needs replacing one day, I hope to avoid open heart surgery...

The GEEKS shall inherit the Earth. Nobody said they had to speak English well. You just need to learn Geek. Or, as I say, I can speak all languages except Geek and they are all Geek to me.

 

[Neubarth]

About an hour ago I received a call from "Unknown Number", it was an Indian call center guy trying to sell me insurance of all things. All I said was "take me off your call list".

I can't begrudge people who are just trying to make an honest living.

I am on the Do Not Call List.

To many companies that is a "Do Call List."

I never get a call back from the same company. My children always gather around the phone when I receive a sales call, because I love to Put the People "ON" who are annoying me. As you know I will put people ON on this forum if they get too annoying, so why not on Sales Calls.

The Sales callee gets to talk to outrageously angry people who want to start a civil war and are constantly asking for approval for Outrageous and bloody acts of violence. I will keep them going for as long as they will listen. In the last year I have had two radio stations call me to record my sessions. In both cases they got an angry African American who wants to take over a major American City with extreme violence. They did not put the spiel on the air.

Try irrational extreme behavior with sales calls. It is a lot more fun than being upset that they call you when you are on the DNCL.

 

[PoliticalChic]

I had a problem with an Apple product today, and I ended up on the line with a hard to understand foreigner. I asked him to repeat himself twice, then asked where he was. He told me India.

Somehow the line got disconnected after I insisted on speaking to someone in the United States. I then called back, complained, and insisted on speaking to an American.

For one thing, who thought it a good idea to have a customer service person not speak English clearly? Yes, it saves them money. There are many bright people in India who make good tech support types. But, it left a very bad taste in my mouth regarding Apple.

Their products are assembled in China and they can't even hire Americans for their tech support! That irritates me. Not only that, my local store was unable to assist me with their product. Everything has to go through Apple. I bought the F-ing thing locally so that if I had a problem, I could take care of it locally. Unfortunately, with Apple products even an F-ing battery change on one of their devices has to go through them.

Two things from this:
1) In the future, if I get a foreign sounding person I will make them take the time and trouble to transfer my call to an American. I, as a customer, insist on help from someone who speaks English clearly.
2) For now at least, Apple has lost my business.

Now, be careful what you say to the Apple techie... next year he'll be doing the open heart surgery on you!

I eat a very healthy diet, don't smoke, drink moderately, and am very fit. So, unless one of my heart valves needs replacing one day, I hope to avoid open heart surgery...

I wish the same for you...

but it may be eye tests, dental work, you name it: beware.