But your one of them!

[WouldYouLikeToBuyAPhone?]

Me: Welcome to <My Company> you're speaking with <Me>
SC: Yes I have a problem with my bill blah blah explains problem
Me: Ok, you've called sales. For a billing problem, you need to speak to billing.
SC: Are they overseas?
Me: yes
SC: (All theatrical) oh WHY do you do that?
Me:... Do what?
SC: Why do you have callcentres overseas?
Me: I'm not sure exactly why, I assume it's to do with cost.
SC: Well I don't want to speak to a foreigner. I want you to fix this.
Me: I don't know how to fix it. Billing are the only ones who can help you.
SC: but they DONT help. All they do is frustrate you and make you cry!

Blah blah rinse lather and repeat. Now, this just sounds like every day racist suckiness, yes? No. What made her extra sucky, was that she, herself, was a foreigner. Complete with the thick accent that requires me to ask her to repeat at least every second sentence. And the kicker? Neither of us ever specified a country. Her beef was with ALL foreigners, so I can only assume that includes herself.

Dickhead.

[RootedPhoenix]

Ow. Powerful stupid is...... powerful.
*goes to find aspirin* Anyone else need any.....?

[cinema guy]

I have to say I really struggle with overseas call centres, because I am partially deaf and understanding accented people is extremly difficult.

I also have trouble with local call centres when the staff have strong accents, like the Irish lady who I dealt with today.

So I can understand the frustration.

[phantasy]

Most overseas callcenters have at least 1 or 2 native english speakers. In my call center, theres about 20 callers, and 3 of them, including myself are native english speakers.

Still, she didn't have to be so rude. What an idiot.

*eagerly holds hand out for aspirin*

[iradney]

I guess I'm going against the grain - I LURVE accents. One of our customers has a thick Irish accent, and I could listen to him talk AAAAAALL day *swoon*

[zzapp the witch]

Meh, I don't mind as long as they're polite and actually trying to help me, I remember helping one guy in India with his pronunciation. (He couldn't say "technical," but seemed very happy after I helped him with it).

[Andara Bledin]

I guess I'm going against the grain - I LURVE accents. One of our customers has a thick Irish accent, and I could listen to him talk AAAAAALL day *swoon*

I love accents, too, including Indian ones.

I don't love heavy accents, an imperfect grasp of the language, and often inadequate training when I'm trying to get a problem fixed. I know that not all outsourced call centers are like that (witness Gk's workplace), but Earthlink, for example, is a poster child for everything that's wrong with outsourced customer service. My favorite thing they'd do was if you asked to speak to anyone other than the rep that had been helping you, they'd put you on hold and then drop the call. Every. single. time.

^-.-^

[BeeMused]

I don't love heavy accents, an imperfect grasp of the language, and often inadequate training when I'm trying to get a problem fixed.

Grrrrr, yes that's one of my pet peeves too. Perhaps 9 or 10 years ago I had to talk to a company who had outsourced their callcenter. The agent barely spoke German, I mean when I call a German company's callcenter I expect to speak German. I couldn't get her to understand my problem, so I asked if she spoke english, luckily she did (she sounded like a native speaker) and finally I was able to get my problem solved. After that I asked to speak to a supervisor to complain.
I don't mind, if they have a light accent and perhaps make some grammar mistakes as long as they understand me and I understand them, but this was clearly not acceptable.

[Plaidman]

Am I the only one who's first thought on reading the title was


ONE OF US! ONE OF US!!


On the other side, uh, I can read your avatar's first word WouldYouLikeToBuyAPhone?, but not the line under it. What's it say?

[Andara Bledin]

On the other side, uh, I can read your avatar's first word WouldYouLikeToBuyAPhone?, but not the line under it. What's it say?

Here's a shot of the demotivational in question:
http://n1.cdn.spikedhumor.com/1/7240...ter13_1_vw.jpg

^-.-^

[RootedPhoenix]

Accents are lovely things. I love lots of them. I have one myself.
It was the SC's attitude that got me, though. Grah.

[Zeddmore]

Accents are lovely things. I love lots of them. I have one myself.
It was the SC's attitude that got me, though. Grah.

Funny how the topic turned to the subject of accents, because when I read the title of I sort of heard it in the voice of Alan Rickman pretending to be one of the hostages in "Die Hard" (That's pretty tricky with that accent. You oughta be on f***ing TV with that accent.)

[Andara Bledin]

... when I read the title of I sort of heard it in the voice of Alan Rickman pretending to be one of the hostages in "Die Hard" ...

Mmm... Rickman...

Um, what were we talking about?

^-.-^

[WouldYouLikeToBuyAPhone?]

On the other side, uh, I can read your avatar's first word WouldYouLikeToBuyAPhone?, but not the line under it. What's it say?

It say 'i'm going home' :-)

I do appreciate that it sucks talking to someone overseas, I don't much like it myself. It just shits me when people excect us to make allowances for them cos their special. You've got 2 choices - speak to someone in India, or continue to have a broken phone. If I could fix it, I would, simply to end this stupid arguement.

[Miranda Rights]

A couple weeks ago, my boss (who is an insane crazy person) had an extended conversation with a bank representative with a heavy accent. At no point during the discussion was his accent an impediment. At the conclusion of their relevant business, she asked where he was located. He said India. She proceeded to give him a piece of her mind on how he was stealing American jobs, quoting employment statistics from our city, and basically calling him every name she could think of, including heathen, bloodsucker, etc. He remained silent throughout, and when she was done, he said politely, "Yes, ma'am. May Vishnu bless you," and hung up. I sort of love that man.