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The biggest problem with Indian tech support
I'm not saying this to be xenophobic, but my biggest problem with outsourcing to India is understanding them through their accents. My hearing isn't all that good (too much listening to Pink Floyd in headphones at the 10 setting during my high school and college years) and I have a hard enough time hearing people without accents over the phone through cell phone static. Having to deal with strong accents makes it nearly imposible for me to understand anybody. And I'm sure people who call for support who don't understand techie terminology have just a hard of a time.

I can understand a company wanting to save a few bucks, especially now that most of these companies are publicly traded corporations and must do everything to maximize profits. But they have to understand that good support means not only understanding the technology and being able to troubleshoot, but it means being able to communicate clearly with people who are not experts themselves. So hiring a group of people whose first language is different than those people they are trying to support really isn't a good idea, unless they are so fluent in the second language that you cannot tell it really is their second language.
Posted by: Michael Kelly   Posted on: 03/31/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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The biggest problem with Indian tech support  Michael Kelly | 03/31/04
So, can you imagine outsourcing the Rev Falwell's job to an Ayatolah?  kd5auq | 03/31/04
HP is the same  jimmybrain | 03/31/04
to be fair  V Sanders | 03/31/04
it's total costs that matter  furl12@... | 04/01/04
Outsourcing not an answer  drichards1953 | 04/01/04
International support  AbsolutelyNot | 04/01/04
That would be great if  kiddpeat | 04/04/04
Who says executives are "UNTRAINABLE"?  kd5auq | 03/31/04
Huh...  Harvey Birdman | 03/31/04
Harvey! You understood correctly.  kd5auq | 03/31/04
This is a good sign  Squawkbox | 03/31/04
Dell Dimension calls still go to India  mistergoodman | 03/31/04
EXACTIMUNDO!  AdrianKole | 03/31/04
They did not say Dimension support was moved  wd5dbc | 04/01/04
It's not only at home  JimSatterfieldW | 04/01/04
This tells me which machines I will buy for my home.  Natalie GS | 03/31/04
not for home...  ryusen | 03/31/04
Culture very difficult to replicate  ejhonda | 03/31/04
On the nose  FilledOut | 04/01/04
makes sense...  ryusen | 03/31/04
"Support?"  doncowdrey | 03/31/04
HA-HA!  Chad_z | 03/31/04
re HA-HA!  V Sanders | 03/31/04
This applies to development, too  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 03/31/04
Indian support  tlymer | 03/31/04
It went the other way for me  JimSatterfieldW | 04/01/04
Do you really know what you are buying?  Sunny Jalolly | 03/31/04
After all, a few Indians never bothered us much in Texas, but...  lomamonster | 03/31/04
Angry American  Quiller | 04/01/04
Angry American, or really Ugly American? [eom]  AJSmith1000 | 04/01/04
Cute  Quiller | 04/01/04
Angry American happy yeah obviously  Stallion_z | 04/01/04
Indian call centers  dhmcguire@... | 04/01/04
Let the market decide the issue  quietLee | 04/01/04
The (non)cultural problem  niolonra | 04/01/04
our economy in shambles  jfalknor | 04/01/04
Really, they are out of India?!  onederer@... | 04/01/04
I personally had this experience!!  zak2002@... | 04/04/04
Apple  TWRX | 04/05/04
Indian "support" = no support  r7di697 | 04/13/04
India failure an understatement  arlbe | 06/30/04
Hey, this is an advertisment - story by nonjournalist  mipsv | 05/06/05

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