Outsourcing help/support centres

[rach 1]

My dad has in the last few days been maddended by BT. He has a problem with his internect connection and gets worked up about it very easily as he really doesn't understand it and when something goes wrong he is lost.

 

Anyways he has been trying to get through to BT and each time he is put on to someone who can't speak English. His hearing isn't the best, and he isn't used to dealing with broken English so he's been getting really frustrated at not being able to understand the Help staff.

 

I know when I've been back there have been times when even I have had trouble understanding some phone line people and I'm used to understanding poor English.

 

Is this a common thing in other countries or is it a UK thing that only we put up with? I can't imagine Japan companies sticking Japanese customers onto gaijin who can't communicate fluently in Japanese..........

[BagOfCrisps 24]

I feel for him.

My parents the same. Drives my dad round the bend.

It's really not on.

Being able to speak the language should be as important as knowing what you are talking about.

[thursday 1]

Rach, just get your dad to say onion bargee, chicken madras, garlic naan and aloo gobi. They'll understand very well.

 

You know they put it on don't you? THey speak in that really crappy accent just to have a laugh.

 

To be on the helpline, they have to pass a test. They have to swing their heads side to side 90 times a minute while lying through their teeth in what supposedly is english with a curry flavour.

[fukdane 2]

Originally Posted By: rach

I can't imagine Japan companies sticking Japanese customers onto gaijin who can't communicate fluently in Japanese..........

I think you are right there rach.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Yeah... not just the UK Rach.

I had big drama's with some Optus Telco staff recently.

I told the guy not disrespect intended but I simply cannot understand you over the phone with an accent so broad. In person it may be a different thing, please have a supervisor with English as his or her first language call me back.

 

Worked. I got a Canadian. Might have looked like Raj, but he sounded like a Samuel or Ethan or John...

[thursday 1]

Outsourcing is to the cheapest company in a country that English is supposedly widely spoken. India and Malaysia.

 

I have vast experience in this in that my company outsourced and I was there from day zero.

 

The Indians will lie through their teeth to get the contract. They suck big time. And they still suck. Through a call centre job they can buy a car, a house, have their extended family live with them and still be able to lie in their sleep.

 

Good luck you end users.

[snowbender 3]

I have seen my dad get worked up with the same.

He wouldn't understand what a person speaking perfect English was saying, never mind an Indian call center.

 

I told him not to try any more and get someone round to help - a friend/neighbour/local small company if needed.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

had the same problem when I was back home, my mobile was from 3 and their customer helpline is based in India. So on the phone there was me, with my thick Scottish accent talking to someone with a thick Indian accent.....neither the 2 of us could understand what the other was saying

[grungy-gonads 54]

Problem is, it's the customer who is the one getting frustrated. The operators probably couldn't give a shit.

 

Very annoying.