WARNING: First Direct now using overseas call centres

callum9999

I rarely have issues with overseas call centres - I even find some of them easier to understand than the Irish or Scottish call centres I've connected to in the past!

I can't help but feel that the reason people are randomly having problems with Indian call centres but not with British call centres is simply a numbers game. Most of the time you seem to be routed overseas, so most of the time that's where the problems are. Logically, there is no reason why an overseas call centre can't have the same powers and ability as a UK based call centre - and most of the problems I see people rambling about are because that specific company has set up their call centres so the foreign centres are basic, read-from-a-script operations while their UK centres can actually do stuff. So the problem isn't actually the physical location of the centre - but that is the thing highlighted (perhaps inherent xenophobia (we all have it even if it's just marginal - even those of us who wouldn't dream of consciously having such thoughts!)?).

Eddi_the_Seahorse

My main issue with overseas call centres is the fact that they are taking away jobs from our own countrymen. NO UK-based company should be sending work abroad whilst we have such high unemployment at home. :mad:

100saving

Eddi_the_Seahorse wrote: »

My main issue with overseas call centres is the fact that they are taking away jobs from our own countrymen. NO UK-based company should be sending work abroad whilst we have such high unemployment at home. :mad:

I agree but i also see that the reason for this must costings and if its saves them money that inturn could get passed on to me in somelittle way then so be it.

The only issue i have with this type of thing is if the person on the phone can understand me and i can understand them. I have my phone with 3 and whenever i need to call them its like talking to a wall they have no idea what i am saying and i can't even start to understand them sometimes.

100saving

also just as a note should the gov. not put some sort of law in place as banks that are owned by the tax payer must have a % of the staff working in the UK?

The banks are owned by us so why not help lower the unemployment levels?

mrmajika

Well that was worth dragging up an 18 month old thread for.

moggsy

I've been a First Direct customer for many years and have always spoken to their very friendly and efficient Leeds personnel. However over the last few days I have been badgered by First Direct's Indian call centre with regards to an ISA transfer - so it's no longer just their fraud detection team who are based there.

The thing is I didn't realise that FD had an overseas call centre team so was very surprised to hear a heavily accented voice say they were from FD - I immediately suspected a fraudulent call and just hung up.

On the third such call I challenged them and had a chat with the lady who admitted she was in India. She was very nice but she couldn't understand a lot of what I was saying which is my personal problem with Indian call centres. When you speak to someone in a call centre you MUST have a good understanding of the conversation taking place . This is especially true when it comes to banking matters.

Conversations with Indian call centres are generally hard work as you have to dumb down what you are saying so that the person on the other end speaking a second language on a poor phone line can understand you.

I really hope FD don't start to make use of this Indian call centre on a more regular basis as has been rumoured in the past as that would force me to move my account which would be a shame after all these years of good service.

I notice that they have recently more than doubled their ISA interest rate (which is why I am moving my ISA back to them) but hope this hasn't come at the expense of using cheaper overseas personnel. I suspect it has though.

Archi_Bald

moggsy wrote: »

I notice that they have recently more than doubled their ISA interest rate

Are you certain about this? Nobody else has reported anything like this.

iAMaLONDONER

FD would probably lose a lot of customers if it really did abandon it's UK call centres!

sartois

iAMaLONDONER wrote: »

FD would probably lose a lot of customers if it really did abandon it's UK call centres!

Yes and I would be one of them... I sometimes find it quite tricky to understand them more often than not and end up having to ask them to repeat what they said.

FD went through a phase of declining any transactions abroad, and then calling me (expensive international call rates) asking the vaguest of security questions (favourite word... seriously... who remembers what they put for that 5 years ago), and then when failed that had to endure another 15 failed questions...

I sent them an email complaint though about one particular experience and they compensated me £100 for wasting my time and to cover the call charge, so they are still good eggs in my book

moggsy

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Are you certain about this? Nobody else has reported anything like this.

Yes they increased their rates in November (unless you have over £20,000 in there as they decreased that rate).

'From 1 November, the bank will increase the rate on balances up to £4,999 from 0.5% to 1.3%. The rate on balances from £5,000 to £9,999 will rise from 1.2% to 1.5%.'

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/first-direct-increase-isa-rates-111548033.html