The continuing Indian Call Centre Saga ..... Are They Here To Stay?
| Related: | Electronics & Computing•Computers•Routers & Modems |
Indian call centres currently seem to underpin the day to day telephone enquiries about our financial services needs, don't they? Some of us hate them, most of us simply 'grin and bear' because we simply have to.
This weekend, after the purchase of a new modem-router for my PC ( this was an exploratory upgrade as I was having numerous download and screen freezing problems while I working via Citrix ), I set this up on Sunday and of course it asked me for my ISP's original log in details. Those that I had on record didn't work so it told me to contact my ISP for the correct log in details. My ISP is BT.
I rang a freephone number and yes, straight through to an Indian Call centre. And guess what? I could only understand every fifth word. And when the lady launched into the phonetic alphabet to clarify certain words, she seemed to make the words up ... I mean 'R' for Rosa?
The conversation dragged on for 25 minutes, each time she had to look at a different script and kept giving me alternatives to try, none of which worked. And then the phone went dead. So I went to make a cup of tea, my nerves jangling at this stage. When I returned, my connection had somehow been successful ( in my absence ) and I was back on line. Then the phone rang and it was my Indian Call centre lady, full of apology. When I told her I was now on line, she almost cried with joy and happiness for me. We then spoke about the weather, her local time and what time she was off work. Could just have been the start of something beautiful had she not been on the other side of the world. Sure, we finished on a laugh and a joke but I was sorted. And happy. But if I handn't been sorted, I would have been seething, right through, probably to this morning.
And I am doubly happy because the new router-modem appears to have sorted my download and page freezing problems as well. Welcome to my home, Baby Belkin!
But have you been left seething on an Indian Call Centre discussion? Or like me ( granted an isolated case ) have you ever had a smile on your face? Do tell ....
Responses (7)
Ooh you smooth talker Snoopy, will we now be expecting postcards from India?
It's a long way to go for date.
Just an observation here, do you find it amusing how they all anglicise their names?
Try Talk Talk, they'll test your nerve. 3 hours on the phone saying I want to cancel my contract, they just hang up instead. Got the last guy at 7.45 ran through everything and he said I'll just pop you on hold to sort this - 5mins later the phone goes dead because it's 8PM and home time. And Talk Talk wonder why their 3 companies are bottom of the 'quality of service ratings' LOL - they chased me for the cancellation fee of £125, I told them to come and get it and hung up. Moved house 2 months after, laters Talk Talk =]
O2 on the other-hand can't do enough for me ;)
Buy a telephone recording device £3.99 in Maplin.
I always record phone calls in the event I need to take legal action or even to prove my phone call.
Amazing when you tell the caller on the other end you are recording the call how quick they either hang up or modify their strategy.
lol
Its true.
Just connect to your handset cord then plug in a dictaphone or your hifi allows you to fully record both end of the conversation spy style!!!
This one is more expensive but better quality.
Very interesting, Omen, thanks.
I will run this past HWMBO who is the techie in our house. Sounds good to me!
Crumbs Omendata it all sounds very MI 5-ish, sad that we're driven to such extremes these days.
The saying is, 'You pay peanuts, you get monkey's'. However, I believe monkies possess more customer focused skills and an aptitude to handle repetitive actions with confidence and ease than I have experienced on the phone to Indian call centre staff. Knowing how many people want to cancel their contracts with certain telecommunications companies then monkies would prove more cost effective.
Shareholders take note, you are missing a golden opportunity to have even more dividend payments!!
Yes I was onto Virgin to get a new mobile phone on that free Blackberry pearl for £7.23 a month.
India - After 20 minutes they finally found my Virgin account.
They never setup the phone account so no phone delivery.
Apparently lost in the system.
Phoned back a week later.
Another 15 minutes to Phillipines.
Account all setup and direct debit (apparently).
Phone arrived but wrong sim.
Phoned back another week later - India - Useless 10 minutes wasted
Phoned again 20 minutes India useless couldnt even find my account.
Next South Africa (I feel like a global-phone-traveller today) - not bad at all even found my account in under 5 minutes but they insisted i give them my bank details again - no way jose i said not having two lots of debits coming out.
Couldnt find my original direct debit presumably lost by the Phillipines call centre so i told em to sod off.
