They pushed the wrong button today.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 18, 2004

And my point is yelling at the telemarketer does not get anywhere. Take the issue up with management instead of chewing out one employee.

( I said 'customer support' as an example)

nurseshanti · Feb 19, 2004

I do understand and agree that the global economic situation today is terrible.

But honestly, a little compassion for the poor customer service rep on the other end of the line can't hurt anyone. The people who work these jobs are just trying to work their way through life and support their families just like you and I. They have no control over management decisions and no control over the global economic forces that have placed that call centre in their city, and I can guarantee you that berating them over the phone about things over which they have absolutely no control, is a) not going to accomplish anything at all; and b) going to make that person have a really terrible day.

If you feel that strongly about the way things are run in a particular company, write letters to management about it. If you feel that strongly about the economic state of the world, write letters to your government about it and use your buying power to support change. There's no need to make someone have a really bad day simply because you need to complain about the state of the world.

edited to add: I'm not sure how one can determine simply by a voice with a different accent on the other end of the phone that they're automatically from a foreign country. There are millions of American citizens who have immigrated to the States and who still keep their accents, even after they've crossed the border. :rolleyes:

WyomingRN · Feb 19, 2004

I do understand and agree that the global economic situation today is terrible.
But honestly, a little compassion for the poor customer service rep on the other end of the line can't hurt anyone. The people who work these jobs are just trying to work their way through life and support their families just like you and I. They have no control over management decisions and no control over the global economic forces that have placed that call centre in their city, and I can guarantee you that berating them over the phone about things over which they have absolutely no control, is a) not going to accomplish anything at all; and b) going to make that person have a really terrible day.
If you feel that strongly about the way things are run in a particular company, write letters to management about it. If you feel that strongly about the economic state of the world, write letters to your government about it and use your buying power to support change. There's no need to make someone have a really bad day simply because you need to complain about the state of the world.
edited to add: I'm not sure how one can determine simply by a voice with a different accent on the other end of the phone that they're automatically from a foreign country. There are millions of American citizens who have immigrated to the States and who still keep their accents, even after they've crossed the border.

I don't care whether they are in house foreigners or overseas foreigners, if they can't speak the AMERICAN language in at least a reasonably understandable manner, DON'T BE CALLING ME; especially since I am on the do not call list. But then that doesn't apply to FOREIGN calls. So I expect the foreign calls to increase as that is these telemarketers way around the do not call list.

casper1 · Feb 19, 2004

I live in a upstate NY city, known for its affiliation with a all American company not so ALL AMERICAN anymore. One of my good friends just had her job outsourced to India.

Her boss told her they could hire two programmers for what they pay one in this country, the sad thing is those jobs are a prize in foreign lands. These are high tech

jobs well paying in this country, and even with a lower salary these jobs offer

a high income and a affluent lifestyle. Exporting jobs and supporting foreign economies

is fine when we have enough jobs for American workers. But american jobs should be kept here with unemployment so high. Many of these countries we send jobs to our goverment also sends financial aid too. Would'nt that money be better spent here supporting education and providing increased finacial aid to students so they could get

higher degrees.

skaosiris · Feb 20, 2004

I don't actually give much consideration to the telemarketers because they chose their jobs and damn well know what it means to be a telemarketer and how much it offends and annoys many people. I mean this is very widely understood--telemarketers are the bain of nearly everyone's existence! If they want this type of work, then they need to be prepared to deal with the annoyed customer. Just my thought.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 20, 2004

That's what's great about a cell phone.

Then i'm not given the chance to chew out a telemarkerter for what their COMPANY does.

ohnurse · Feb 20, 2004

I agree with you 100%.

colleen10 · Feb 24, 2004

I spent 3 years working in Human Resources and Marketing for an Information Technology Company that did the bulk of it's business by bringing techies from India to the states to do computer work.

Now, they have fired 3/4 of their programmers here in the US and are setting up tons of offices in India and sending the work over there to be done. It's not just the programmers and soft ware engineers that are out of work. 3/4 of the employees (secretaries, accountants, human resources, marketing, sales, etc.) for US Operations have been laid off too.

Guess where these types of jobs are going to? Over to India. I have watched as my old companies entire Accounting Department here at their Head Quarters in Pittsburgh has had to spend the past 2 months training the Indian people who will be taking their jobs to India. That's right, they are training the people who will take their jobs. When they are done training their replacements they will be laid off and all Accounting proceedures will be done in India.

It's not just telemarketers, call center reps. or computer programmers, it's also all the people needed to support them like Human Resources, Payroll, Marketing, etc. It is a much bigger problem than anyone will ever admit.

Dplear · Feb 24, 2004

Companies for the last 10 years have brrn setting up thier call venters overseas. have a Hewlit packard computer? A good American Computer Company... their call center for tech help has been in Dublin Ireland now for over 8 years. Hmmm...gee guess we can blame President Bush for that also. This country's economy was founded on the freemarket principle. BNusinesses will locate where they get the best advantage. if you everything subsidized or nationalized or regulated out of existance...move to eastern Europe or the Russian Federation. See how full control by government or union entities really works.

Dave

fergus51 · Feb 24, 2004

I think Dave has a real good point. The US is the first country to demand that other nations stop protectionist actions when it benefits our business interests, so we can't really complain about it when it hurts us.

kidluvinRN · Feb 24, 2004

One issue here is the protection of American jobs vs. outsourcing, which is a significant trend in American businesses and gov't alike. The capitalists are out for the $, not the American jobs. What I resent is the load of b.s. we hear about how much everyone loves America.

Another issue is whether or not it is effective and/or desirable to berate the person on the phone. Here I'd say; treat 'em like you'd like to be treated. It's not easy to get by these days, "choice" of jobs is relative when they are all less than living wage and unpleasant.