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Overseas Phone Operators

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by Breeze147, Mar 11, 2015.

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  1. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    Okay, look, I'm treading very lightly on the edges of political correctness here, but I just have to voice what to me is a perplexing and unsolvable problem, overseas phone operators (I don't know another term) who you have to deal with for the most routine of transactions and whom I can barely understand.

    Okay, yesterday, I'm rolling over my vehicle lease to purchase the vehicle. I get a guy from somewhere on planet Earth and not only can I not understand a word he is saying, I thought he might be speaking through a throat talking device. He kept talking about sending me a fax and I told I don't have access to a fax machine. He would say "Yes, sir, I am sending a fax and a letter with your application." It came across like I was talking to a robot from India (Oh, please forgive me, people of Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Sri Lankan or any other ethnic group that just got horribly offended, but I'm dealing with my money here).

    After I finally got that part, he starts talking about cancelling my automatic bank payment. I'm like what? You're going to cancel my what? Finally I get that he is cancelling the automatic payment for the lease and starting the application for the payment to the loan after I agree to the terms. This took about 15 minutes to get across to me.

    I finally repeat back what I think I am agreeing to and he says, "Yes, sir, thank you. I am sending you a fax. Have a wonderful day." And hangs up.

    This is Ally Bank, a well known and as far as I know, reputable establishment, that I have done business with in the past with no problems.

    This whole situation has driven me bug nuts for years and it will never, ever change.

    I could go on but I already know a mod is going to delete this for pc reasons, but I hope at least someone hears my cries.

    Edit: Nuts, this should be in the misc. chat section. Sorry.
     
  2. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    This is part of your problem right here. Not saying Ally isn't reputable, but its a purely online bank whose business is based on operating at absolute minimal costs. So you can't be too surprised with customer service issues like that.

    Not that I don't feel your pain. I don't have any issues with banks, I have US (usually NYC based) reps to talk to at the places I bank. But I have my own horror stories for other services when I'm dealing with a call center overseas, and my family is from one of those countries! In fact, a couple times when they see my name they have dropped the facade and it gets even weirder.
     
  3. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    I've used this line in the past with some success:
    "I'm sorry, but I'm really having trouble understanding you. Is there somebody else I could talk with?"
    Try it next time....and you know there will be a "next time"!
    :beer:
     
    Annual Spring Trip!
  4. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    My nephew runs call centers all over the world for major US corporations. I don't know how anyone can travel 2 million + miles a year, but that's another subject. On the rare occasions I get to see him he talks about the training these people receive. First of all they are all given US sounding names, but then they are trained to use phrases we all are familiar with to pretend you are not talking to a foreigner, but it usually fails miserably. The training sounds like a boot camp.

    BTW Breeze, I think Ally Bank is the old GMAC. General Motors credit arm that was spun off.
     
  5. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    I know the money doesn't just sit in a vault down the street, but when it comes to this kind of stuff I like having a place where I can walk in, see someone I'll also see at the store or out in town, and start getting answers. And, I don't think it is anything but logical that when it is a long-distance relationship to want to deal over the phone with someone of the same socio-cultural milieu and for whom communicating in our brand of English is not a struggle.

    I might not have a choice with my anti-virus software, but non-offshore banking institutions abound.
     
  6. hawki39

    hawki39 Low-Roller

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    The OP and Ken's post hit the nail on the head. I've dealt with the same issues while solving Straight Talk phone issues and just lately dealing with the Spirit flight cancelation. Luckily, that went smoothly.
    Years ago, I had a run in with the SEARS credit department over seas center. I asked to speak to some one else with a better understanding of the English language....I actually got a guy who was even worse. I also like when they use their American names...:rolleyes2:
     
  7. FullBoat

    FullBoat VIP Whale

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    I work for a company that has do deal with different Internet providers. I always hate calling Att and Verizon. It's always someone that doesn't understand that I'm 1000 miles from the modem. And some of the help desks are even worse. This was in a ticket they created "Wireless DSL is down. Please do the needful" talking about it with them is even worse. Telling the person SEVERAL times that it's either wireless OR DSL can't be the same thing. Something to try is asking for a supervisor. A lot of times they've had more English training. And I want to laugh every time one of them says their name is "Bob". Hope that rant wasn't too un-PC.
     
  8. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

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    I don't mind overseas call centers as long as they know their sh!t. I get more ticked off by CSRs who don't even know what they're talking about.
     
  9. Jerseyguy

    Jerseyguy MIA

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    You are bad man ,very,very bad I tell you.
     
  10. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    One of my clients is one of the major call center providers. They have two offices in the Las Vegas area, which explains why I'm in LV on business semi frequently.

    As an aside, the preferred term is "Agent" or "Customer Service Representative" (CSR). But anyway.

    This company offers their clients, including, yes, some major non-brick-and-mortar banks, many options regarding their call handling. One is for Stateside agents who speak flawless American English. That is the most expensive option and many companies think mainly with their pocketbooks!