Now I have a free Blackberry 9250 top put on ebay just hope the direct debit is gone lost as they said.
Phone up again and try get another phone and proper sim and hope they forget about the first phone so i can sell it to recoup some of the wasted £££ in time phone calls and hassle.
I am a fan of Virgin - their tech support in the UK is brilliant but when you get put through to India its worse than useless - Phillipines is OK , South Africa quite good but Brit is best im afraid!
Don't be afraid about saying something positive about the Brits Omendata, it makes a rare and refreshing change to hear it.
LOL
From me in particular Lillie or just in general?
lol
If the former you would probably be right Im a right old moan at the moment and this hay fever is making me right grumpy plus its my time of the month got the GMT bad!
Omen, have you acquired new sun glasses, or have you mysteriously transmuted into Fu Manchu... ;-)
I meant in general Omen.
Sorry you're suffering with the old hayfever, have you tried Beconase nasal spray? it works pretty well for me.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100005029.html
GMT?
Thanks Dr Lillie.
Yes Indeed I am inscrutable this week Fruiters!
What do you think - a bit posey?
Inscrutable, Omen? Does that mean you're also impregnable? And is this to do with your GMT?
Yes its bad today shouldnt have come into work but dont want to take a day off being as ive just started now for a few months - bad show and all that jazz old chep!
Like the new specs?
Im thinking of going commando and getting some contact lenses hehe
Actually I have them but its just too much hassle washing the darn things , putting em in , cleaning em even disposables just a palaver i'll stick to specs much less hassle and besides your specs cant go behind your eye and leave you almost blind as happened a good few times!
No, Omen, contact lenses are just wrong!
No, Omen, not too posey, the change just confused me as I thought my sight had gone funny! Then I realised you'd morphed into Fu Manchu and it wasn't my eyesight after all! ;-)
What's wrong with contacts, Feline?! I wear them sometimes... :-)
I'm sure they're great for people who can get on with them, fruits, but I tried them and just didn't like them.
Ever had one slip behind the eye.
A real bugger to get out if you ask me or myabe my eyes are just too complicated?
>;o)
Fortunately, no Omen. I just didn't like them.
I've been wearing monthly disposable contact lenses for at least 15 years and never had a problem with them, but I do appreciate that they're not to everyone's taste. I've got friends who just about pass out if they have to witness me putting them in or taking them out! :-)
Uuuugh!
that's me fruitcake..remember friend at uni popping out a contact and i nearly fainted!! How can people put things in their eyes?? How, how how???? Even the thought makes my stomach heave, and as for squeezing to get them out..ohh yuck!
mind you I do get lightheaded changing my earrings..maybe I'm just a wimp :)
I use onetel and, once when I had a problem, I rang and got a man who was clearly in India. We had an amusing conversation about the price, expensive, of saffron in the UK.
Last time I rang BT the chappie asked me about the weather and Eastenders..I just needed my broadband sorted and found the whole thing very frustrating! And to set up online banking with HSBC you have to arrange your login code with the callcentre..have given up because of the problems in being understood when spelling it out!
Yes, Jazzj, I always have trouble because I've got an unusual and weird surname which they can't pronounce and can't spell! I've learnt it's easier to spell my name and other details out in the radio telephony alphabet...Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta etc. :-)
The problem I have is not that the call center is in India, it is the accents of the people who answer my call. My hearing is not good in the first place, secondly I have never been good at understanding accents. no matter if they are Indian Scottish Welsh etc.
( some of us really are not !)
The last time when I phoned a call center was because my credit card had been "got at", it was an absolute fiasco! Eventually my husband took the phone from me and asked to speak to some one who "Spoke English". I told him to `hush` before the Race relations Board were after him, his quite naive reply was "This is England, I am English and I have the right to be spoken to in my native language in a manner that I can understand." Although this does sound rather alarming, more and more people are beging to feel the same way. Surely there should be some kind of `test` for people who answer our phones , whose first language is not English, just to ensure that their English is at an acceptable standard ?
I feel for you, Sapphire.
If you get through to a person who doesn't speak your native language, just ask to be put through to an operator in the UK. Apparently they can't refuse.
However, I haven't tested this out yet.
