Overseas phone support, what is the real problem?

[wanderingjoe72]

Thanks to Mastro for starting this on the regular board with this The Transfer Game

I figured that as far as our company is concerned, the real objection to outsourced support reps is that they do not understand a lot of basic concepts regarding our product. It is not a matter of not being able to speak English, but the failure to understand basic financial concepts. It is the repeating of an issue multiple times so that the rep will understand what you are saying is what drives customers away. I have had plenty of customers tell me flat out that they will hang up and call back until they get an American.

The other problem is that they don't understand what they are doing, so they look for key words that make it another department's issue. Since certain types of support have to be US based, the reps find it easier to pass off calls rather than try and comprehend what the issues actually are.

We do have a feedback channel, but it doesn't appear to have any effect since the agents reported over and over are still there doing the same things.

So this is not about our outsourced agents being a certain race or nationality, but more that a certain nationality has concepts that are generally known through out the country. Outside of that country the ideas truly are foreign.

Examples, thoughts?

[Boozy]

So this is not about our outsourced agents being a certain race or nationality, but more that a certain nationality has concepts that are generally known through out the country.

For some people, it is about race or nationality. They could get the most experienced and knowledgeable rep the company has and still be unhappy because of a trace of an accent.

But for the rest of us, it's just damn frustrating at times. If I have to call my cable company, for example, I'm not doing it for my health. Chances are they screwed something up and I have to call and let them know. So why, in this circumstance, should I spend an extra ten minutes trying to get a poorly trained rep to understand what I'm saying? These companies save themselves a few bucks on labour by selling their customers' time.

Incidentally, I've run into this problem more often with domestic call centres than foreign ones. Companies don't have to go to India to cheap out on training.

[wanderingjoe72]

True, but my company has gone out of the country.

Statside call centers with poor service tend to be bottom of the barrel type places staffed with people that probably didn't apply themselves in school.
(granted there may be members here that have to work in a place like that since there are no alternatives in the town they are in, this is not about you)

It seems to me that this may be a case of education. In an overseas call center, if you can bluff your way through with enough english to get by, then you are filling a seat and it seems that is all they are trying to do. Companies are focusing on the wrong things. X amount of availability, calls answered in a certain amount of time, but not if the calls are actually resolved. Quality has gone out the window. If quality was the focus, the call centers would stay in the states and testing would be conducted prior to hiring and training would actually be a big budget item.

So your point is very valid. It is customer time that is being taken in the name of lower labor costs.

[daleduke17]

It is customer time that is being taken in the name of lower labor costs.

Not lower labor costs, lower prices for the consumer. /corporate

[anriana]

At my call center the outsourced centers routinely kicked our butts on quality scores.

Typical call beginning in my center:
"X Tech Support, how can I help you?"
"Blah blah blah"
"Okay, what's the phone number on the account?"
"Great, and the name and address?"
"Okay, have you powercycled yet?'

Typical call beginning in Indian and Filipino centers:
"Thank you very much for calling X Technical Support, this is Joe, how may I assist you today?"
"Blah blah blah"
"Oh no! I am so very sorry to hear that about your services ma'am. I will do everything I can to help you out today. Could I please have your phone number?"
"Thank you very much ma'am. Could you verify the name and address for me?"
"Oh, wonderful, thank you so much ma'am!"
etc


From what I've observed, a lot of the objection to outsourcing is about accent and the ability to communicate. The majority of "omg praise the lord yous 'merican" calls come from, well, people who talk like that with heavy accents and have difficulty understanding me and my elitist diction. I can somewhat understand why they wouldn't want to speak to someone with a different type of heavy accent.

[smileyeagle1021]

My biggest problem with outsourced call centers (and this applies to those kept in country but with a third party) is often times the agents will read off a script. I can work my way through the 1800 Holiday in 30 seconds if I reach the Phillipean center because I know their script and I have the answers to their questions before they ask... and trust me I've tried going off script for them and it doesn't work, even something so simple as "can I get the phone number for the Holiday Inn Express in Elko, I believe I left a phone charger there" is an ordeal. I've before been transferred back to the guest relations department in Salt Lake City to find out a phone number because the 800-Holiday agent thought I was trying to make a complaint against the hotel when I kept saying "no, I don't need to make a reservation, I do not have a reservation, I staid there and just need the phone number to check if I left something" thought that I must be filing a complaint against the hotel. I did however complain to the guest relations agent that the person in Manilla couldnt' answer a question like "what is the phone number to the elko hotel".

[Evandril]

My problems with overseas support are twofold...The first and primary one is purely the outsourcing of jobs from the USA, which I'm hoping is self-explanitory

The second is, from my experiences, stateside quality is better, as far as pure ability to answer the question goes. Overseas will be more polite...and give me the wrong answer, in *my* experiences. (and have cost amazon a few hundred dollars along the way ) If I have to work a bit harder to talk to some, to get the correct answer, that's fine...I might not like wasting my time, but what I care most about is getting the information I need.

[Slytovhand]

The first and primary one is purely the outsourcing of jobs from the USA, which I'm hoping is self-explanitory

No - please explain....

I'm thinking - being a call centre idiot, that the problem comes down to that simple ability for a person to be able to use the language that they know and understand - and speak. Australian English is my language - not Indian English. They may use the same basic set of vocabulary - but there are expressions and phrases well understood by most aussies that it's no issue. To a non-aussie, it's a problem.

