Does anyone else get fed up with having to call these overseas call centres?

Question

I do they never seem to be able to answer you questions and it just pees me right offf. I'm on the phone to Lastminute.com now... which isn't in England but is somewhere abroad and the guy is so incompetent. Why does Britian keep outsourcing when there is so much customer dissatisfaction with this....

I'm in England!!

yeah the call centres are usually based in India. I was trying to foind out whether my luggage tags would be sent out and the guy kept saying luggage tags, luggage tags.. it was infuriating..

Answer 1

I think we all do. Man I understand your frustration. I'm actually writing an assignment up about it right now and it's great that I came across your question searching for information.

It's only a matter of time before we all start buying things from the small guy again just for the face to face contact.

It's a shame you aren't in Australia, because there will be a piece on it on one of our nightly current affairs shows....sometimes just watching these shows and realising that you're not the only one feeling that way relieves the frustration. I particularly can't understand strong Indian accents. Theie entire culture is compleley different from ours too including general conversation - what I find offensive this Indian fella believed was regular conversation. (Mind you I have heard Indian women are lovely to have around particularly when it comes to new mothers)

I know next time I buy a PC, it wont be a HP, IBM, Dell (or any big manufacturer brand). I used to buy my personal computers from these guys because I trusted that I would get an reasonable after sales service - WELL THAT ISN'T THE CASE ANYMORE.

From now on it will be from the local PC shop because my chances are better he /she will be there for face to face contact if I need it rather than some rude Indian guy on a bad line that continously cuts out (get your technology right before outsourcing).

If you are a Manager considering outsourcing, I highly suggest you listen to us - don't do it. You'll only be setting up another office back in your home town in the next two years.

Maybe if we start hitting them at the hip pocket, they will finally start listening to us, the customer.

Answer 2

oh yes...it's so annoying. Although I'm not in England, I also encountered this problem in Singapore. I called my bank HSBC customer service hotline to request to waive off my penalty charge (I paid off before the bills come). The customer service officer (in strange accent) agreed to do so. I thought all is over. But the next thing i know was the bills charged me for not paying the bill with another penalty charge. I called them up again yet the officer said no problem. Gosh it went on for a few mths and my charges keep accumulating.

Until one day, I screamed at them and they got a Singapore based officer to follow up with me. I was hopping mad. I wonder what kind of job training they had? It really sucks.....

Answer 3

I hear ya sister!
I had problems with 3, they have a call center abroad. I spOKe to 15 different operatives in total, and i still getting my problem resolved.
They seem to read off of calling scripts, and when you give an answer that isn't on there, they reply, ''ok mam, i understand. - and you feel like shouting ''NO YOU BLOODY DON'T, IF YOU DID I WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE ON THE PHONE FOR SOOOOO LONG''
If you complain enough, you then get put through to a supervisor, who clearly had an extra days training in the art of the English language and they promise to speak to their line manager.

It's sad to say, but it is cheap labour! It's great for the workers, they have a job and money coming in, but it is completely frustrating for us, especially as the English, we love a good moan!

Answer 4

I get incredibly fed up. The solution: pay slightly more for things (e.g. gas, electricity, insurance) and they are more likely to have UK call centres. The cheaper a place is, the more likely it is they save money by having call centres in India. One company publicise the fact that they have UK only call centres: Direct Line. I use them for this very reason!

Answer 5

I hate it, the time delay on the answer, the echo on the line, and the made up names, thats the worst thing, people overseas have some beautiful names, why substitute Sobia for Susan,,,,it makes me annoyed that they are expected to use a "english" sounding name when it is obvious that they are not in the uk.

Answer 6

Yes very much so, My friend works for Sky in Livingston Scotland but there is also a call centre overseas, even she gets pi s s ed off when she has to talk to the cause they don't understand her, but its cheap for them, but they loss money i would say cause i know a few people including me who doesn't us sky anymore because i want to talk to someone that can understand what im saying x

Answer 7

Yes - It is very annoying whe you call for help and you can't understand them and they can't understand you and then you realise that you know more than they do anyway and hang up and still have the same problem that you started with.

UK call centres can be just as bad especially cold callers when they get really rude when you don't want to speak to them at 9.00 at night. I hate them more.

Answer 8

Yip. I used to work for BT Customer services for broadband and got so annoyed with having to phone our tech help as they were in india and it was like they were reading out of a frickin book like script. I try to avoid calling companys now by doing everything on line.

Answer 9

Yes, I find that the people on the other end of the phone dont understand me and I dont understand them and it just leads to a whole load of stress.
On one occassion when I was booking a holiday I had to spell out EVERYTHING and the call lasted forever. Ban them I say!

Answer 10

I don't like calling overseas call centers. If I call a call center overseas to activate a charge card and they try selling me something, I tell them I only purchase services from people sitting in America.