Posted by TitleGalCA on 1/11/07 10:58pm
Msg #170460

OT: Computer support from India

I have a new laptop...seems last night I caught some sort of computer VD which completely shut me down.

I bought my computer from QVC. I LUV QVC, but I digress.

With my purchase I got a 4 yr. Dell online and phone support, with a dedicated line for QVC customers only. Tonight, I spent two hours with a young lady from India, who NEVER gave up on my problem, even though I wanted to...I'm tired, and my ear and cell phone are tired.

the point of my post is that I'm so impressed with the politeness of these people. Extremely polite - always asking permission - constantly thanking me for my call - and absolute resolution of my problem. Granted - it did take a few hours but I'm coming away from the experience thinking we all need to send our teenagers to India for two years. They could learn some manners there!

I haven't experience this kind of customer service since McDonalds in 1980. Say what you want about getting online support from India, but my experience was golden. Kudo's to these lovely people who take so much crap from 'rude' Americans.

I told 'Betty's supervisor' that she needed a raise. He told me flat out that she would be compensated for my glowing review. Hey - I can't think of a time lately that an American supervisor said the same.

Like I said....American Teenagers would do well to sabatical in India for a year or two. Immensely polite and quite grateful for my comments.

Just had to share after all the jokes about computer service from those "7-11 Owners". Mine was exemplary. Hats off to them.

Reply by Mindy_WA on 1/11/07 11:39pm
Msg #170462

Re: OT: Computer support from Asia, for me.

I too, just purchased a new laptop. I called the support line for the wireless router and reached the Phillapines (sp?). I had a similar experience with my customer service rep, and have never minded talking to people in other countries when asking for help. Although the "American" Dell rep that I spoke with when looking at purchasing my notebook was NOT so nice. I called back and got someone else.

Nice story to hear. Keeping an open mind...and open ears is always a plus!

Reply by Amalia Contreras on 1/11/07 11:56pm
Msg #170463

And I agree with you, the customer service from the India techs is very good. I had a problem with my dsl I called up customer service got an Indian tech, he walked me through it step by step and was very polite.

I'm sure your computer is cured from the VD it caught.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 1/12/07 12:03am
Msg #170464

yes Amalia...but my friend...the computer wizard (who didn't fix the problem) called it the 'computer clap'. So much for those IT specialists.

It is cured - I had to restore my system to factory but it was a small loss as anything I've installed can easily be re-installed without too much sweat.

I was just so impressed by the Dell people and even had a lively conversation with Miss India about how she had a great deal of patience...which was required with 'impatient' Americans. She said it gave her a great deal of satisfaction to solve an individuals problem, half a world away. She was truly lovely.

Reply by Larry/Ca on 1/12/07 1:08am
Msg #170468

I too love these techs from India and the Phillipines...

I got my new Dell to go BLUE SCREEN in just 10 minutes out of the box. After 4 hours they had to send new install discs overnight from accross the world but they brought it back to new without me having to return it to the factory, like the warranty hinted as my last resort. They have much patients dealing with idiots like myself.

Larry

Reply by MichiganAl on 1/12/07 12:29am
Msg #170465

Yes, they definitely put in the effort. But the language barrier can be maddening. I called Dell a couple of years ago for a problem. The woman had me typing in numbers and letters and words into the DOS interface. I was struggling to understand her. Final, she tells me to type in we. I said "we"? You want me to type in the word we? No, she says, we, we, type in we. We, W-E I said. No, we, we!! She's getting mad, I'm not getting it. She says type in the letter we. I said there's no such letter. We, she says again. I'm saying weeeee, weeeeee, like a child on a swing set. Weeeee!! What the heck is weeeee? Round and round for ten minutes. Finally, she starts saying the alphabet. T, U, Weeeee!! Oh, V!!! Come on honey, put your teeth on your lower lip and say Vee.

Reply by Ndwa on 1/12/07 1:07am
Msg #170467

American TS are not impatient, but it's the company policy that state 15 minutes per customer.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/12/07 2:28am
Msg #170471

Pay less = slower communications. Pay more = Domestic

dialog. Nothing lost in translation.

Reply by Elizabeth_CA on 1/12/07 3:38pm
Msg #170589

That's hilarious - thanks for the laugh!

Reply by Elizabeth_CA on 1/12/07 3:41pm
Msg #170590

MichiganAL, that was really funny...thanks for the laugh, although you probably didn't think it funny at the time.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/12/07 12:59am
Msg #170466

We have Actual Americans willing to provide Tech Support.

But then, we want living wages.