I too have had that little problem of asking something fairly simple and basic and not being understood - and it is infuriating... and I'm naturally sarcastic, so you can imagine where that might lead things... So, it's both accent and colloquiallisms.... oh - and that damn parrot... (I have no idea who thought of it, but constantly repeating "I'm sorry for your inconvenience, sir" does not show empathy or understanding, and is far more infuriating that saying it once, and then fixing it!

Also, I would fail also on those quality ratings... I converse with my customers - I treat them like a person - not just another customer. And if the customer has a problem I'm damn sure they don't want it exacerbated by having to repeat themselves numerous times to be understood. (I've got enough problems doing that with the locals here!) And I've got a couple of regular callers who I'm almost recognising by voice alone, who I chat with (doesn't do much for the AHT ), but it's far better for building a positive perception of the company...(damn - I only just thought of that.. I'll have to stop that now).

[kiwi]

I think it can be a genuine problem if the person doesnt actually speak english

but I think many people hear accent and think OH LORDY NO!!!!

at the craft store we had a woman who spoke fluent and beautiful english, she spoke better english than I do but she had a slight Indian accent and her name was Indian.

as soon as customers heard this is person she would get the cat butt face (oh no shes serving me greeeeat) or if she answered the phone we would hear her say "but sir/maam I do speak english... here let me pass you on to a different staff member"

we were notirously unhelpful to those callers!

[Evandril]

Aye, I've always waited until *after* they couldn't help me to decide they didn't have a clue Admittedly, the times I've had problems were very specific issues, and could well have had similar problems stateside, but...*shrugs*

[vanima]

Also, I would fail also on those quality ratings... I converse with my customers - I treat them like a person - not just another customer. And if the customer has a problem I'm damn sure they don't want it exacerbated by having to repeat themselves numerous times to be understood. (I've got enough problems doing that with the locals here!) And I've got a couple of regular callers who I'm almost recognising by voice alone, who I chat with (doesn't do much for the AHT ), but it's far better for building a positive perception of the company...(damn - I only just thought of that.. I'll have to stop that now).

I work in a call center at a resort/casino (well part of the time i am there anyway)

I actually get better scores than MOST of my coworkers (there are about 5 of us out of 30 people that constantly get 100%) because i don't treat my guests as another customer.. they are my guests and i will do anything i can to assist them.. they are a person just like i am and i do not like being spoken to rudely so why would i do that to them.

the exception to that is when A) they start hitting on me over the phone because i have a cute voice {grr... that ticks me off} B) they are cursing at me {most of the time i say i am transferring them to a supervisor and hang up on them...} or C)they are straight out bitchy.. at which point i become mrs. Icy professional lady on the phone and not sweet southern girl

[Slytovhand]

Hey, Vanima, you sound cute... what time do you finish???

I had a thought tonight, after trying to fight through what I hope was merely a language barrier with an Indian taxi driver... because I've had such battles numerous times before on the phones, and with taxi drivers, and because of some of the horror stories I've heard, again from said taxi drivers, I think I might have become a bit racist towards such an accent. It's from all that repeating of the same question over and over and over again. Or giving the same answer over and over and over again (granted, I get that a few times from lots of different people... CS is full of that one!)

Which isn't even remotely fair, as I've had quite a bit of contact with other Indians in my more recent years (including now, in this call centre).

It's that word 'stereotype'... once you've encountered a few of an example who all seem similar in one respect, you start to think that that is what they are all like...

[Refkeila]

I have an issue with outsourcing certain kinds of call centres to places like India for one reason.. Someone who needs, say, tech support when all they know how to do is turn on a computer/phone and use it may not be able to understand the terms someone is using through an accent. Also, just my experience, Indian people are incredibly rude *over the phone* and refuse to listen to what you're saying. (Whether it's been me trying to get help from them, or them calling in.)

[vanima]

Hey, Vanima, you sound cute... what time do you finish???

I had a thought tonight, after trying to fight through what I hope was merely a language barrier with an Indian taxi driver... because I've had such battles numerous times before on the phones, and with taxi drivers, and because of some of the horror stories I've heard, again from said taxi drivers, I think I might have become a bit racist towards such an accent. It's from all that repeating of the same question over and over and over again. Or giving the same answer over and over and over again (granted, I get that a few times from lots of different people... CS is full of that one!)

Which isn't even remotely fair, as I've had quite a bit of contact with other Indians in my more recent years (including now, in this call centre).

It's that word 'stereotype'... once you've encountered a few of an example who all seem similar in one respect, you start to think that that is what they are all like...

*coughs then reaches through the computer to slap Slytovhand*

I try really hard to not get that stereotype when i am at work...i talk to MANY Asians daily.. and have the same problem with repetition.. drives me nuts but... its my job

and i do my job well

[smileyeagle1021]

Also, just my experience, Indian people are incredibly rude *over the phone* and refuse to listen to what you're saying. (Whether it's been me trying to get help from them, or them calling in.)

I had noticed that too the few times I got calls from India when I worked at the call center.
Though I will say, my biggest problems with Indians on the phone is that they always seem to talk so quietly then get upset when you don't understand them (which I guess is probably what we consider rude).