Call Centres

[zepp]

Before anyone condems me, this is NOT intended to offend anybody. I have been having problems with the internet connection (TISCALI), whereby the modem keeps disconnecting about every 15 seconds or so. I have now called their helpline 3 times, and on all occasions, waited in a queue for up to 40 minutes!!! Each time I have had a call-taker from the ethnic minority whose dialect is very difficult to understand. Each occasion I have had to ask for another person to explain the situation, but all collegues seem to be of the same ethnic origin. Now this number is supposed to be a help-line, but it would be of more help if it also came with a translator. What is the answer as I still haven't managed to sort out the initial problem?

This rant has now taken 35 mins to send as the modem is SU

[Darren A]

Know what you mean Zepp

I was getting REALLY peed off with Lloyds Bank, as suddenly their call centre was transported to India. It was such a PITA ringing it because you had to repeat everything about three times before they understood what I was saying. Then finally when they understood, I couldn't understand their reply. Arggghhhhh!!

However, they seem to have seen the light, and transferred it back to somewhere in Wales. (Although I do still get the same problem ocassionally )

Good for me, however I do feel sorry for the peeps in India who must have been given a job with Lloyds only to have it taken away again shortly afterwards!!

Dive safe

Darren

[zepp]

I know its all financial and all that, but surely having centres abroad is no help when one cannot understand. maybe that's what the companies want as customers tend to just 'go away'. Their e.mail help is not much better either

[Scuby]

As Darren hinted at, a lot of the call centres are now moving back to the UK. Banks and others thought it would be a good idea, it saved them money, but started to lose them customers, gave them bad publicity, and so they're on their way back here!

About time too in my opinion - i've had the same thing, where i've had to spell my name down the phone 3 or 4 times before they could even work out who was calling them!

As an aside, by far the best ISP i've ever seen for customer service (and just being good to start with) is PlusNet / Force 9 - a VERY good customer support service, fully transparent (to the extent they even had a webcam in their call centre) with current call-waiting times shown on the website, and quick to respond to online queries too.

David

[turbanator]

Had the same thing bookig rail tickets.
I had to call twice and either got the same lady or it was an Indian call centre, I had trouble understanding her and vice versa, leading to frustration on both sides.

When I rang to check the details, thinking that I might have booke for the wrong day, I was given a differnt number and spoke to someone who obviously had English as a first language and it was much better.

With something complicated like a HD, booking system or whatever, it has to be a fluent speaker because of colloquilisms etc.


r
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[divingdancer]

I am with 3 for my mobile. not for much longer though.....whenever I have a problem (and there have been a few) I end up being put through to a call centre in India. very very frustrating when you are trying to explain something and then can't fathom out what the reply is.

My other half got cold called the other day, person was actually welsh, he passed the phone over to his colleague and told them it was "someone from that Indian call centre" , welsh chappie was not amused! soon went away though.

[Bantam]

I notice Dell have moved their call centre back to Ireland too. About time as the Indian call centre was making me seriously thing about ditching Dell as our preferred supplier entirely. We've already ditched them for laptops.. (Gone to IBM/Lenovo).

Mark.

[Captain Deco]

The whole spelling my name, and repeatedly along with everything else is why I opened another bank account with FD, and ditched the Abbey.

Customer service gone..........customer walks!!

[Allan Carr]

Some years ago, the company I was working for were planning to set up a multi-national call centre in the UK, where as we all know, we are the world's worst at foreign languages. The project manager, who spoke no other languages and had never spent any real time outside of the UK was working out how many different languages he would need to cover. His views:-

German - that would cover Germany, half of Switzerland and Austria. He had never heard of 'Shweizerdeutsch'. Our manager in Germany ended up speaking English with a Swiss guy at Zurich airport because neither could understand each others 'German'. I can always tell the difference between a German and an Austrian when they are speaking English, let alone German which tells you something about the accent.

Scandinavian (FFS what language is Scandinavian?) - this would cover Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland! Finland isn't even Scandinavia for heaven's sake. If you have even seen Finnish you realise that in the old days, the typewriter repair man would need an awful lot of 'i's. The nearest language to Finnish is Hungarian, it is not even a Romanic structure so you can't do word for word translation. As for Swedes and Danes speaking the same language, don't ever say that in Copenhagen.

Yes, a lot of call centres are set up with lttle consideration of what the customers actually want.

[Fiona]

Last year when my car insurance was due I tried to ask why the premiums had gone up and they couldn't so I asked to speak to someone in the UK, I wouldn't renew until I did. I also got a result they were able to talk about my useage and the premium came down.

So ask to speak to someone in the UK