Boycott US Companies that Out-source to India

[Midnight]

I am so very tired of dealing with "Customer Service Representatives" and "Technical Support Agents" that are based in India. It seems whenever you deal with them on the telephone, you can barely hear them speaking and are lucky to be able to understand half of what they say, or to have them understand half of what you say.

Orbitz.Com - I spent over 30 minutes on the phone with someone who's name I did not understand and could not pronounce anyway, so I could change a date on a return airline ticket. Finally, after they understood what I was trying to do, they put me on hold for another 5 or so minutes. After that, the person got back on the line with me only to tell me that thay were transferring me to another department. - Fortunately, the other department was US based. Unfortunately, I had to start from the beginning on all the details because the information I supplied to the Indian person did not get transferred with the call. Anyway I told the US person what I wanted to do, and within 10 minutes, I was re-scheduled and ready to go.

Why did I have to waste the first 35 minutes on the phone with the Indian?

Dell - I spent at least 20 minutes on the phone explaining a technical problem with a computer at work. After going though all the normal "what version, reboot, un-install, re-install, unplug and wait 30 seconds, etc." The India-based person (again I did not understand the name) told me that they needed to transfer me to the "next level" of support. Well, fortunately the next level was a US based person, and within 15 minutes I made two corrections to the registry of the computer and everything was fixed.

Why did I have to waste the first 20 minutes on the phone with the Indian?

LinkSys - Another story about the same as the two above. More wasted time talking with someone who I didn't understand and they didn't understand me. When finally connect to a US based tech support person, problem solved shortly.

I don't know if it's possible, I would like to call on everyone in the US to boycott any company that has outsourced customer service and technical support to India or other countries where English is not the 1st language. It's foolish for us (the American public) to be forced to waste so much of OUR time so some fat-cat major share-holder can save a few bucks for lining his own pocket with!

[RAIDER14]

[Ripsnort]

I'm a PM for outsourcing work to India for my company. Indians out perform American workers in tedious software testing by far. Some of the hardest working people I've ever been associated with. I'm about to spend millions of our money on yet another big project that will go overseas.

[BTW]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
I'm a PM for outsourcing work to India for my company. Indians out perform American workers in tedious software testing by far. Some of the hardest working people I've ever been associated with. I'm about to spend millions of our money on yet another big project that will go overseas.

Well do us all a favor and just send us the self-help guide instead of letting someone in India read it to us and deceptively labeling it "customer service" or "product support." If you take away deception,  businesses have to perform better. Product support is not an Indian reading you the owners manual.

[Midnight]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
I'm a PM for outsourcing work to India for my company. Indians out perform American workers in tedious software testing by far. Some of the hardest working people I've ever been associated with. I'm about to spend millions of our money on yet another big project that will go overseas.

Rip, fine if you think so, but I'm talking about the so-called "technical support" and "customer service" reps that the general population has to deal with. I don't really care what some closed room of software testers are doing, because I don't have to talk to them.

[GtoRA2]

Originally posted by Midnight
I am so very tired of dealing with "Customer Service Representatives" and "Technical Support Agents" that are based in India. It seems whenever you deal with them on the telephone, you can barely hear them speaking and are lucky to be able to understand half of what they say, or to have them understand half of what you say.

Orbitz.Com - I spent over 30 minutes on the phone with someone who's name I did not understand and could not pronounce anyway, so I could change a date on a return airline ticket. Finally, after they understood what I was trying to do, they put me on hold for another 5 or so minutes. After that, the person got back on the line with me only to tell me that thay were transferring me to another department. - Fortunately, the other department was US based. Unfortunately, I had to start from the beginning on all the details because the information I supplied to the Indian person did not get transferred with the call. Anyway I told the US person what I wanted to do, and within 10 minutes, I was re-scheduled and ready to go.

Why did I have to waste the first 35 minutes on the phone with the Indian?

Dell - I spent at least 20 minutes on the phone explaining a technical problem with a computer at work. After going though all the normal "what version, reboot, un-install, re-install, unplug and wait 30 seconds, etc." The India-based person (again I did not understand the name) told me that they needed to transfer me to the "next level" of support. Well, fortunately the next level was a US based person, and within 15 minutes I made two corrections to the registry of the computer and everything was fixed.

Why did I have to waste the first 20 minutes on the phone with the Indian?

LinkSys - Another story about the same as the two above. More wasted time talking with someone who I didn't understand and they didn't understand me. When finally connect to a US based tech support person, problem solved shortly.

I don't know if it's possible, I would like to call on everyone in the US to boycott any company that has outsourced customer service and technical support to India or other countries where English is not the 1st language. It's foolish for us (the American public) to be forced to waste so much of OUR time so some fat-cat major share-holder can save a few bucks for lining his own pocket with!

You will have to boycott FAR more then just that.

As rip said, if done right, they can do the job well.

If done wrong they are a big BIG mistake for your company.

Dells is a mistake, they suck. I won't buy another Dell product. (on top of their current desktops being junk)

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Midnight
Rip, fine if you think so, but I'm talking about the so-called "technical support" and "customer service" reps that the general population has to deal with. I don't really care what some closed room of software testers are doing, because I don't have to talk to them.

