Offshoring - A Crash Course in American Culture

[Sun Baked]

A Crash Course on Irate Calls

* Now that they can fake being American pretty well, tech-support workers in India are called upon to be assertive. Or at least try.

By David Streitfeld, Times Staff Writer

BOMBAY, India — In a sleek new office building, two dozen young Indians are studying the customs of a place none of them has ever seen. One by one, the students present their conclusions about this fabled land.

"Americans eat a lot of junk food. Table manners are very casual," says Ritu Khanna.

"People are quite self-centered. The average American has 13 credit cards," says Nerissa Dcosta.

"Seventy-six percent of the people mistrust the government. In the near future, this figure is expected to go up to 100%," says Sunny Trama.

The Indians, who range in age from 20 to 27, have been hired to take calls from cranky or distraught Americans whose computers have gone haywire. To do this, they need to communicate in a language that is familiar but a culture that is foreign...

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Interesting take on the phenomenon...

The assertiveness training I can understand, when speaking to irate Americans.

But what they seem to be teaching these young people about American culture.

[2jaded2care]

"The Indians, who range in age from 20 to 27, have been hired to take calls from cranky or distraught Americans whose computers have gone haywire."

And...

"...Microsoft is in the process of a massive relocation of Customer Central call center jobs to India and Canada."
http://www.washtech.org/wt/news/indu...D_Content=4585

Hmmmm...

I'd draw a conclusion, but I gotta go out and get me nine more credit cards (for that lucky 13)...

[skunk]

[takao]

haha thanks for that amusing thread

i liked the "Table manners are very casual" part...because i already saw an american guest of our family stumble across that , but my mother fell into my back with her typical 'german' accent when speaking english..that dinner was absolutly priceless..i grinned the whole evening

[skunk]

When you call Apple over here these days, you've got a 50/50 chance of talking to someone in Bangalore. It's just not the same as the Irish crew in Cork. You get the feeling that the Irish guys actually USE Macs, whereas the Indians haven't quite mastered the enthusiasm bit yet.