http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/53/34582.html
after my recent disatrous call to a tiscali center somewhere north of bangalore (probably) i can confirm that yes, the service you receive is cr*p.
so cr*p in fact that i had to make another 2 calls after just to "check the status of my query" (ie: double check that last muppet has done it properly)
i know helpdesks are notoriously sh*te wherever they are, with the cheapest monkeys money could buy staffing the phones, but when you outsource your helpdesk all accountability for quality of service goes out the window. targets for calls answered become even more important than they do when its done in-house, thus meaning the actual content and usefulness of those calls is neglected
and yes, i know this is the same when the outsourced helpdesk is in this country, but at least you dont have the language barrier. when you are trying to relate something quite technical (such as a fault with your modem) it helps if the person you are speaking to understand your language, and indeed its even easier if its their native tongue.
not to mention the ethics involved in shifting your whole operation to india, making 1000s of people redundant in the process, only to set up in a 3rd world call-centre which has employment conditions not ythat far removed from those of a sweatshop. no unions, long hours, unreasonble targets, very little pay, etc etc
so, yes. i'm glad the backlash has started.
and i particularly like the way dell make their stance on this sound like an admirable thing:
thats great, dell. shame you werent as commited to the 1000s of people in their native ireland that lost their jobs when you shifted your helpdesk operation over there....Astonishingly, Dell actually wrote:Dell dismissed the reports, however, and affirmed its commitment to India. "We're not shifting the work. [Dell] is committed to India and is growing," a spokesperson for the Bangalore-headquartered Dell India operations said.
c*nts.