Re: The last Indian Call Centre...
Personally, I have no real problem with outsourcing help desks to some arse end of the planet where they pay the workers whatever passes for minimum wage there - and their training consists of ability to read from a script, because, let’s, be honest, the vast, vast majority of customer issues can probably be fixed with a simple ‘turn it off and on again response’.
My issue is with companies who don’t go beyond this, they have no second or third line support, or if on paper they do, it’s actually one ancient greybeard engineer who it is impossible to contact directly, and even if you could they are snowed under with work and may get around to your problem by December!
And a large number of companies accept this as a viable support model, it’ll probably work for, 90% say of customer’s issues, but if it doesn’t for you personally, well ’sucks to be you really, doesn’t it?’
In a way, I suppose that’s an example of capitalism in action, no doubt some bean counter in Comcast or Virgin Media (other equally useless providers are available on both sides of the pond) has run the spreadsheet calculations and determined that if we do this, it maximises income!
At least here in the UK, there are a number of much smaller, niche, internet providers, who, yes, charge more for a particular service but do pride themselves in having first-rate support provision, with call centres in the UK and operatives fully trained and knowledgable on the products, plus an ability to escalate.
I, understand, though, from my American colleagues, that isn’t necessarily the case in the US. The vast majority of people have, at most, a choice of one or two providers, both equally useless.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
