New RCI Offices in the Phillipines - The New Mexico!

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

From personal experience I can assure you that the consumer is the one suffering from the customer service perspective. The large money business accounts still have american call centers.

Have we brought this all upon ourselves? No. Although this is one line that many have swallowed hook line and sinker.

For myself, I choose NOT to deal with corporations that have opted for undertrained, underpaid workers in developing countries.

Why should I deal with India for my telecommunications needs when another company offers american call centers for the same or even a better price?

I don't buy gas from Valero or Lukoil. This does not mean I don't drive 10 miles to save money by not paying NY state taxes for fuel.

I am no longer a member of RCI.

I feel very strongly about this and am at least TRYING to walk the talk.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

It reminds me . . . I called someone's customer service department recently, some company I did not expect to have a foreign call center. In a thick Spanish accent, the first thing the lady said was, "Are you in the United States?" (obviously trying to route my call)

When I answered, "Are you?", she cracked up!

FWIW, she was in Panama, I believe.
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Speaking of hillbillies, foreign countries, and call centers, we have a lot of the vacation company call centers right here, and their ads are on TV and in the newspapers constantly. Wyndham has a lot of them right now, almost every station break on the local channels.

ah guess yo' count us among them willin' t'wawk, fo' less t'boot! Fry mah hide!

[Fern Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fern]

Lawren,
I agree with you that the consumer is the one who gets the outsourced worker. The consumer is also the one who frequently wants a rock bottom price. I'm guilty of that myself.

Awhile back Jerry insisted that he wanted to buy only "made in America." We needed several things during that period, and it was impossible to find "American made" ones. Telephones, VCRs, etc. Most Automobiles have some sort of foreign tie these days...US cars fabricated totally or in part in Canada or Mexico. Cars from foreign companies fabricated in the US, but the profit goes elsewhere. Which is better? I don't know. I do know that as consumers many of us have gotten to where we expect low prices for our goods. Companies who can deliver that often outsource. Big companies, too.

Here's a good list of items that are "American" by American workers, to get folks started.

From personal experience I can assure you that the consumer is the one suffering from the customer service perspective. The large money business accounts still have american call centers.

Have we brought this all upon ourselves? No. Although this is one line that many have swallowed hook line and sinker.

For myself, I choose NOT to deal with corporations that have opted for undertrained, underpaid workers in developing countries.

Why should I deal with India for my telecommunications needs when another company offers american call centers for the same or even a better price?

I don't buy gas from Valero or Lukoil. This does not mean I don't drive 10 miles to save money by not paying NY state taxes for fuel.

I am no longer a member of RCI.

I feel very strongly about this and am at least TRYING to walk the talk.

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

Whatever

Phillipines, Mexico, Indianapolis, the ineptitude seems relatively constant.
Got a call day before yesterday that my Barnsdale CC, Rutland, England week that I had secured months ago was actually a Sunday check-in and not a Saturday check-in, so I had to get a hotel room for Saturday night (or pay the fee to change six sets of airline tickets).
I got hotel rooms at $220/night.

I did the exchange online, and my confirmation read Sep 22-29. Suddenly, as of Sep 5 it reads (in my online account) Sep 23-30.

Actually, I spend about a quarter of my time correcting mistakes, or trying to prevent them, from disinterested workers, who then later wonder where their jobs went when they are laid off.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Lawren,
I agree with you that the consumer is the one who gets the outsourced worker. The consumer is also the one who frequently wants a rock bottom price. I'm guilty of that myself.

Awhile back Jerry insisted that he wanted to buy only "made in America." We needed several things during that period, and it was impossible to find "American made" ones. Telephones, VCRs, etc. Most Automobiles have some sort of foreign tie these days...US cars fabricated totally or in part in Canada or Mexico. Cars from foreign companies fabricated in the US, but the profit goes elsewhere. Which is better? I don't know. I do know that as consumers many of us have gotten to where we expect low prices for our goods. Companies who can deliver that often outsource. Big companies, too.

Here's a good list of items that are "American" by American workers, to get folks started.

Fern it is very difficult to support american workers but I do try. Both our Hondas were at least made here.

The largest signature clients look for rock bottom prices too, believe me. I never did understand how selling a large volume at a loss could benefit the seller but then who am I to question big business?

Thanks much for the link. Very helpful.

[davhu1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davhu1]

As far as supporting jobs, my supermarket has "self check" as an option. I never use it. Sunday when I was there I was patiently waiting in one of the two checker-manned lines. A checker came up to me and "invited me" to go to the self-check. I told her that I was sorry, but I didn't use self-check because I didn't want to support the loss of retail clerk jobs due to its use. She said, "I still have a job!" I looked at her in amazement. I said, "Well, yes, but you are now manning FOUR checkstands, so that means three people no longer have jobs." She just didn't seem to get it. Fern

Similar experience with me at the bank. I went to draw some cash and the teller asked me if I had a ATM card. I said yes and she asked why did I not got outside to used it. I told her if I did that she would not be employed. She looked irritated and just gave me a blank stare. There was no other customers in the bank and she seems to like to work herself out of the job. Fern, You are right. Some people just do not seem to get it.