Monday, July 28, 2008

A Taste of India

An online Pasadena Newspaper posted a craigslist ad looking for reporters to cover most of their local city government and political reporting for the city of Pasadena, CA. Nice enough ad, yes? Apparently, the owners of Pasadenanow.com believe it's going to sound nicer coming from Bangledesh, India, which is where the ad was placed.

Who are they kidding? How the hell is someone that is continents, timezones, and anything else in between supposed to cover politically charged events as well as other miscellaneous street beats from the country of India? And forget anyone international. I can't cover anything from Dallas, Texas when I live out here in California? How much of a trusted source would I be? How detached will everything feel for the local consumer?

And as for the international reporters, exactly what time are they going to make their calls to the local gub-ment and when do they expect return phone calls? I can't count how many times I've been deflated when I've had to make a service call and I know that it's being routed to another international location. I guess we shouldn't be surprised, considering that most of our computer troubleshooting (including parts and supplies), cable TV technical support, and other miscellaneous functions are, too, part of the India outsourcing phenomenon. Now, I'm not some North American Flag Waving Made In the USA type of chick, I just don't understand how customer service can excel when call center operations are not based on or near a headquarters where an escalation, if necessary, can, and should occur, under certain circumstances.

I know it's not just me, who feels totally disconnected when speaking to a representative whose voice (not the dialect, the sound quality) has got that Roger/Zapp (R.I.P.) thing going on. There have been a few times where I have called in for my high speed internet support and they have subsequently told me that my service was disconnected, (when actually, it only needed a reset). It's oddly disquieting to feel like the person on the other end of the line doesn't know what they are talking about, and feel like they don't care, yet, they speak almost impeccable English (even with the accent), and generally do answer your questions. However, there is always a lingering feeling that they didn't quite get the question that you were asking them, and that you might be in for a long term conversation to boot. I also, on a very regular basis, get the distinct feeling that I am in a two to three second time delay in getting my questions answers, no doubt due to the speed of sound traveling literally across the country, which also perpetuates my deep fear that I am giving my personal information to someone who is going to take the money (little that is) and run.

Am I the only one?
Does outsourcing creep you out?

14 comments:

So...Wise...Sista said...

Not to ignore your question or anything but I got distracted when you said..."a representative whose voice (not the dialect, the sound quality) sounds similar to Roger and Zapp."

*dead* hahaha

P said...

@ So Wise, Sista. . .

LMAO - Since modified to "the late" Roger and Zapp. . .

AND. . .

I'm only telling the truf.

Sidebar: It was one of the reasons I veered away from Vonage for YEARS - I thought that I would sound like THAT.

smoothie said...

ok ,
this is gonna sound really messed up, but im actually cool with the Indians handling customer support..There nice, never cop an attitude, and THEY WILL NOT HANG THE PHONE UP, until you have gotten your problem solved..Atleast the people at lynksis are that way..

as for the reporting, yeah, i can barely get the take on Houston, and Im in San Antonio..God luck with that...

mrs.tj said...

outsourced customer service not only creeps me out but pisses me off. I can agree they are nice as hell...well at least I think they are, but guess what I could never tell because I can't ever figure out what they saying. If I am calling customer service I am already pissed off that I had to pick up the phone to call for a service that i pay for...and now i get some one who don't speak MY language fluently...when i start paying them momofu's with rupee's they can speak all of the ying yang they want, but until then...handle this call in a timely manner or I will have to go to Tazee's travel site...book a flight...and CUT YOU! Can you tell I just got upset. LOL! HOLLA!

P said...

Smoothie:

I understand what you're saying. I get that. But I almost think they are really nice. TOO nice. Almost a creepy nice. It's funny. When I get off the phone with them, I'm fine, but somehow, on the phone, I feel like no one understands what I'm saying, even though they understand PERFECTLY what I'm saying. I can't describe it. Maybe it's the paranoia within me that causes this!

@ TJ:


YOU just make sure Tam takes you to the Slauson.

Anonymous said...

Yeah - I get frustrated because I know they are reading from a script and generally won't deviate from the script. Its pretty frustrating so i know generally to call my company help desk during certain times when i KNOW the calls wont be routed to a foreign country. I agree they are nice, BUT, i would much rather have those calls taken in the US with employees that are able to deviate from the script and provide real customer service.

nikki said...

outsourcing has been taken to a whole 'notha level. that's crazy!

YouToldHarpoTaBeatMe said...

Yes they freak me out!

I've had a JCPenney credit card since I was about 17. I was on my Mom's account. The only info I've ever changed was my phone number and billing address. Never any info about my job.

Well last year, I got waaaay behind on my bill. I went to the store and paid it, but this kid called anyway 3 days later. Before I knew it this child goes "Well it's not like you can't pay it, being in the Marine Corps and all. You people get paid all this money..." then goes into his little opinion about the war. Girl I started cussing, told him to accurate info before he called anyone else, remember my number so he knows to go around it, keep his opinion to himself if he wanted to keep his lil' job...the whole nine.

Never heard from him or anyone else again. Point is, I never TOLD JCP what I did for a living, but he felt compelled to share it with me. That's why I went off.

Anonymous said...

i am back! :) how are you beautiful lady?