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Anglicise? Oh you mean like B for Bowlack?
Lol, I never knew India had so many, Pauls' Johns' or Georges' not many Ringos' though.
I don't think Ringo was around in the time of the Raj. Bet there were a few Victoria's though!
Yes, Lillie, that does amuse me. As does the fact that they are apparently made to watch videos of Eastenders so they can understand British culture!!!!
Lol Feline, Eastenders 'cor blimey guv' the elite of good ol England!!!
Whistle and flute 'dahn' the apples and pears while juggling some Bees Bowlacks .... and not even mentioning Harry Monk.
Ha,funny how we keep talking 'Bowlacks' on here, still at least we can understand each other, lol.
Who is Harry Monk?
Well Lillie, unlike dropping your h's to emulate a cockney accent, you mustn't drop a bowlack. That's just not cricket .... oh, feline, as for Harry Monk, I am assured it's cockney rhyming slang. No idea what for though ... why don't you Google it?
Lol again, I misread it for Hairy Monk Snoopy, I've also got to go 'googling' as I've no idea who he is/was.
1 min later...
Ooh lol,ha, now I've got it, how rude....
OMG ... you are right Lillie. Just goggled it as well and well ... I never knew that. Kind of hits you in the face, doesn't it? But I expect that Feline's up to speed on this one .... lol
But the funniest part is that you read it as Hairy Monk ... wishful thinking, our Lil' ?
Ha as you say 'it hits you right in the face', lol. Feline is probably in danger of spilling yet another of her tipples when she reads it.
Oh my Lillie, you are a wag! Feline appeared not to have heard of Harry Monk, probably not a face that she's come across before .... now wait for the gin to go T's up!
Just googled it, Snoops. Now I understand!
Memories.
Oh you naughty people. Couldn't resist googling Harry Monk - I shouldn't be so nosey!!! By heck I'm learning a lot from you all on the forum - well as I say the naughty ones !!!!
Shocking Sabre just shocking. :)
OMG ... what have we started here? It's now my turn to splash myself ( with my tea ladies, with my tea ..... ). And you tell me you all had to actually google it? I find that a bit hard to swallow.
Stop it, Snoopy, you're making my ribs hurt!
Enough now Snoopy we are causing our dear friends bodily harm with all this talk of Monks (and others) habits...
Ladies, I have decided to draw a line under this discussion, it would not be pertinent to cream off any more than we have already done so. Thank you all for your valuable donations here and splashes of humour and those that have taken it on the chin.
Haaaa, Aargh, I really can't take anymore.........
Oh, no stop it!
I can't cope, I'm rolling on the floor under the desk!
Glub.
Go on ladies, you know you only read these threads because you want to ... lol
Not the best time to introduce Harry Hunt, I suppose? ..... just asking.
Ringo?
Lots of call centre ring-pieces though!
And I wont mentioh boll awks.
Well it look like the Harry Monk discussion is dying down ..... good to 'shoot off' at a tangent now and again though ............
Oooh, haaaa pleeaase is there no end to it?
Anyone got a tissue?
Something tickled you Lillie?
I think it's the way you tell em Snoopy - Poor Lillie she'll have to be revived!!!!
Oh Snoopy, you're killing me, I definitely see a job for you in the saucy postcard industry.
Can you imagine the money you would make if you were paid good hard cash per innuendo.
I would even give you a reference.
Me too, Sabre!
And as for Harry Hunt, well......
But I'll continue to take it on the chin, in the interest of keeping the conversation going.
Saucy Snoopy has a ring to it (of the non ring-piece variety of course!!!).
>;o)
Harry Monk's wife took a skirt into the dry cleaners and asked the assistant to pay special attention to a large stain on the front.
The assistant, who was very hard of hearing, said "Come again .....?"
"Nah" she said ... "It's yoghurt!"
What a sad outcome for that poor skirt!
Ooh now Stop it! (slaps own wrist), Snoopy you bring out the naughty in me.
I think he brings out the naughty in all of us, Lillie.
I was as pure as the driven snow until I joined this forum, honest!
Yes of course you were/are Feline just like me.
'Pure as the driven snow?' ..... that tongue must really be stuck deep inside that cheek on that one!
Trust you to bring tongues into it Snoops! :D