Overseas call centres - do you love the service or hate it?

Some are fine , when I can't understand their English, is when I get cross. I fined them very polite though !

I find answers for this question very interesting.

Most of the people answered here dont seem to like it or even hate it. No problems.

But, what they are failing to understand is call centres located in countries which are thousands of miles away with totally different cultures and languages and names.

Even then they are able to communicate and solve the problems albeit with a bit of delay due to understanding.

I think the accent problem you are facing, is also the problem with call centre workers. I assure you that they also hate to do that work. But, they are doing it for a purpose i.e. livelihood

Accents are different. If you are exposed to a particular accent, you understand it thoroughly, It is easily understandable that Americans, British are exposed for centuries to the accents of new zealanders, australians and other citizens of the world where their first language is English. Obviously they understand them well.

Now, they are beginning to expose to the accents of the other citizen' English, it is only a matter of time and they will definitely understand their accent as well and you may start liking them

Call centres in India stink. Sorry, but they may use university graduates, but English is not their first language, and they are VERY difficult to talk to and understand.

Companies ARE losing business because of them. Personally I have walked away from one company after a bad experience with their Indian call centre, and I will never deal with Dell again either for the same reason. OK, an Indian call centre operator costs the same for a year as a UK person would cost for a month, but if they lose enough business because of it, they'll get the message ... eventually.

In fact, some of the UK high street banks already are getting the message, and bringing their call centres home at ENORMOUS expense!

LEARN FROM THIS BIG BUSINESS!!!

Meanwhile, Hertz's call centre in Ireland is FABULOUS! I Love talking to them, and they could not be more helpful.

Hate them. It's all very well being cheaper for the companies but I'd rather speak to someone whose English I can understand. Saying that, I find some Scottish accents harder to understand than Indian(that's where the call centres are usually based). I wouldn't mind if they used people who could speak clearly but many of them can't. Some people would say it's racist of me, but the companies will surely lose out if people can't understand the people to whom they are talking.

Of all the things that have come and gone over the years, these are the ones I detest the most. I have never, ever, bought, ordered or asked anything about anything I have heard from a call centre. I have no idea why they call me several times a day. I have tried sarcasm, rudeness and four letter words without any effect. They should be banned, made illegal and there should be someway of making these people understand that they are not wanted...................

as soon as I hear an indian accent callling themselves kevin or michelle I know it's an overseas call centre, can hardly understand them they rush to get the words out because they dont really understand what they are saying themselves when I ask them to slow down they start stuttering and you can tell they're just reading copy. They're a waste of time.

You ask this question today !

After I spent 40 minutes talking to an otherwise lovely lady in India, all I wanted to know was `Can I pay my `phone bill at the post office` ? I know she was doing her best, she was charming and polite....

`you can post a cheque from the post office`

`I don`t want to post a cheque, can I just pay at the post office in my village?`

`Can you pay by credit card ?`

`No, I cannot read the 3 figure security number..`

` that is OK...what is your credit card number?`

`Oh it is blah blah blah...`

` And what is your 3 figure security number ?`

`I cannot read it`

`then you cannot pay by credit card sir`

I gave up in the end and walked across the village in torrential rain, with lightning bouncing all around me and asked the lady in the post office....

Ho hum.

Because of them I have a good number of new friends working in Mumbai. We have a laugh, chat about the weather. Good fun.

Service is exasperatingly duff however. Especially when the operative is merely reading from a prepared script that has zilch to do with your call to them.

Does my head in, nobody understands each other.

Its just a wast of time talking, after about 10 mins you no further then security questions/answers.

And then nothing gets resolved.

And the ones trying to sell you things, that should be banned.

Love them. Because of them, my computer, IPod, phone and other electronics are less expensive. Many people complain about the jobs going overseas, but would those people be willing to pay double for their computers? You can't have it both ways.

I hate the service, I find the accents difficult to understand, I find the people hard to relate to.