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Problems for Travel Companies Outsourcing Call Centers to India
TMCnet News ^ | January 13, 2006

Posted on 01/16/2006 1:54:28 PM PST by jb6

Travel Weekly Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) The bubble will burst this year for travel companies outsourcing call centres to India, recruitment chiefs have predicted.

Problems with language, customer service and call handling are forcing companies to think again about using cheap labour for activities such as sales calls.

AA Appointments managing director John Tolmie said: "It makes sense to have back office and ticketing in India if you want low skills and the numbers, but the British public are put off by people trying to sell them something from overseas. You do not get the levels of service you expect. A lot of the call centres are coming back to the UK."

C&M Travel Recruitment sales manager Barbara Kolosinska said she was optimistic the trend for call centres turning their back on India would help UK recruitment. "Call centres are returning from India and this is encouraging," she said.

Argyle Recruitment director Rick White said he had noticed more enquiries about call-centre positions. "Through our Argyle Extra service for junior management we have had companies looking for good people," he said. "There is more interest in call-centre jobs."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: britian; business; callcenters; downsize; downsizing; employment; england; foreign; hiring; india; jobmarket; jobs; outsourcing; thirdworld; work

1 posted on 01/16/2006 1:54:30 PM PST by jb6
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To: jb6

One word: Language. Who wants to do business with folks who can't understand you, or make themselves understood? I had to get my Palm Pilot serviced, and the process was infuriating.


2 posted on 01/16/2006 1:56:43 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2006, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: jb6
Problems with language, customer service and call handling are forcing companies to think again about using cheap labour for activities such as sales calls.

Duh.

3 posted on 01/16/2006 1:59:05 PM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: Cyber Liberty

When I get somebody like that, I just keep saying "I can't understand you", and "what? I can't understand you", followed up by repeated requests for "somebody who speaks english". I generate a lot of angry call center people, probably all over the world, but eventually I get back to somebody in the US.

If they're going to waste my time, I'm going to waste theirs.


4 posted on 01/16/2006 1:59:42 PM PST by wyattearp (The best weapon to have in a gunfight is a shotgun - preferably from ambush.)
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To: Blue Jays
Hi All-

The backlash against outsourced technology support has begun. I know of service contracts that have been written that mandate that all software technical support given to licensed clients will be provided by U.S.-based technicians.

Workers in those third-world countries change jobs when the company across the street offers $0.50 more per week in pay. Loyalty is completely non-existant and their software patches look like a plate of spaghetti. It was only a matter of time.

~ Blue Jays ~

5 posted on 01/16/2006 2:00:15 PM PST by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: jb6

Mujibar was trying to get a job in India.

The Personnel Manager said, "Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except one. Unless you pass it you cannot qualify for this job."

Mujibar said, "I am ready."

The manager said, "Make a sentence using the words Yellow, Pink and Green."

Mujibar thought for a few minutes and said, "Mister manager, I am ready."

The manager said, "Go ahead."

Mujibar said, "The telephone goes green, green, green, and I pink it up, and say, 'Yellow, this is Mujibar.'"

Mujibar now works as a technician at a call center for computer problems.

No doubt you have spoken to him.


6 posted on 01/16/2006 2:02:53 PM PST by Fischer1483
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To: Cyber Liberty
One word: Language.

I concur. It's odd, because I deal with a *lot* of foreign nationals with varying degrees of English, but the Indian accent is the most difficult for me to understand.

7 posted on 01/16/2006 2:07:25 PM PST by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† | Libs: Celebrate MY diversity! | Iran Azadi 2006 | Is it February yet?)
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To: wyattearp
Good idea. I wasted a half-hour waving a dead chicken for one of those clowns.

I'm going the "¡No comprende!" line from now on.

8 posted on 01/16/2006 2:09:07 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2006, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: sionnsar

Yeah, funny that they would pick that one particular language to go to....


9 posted on 01/16/2006 2:10:09 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2006, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: wyattearp

What pissed me off was the sunofabitch was having me do the exact same crap the website (and written instructions) had told me to do, and I had done.


10 posted on 01/16/2006 2:12:40 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2006, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: jb6

You can actually get college-educated Indian workers who speak excellent English....if you are willing to pay a higher salary.

But everyone appears to want excellent employees at very low prices.


11 posted on 01/16/2006 2:17:53 PM PST by proxy_user
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To: sionnsar
but the Indian accent is the most difficult for me to understand.

I can understand it easily...but only after about 6 years of college where a third of the professors and about a quarter of the students were Indian.

12 posted on 01/16/2006 2:39:38 PM PST by KarlInOhio (Hey Fat Ted: Alito is the judge, Mojito is what you're drinking. Try to remember the difference.)
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To: jb6
As a small business owner who doesn't have a lot of time to fritter away on calls to technicanl support, I get a little frosted whenever I cannot understand the technician. "Helllrro?"

I would GLADLY pay more for technical support or assistance if I could be guaranteed an American/English-speaking technician.

Of course, some days, I wish I could start speaking another language... fast.. like Spanish.. to some of the Indian technicians. LOL.

13 posted on 01/16/2006 3:00:42 PM PST by fuquadukie (If you can't hang with the big dogs, then don't jump off the porch.)
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To: Cyber Liberty

"...funny that they would pick that one particular language to go to...."

But that is because the Indians actually SPEAK english, for some it might even be their "best" language. I've worked with Indian immigrants and their english can be charming, I still use one expression I picked up from one woman, if something in our bookkeeping tasks was befuddling she would say "It is a quiz!". But the accents, esp. amoung those who have never left India can be very difficult.

I actually got rid of an Indian staffed tech company (located in NYC, not overseas) because the guys who actually did the work had very poor english and very thick accents. Over the phone you could not understand them. And the worse part was you were never sure they understood you!


14 posted on 01/16/2006 3:02:27 PM PST by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
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To: jb6

ROFL! ROFL! I used to work for a travel company that did just that...plus my (web development) team's jobs were sent to India, and I resigned in protest.

Oh sweet revenge, thine hour has come.

Regards, Ivan


15 posted on 01/16/2006 3:02:36 PM PST by MadIvan (You underestimate the power of the Dark Side - http://www.sithorder.com/)
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To: KarlInOhio
I can understand it easily...but only after about 6 years of college where a third of the professors and about a quarter of the students were Indian.

I'm getting a course in total immersion next month. Hope the conferees can understand my thick American accent...

16 posted on 01/16/2006 3:34:59 PM PST by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† | Libs: Celebrate MY diversity! | Iran Azadi 2006 | Is it February yet?)
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To: sionnsar

I worked with a Korean chef that spoke Spanish, but nobody could understand his Korean accented Spanish. LOL


17 posted on 01/16/2006 3:55:34 PM PST by perfect stranger
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