Outsourcing

As an American who speaks a foreign language, has taught it in colleges and who lived abroad, I think I can say that I'm no xenophobe.  There are certain cultures I admire more than others, but as a blanket statement, I can't claim that I hate any one ethnic group.  Sure, I'm not wild about Brits, and Asians from the Far East don't hold any attraction for me on any level.  But I can't say that I hate, categorically, any one ethnic group.

That being said, I'm very tired of this phenomenon of outsourcing work to India.  I suppose corporations have to do what they have to do, but the cultural divide between me and Indians in India is vast.

First of all, I'm well aware there are cultural differences.  That's what makes them foreign to me and me foreign to them.  So I'm not adverse to culture differences.  But there are some differences that are too great to bridge.

Indians are innately polite. The problem is they're polite to the point of obsequiousness.  It's one thing to be polite and courteous and another thing to be polite or courteous in a grating sense.  This is effected by the second trait.

Indians are tenacious with their courtesy.  For example, in one exchange I had today, I was asked for my phone number, which I readily provided.  In the US, a person might thank me for giving the number. From India, I was thanked for helping them with that number.  It's not like I deciphered it for him; I merely gave him my phone number.

They will also try to work around policies that are not of their making but with they must work.  For example, this poor guy called me to confirm that I represented a particular client.  Once I did that, he asked whether my client might be interested in discussing a settlement of the matter.  I told him that I would be glad to forward any settlement proposal to my client and that he could send it to me in writing.  He then told me I had to send him a power of attorney so that they could send me a settlement proposal, an absurdity.

You mean to tell me that I can confirm that I represent these people, but for you to send me a written settlement proposal, I have to send you a written power of attorney???? I asked incredulously.

I am so sorry, but that is the procedure that I must follow, he answered o-so-politely (notice the abject lack of contractions).

So that I understand, let me get this straight:  For purposes of the FDCPA, you can take my verbal confirmation that I represent the client, but you can't send me a written settlement proposal without a written power of attorney?  Seriiously?  I was beyond incredulous.

Please, allow me to confer with my supervisor to see if there is something we can do about this.  At which number may I return this call? he asked courteously.

So I bought myself a couple of hours from him with that and awaited what should have been an easy resolution to the problem.  When he called back, he proceeded to outline what their settlement proposal was.  I interrupted him -- politely, of course -- and asked him to send it to me so I could present it to the client.

That is fine, sir, may I have your fax number so that I may send it to you? he asked.

My fax isn't set up yet (which is true), could you email it to me?  I replied, again politely.

On hold I went again while he conferred with his supervisor.  I didn't expect what he next told me:

Could you please send me an email giving me permission to send this proposal to you via email, sir?

I don't know whether it was the client's policies or this agency's policies, but whoever's they were, they're asinine and I told him as much.  I proceeded to lose my temper, slightly, and tell him he could either take my email address and send the proposal to me or we were done.  Again, he launched into more apologies, politely and obsequiously delivered, until I couldn't take it any more and hung up.

What should have taken ten minutes at most took nearly a half hour of accumulated time.  Sure, some of it had to do with unnecessarily bureaucratically intricate rules, but the prolongation of the talk had at least as much to do with the over-the-top courtesy in which the poor schmuck couched everything.

At some point, if Indians are going to conduct business for American companies here, they should not only be able to speak English, which they all do, but also learn some cultural nuances as well.  We Americans are pilloried for our cultural ignorance, which is largely deserved. so others should be held to a similiar standard. Whether it's bill collection or the cable company or another utility, it's frustrating to be talking with someone in English and not have a word of the conversation move it forward.

Just one other nitpick-y complaint:  These callers are obviously from India.  If one or two of them had the same thick accent, I might believe they were transplants.  But when everyone with whom I talk has the same accent, they're obviously not in the same time zone.  That being the case, don't try to kid me by telling me your name is John or George or Susan.  I have yet to meet a native-born Indian with an Anglo-Saxon name.

And if you keep doing it, I'll just tell you my name is Rajeev.

(c) 2013 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles