Outsourcing

[Bruscar]

I was depressed last night so I called Lifeline.
I got a call center in Pakistan.
I told them I was suicidal.
They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

ummmmmm, wow?

 

[chillHayze]

I think that was a ...joke?

 

[Bruscar]

Ya think?!

 

[Jesse17]

I know what you mean. When I call my credit card company, they say "Ya, it helps your credit rating if you max out your credit card, and it's easier for us to economically take over your country. When you're capitalist pigs dollar goes down the drain."

Yes, just joking....but I to am sick of calling a tech support to get some guy that doesn't speak English, and could care less about helping an AMERICAN!

 

[arturo7]

Yes, just joking....but I to am sick of calling a tech support to get some guy that doesn't speak English, and could care less about helping an AMERICAN!

Take your pick, A) tech support from Asia, or B) double the price of your tech gadget. Most people have chosen A.

As to your reference for being an AMERICAN!, I would guess the tech on the other end of the line doesn't really know and doesn't really care if you are an AMERICAN! or not. He/she likely takes calls from all over the globe treats them all the same.


(Obviously, I'm feeling a wee bit hornery tonight)

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Outsourcing isnt for civillans anymore-

Here in Afganistan I would say that 80% of the base is run by civillians. Hell civillans control the tower! WTF?

Military is no longer self sufficient. We have to have these civs working here supporting us making 5X what the troops are.

 

[Chris_Dog]

I heard that Dell computer had moved their tech support back stateside. In my short search I can't find anything to support that. Have you guys heard that?

 

[EvilTOJ]

I believe that Dell moved their business account tech support stateside again, but their consumer level (joe schmoes like us) still have to talk to india.

 

[Kevin Dean]

I'll play devils advocate here...

The people in India answering my support questions speak better English than the Mexican-Americans working the drive through in McDonalds and I visit McDonalds more often than call support.

What really gets me (You listening Belkin???) is when you call, and hear in a horrifically thick accent "Hell-O. Than Que for Ca lling Belkin Tech Nical Sup Port - I am called Paul How can I help pew?"

 

[david_42]

Good bit of humor.

Having a call center in the US doesn't help much if people are forced to follow a script. My business partner's phone was being blocked from calling me & my phone company wanted to send a service tech to my house! "And there will be a $50 charge if the problem is inside the house." How in the world could a single incoming number be blocked by a problem with the wiring? Why send a field tech out, when it is clearly a programming problem? Scripts and the brainless people who write them.

And, yes, they STILL assigned the call to a field tech. When he called and I explained, he was more than a little pissed. Oddly enough, after three more conversations with people that couldn't find any problem with the programming, the problem disappeared.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Outsourcing isnt for civillans anymore-

Here in Afganistan I would say that 80% of the base is run by civillians. Hell civillans control the tower! WTF?

Military is no longer self sufficient. We have to have these civs working here supporting us making 5X what the troops are.

You can thank Gramm (TX) and Rudman for pushing the Gramm-Rudman Act (1980's) down Congress' throat..., but then again they voted for it.

It all comes down to those two (and Congress) when they said they needed to REDUCE the Army's budget. Well, you can call it a "success" because they did, but NOTHING was ever mentioned about INCREASING contractor support and their profits -- further implemented by another Texan called King George the III!

 

[Chris_Dog]

Good bit of humor.

Having a call center in the US doesn't help much if people are forced to follow a script. My business partner's phone was being blocked from calling me & my phone company wanted to send a service tech to my house! "And there will be a $50 charge if the problem is inside the house." How in the world could a single incoming number be blocked by a problem with the wiring? Why send a field tech out, when it is clearly a programming problem? Scripts and the brainless people who write them.

And, yes, they STILL assigned the call to a field tech. When he called and I explained, he was more than a little pissed. Oddly enough, after three more conversations with people that couldn't find any problem with the programming, the problem disappeared.

Your not kidding I was having a similar problem with my cable co. The signal was not strong enough. I would call & each time the first tech could only check the line in the house. The second tech. would then come out to confirm that the signal indeed wasn't strong enough in the line. Que the 3rd tech who would actually do something. This all played out about 5 times before they got it straightened out. My 1 problem gave job security for 3 people for over a year.:cross:

 

[MikeFlynn74]

It all comes down to those two (and Congress) when they said they needed to REDUCE the Army's budget. Well, you can call it a "success" because they did, but NOTHING was ever mentioned about INCREASING contractor support and their profits -- further implemented by another Texan called King George the III!

Yea- when I am doing the same job as a civillian making less than 60K as an E6, and the civillian is making $250K. You cant bull**** anyone into thinking that the govt is saving money.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Yea- when I am doing the same job as a civillian making less than 60K as an E6, and the civillian is making $250K. You cant bull**** anyone into thinking that the govt is saving money.

EXACTLY, but I think you mean a contractor.

I am a GS-12 and I make 80K/yr. At best I would only be able to pull in 120K if deployed. DA civilians have a pay cap.

Not only that, contractors don't have to pay taxes on the first 80K if they are out of the States longer than 10 months, whereas DA civilians have to pay taxes on every penny earned.

 

[DeathBrewer]

it's good to see we have exports:

cardboard and jobs

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Yea- Thats what I mean. Contractors. Not a whole lot of DoD civs here. Most are KBR or AEGIS

 

[homebrewer_99]

Yea- Thats what I mean. Contractors. Not a whole lot of DoD civs here. Most are KBR or AEGIS

I knew that...no harm, no foul.

Incidently, about the script they have to read...I was on the phone with a woman from Dell-India. I asked her to speak a line or two of her language for me. She said she was not allowed. I asked what if another Indian called from the States and spoke Indian to her? She said she has to speak English to all customers no matter what.