There's no game tomorrow so time for moaning threads. Call Centres. Reads the following: Up to 500 jobs are to be axed at Firstsource call centres across Thornaby and Middlesbrough. Fair dues thats the way things pan out sometimes. And sometimes the dialects up there are a wee bit difficult to understand. But I had two call centres, both sub continent, contact me this week and I spent most of the time saying "Pardon?". Yet I renewed our car insurance with Aviva over the phone (was wearing my shirt) and was talking to a very charming lady who I understood completely. I'm not saying the callers from the sub continent weren't charming or polite, They certainly were but I just couldn't understand them. Do Call Centres irk you because of what they are? Or are you like me, see their necessity but would prefer get a15 minute call reduced to 5 minutes because of whats lost in translation?
I received a call 2 or 3 years back from a lady who sounded either Indian, or one of the countries in that area, offering me cheaper electricity if I changed supplier to the company she was representing! I was really struggling with her accent and my poor hearing plus tinitus, I left her absolutely amazed that I preferred to pay extra and keep the supplier I was already with! Two reasons for my decision, firstly I'm always suspicious of any offers that claim to save you money, there must be some hidden extra, otherwise they would all charge the same, but the main reason was, despite her being a polite, patient lady, it would have taken a week of "pardons" and repeats to understand what she was telling me!
The company I work for has as part of it's business 'offshore' contact centres (not allowed to call them call centres apparently). i've heard plenty of comments here from senior people saying that 'they don't want to speak to the Indians', and want to speak to someone here instead. that's people on the inside.
I still get sporadic calls from double glazing firms, etc. When I (politely) explain that I'm already sorted, they unleash their trump card - and try and sell me a conservatory. I allow them to blather on for 10 minutes before pointing out that I live in a second floor flat. Why the hell does their database not tell them this in advance? The worst ones are the pre-recorded predictive dial calls :- "Hello, have you been mis-sold PPI? Let us claim on your behalf" etc There is a call-barring service to stop these - but you can bet your best conservatory on it that it costs to subscribe
that's the problem dave Double glazing salesmen, classic. they're even worse in person. Where's the guy from Rogue traders?? Did you hear that the portugese chap on rogue traders got done for benefit fraud. you couldn't make it up.
I find myself going for a contract more and more if they state they have British call centres even if they are that slightly more expense. i look at it this way, if i have a problem and need to call somebody on 0845 number, i will get my money back by the fact that the call will last a quarter of the time because everything doesn't have to be repeated at least 4 times. other than that, ****ing Talk Talk call centres are the biggest ****s going.
Redruth, now you've done it, ****ing call centres get on my tits! We must get about 3 a day from India, mostly telling me I've got something wrong with my computer and they can help fix it, or they want to help me reclaim money from banks from fraudently selling insurance. I have taken to telling them to **** off now as I'm so fed up with it it's driving me mental. BT say they can't help because these calls are coming from abroad????? AVIVA!!!!!!! Last year I rang them because we were going on our annual touring holiday on the continent and the car insurance was due to expire while we were away, all I needed was for them to send me the new documents early so I had them with me should I have cause to need them. When I rang the number on my policy I was faced with, press 1 for...2 for...and so on, so I pressed the appropriate number, then got a voice which asked me to speak clearly for the service I needed, I said "Car Insurance"...sorry I didn't understand that came the reply from the voice, Again I said "Car Insurance", nope still didn't get it, after 5 attempts a voice said, please speak clearly and give your NEW address!!!! I gave up, redialled and just waited about 10 minutes not pressing anything until a real person answered, I explained what I needed and was then put through to the correct department. Told the man what I needed again, he then said that they were installing a new computer system and running the old and new side by side until all the data had been switched, he asked me to verify all my details so he could input them into the new system. This took about a further 10 minutes, after which he said thank you Mr Kent I've now got your details on the screen how can I help you. WHAT are you talking about I shouted? Firstly I told you what I wanted right at the beginning, and Secondly... my name is NOT Mr Kent!!!! I've just spent 10 minutes giving you all my personal details, were you not listening or were you making up things. It actually took him 3 goes to get my name right. It's shocking that a person living 20 miles from the AVIVA offices in Norwich had to go through that, I wrote and complained and said next time to save time and hassle I would drive to Norwich and do business face to face, I was told that wasn't possible!!!!!!
ILD, great rant. what about the telephone preference service or whatever it's called? we're on it, and only get occasional cold calls, not 3 a day.
www.tpsonline.org.uk Try this Cromer, it's called the "telephone preference service" it's free and will stop cold calls from the UK only, within 28 days of registering!
I had one of them the other day. Me: YES, automated: I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH THAT, Me: YES, automated: I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH THAT, Me: YES, automated: I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH THAT, At which point I coughed as I was saying YES and automated says: THANK YOU. So from now on I have to talk like effin Yoder before they understand me!
ILD - Are you sure you hadn't wound the guy up and misheard him???? On the subject of call centres I get really annoyed by someone cold-calling and then asking you to identify yourself for data protection! They seem amazed when I point out that they have callled me on my home number where I am the register account holder and the owner of the house . I then ask them to verify who they are and hang up when I get bored with them trying to do so.
I for one will not knowingly do business with any company (unless I have no other option i.e. BT), that uses overseas call centres, nuff said
No one has to use BT What annoys me is when sales is in a British call centre so you buy from them thinking excellent then you phone up with an issue and you're calling India. Mind you some of the Sky staff are utterly unintelligible too. Had a funny one with Santander last week. My account had been blocked due to a suspicious transaction and when I phoned up I spoke to a guy with a thick Scouse accent from the security department I really lol'd Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
hmm, don't know then ILD sorry, ask them to be taken off their list if repeat offenders, or you'll just have to tell them to **** off!
My favourite is to say that I am really interested and say, "I'll just pop you on hold whilst I grab a pen" and leave them on hold until they hang up. My record so far is 15 minutes.
