"Don't any of you $#$% people speak English??"

[CrazedClerk]

I work at a call centre, I have to deal with more SCs than most probably.

But I've noticed a rather frustrating trend with a lot of my SCs: They're already sucky by the time they get to me, usually because they've either been on hold for goodness knows how long or they have been dealing with reps who apparently don't speak good english (grammar error deliberate ).

One guy said: "It seems like as I get transferred around, I'm dealing with people with progressively thicker accents"

Another guy ranted at me for a good few minutes before finally thanking me for speaking english, then reverting back to an SC when we talked about the credit he wasn't actually due.

One woman was furious that her plan had been badly messed up by the previous rep she's spoken with that apparently didn't know much english either. (and she totallly butchered this plan, I had to get creative to repair all the damage!)

So it seems like we have created our own nightmare, SCs who get even more Sucky because people with language issues keep frustrating them.

And the truly SC part about this? Half the time the customer doesn't speak great english either. I told one guy that I would credit his account for a wrongly billed charge and he responded: "yeah so I won't be legible for that?" (he meant liable I think). I rolled my eyes on that one.

It's sad to me that a lot of SCs are sucky because they assume most Customer service reps are people who are not well educated enough to get a "real job" and don't really know what they are doing. SOME are, but a good lot of us are literate and pretty darned good at what we do.

So I ask you good people of SC.com, is there any solution to eliminating these types of complaining SCs??

[air914]

Well we could try to stop outsourcing our call centers......

As for sucky customers though I don't think you can get rid of 'em

I know I always get frustrated if I have to call about a computer problem. I am not the Diva of all things computers and I know it, but I DO have some basic troubleshooting knowledge like to restart my computer, to unplug and replug things in, etc.... so when I get that service tech that doesn't speak very clear English but is CLEARLY reading from a book and really doesn't understand how to solve my problem - I get pretty annoyed. I wish I had experience using whatever book they have so I could say "Okay skip down to # 56 b/c I've done everything before that question already".....

Granted, I am aware from reading this site that there are people that say "I already restarted my computer" and they actually haven't. If' I'm calling for help it's b/c I've done everything possible and run through all the troubleshooting I can on my own before I've called you. - Sorry, side rant there

[TNT]

Well we could try to stop outsourcing our call centers......

Granted, I am aware from reading this site that there are people that say "I already restarted my computer" and they actually haven't. If' I'm calling for help it's b/c I've done everything possible and run through all the troubleshooting I can on my own before I've called you. - Sorry, side rant there

The company I work is making a move towards ending all outsourcing. They have this thoroughly bizarre idea that company employees from the same geographical area as the customer can provide better service.

As far as rebooting the computer goes... it's a necessary first step and trying to tech an internet connection without doing it is pointless. It's not that I think the customer didn't do it right... although most don't.

Instead, I can tell a lot by going through the process. I want to see the modem as it comes back online. I want to know how long the computer takes to shut down, how long it takes to start up again, and if there are any messages on screen during the either process. It also gives me a chance to find out just how much the customer really knows, and also a chance to check out what's happening in the user's neighborhood. 95% of the time, I can figure out the problem just on that information.

Think of it this way... would you want to deal with an auto mechanic who:

Customer: My car's making a funny noise.
Mechanic: Okay, I'll take care of it [gets under the hood and starts messing around]
Customer: Shouldn't you start the car up and listen to the noise?
Mechanic: Nah. I'll just tinker around and see if I can spot something that needs fixed.

PS on the original post: "good English" is... good English. One can speak English well without speaking good English.

[braindead]

I cant supply much help for fixing the problem but I have a few really funny to add to it.

In relation to a website
SC-I cant find my satellite.
Me-you cant find your what?
SC-My satellite.
Me-

We have a program called DNR
Cust-Im calling about your DNC program
I had such a hard time not cracking up that I just shut up and let him talk. I couldn't help but think
If we had been selling DNC programs we could save the whole next generation of stupidity

My friend was using my computer
friend-what do I click on
Me-That icon up in the corner
friend-oh mozzarella
*mozilla*

My own screw up
Hubby and I were messing around a bit at work (Not quite as bad as it sounds) and I being the smart ass I am said the following
Me-You better stop that or I will file a selection on you.
Somehow my brain interpreted sexual harassment with selection.

