In the Bird-cage liner today

[rajagainstthemachine]

Neither India nor the Philippines are better at the latter categories. Stereotypically, Indians become indignant and defensive when challenged about their problem solving skills, Filipinos become more apologetic... neither actually gets the problem solved.

In spite of the education strides being made in both countries, US based call centers are far superior. First, the underlying education of each individual is better. That makes it easier to teach the secondary knowledge needed to do the job.

I've had positive experiences with some Indian call centers most of which cater to say local services. But one of them was particularly bad, DISH TV India were a effing disgrace with shambolic customer service.
and my experience with Singapore Travel agents are not that far behind compared to the Indian one.
This woman consistently picks the wrong hotel, or books the hotel with no breakfast included and cannot deviate one bit from from the norm.
I haven't called anyone in the Philippines yet.

[Strong Eagle]

Taking it to the next level, having to train someone to actually troubleshoot, and then having to be the user who is subject to the troubleshooter is extremely painful. Imaging calling into a junior agent who is still not sure if windows is referring to that glass thing next to her desk or is actually some kind of software. Someone who has no idea of how a computer works, but does have a script and a knowledge base... a dangerous combination.

That's bulls#!+.

Junior staff would never get a desk next to a window in the Philippines.

OK... I lied... I've never seen a window in a call center in Manila but I have seen windows in KL... KL Sentral but not further out.

[Strong Eagle]

I haven't called anyone in the Philippines yet.

I set up one call center where the entire team could look at big screen TV's that were displaying American sports live... they could be on the phone and say things like, "Wow... Detroit just hit a home run."

[the lynx]

In Slumdog Millionaire, at one point of his life, the main character works in call centre (as a janitor) where the operators are given classes on Scottish lingo (lake = loch). The call centre has television screens showing live UK news and weather update. And the operators are to memorise the geography of the areas they are assigned to.

[Barnsley]

Do the operators in the overseas call centers servicing Singapore have Chinese/Malay/Indian names assigned to them to make the caller more comfortable?

I spoke to a few "Arthur /Kevin/ Brian" when I lived in the UK , clearly these guys were operating out of India, very amusing.

[JR8]

scouser or geordie.

They have call centers in England?!

Yes indeed. They tend to be located where land is cheapest and employing people is too. This usually correlates with being as far away as is geographically possible from the generally 'neutral' or even accent-free south/south-east of England and London. Given that a Londoner can travel maybe just 200 miles (example: Liverpool) and be faced with a version of English of which he cannot understand a single word. This can be multiplied further when the call-centre is up in the west of Scotland (Glasgow etc). Such call centres can be a double edged sword. A cheap service for the employer vs a customer base that can (and sometimes do) get frustrated by being barely able to understand a word being said.


Not directly related, but on a parallel, and so true...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S8w7IUn4-g
'Comedy | Jason Manford | Call Centres'

Lol... w/Barnsley.
a) 'Hello, you are speaking with Kamila, how may I help you'.
b) 'Is that Camilla as in Prince Charles wife?'

Edit to add:
Al Murray - Scots, Scousers [Liverpool] and Geordies [Newcastle]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX98LGnvc1E

[bgd]

There was a brief period when Citi (UK) used a Spanish call centre. Every call I made was answered by wonderful sounding ladies who new what they were doing. It was a positive joy to call the help line. Until the day that "Dave", strong Indian accent, answered.

[Brah]

The UK-based support I get for my RBC account is impeccable, and I have had mostly excellent support from DBS, which is a mix of local and Filipino.

The biggest and most common issue I have is not with support per se but with other people in service roles with absolutely no acumen for that, or basic human interaction skills, or anything beyond pidgin English ability.

[movingtospore]

Stereotypically, Indians become indignant and defensive when challenged about their problem solving skills, Filipinos become more apologetic... neither actually gets the problem solved.

Amen. I got stuck in a never-ended loop of insanity with my own company's Indian call centre ... painful. Excruciating. Best part was when he tried to blame me for the wrong answer he had given...

[rajagainstthemachine]

excerpt from a different forum I post in

Also, today, I, an American, walked an Indian through setting up his email on his computer.
I also had him turn his computer off and on again.

WE ARE THROUGH THE F**** LOOKING GLASS, PEOPLE

[zzm9980]

excerpt from a different forum I post in

Also, today, I, an American, walked an Indian through setting up his email on his computer.
I also had him turn his computer off and on again.

WE ARE THROUGH THE F**** LOOKING GLASS, PEOPLE

But is it a Tata internal helpdesk located somewhere low cost like Tennessee?

[JR8]

Bwahaha .....

... And do the Indian callers feel sympathy for the downtrodden TN'sns, and their bold efforts but trouble with the English language?

[bgd]

Outsourced is worth a view. Only lasted one season but oh so funny.

[Brah]

Also, today, I, an American, walked an Indian through setting up his email on his computer.
I also had him turn his computer off and on again.

WE ARE THROUGH THE F**** LOOKING GLASS, PEOPLE

Outsourced is worth a view. Only lasted one season but oh so funny.

There was an episode of Morgan Spurlok's (the Supersize Me guy) 30 Days where the roles were changed and a laid off Investment Banking IT guy went to India to work in an India call center, for, or course, 30 days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_30_Days_episodes

[nakatago]

excerpt from a different forum I post in

Also, today, I, an American, walked an Indian through setting up his email on his computer.
I also had him turn his computer off and on again.

WE ARE THROUGH THE F**** LOOKING GLASS, PEOPLE

I've used that advice several times already in real life.

I haven't come to answering the phone like "Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?" yet because I don't really provide full time tech support.

I have, several times did ask, "Have you tried compiling the source unmodified and running it as-is?" I kid you not, our team had used this line for over a year until the people contacting us realized they actually need to that first before asking us.