Outsourcing..

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

One of my techs the other day suggested that, in response to outsourced foriegn techs in India, Manilla, etc, with clearly non-american accents answering the phone with names like "Steve" and "Mandy", that some clearly American techs should start answering the phone as such.

(in brutally southern accent): Hello, my name is Radjit, may I have yer name please?
(annoying bronx accent): Hi my name is Sameer, what's your name?

And as such. Ad nauseum, ad infinitum.

Still, "Mandy" at AOL sure was helpful in giving me free months last time I spoke with her, even though she did _nothing_ to answer my questions. If she understood them. I'm still trying to figure that part out.

Comments

[dogsolitude.livejournal.com]

This is classic. The last time I called support at Earthlink, the tech I got had a Very thick Indian accent, and the only words I understood were 'My name is Bob'. And I just fired back at him 'Your name ain't BOB!'. I have no problem dealing with 'Bob', I just don't like being taken for a fool...

[glennarbor.livejournal.com]

heh, we've already done that at my place a few times for kicks.

[mtlchick.livejournal.com]

I'd be risking my job to do it (since we really do outsource to India) but I love the idea. I get so many people bitching at me because they couldn't understand the last person they spoke to.

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

I know we don't usually say company names here, but I'd love to know what company you work for. Sounds...familiar.

[mtlchick.livejournal.com]

Let's put it this way, the BIG software company generally considered to be the root of all evil ;)

[vampyre-child.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to be doing in house support.

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind that, but then again, corporate says we do a better job than their own "in-house", so that makes me happy where I'm at =D

actual quote from 2nd in charge of the company: "Why can't you guys do as good as (site name)??"

[vampyre-child.livejournal.com]

Oh thats just great. *LOL*

[random-c.livejournal.com]

Well, when I worked helpdesk, we had a number of techs with london or manchester accents and indian names, because, well, we have a fairly large indian (2+x)th-generation population over here. We also had a white guy with a pronounced indian accent and indian name because he'd grown up there.
The waiters at my parents favourite indian restaurant on the other hand all have indian accents, and are called Barry, Charlie and Maurice...

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

We have a tech here right now from Bangalore, working as an "on-site" guy while we outsource to a company there. We call him CK, 'cause honestly, I think his real name is like 18 letters long. o_O

[marence.livejournal.com]

Just talked to a friend who works for D***, and she said there's actually schools in India that teach unemployed people to say "No problem" and "We'll fix that for you" in an (almost) American accent. That and a working knowledge of English gets them a job.
Sad.
I remember the olden days when help desk people actually had a working knowledge of computers, not just the ability to read a script. Sigh.

[achernow.livejournal.com]

Exactly why it's gotten to the point that the only thing I'll call tech support on is when my cable modem goes down (I don't have a choice on that one.. At least the techs there are still LOCAL (The call goes to the local cable co and not a national center because they can handle most of the problems that i've had (mostly been network connectivity issues, nothing harder than them reseting the modem a few times or sending someone out to tighten a cable in the cable room in the building))

-A

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Hah. I was dreading calling my cable company.

I'm sitting here looking at my 4 web browsers that won't load webpages, and Kazaa's connecting. AOL's connecting. I can ping wtfever I want to ping. But the fkn web browsers won't connect.

I thought...*had* to be some kind of problem with the network setup. SO I was going to call the cable company and make sure all my settings were right.

Then I went in and killed everything but TCP/IP for the network card. Glory, Hallelughhowever-you-spell-it, the system reboots and the browsers worked.

I raised my arms to the sky, and a-la Boris from Goldeneye, said "I AM INVEENCEEBAHL!!"

Mostly b/c I didn't have to call the cable company...it's a point of pride with me =/

[achernow.livejournal.com]

LOL.. I should clarify.. The only time I call them is when the little green light on the cable modem is blinking at me as that is a sign the damn modem isn't working.

-A

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

I'm known to say "no problem" and "i'll fix that" in a convincingly Irish accent...

Then again, I speak fluent english, and come from an Irish family...

Dude?

[phire42.livejournal.com]

You *USE*...

AOL?!?!

Re: Dude?

[dogsolitude.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised it took that long for someone to say it.

Re: Dude?

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

You want a list of the other horrid things I use?

AOL
Windows ME
A 4 year old bottom-of-the-line Hewlett Packard

List goes on. All b/c I know _how_ to use them(and no, I don't mean throwing them out the windows >-D) in such a manner as they become very effective tools.

Yes, Windows ME. What did you think I was going to Updgrade to Windows Short Bus Edition, otherwise known as Windows XP? Bad enough I have to use that at work...

Re: Dude?

[phire42.livejournal.com]

I certainly wouldn't suggest that someone put Windows XP on there computer if they didn't want to, but you should at least UPGRADE from WindowsME to Windows98. :-) As far as AOL, I use it too... That's where I get all my bitches! :-) Okay, I don't get bitches, but that's where I try, and fail. :-( Okay, I guess I'm really lame, and shouldn't have said anything. Well, thanks for listening.