Would an Indian call centre put you off an account?

Tetsuko

I'm so fed up with calling to make enquiries about my phone, mobile credit card etc and getting an indian who either had no idea what I am talking about, can't vary from their script or who tries to sell me additional services that I didn't want and didn't call about in the first place, that I just don't tolerate it anymore.

It sounds harsh but I'm just fed up wasting my time with it all. If I call a company or I get a phone call at home and I hear an indian voice on the other end I just hang up.

highguyuk

It perhaps should put me off - but it doesn't.

Most systems have email facilities to contact them now anyway. So, I'd probably try to contact them this way if possible.

cazziebo

youknowwho wrote: »

You will find that general customer services dont follow a script, how could they script a genreal query which could be about anything? The ppl with scripts are for example when you activate your card, they will go through their script asking if you want to do a bt, want PP, want to set up DD. thats when they folow a script.

Not in my experience from either side of the fence - and that is in banking, helplines and technical support. I've done consultancy work with many call centres - telecoms, consumer goods, financial services, tech support - and the bulk of first line support work is scripted . Scripts are no substitute for training.

CopperPlate_2

All hail first direct and direct line. A UK based call centre for each, where I am understood, my instructions are understood and I understand them.

Sheer bliss. No 0870 numbers, no talking to SEVEN different people, each of whom hasn't got a clue what I am saying nor really cares that much either.

Gaz83

I work for a UK company that has an Indian-based call centre. I could write a book with the endings of the phrase "I'm not racist, but..." that I've heard since I joined them.

"I'm not racist, but I just don't ever want to speak to an Indian."

"I'm not racist, but can't you train your Indian staff to speak with a Scottish accent?"

...and my all time personal favourite...

"I'm not racist, but I just don't think Indian people are proper human beings."

CopperPlate_2

That is shocking. I think there is a very fine line between not wanting to deal with off-shore call centres (wherever they might be) because of the shortcomings they have, and phrases like the above which are clearly racist.

I have an issue with companies that off shore operations to anywhere in the world when, to call that centre, causes extreme difficulty for the customer. It doesn't matter if that centre is in the States, South America, India, Australia or Eastern Europe. If the standard of customer service isn't there, I won't use them if I can help it. Now the issue of 'language barriers' comes up here in with customer service - and training - people from different parts of the UK have differing strengths of local accent which, lets be fair, someone from one end of the country might have difficulty understanding someone from the other end, but with the right training and politeness (?) this 'barrier' can usually be overcome.

I think where the problem lies is that it's all too frequently the 'Indian' call centre that gets blamed, when in all honesty the customer really hasn't got a clue which country in Asia, etc. it is and yet uses broad brush language which can be dangerous.