[Freemage]

I will admit, the growing trend of outsourcing call centers to India and Pakistan does grate on my nerves. It is particularly annoying if the person requires me to repeat myself on every point (I've had people in the room confirm I was not speaking indistinctly) and then talks to me in an accent so thick that I feel like it'd be quicker for me to learn their language and call back, or maybe hire a translator.

So, yeah, I have to count to ten if, after going through that sort of mess, I get to someone who speaks English clearly (even if it is with an accent--not ALL foreign call centers have lax hiring policies on that front), so that I don't become an SC for someone who really can help me.

[protege]

In relation to a website
SC-I cant find my satellite.
Me-you cant find your what?
SC-My satellite.
Me-

The smartass in me would have told them to call NASA and explain the problem

[CrazedClerk]

Here's the frustrating thing from my point of view, my particular call center is obviously in Canada, not India or wherever.

BUT...I think we have at least 20 or so Indian guys working for us!

this really seems like a losing battle

I might get a kick out of this if I weren't on the business end of it so much.

[TNT]

Here's the frustrating thing from my point of view, my particular call center is obviously in Canada, not India or wherever.

BUT...I think we have at least 20 or so Indian guys working for us!

We used to have a guy from Pakistan in my department. You'd never know... he had more of an American accent than I'll ever have and my family's been here for 300 years.

But, when a customer said, "At least I'm not talking to someone in India," he'd get the thickest accent you've ever heard and say, "India?! No India! Me Pakistani! Pakistan!"

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Yeah, I get that all the time. The main call center in our building has a lot of immigrants, Hispanic as well as Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, etc. People regularly bitch at us about how they were talking to someone in India, and I have to explain to them that no, they were talking to someone right here in the good ol' US of A, they were just an immigrant, that's all. Then they bitch about how 'those people' shouldn't be given phone jobs.

[AFpheonix]

And sometimes, it's not even an accent thing. I'm as white as Wonderbread. I had one of our least favorite customers ask me over the phone if anyone at my workplace speaks English. I dryly replied that we were all quite fluent, thanks.
I put him on hold and begged my pharmacy manager to pick up and only speak Cambodian to him, but she wouldn't go for it. Spoilsport.

But honestly, maybe I'm wierd, but I don't have much trouble with accents. Maybe it's because I LISTEN to people? I think that's the biggest problem a lot of these whiners have. They just flat out aren't listening, and then blame their own shortcomings on the csr.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

The smartass in me would have told them to call NASA and explain the problem

That or Toshiba, as I probably would have thought "laptop" when hearing Satellite.

[protege]

That or Toshiba, as I probably would have thought "laptop" when hearing Satellite.

Speaking of satellites, a certain episode of South Park comes to mind.... :P

[Becks]

I put him on hold and begged my pharmacy manager to pick up and only speak Cambodian to him, but she wouldn't go for it. Spoilsport.

That would have been too funny.

But honestly, maybe I'm wierd, but I don't have much trouble with accents. Maybe it's because I LISTEN to people?

Same here. Sometimes, though, it's especially difficult, and I'll have to think about what they said. :silence: :breakthrough: OH, I get it now!!!!

[CurlyLocks]

I don't think it's always so much a problem of not being able to understand the accent of an outsourced call center worker, as it is that they seem to be reading from a script and cannot actually answer your questions. They seem to be unable to handle spontaneous conversation and just keep repeating their canned answers. Sure, you can understand what they're saying but it's of no help whatsoever to you! I have had this experience and it's extremely frustrating! You spend all that time on the phone and get nowhere, and have no idea what to try next since if you call back you'll just get more of the same.

[blas]

I can sort of sympathize with your customers.......not in the fact that they are disrespectful to the phone operators because of their lack of English speaking skills, but because I have dealt with it before with my cable company.

Truly, the only way to get a rep with perfect grasp of the English language (if that's possible) is going to their building. Otherwise, they do not have English as a first language speaking phone operators. The only person on the phone that speaks perfect English is the automated voice lady.

While I kept respectful and patient, I found it very difficult to have my billing questions answered, and the time when they charged me through the roof to transfered the cable bill into my name (only difference is the name, no new address or equipment and I was charged over $50). I called to dispute the charge, but the operator kept repeating the charge. I asked why it costed so much. She just repeated why it was over $50. I again asked why it had to cost so much just to change names......she just repeated what she'd originally said.

My roomate said you had to call at least two or three times before you'd get an answer you'd be halfway satisfied with. I was so damn frustrated over the first time that I figured I'd just cough over the $50some and just deal with it.