Good point. I don't believe I've ever had to deal with customer service when troubleshooting something, or been just damn lucky with our two Dell laptops.

If you have trouble understanding them, just ask them to repeat it slow. They will be more than happy to without taking offense. Its tough at first, but after speaking with them, you'll understand them perfectly well. Its that thick british accent combined with their native accent that screws it all up. If they'd learned English in America, they'd learn to properly pronounce words that aren't butchered with accent.

[GtoRA2]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Good point. I don't believe I've ever had to deal with customer service when troubleshooting something, or been just damn lucky with our two Dell laptops.

If you have trouble understanding them, just ask them to repeat it slow. They will be more than happy to without taking offense. Its tough at first, but after speaking with them, you'll understand them perfectly well. Its that thick british accent combined with their native accent that screws it all up. If they'd learned English in America, they'd learn to properly pronounce words that aren't butchered with accent.

The laptops still seem to be OK, I would even consider buying one if the price is right ( I get a discount) but not a desktop from them.

[1K3]

Of all outsourced tech support agents/customer reps, i think the tech support/customer reps based in the Philippines are easier to understand.

[crowMAW]

My company (one of the largest banks in the US) is also starting to heavily offshore customer service.  I have to admit, I'm hip deep in it.  We are currently negociating with one of the largest customer service agent providers in the US who will service our accounts from both India and Philippines.  The savings are simply too huge to ignore.  $12-15k per rep per year.  For the initial 2000 reps, that is $24-30M a year.  And that is to get a rep who has a college degree compared to a high school degree or AA here in the States.

Alot of the issues that Dell has is due to poor initial cultural training of the reps (called CCT).  While our reps are not perfect, their CCT is longer and more intensive so the accent is not too bad.  In fact, the customer satisfaction scores for our India site is only about 1% lower than our US based call centers.

What Rip says about making them slow down is right.  And making them slow down has a double wammy effect.  Call center performance metrics include Average Handle Time (AHT).   The higher that number, the more reps are required on the floor to service the call volume, which means the cost per call goes up.  The higher the cost per call in India, the less attractive offshoring is to the company.

But many companies are already feeling backlash.  In preparation, we are also looking at "near shoring" in Canada.  And there is some interest in New Zealand.  Although the cost savings will not be nearly as much.

Not that it matters to the English speakers here...but call centers being set up in Mexico and Philipines will be getting Spanish calls.

[Dago]

Originally posted by GtoRA2
The laptops still seem to be OK, I would even consider buying one if the price is right ( I get a discount) but not a desktop from them.

We use Dell laptops at work.  Most of them are now condemed.  Pcs of shxt.

I am waiting for the replacement that has been ordered, as is virtually everyone in my department.

[GtoRA2]

Dago
 They recent ones? I have not delt with one newer then say 6 months.


When I needed a new one I didnt go with them bacause they do not use AMD 64 chips.

I got tired of Intell based ones burning my legs.

[firbal]

I've had to deal with tech support with SBC on my dsl line. Their tech support is in India. They may out work or what ever you say, but dealing with them in India is very frustrating. Their phone lines suck. Hard to hear them. One time there was static on the line. Another I had to keep ask them to repeat themselfs because I could not hear what they were saying. Kept telling her to speak up. Ether she couldn't hear my question or she couldn't. And I can understand their english. So don't go there. I ended up having to deal with SBC's maintance shop. I talked with them, they were up in Indannpolic (spelling). He said that when their contract is up, tech support is coming back to the States. And he said that Dell is also pulling their's back.
So in the end, sending their work to India wasn't good business for them.

[StSanta]

The coolest thing in the world will be when middle management and above also is outsourced to India, Bulgaria and China.

Then, my gentlemen, you shall hear the screams.

And it'll happen. The company I work for is small - we're only three here in DK. The boss, me (software developer) and a graphics girl. We got 5 people in Bulgaria, good software developers, and the cost is basically the same all things included as my salary.

The way things are going and the tasks I've been put on strongly suggest I am making myself redundant. While I can compete on a professional level and win over these guys and girls, I'm ten times more expensive. In the majority of situations, immediacy and a minor competitive edge of one employee doesn't warrant a ten time cost increase.

It's a capitalist economy and it'll be more wide spread until the supply and demand situation is more evenly spread out. The fact that companies feel bold enough to outsource direct customer contact speaks volumes.

You middle managers and people in "management" or responisble for project management are gonna get sooo hosed.  I'll feel sorry for ya but yer just gonna have to walk the same walk I'm walking, delicately balancing things, seeking training in fields less prone to outsourcing and working more hours for less money.

It's ain't fun, but it's gonna happen. And don't for a sec think there isn't an Indian guy who's as bright, dedicated as yourself, willing to work for a tenth of what yer earning.

[BBQ_Bob]

If you would not break things then you would not have to call India for tech support.

But I do agree that it is a problem and we all have the same story of talking to someone that we can not understand, you have to think that the management of these corporations know this to, so why do they outsource? Economics, you get a person in India that works of peanuts compared to an American worker who cares if you can understand him, he can stay on the phone longer then the American and for less money. So what are we gonna do about it. I tell you what to do, write to your states Representative's and let them know how you feel about outsourcing. This could be part of a welfare to work program here in the states.