Outsourcing and Dead Presidents
6/25/2005
I am currently travelling, and while I am on the road I often have to use dialup internet access. So I signed up with a popular large ISP in the US. For legal reasons I cannot state their name, but they might have a symbol of a globe in their logo. Actually what the heck, I live in Russia and my wife is a Russian lawyer, let them try to get me. It's Earthlink.
Now Earthlink is a good ISP and has probably more access numbers in the US than anyone else. The issue I have is with their support. When something DOES go wrong as things sometimes do, its quite difficult to get them to look at it if they have not already detected it themselves.
Earthlink like many US companies has outsourced their call center to India. Call their US number, and boom you are connected to India. Now before I continue I want to disclaim that I have no problems with offshoring, nor am I one who thinks that we should pay Americans ten times the money for the SAME job just because they are Americans. But in some cases there are other factors..... I also want to state that the Indians at Earthlink that I spoke with were all very polite, and honestly trying to help. The problem is not the Indians in this case - but how Earthlink has set this up. As HSBC says, sometimes a little local knowledge goes a long way....
This is not an exact transcript as this is from memory a few weeks ago, and I have taken a bit of poetic license. But it is amazingly close. My text is in italics. I have also stripped out much of the boring parts about me trying to get my problem resolved.
Call 1:
Laura: Hello, this is Laura. How may I help you?
I am looking for some more access numbers. The one I have is problematic.
Laura: Ok, I can help you. Where are you located now?
I am in Orlando.
Laura: What state is that in?
Call 2
Hillary: Hello, this is Hillary. How can I help you?
Are you in India? Everytime I call I get someone with an Indian accent. Its not a problem mind you, I am just curious.
Hillary: No, sir.
Where are you located?
Hillary: Where are you calling from today sir?
I am in the United States. (I'm never one to make it easy on others!)
Hillary: Yes. But where exactly?
I am in Florida.
Hillary: That's where we are too. Florida.
What city?
Hillary: Los Angeles. (For those that dont live in the US, Los Angeles is in California, 4000 km away)
Call 3
Abraham: Hello, this is Abraham. How can I help you?
Abraham - Are there a lot of Abraham's in India? I wasnt aware that Arabaham was significant in the Hindu religion?
Abraham: Well, actually no.
I'm curious. Can I ask how you became to be called Abaham and how come every time I call noone has a traditional Hindu name? I've had a lot of Indian friends and to be honest I've never met so many with Christian names.
Abraham: Well my real name is Satish. But our names scared many people off so they told us each to pick a familiar name that Americans would be comfortable with.
Interesting. Abraham is kind of an old name here though. How did you choose Abraham?
Abraham: Well, we don't know a lot of Americans other than from movies or history. So I am Abraham Lincoln.
Well that explains who Hillary was I spoke with earlier.
Abraham: Do you want to speak with Hillary Clinton again?
Call 4
John: Hello, this is John. How can I help you?
Kennedy?
John: No sir, I am John Hancock.
(Wow. I've always admired Thomas Jefferson. Maybe I can speak with
him!)
Can I speak with Thomas?
John: Thomas Payne or Thomas Jefferson?
Jefferson please.
Thomas: Hello, this is Thomas. How can I help you?
Is there really a National Treasure buried in Philadelphia? If so, can you please transfer me to Benjamin Franklin? (Wow! I cannot believe Nicholas Cage had to steal the Declaration of Indpendence to find it, when all he had to do was call Earthlink!)
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