It wasn’t that long ago that if you had a problem with your finances, you went into the local branch of your bank and had a chat with the manager. If you wanted to renew your TV licence, you went and spoke to the friendly staff at the Post Office and if you had a query about your gas bill, you phoned up the gas company and actually spoke to a human being.

 

Whether it’s an incorrect bill or a change of address, rectifying a problem with a utility company is fast becoming one of the most time-consuming and frustrating aspects of modern life. When that gas bill drops through the letterbox and demands £200 more than you were expecting, it can be quite stressful.

 

But there are signs that people have had enough of being taken for a ride. A website dedicated to cutting costs of lengthy calls to customer service centres is proving extremely popular. The Say No To 0870 site allows users to search by company name for alternative cheap and freephone numbers to avoid paying the high rates of 0844, 0845, 0870 and 0871 numbers. The website claims that “some companies that use these (0870) numbers are actually receiving a cut of the phone call costsâ€, although it doesn’t go as far as naming and shaming those that do.

So while there are ways and means of getting round this problem, consumers should not be faced with it in the first place. It would be nice if the companies themselves started taking the issue seriously. There is a time and a place for technology, but the customer service arena is not it, and the sooner these companies realise that the better.

All I want is for my call centre people to be able to speak English that is my biggest gripe above anything else, 90% of the time I feel like Mrs Richards trying to explain herself to Manuel in Fawlty Towers when I am explaining a problem to these Indian call centre staff for utilities and NTL

They're always Indian or Scottish on phones! It's rediculous.

:blink:

They're always Indian or Scottish on phones! It's rediculous.

 

I get Scots with Sky and with my household insurance company and can understand them but there are several call centres I have to deal with from India and I find it most frustrating, how is it possible to explain a fault or a problem to someone who at best can speak pigeon English and you have to say one word at a time with 5-10 sec breaks so he can take it in, I am not exaggerating either :(

Edited December 5, 200618 yr by Kimi Raikkonen

I can't understand Scottish/Indian people, it's even worse on phones where you need to hear information, they should just get english people. We've never got an english person on the phone. Just end up putting the phone down because you dont get anywhere...

All I want is for my call centre people to be able to speak English that is my biggest gripe above anything else, 90% of the time I feel like Mrs Richards trying to explain herself to Manuel in Fawlty Towers when I am explaining a problem to these Indian call centre staff for utilities and NTL

CK Watt? Who is CK watt? Is he the manager, Mr Watt? ^_^ I LOVE that episode soooooo much!!! :wub:

 

And yes I agree, I hang up and ring again if an Asian answers.

CK Watt? Who is CK watt? Is he the manager, Mr Watt? ^_^ I LOVE that episode soooooo much!!! :wub:

 

And yes I agree, I hang up and ring again if an Asian answers.

 

LOL same :lol: watched it earlier hence why this thread was kinda appropriate tonight ;)

 

LOL don't get NTL then :o their tech support dept is in Calcutta or something :o

This isn't totally related but I read an article that McDonalds was testing out new locations in which you drive up to a speaker and dictate your order to someone in a call center in India, who then sends the order to the kitchen via computer. It means one less employee working.

 

Outsourcing will grow and grow as long as corporations find new ways to cut costs...

This isn't totally related but I read an article that McDonalds was testing out new locations in which you drive up to a speaker and dictate your order to someone in a call center in India, who then sends the order to the kitchen via computer. It means one less employee working.

 

Outsourcing will grow and grow as long as corporations find new ways to cut costs...

 

That is weird :o especially since Hindus who make up most of Indians can't eat beef and most of what McDonalds sell is beef

Don't get me started on Call Centres half of them can't even speak proper English, the other day they tried to sell me a mobile phone, and I couldn't understand a word they were saying in the end I blew my stack and told them to fook off.

Don't get me started on Call Centres half of them can't even speak proper English, the other day they tried to sell me a mobile phone, and I couldn't understand a word they were saying in the end I blew my stack and told them to fook off.

 

Was it Orange by any chance ? :unsure: I had a similar experience about 3 weeks ago with someone representing Orange who could speak English worse than Manuel trying to sell me a mobile via a script

At least you didn't get told they'd move your house nearer the telephone exchange to get a better Broadband connection. -_-

At least you didn't get told they'd move your house nearer the telephone exchange to get a better Broadband connection. -_-

 

OMFG :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

I remember that :o

LOL same :lol: watched it earlier hence why this thread was kinda appropriate tonight ;)

 

LOL don't get NTL then :o their tech support dept is in Calcutta or something :o

Oh I already am. :( I've had much trouble with them before, on for 13 minutes at 50p/minute when all that ended up being wrong was a local problem. -_-

Oh I already am. :( I've had much trouble with them before, on for 13 minutes at 50p/minute when all that ended up being wrong was a local problem. -_-

 

eek poor you :(

 

I have never got through to a non Indian person at NTL tech support, while I have no problem with Indian people themselves I just do not want them to try and sort out my broadband when they have barely even a basic grasp of English, I can only recall one occasion where I spoke to an Indian NTL tech support guy who I could have a proper conversation in English with

They probably only do it coz other people won't.

They probably only do it coz other people won't.

 

Nah the call centres themselves are based in India and are moved their by companies to maximise their profits as its a lot cheaper to employ someone in Calcutta than in Coventry etc

Oh I mean in general. Wouldn't have thought many english people would want to work all day on a phone.

it's always wisde to ask outright where the person you are speaking to is calling from..... and if you're unhappy with their level of English - ALWAYS report this direct to the company Customer Services.

 

BT are the worst for outsourcing. When I worked there in Marketing they offered me a position in DELHI!! Of course, I refused.

 

Also worth noting is that if you are receiving stacks of unwanted and inconvenient calls - tell the person ringing you are signed to the Telephone Preference Service... which, when you register, wipes your name off ALL Call Centre records. If a company rings you AFTER you have registered, this means they are using old call lists - and they face a hefty fine. Once you tell them you are registered with the TPS (even if you aren't.. but it's worth doing - it's free)... they disappear pretty sharpish - it's the garlic to the vampire for call centres, the TPS.