Call centres in India.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/6a53fpg

What a cheek, BT suggesting that a customer's 'Brummie' accent may have been difficult to understand, for their operatives in Indian call centres.

How many times have persons in the UK had difficulty understanding the Indian accent? I know that I have.

I would have thought that the first criterion in obtaining a job in a call centre was for the other person being able to understand you?

[anneasquith]

or glasgow ?

[kloofnek]

At last...someone having the same problem as myself.....ringing a call centre for help and then ending up more confused and muddled up than ever...and why?..because I could not understand them,...it is bad enough to have someone on the other end of the line with a regional accent...but to have to try to understand these people in Mumbai is just not on!!!!!
The problem is that they speak to fast,my husband is Spanish and his English is 99% perfect in both grammer and speech,no accent at all...but...get him on the phone..sounds like a different person altogether...he talks too fast..keep teliing him,he must slow down...maybe someone should tell the Indians the same.

[anotheoldgit]

I have done.

[kloofnek]

Suppose it didn`t work....

[DTCwordfan]

Why do Indian women have red dots on there foreheads?

On the day of their marriage, their new husband gets to scratch it off and see if they have won a convenience store in the UK, or to work in an Indian call centre.

[tiggerblue10]

They have to learn about the weather and soaps so they can converse with you.

[Liza23l]

Some call centres have really moved on since the early days I think with others still with dodgy accent but to be honest maybe if any of you are having problems you need to change mobile/phone providers and banks as mine have clear concise accents but there's a catch.......They now speak with heavy American accents which mixed with their slightly Indian accents comes out as carribbean which I find funny.

[wolf63]

I have a friend who volunteers at a Leprosy and aids centre in Bangalore. Leprosy is a disease that can be cured but once a person has it they are turfed out of their community and family. The centre does good work but is quite basic.

My friend has been shown around a call centre and she says that they are like 5-star hotels. She thought that the bathrooms were luxurious and the dining room was also pretty opulent. A person needs an excellent education and pedigree to get a job there.

India is country that has great wealth and frightening poverty - and far too many UK call centres.

[lorri24601]

what annoys me is, someone with an incomprehensible accent so obviously phoning from an indian call centre claiming that their name in David or Robert.

[Liza23l]

Lorie but the reason they do it is to sound more familiar and put us at ease I think though does it really make a difference to the received service whether the call centre operator is called "Bob" or whether his name is "Mustafa Nahasapeemapetilon" is anyones guess. I remember seeing a programme about Indian call centres and the jobs there and it's a highly esteemed job there unlike here.

[mushroom25]

liza, if "Mustafa Nahasapeemapetilon" insists that he is called "Bob", then the exchange is starting with a deception. Surely that's not ideal, as it could lead to a belief that the whole transaction is flawed?

Why should call centre staff have to invent English personas? Are we really that intolerant?

[Liza23l]

Outsourcing I'd say. Mushroom do we have direct evidence that their names are not what they say and are using nicknames really proof of a fraudulent company? I've used companies with foreign call centres and have never been led to a belief that the whole transaction is flawed have you?

[lorri24601]

hi liza :-) i know its meant to put you ease etc, trouble is thats what winds me up the most lol, that fact they think im stupid enough to believe them lol

[genuine77]

after confrontation with bt iasked can you tell me your name, and was told hari krishna when i asked bt about this, they said yes we have someone of that name yea ok.

[Liza23l]

Lorri I know! Genuine I wonder what would happen if when you talk the call and got that "My name is "mark" how can I help you'? if you then asked "In the spirit of honesty which is what you require of me could you please tell me what is your real name the one that you was given at birth and the one your mother calls you otherwise I refuse to carry on with this call" I wonder what they would do?

[lorri24601]

Liza,one poor man caught me at a bad time,on a really bad day once, after introducing himself as Robert, i just snaped back " and my name is fatima, goodbye" i felt a bit guilty for ages after lol.

[vivandorron]

I don't like Indian Call Centres. The people there have accents similar to my Welsh one. Not at all nice;.. mine that is.

Nevertheless, we could do with a few more Call Centres in Wales to assist the unemployment situation.

Ron.

[craft1948]

Sorry Ron, I understand Indians more than the Welsh........