Overseas Call Centres

tru

My mum called her bank's customer services number, she got through to a foreign call centre. They couldn't help and said "I'll put you through to my colleague". They put her through to - her local branch :rotfl:

Peter-Pan_5

I agree with you dbuk44 I rang Sky got through to a Indian call centre ,I have a strong Scottish accent the guy Moses understood everything I said as he put me through to his colleague in Fife,he coudn`t understand me nor I him lol !!

Fifer

dbuk44 wrote:

Accents: An Indian accent is no more difficult to understand than some Scottish accents by some of us southerners (sorry Scot's :-) )

No need to apologise. We have as much of a problem with many SE English accents ...

grex9101

EdBrown wrote:

You may well have hated every minute, but then one mans meat is another .... etc.etc..

yep, you (almost) said it... POISON.

Call centres are a poison on todays society -
- low wages requiring us, THE TAXPAYERS to top them up via WTC
- low esteem for the majority of the call centre workers who are (like it or not) the bottom of the employment foodchain
- low unionisation of the workforce, leading to poor working practices, erosion of rights, and exploitation
- high degrees of stress, sickness and turnover among the employee workforce.

EdBrown wrote:

I know some UK call centre workers who have decent employers and (believe it or not) love their work, and I would rather have a customer service call centre employing a UK resident who understands the expectations and systems of the UK society.

Show me some call centre workers who (truly) love their job - those who would still do it even if they were not paid (you did say love, which is extreme).

EdBrown, put simply you are WRONG. The sooner this country is rid of these sweatshops the better. I expect you're the sort of person who would have defended slavery at the time. I suggest you stop standing on the backs of others.

EdBrown

grex9101 wrote:

yep, you (almost) said it... POISON.

Call centres are a poison on todays society -
- low wages requiring us, THE TAXPAYERS to top them up via WTC
- low esteem for the majority of the call centre workers who are (like it or not) the bottom of the employment foodchain
- low unionisation of the workforce, leading to poor working practices, erosion of rights, and exploitation
- high degrees of stress, sickness and turnover among the employee workforce.



Show me some call centre workers who (truly) love their job - those who would still do it even if they were not paid (you did say love, which is extreme).

EdBrown, put simply you are WRONG. The sooner this country is rid of these sweatshops the better. I expect you're the sort of person who would have defended slavery at the time. I suggest you stop standing on the backs of others.

Put simply: You are obviously soured by a bad experience, just because you were poorly paid and didn't enjoy the work doesn't mean that conditions are the same in call centres or that others do not enjoy their work.
In any case are you suggesting that if a job was like that across the whole spectrum of employers then it should be farmed out to another country, the inference being that 'they can do our dirty work'?

grex9101

EdBrown wrote:

Put simply: You are obviously soured by a bad experience, just because you were poorly paid and didn't enjoy the work doesn't mean that conditions are the same in call centres or that others do not enjoy their work.
In any case are you suggesting that if a job was like that across the whole spectrum of employers then it should be farmed out to another country, the inference being that 'they can do our dirty work'?

Soured, or enlightened?
I was actually paid ok, by all accounts. And the work was crap. It is for everyone who works in one, they only deny it because if their embarassment at working in one.

And, yes, they can do "our dirty work", and as far as i'm aware, they do! Let the people of this country work in an environment that is more year 2000 than 1900 by all accounts.

By the by, if you really think call centres are that great - PM me, I can get you a job in one starting monday.

RichyRich

I have worked in a number of call centres and I think it's great. To be fair though, calls weren't scripted and I was actually allowed to give customer service as opposed to standard responses, which can cause a lot of the problem. Bring call centres back - I for one enjoyed working there and talking to people about all kinds of things from all over the country.

EdBrown

I rest my case ...right environment = work satisfaction.
Also of course it needs the right aptitude to be able enjoy the work, a large element are unable to successfully relate to others as is often given away even in their style and tone of writing postings here even! If that is the case then obviously they are not suited to call centre work ... Lighthouse Keeper maybe.
Give me a UK call centre operator any day, and I'll do my best to avoid those companies using overseas call centres.

grex9101

ah, edbrown edbrown edbrown....

you didnt take me up on my offer. call centres can't be that great after all, eh?

notsolucky_2

hollydays wrote:

Have to say,the only one i dealt with has been lloyds tsb and had no problems re understanding,but left them cos they became too pushy re selling additional products.

Agree with you entirely on this, every time I go to CS in Lloyds they ask who is your mortgage with? can we give you a quote it gets on my nerves.