Anonymous said...

ok....how about that guy you call on linksys...whose name (without sounding politically incorrect) is Nadish and tells you his name is brian???!!!!! Why hide it...you know they actually train them to speak with american accents and to take on american names to "fit in" Like we are not open to other cultures...I mean what is wrong with nadish???

Oh but I do have one gripe...why are they so sexist with women...these linksys guys think that because you are a woman you are an idiot...like...the ask you to restart your computer...they use phrases like "push the little green button"...what is THAT all about????

J

The Sarccastik Variable Why said...

wow...hope everything is good P....outsourcing is what it is...i'm surprised it isn't bigger now.....when you call about any product...you'll be talking to someone in india..who's trying to have an american accent...like saying ya'll and how's the weather there...i be like "man stop...just answer my damn question"....peace up...a town down...

Anonymous said...

There was a very real perception that bi-racial was much worse for the white than it was for the person of color. The liberal culture, which was designed and promoted with the god's tools to achieve their Apocalyptic goals, screamed racism when there was a very reasonable explanation for this reality::::
In this white punishment known as the United States the person of color has already adopted the disfavors/temptations intended for another race. But by associating/mating with a person of color the white is newly adopting the disfavors of another culture.
And this is the reason why people of color are not welcome in the United States. The gods control everything:::The perception they want to create, the thoughts they want you to have.
People of color can't recover from absorbing the temptations from two cultures. And why they become more and more like so many blacks in America:::Veterans at absorbing the temptations of two cultures.
To further illustrate this is why California's educational system/funding was ranked #1 when California was white:::Education being the basis of the affluent economic system. Now even public higher education has become unaffordable.

Don't forget the lessons the 'ole white preacher taught:::Dancing is a sin.
The gods used the liberal tool to ridicule away so many taboos, paving the way for the decay of society and ultimately the End Times::::::
Black behavior was controlled by the KKK. Men's behavior was controlled by marriage for thousands of years.
When married by 15 men never gained the taste of promiscuity. Once the gods used the budding liberalism tool the men set the tone for the deteriorating enviornment centered around their gross disfavor.
Women's relinquishing control of pre-arranged marriage will be what costs mankind everything in The End. It's all their fault. Men are pigs, essentially just primally responsive disfavored beings who if given the freedom will abuse based on the impulses the god's push them into. Whereas under pre-arranged marriage this behavior was contained now the promiscuous fraternity house epitomizes the pinnicle of what a "real man" should be like. And sadly the women fall into line.

Ronald Reagan spent the communist block into submission with defense buildup, and in the process increased the National debt from $1 trillion in 1980 to $6 trillion when he left office.
W charged both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to the national debt, honest numbers to come.
The gods used W to initiate the "Great Recession" with deliberate legislation/regulation changes, allowing the sub-prime fiasco and corporate irresponsibility/criminal behavior which led to the multi-trillion dollar stimulous package, pocketted by Republican friends and donors::::$5 trillion charged to the National credit card.
This corruption is one element of evil in the party of good. War mongering is another.
Damned if you do, Damned if you don't::::With the Democrats you subscribe to social decay via liberlism, which WILL lead to the Apocalypse. Republicans are being used by the gods to bankrupt the United States, ultimately motivating people to the point of "desperation prayer" once anarchy presides::::Punishment designed to correct your behavior.

The gods behave monsterously in the course of managing Planet Earth but they demand people be good if you are to have a chance to ascend in a future life.
Not only is doing the right things important (praying, attoning for your sins, thinking the right way:::accepting humility, modesty, vulnerability), so is avoiding the wrong things important as well:::"Go and sin no more".
You NEED active parents who share wisdom to have a real chance to ascend into heaven in a future life, and you MUST be a good parent as well to have that opportunity. Once your children have been raised something changes, something has been decided about you. This is exactly that.

Anonymous said...

I have spoken YEARS ago about the importance of dolls to the favored gender, how it would teach them nurturing, love, compassion. In the 50s, with the advent of a new doll named Barbie, this shifted from positivie values to more superficial values like appearance.
They need to change the Man in the Moon clue to appear more demonic.

The gods intent to punish our excess and waste ofo resources as our lifestyle, sourced in from foreign countries without enviornmental regulations, are treating Planet Earth like a toxic cesspool, one we have to remain in, continually reincarnated until we fix our ever-intensifying disfavor and fianlly ascend with our purity and innocence.

Anonymous said...

The meaning of life.

The secret at the core of the meaning of life is that only children ascend into heaven. The innocence and purity of children are the valued charecterisitics, requirements of the gods. Come adulthood people's purity becomes compromised as they are corrupted, earning them their place in the level of the animals. The gods have transcended the typical needs of the animals, and have achieve a higher life form.
So many clues they offer in society. One is to find your inner child inside. To understand these charecterisits will help you see the path you must take. Children value things that are healthy, like family, togetherness, unconditional love, not drinking, drugs, sexual intercourse.
Mankind has taken this journey since the beginning of time::::A moment of clarity compelled those with faith to pursue enlightenment, pray and seek more, and with proper long-term behavior more was offered. When combined with attonement for prior sins significant progress is made, ensuring true candidacy upon reincarnation, resulting in the individual's final spiritual journey.