They pushed the wrong button today.

[WyomingRN]

They pushed the wrong button today.

Helping U.S. workers out

Just got one of those lovely sales calls, that we all love to get about getting a new charge card. Knew from the accent that it was somebody in a foreign country calling me. When he asked me how his English was & whether or not could I understand him, I just lost it - that just happened to push the wrong button. He said "I didn't push any button." I explained to him that he had pushed my internal button and asked him if he was based in the U.S. He told me that he couldn't release that information. Told him that I was soooooooooo sick of Bush sending American jobs out to overseas firms and only paying them pennies for their work that I only deal with companies that are based in the U.S. Told him that I was supporting U. S. citizens and U.S. jobs only. Also told him to make sure to make a note that I would not accept or listen to any calls not U.S. based. He told me that the call was being recorded, and I told him I didn't really care in the least. He said he would note it on the computer screen.

I don't know about any of you, but I am tired of American jobs going overseas and tired of getting sales calls from people that you can barely understand. When yuo get such a call, please consider sending these companies the message. If people wqould band together and do this to voice our displeasure about U.S. jobs being sent overseas, maybe the word would get around.

[ernurse2244]

I called tech support for Andale counters (I use them on my ebay auctions). The tech support person had a heavy Indian accent and admitted to being in India when I asked. I gave him the same spill you did about resenting US jobs going overseas. He aswered "I don't have a command for that". Guess it wasn't in his script. I wrote Andale but doubt that anyone read it.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Take issues like this up with the company itself, not the employee. How would you feel if someone calls you for customer support and you're getting the "U.S. jobs" speech?

[sagelola]

The phone/DSL company also does that here where I am. Everytime you call to get help, you can barely understand what they are saying...

[fergus51]

You should also know that the accent doesn't mean anything. There are a lot of American companies setting up call centers in Canada as well. I wouldn't blame the person on the phone, they're just trying to make a living. It's the company that makes the decision

[oramar]

Just for the record they are supposed to tell you the call is being recorded or might be recorded at beginning of conversation. If you had been speaking a while and he then told you were being recorded it is violation of federal law. I don't think the fact that he was calling from another country lets the company off the hook.

[palesarah]

this issue upsets me too- a lot of IT/tech support jobs have gone over to India and while my husband (works in IT) is still fortunate enough to have a job here, how much longer will that luck last I wonder?

on that note, I have a funny- ernurse's "I don't have a command for that" reminded me of something DH's uncle related to us over the holidays. He had called tech support for his computer and was routed to call centers in India, Canada, and back to India over a period of several days. Each time of course, he had to re-explain the situation, usually to someone with a thick Indian accent. Finally he was speaking to an Indian gentleman who was reading back a serial number "3-1-"A as in apple"-"C as in cat" etc. When they got to "B" the support person read back "B as in boy"

to which Uncle Bob replied "yep, B as in Bob "

to which the worker responded "no, no, sir, "B" as in boy "

Uncle Bob: "sure, B as in boy, B as in Bob, same thing"

confused, underpaid Indian worker: "no no sir, not B as in bub, B as in boy. B as in boy, sir!"

Uncle Bob just about gave up then! :chuckle

[palesarah]

another funny: there are a lot of imported Indian support at DH's workplace- he was speaking to one of the computer engineers, reading back a job code in a similar "a as in apple, b as in bob" fashion. Only the engineer read back- "A" as in "zebra"

to this day, we've never figured that one out!

[eak16]

"I support US jobs and US companies only"......hmmmm. You have formed an interesting standard.

I wont babble on then about the months that I have spent trying to get rid of gastrointestinal worms in children because their parents cannot boil their water, because they cannot afford coal, because they have no jobs in the whole village. None.

Come complain to me when you're that poor.

Sorry just a soft spot with me.

[WickedRedRN, BSN, RN]

:angryfire I just had to comment on this. :angryfire I work for a telephone company, have for the last 5 years, as I work my way through school. Currently I serve as an account manager that contacts business owners who are having problems with orders and dispute resolution. By the time I talk to customers, they are so far bent out of shape, they are ready to snap! Now, while I dislike this job, (hate being on the phone and staring at a pc, stuck in a cubicle all day) my job is made much more difficult by the fact that almost ALL of our Customer Service Reps have been laid off and replaced by either an automated attendant that you CANNOT navigate through, or overseas call centers. The actual reps in the centers overseas mess up orders bad enough that it can take hours, sometimes days to straighten out. The first thing I hear when I make initial contact with a customer is either "Are you sure this is a real person?" or "Are you located in the States?" While I am not supposed to "officially" comment on these statements, I can relate to thier experiences and frustration. It is truly a shame that the jobs my company provided to Americans were not valued enough by the company, they were looking for cheap labor. Every day, I get a ridiculous email about "enhancing the customer experince", while my entire center (250+ employees) waits to find out if our center will be the next to close in May. I cannot wait until I go to full clinicals, as I will have to resign. I believe I will take the opportunity to have my say with management, althought I know the only purpose it will serve will be to make me feel better.

Thanks for letting me share the view from the inside

Lori

[MyReign1]

My family and I were just discussing this issue last nite. An America OnLine call center is closing here because they've sent all of their jobs overseas. I currently have AOL and I plan to cancel it tomorrow, when I actually have time to wait on the line to speak to someone. I once called in for tech support and it was ridiculous. I spoke with 3 guys and no one could even understand what the issue was to help me in the first place. I personally think its bad for business. How can you have America online but not hire any Americans????

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Take issues like this up with the company itself, not the employee. How would you feel if someone calls you for customer support and you're getting the "U.S. jobs" speech?

The point is that someone called him/her to SOLICIT MONEY/BUSINESS/SUPPORT and doesn't even have the good grace to have someone that understands standard English to do so.

S/he was not calling them for help - they were calling her.

I personally consider solicitation calls abusive, and will refuse to do business with anyone that calls me uninvited/will stop doing business with anyone that sells my number.

And, no, I don't care that it is someone's business venture, and that I am putting hardworking telemarketers out of work. I don't pay my phone bill to be harassed.