    One of the least expensive options is India. Why? India has many highly-educated and very bright people who need a job and are very willing to work for much less than a Statesider would. That's the good news. The bad news is that even with coursework for accent-neutralization, they are sometimes very difficult to understand for those in the States who are not used to their voices. Another issue is that the phone call has to go, literally, halfway around the world, and there are sometimes, make that often, call quality issues. Yeah, they adopt oh-so-phony faux Stateside names. "Thank you for calling, this is Peggy ..." :)

    A compromise between cost and voice familiarity is the Philippines, which has become very popular lately. It tends to be a bit more expensive than India, but Statesiders appear to prefer the accent to that of those in India.

    My suggestion is that if you can't understand the agent on the other end, excuse yourself, hang up, and call back. Except in rare circumstances you'll get a different agent, and you may get someone in a different country.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2015
  11. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    I understand the issues. Sometimes, I'll have fun with them and ask how the weather is in India. My favorite reply, from a lady, was "It is India. It is always hot in India."

    It's just when I have an important issue, which I considered this one to be, I don't want to dick around.

    Once, it took me 40 minutes to cancel a doctor's appointment at an office that was 7 miles away. I could have driven there and back in the time it took.
     
  12. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    Don't laugh at that! There were test cases where the answering of fast food drive-up squawk boxes was answered in offshore call centers!
     
  13. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    Now that's funny!
     
  14. BlacklabberMike

    BlacklabberMike MIA

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    did you do the finger wave babu ?:haha::haha:
     
  15. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    There are tons of call centers in India and new ones opening all the time. Just like any booming industry there are some superb ones and lots of crappy ones. I will bet you anything that you've spoken to someone at one of the superb ones and had no idea that they weren't American. But those firms charge a lot more, so if you're talking to a crappy call center its because the company you're a customer of doesn't really care and is spending as little as possible. They know full well what they're getting.
     
  16. bswim

    bswim High-Roller

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    Let's not forget prisons right here in the US as well. I've talked to several women on the phone in prisons that had call centers. At times I wished I was talking to someone in India................

    Giving access to our credit files to 3rd world countries and prisoners............I'm sure nothing could ever go wrong with that..............
     
  17. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    I remember that one, there was a news story on it. Apparently the fast food place thought it would be more efficient to use the call center to take orders but I guess that didn't pan out (like everyone says, the language problem, understanding local dialects, etc.). Even now though at McD's for drive though orders we have someone like a sup taking the orders but another guy taking your money.

    Like dmr mentioned, the minute you have a problem communicating it is always best to ask for a supervisor and if you have a problem with that then ask for a higher up and lastly hang up and hope you get another call center when you call back. No sense trying to communicate the wrong information. I was lucky, some times I would hang up and catch an American call center so I guess many of these firms have multiple call centers handling their calls. I did catch a call center from the Philippines once, it was great because that person spoke perfect English and we could converse easily.

    It is unfortunate but international call centers cost much less than local American call centers. In india it probably cost pennies to pay employees, that's why many companies outsource their call centers to other countries.
     
  18. LVHooked

    LVHooked High-Roller

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    Ahhhhhh…..Welcome to my hell, I own a small towing company, and do work for some motor clubs. (not AAA) Imagine your traveling and break down in a strange area, you call your trusty motor club, you can barely understand the dispatcher, but they get the info put in the system, then a different dispatcher calls me, I can barely understand them, and either give up or take the call and call the customer directly. Then I find out the customer isn’t anywhere near me, so I tell him to call his MC back and start over, because I’m sure as hell not spending ½ hour on the phone cancelling and getting it re-dispatched.

    My favorite at one time was Geico, they were based in Florida I think, most dispatchers had a nice southern twang, and some worked from home, you would hear kids screaming, dogs barking, but I could always understand them.

    Now I do very few motor club calls, so its not that big a deal, but over the last few months with the nasty winter we had, they made me crazy trying to get me to take their calls.
     
  19. FullBoat

    FullBoat VIP Whale

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    My problem with the over seas centers isn't that I can't understand them. Sure, it's hard to understand them sometimes, but I've dealt with people from all over the world in the work place, and I've gotten used to the accent. My problem is that they just keep repeating themselves over, and over, and over. They get stuck in what we call "script loop". They read their script, and can't think of anything else to say. A good example of this... Was talking to a "large toy company's" help desk. They wanted us to send a tech out to power cycle their modem(something we never do). I just kept telling him, that we don't send tech's out for that, "so when will tech be there?", we don't do that "so tech will be there?". I told him we'd have to charge them $500 for that. "So tech will be there?" this goes on for another 10 min...
    Me: I need you to say that you OK the $500 cost
    Them : Tech will be there?
    Me: No, I need you to say the words that you're authorizing the $500 cost of the dispatch.
    Them: So tech will be there?
    Me: OK, we're going in circles. I need to talk to your supervisor.
    Them: OK, we call back... click

    I really wish I knew of that magic phrase about 3 years ago. :thumbsup:
     
  20. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Who can forget this gem...

    [video]https://youtu.be/F8L2cI8brzQ[/video]
     
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