Why are our customer services people of an ethnic backround?...?

Question

Most of them are fresh to the country with a thick, thick accent that I cant understand. I was speaking with 1 asian guy from a certain bank( he was trying his best to help me) but I couldnt understand a single word he was saying. It frustrates the crap out of me. No doubt it frustrates them too. You have a foreigner who's 1st language is different from the country he is providing verbal assistance or communications to, they may be very smart, but the accent is extremely hard to understand. -further to my conversation with C/S (bank) I asked him nicely to transfer me to an australian.... needless to say he wasnt too happy about that!!

Answer 1

I don't know but, yes, it is frustrating. It takes forever to get your message or question across - It's difficult for me to even hear them! They're smart, no doubt, but difficult to understand.

Answer 2

Yes, all is true about companies outsourcing overseas, even hiring locally to anyone willing to take a less than average pay. But, with my experience in dealing with the 'new breed' of customers service . . . you get what you pay for. Companies are going to pay for this in the long run because I have found that more often than not, through all the 'trying to interpret' what is being said, they really don't know what they are talking about. Especially when it comes to computer/networking support. It will hurt them when enough people get tired of the BS they are being fed and go with a company that knows what they are doing - even if it means it turns out to be like the motorcar business. Many people will not buy a car that is built overseas, perhaps people will start considering where a companies customers service is located as well, or at least the quality of service (lost concept).

Answer 3

Because company's are getting cheap as hell. They outsource the jobs that should be here. They figure out why pay someone in the states 12-20 dollars an hour depending on where U live in the states. When they can pay someone in another country like India 5-8 dollars an hour to do the same job. They are cheap bastards.

Answer 4

i understand your point but have you thought that the language they're using is already their third (oh how amazing they are to be able to speak many languages) and of course, accent will be a trouble. (try speaking another language...your accent will definitely be different and odd)...try understanding them more...

and when you asked to be transferred...the problem is that some call center/ customer service companies do not allow their agents to transfer a call to a specific agent unless you ask for a supervisor.

And the C/s guy's mistake is that he should've been more polite and she should've tried adjusting his accent for the Caller's sake......and vice versa

and yeah, the labor or salary is cheaper..

but people, not because customer service agents are asians or peope came from an ethnic background, you could just 'insult' them. be more respectful and try to be in their shoes

Answer 5

You are soooo brave asking this..no doubt the Liberal L word watchers will give you hard time over this...
..In the UK we are constantly getting put through to Indian call centres and the worst company for this is non other than British Telecom (aka Yahoo!) .. Nothing racist what so ever about this - Indians are ok! people - but .. when you are from Glasgow and speak a da okaye da noo ... and someone in Delhi says to you gggooooddahhmornigkmissyjackpihong whhatrrrrrrryorrrrrracccccoonnnnntnuberrrrrrrpleeehhhsss ... Outsourcing my azz... !

Answer 6

I would think that it has to be frustrating on their end and thank you for expressing your own frustration a lot more sympathetically and eloquently than most others that I've heard. I take it that although they may or may not be new to the country, customer service positions may have a lot more benefits and fewer physical hardships than labor positions. Besides, it might be easier for them to keep that position if they're going to school on the side. I think I would rather have a customer service rep who's hard to understand than a doctor whose English is unbelievably broken.

Answer 7

If you call a customer service hotline it is because they ARE in another country. Many times, companies outsource their customer service to other countries because it is cheaper for them rather than having to pay an American (or person whose first language is English) a larger amount of money. Many people working overseas work for a lot let money. When you call customer service, the call is routed to the outsourced country.

If you were talking to them face-to-face then they are foreign probably because they work for less money.

Answer 8

So heavily y'all... why do you answer a question if all you will do is supply the guy crap for asking. Its stupid! Its like while human beings are at school, no ask your self the human beings interior the international have become dumber, they are to scared to ask questions via fact they only get crap for it! And yet another ingredient, ethnic history skill the place their kin got here from.. England, Greece, Italy, Europe specially, Africa, Asia. no longer 'white, black, or who supplies a crap!' So end being jerks and don't answer a question with some stupid lame answer which you do no longer even know the authenticity too! It in basic terms exhibits your lack of information.

Answer 9

because of the cheap labour, call centres are now being set in up in India and many other asian countries to act as receptions to big corperations. The result is poor customer services, employment being taken from our own countries and greedy corperate bosses taking home rediculously high wages!!!

Answer 10

Many companies have outsourced customer service to India in particular. English is widely spoken and they work cheap. Hewlett Packard comes to mind as one of the companies that have done this.