Reply by John_NorCal on 1/12/07 8:43am
Msg #170487

Amen Sue! n/m

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 1/12/07 9:29am
Msg #170501

I can't stand the language barrier.

Oh I loose it when I can't undersand the person. It makes me nuts.

Also yes there are plenty of Americans willing to do those tech jobs. It's the company owners that are looking for the cheapest way to do business is the problem. Now I'm all for get the most for your dollar until it comes to putting Americans out of work. In the first 18 months after my hubby graduated from college he had two tech jobs. One day he's working the next day he's informed that his job (along with 150 others) has been outsourced to the Philipeens (sp). That was the first job. The second job one day the owner of the company came in at 9am. Hubby knew something was up because that man had never been there at that time. Sure enough an hour later the boss told him Friday was their last day, he sold the business. The new owners cut 80% (another 100 or so jobs) of the workforce starting with those making the most. That cut my hubby.

Reply by SueW/Tn on 1/12/07 9:35am
Msg #170504

Re: Amen Sue!

Ditto here! Outsourcing is the downfall of the American economy!

Reply by PL on 1/12/07 9:53am
Msg #170511

Re: Amen Sue!

It boils down to what you want to pay. I have set out not to buy Chinese made anything, but it is very hard not to. I have and will pay more for something made in the USA, but as more folks care about saving a dollar rather then buying something that costs more but will last much longer we are doomed to cheap sometimes shoddy made goods.
As for talking to overseas techs, I ask to be sent back to the USA and 9 times out of 10 they will send you back to speak to someone who speaks our English and will solve my problem.

Reply by BrendaTx on 1/12/07 10:08am
Msg #170512

Re: Amen Sue!

** I have and will pay more for something made in the USA, but as more folks care about saving a dollar rather then buying something that costs more but will last much longer we are doomed to cheap sometimes shoddy made goods. **

According to a documentary I saw, we can thank Wal-mart for a lot of this problem.

Reply by SueW/Tn on 1/12/07 10:21am
Msg #170514

Re: Amen Sue!

yep yep Bren but it covers just about everywhere! Once in a bored moment two friends and I set out to find "American made products", we spent an entire day in all sorts of markets and really got an eye-opener. The items we found were few and far between, we have only ourselves to blame for this.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/12/07 12:11pm
Msg #170556

Ourselves, and Corporate Greed. Globalization...(long)

What happens when the Chinese/Indian/Phillipino/Costa Rican workers decide they would like to earn enough to be able to actually *purchase* some of the goods and services they are providing to the *rich* countries? Or take a paid vacation? Or send their kids to college? Or start a savings plan? What happens when these countries begin to see that corporate taxes are necessary for wealth-building as they grow from third world to second world to first world status?

Back in the day when skilled labor was the backbone of the middle class, Buy American and Look for the Union Label were *good* things. Now, with the systematic takeover by the Corporate conglomerates of the manufacture of goods and provider of services, the middle class has shrunk to near oblivion. Almost any job is at risk of exportation, and the levels of excellence that American workers took such pride in creating and maintaining have evaporated in order to "compete" with cheap labor and materials abroad.

I heard interviews with some European workers who moved to India for the work. Huge reduction in wages/benefits, but the upshot was, that's where the work is, and the cost of living is cheap.

This boiled around in my dreams all night, thanks for letting me rant.

Reply by MelissaCT on 1/12/07 3:12pm
Msg #170588

Not so simple, though

When it's broken down in economics, etc. Shareholders are the funds of many companies & they want return of equity. So companies have to find new ways to be *more productive*, *more profitable* and have *lower costs* than the competition. So, they think outside the box & delve into other countries that can produce product more cheaply. Add to the equation the consumer who wants widgets, but wants them as cheaply as he can get them. Thus the cycle begins. We are all to blame, myself included. I just bought paper on sale at Quill because I feel it's cheaper than going to Staples, which it is. But, I also bought binder clips, since I was already placing an order at Quill, so Staples lost that sale, too.

There was a joke about a guy who was complaining about losing his job due to outsourcing, but when he looked around at his stuff, he had a Japanese TV, Korean DVD player, foreign car, etc.

I don't think there's a simple answer to this problem and it appears to be growing.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/12/07 7:36pm
Msg #170627

I understand it's not simple. But to gut the American labor

force in order to pay CEOs ever-increasing $billions, to operate off-shore to avoid US taxation, and to play fast and loose with pension plans for the few workers in jobs that can't be outsourced, in my book, is just sick and wrong. American ingenuity, or just good old Yankee Knowhow wasn't supposed to end up Screw our Yanks!

The rise and unfettered growth of corporate power is not simplistic - but IMHO, it is evil.