Log in

No account? Create an account

Previous Entry | Next Entry

F**King Indian Call Centres!


I got transferred from a UK office to a Call centre in Dubai (I know it was Dubai because I ended up asking where they were) for a simple question about my barclaycard account.

All I needed to know was what my Minimum Payment was this month, when it was due and if I had already paid it.

To say there were communication problems between myself and the Call Centre Guy is an understatement. He seemed to think I was asking about everything other than my actual question. I kept my calm and finished off the phonecall getting my information but not actually being sure if it was correct because he still seemed confused.

Que me phoning the British branch of barclaycard again, getting through to a someone whom I could understand and could understand me. Was very sympathic to my experience and logged the complaint (by the sound of things they get quite a few complaints) and then answered my question straight off.

The short of it was that I'd actually paid it off last month and didn't owe anything at present.

Why did such a simple enquiry become such a drawn out, complicated and annoying experience???

I really wish companies wouldn't sub-contract to companies based in countries where English isn't the first language. I should try and draw up a list of the companies I use who have overseas call centres and then start looking at winding up my contracts with them and looking for UK based ones instead.


( 6 comments — Leave a comment )
Nov. 16th, 2006 03:18 pm (UTC)
Thisi s why...
I do internet bankking. whereby the answer to your question would have been garnered in five minutes flat.

No indian call centres involved.
Nov. 16th, 2006 04:42 pm (UTC)
"Hello, yes, I have a question about my account."

"Thank you, madam, for calling us today. How may I help you?"

"I...I have a question about my account."

"Do you have an account with us currently?"

"Um, I...yes?"

"May I have your account number please."

"I--didn't I just punch it in three times? Don't you have it up on your screen?"

"I am sorry, yes, madam. Please, what is your account number?"

"I--FUCK I JUST--*sigh*. 19194567832342343241."

"Thank you. Could you please repeat that?"

"I...fuck. 19194567832342343241."

"Okay, thank you. Okay, how may I help you with this account today?"

"I just wanted to know what my minimum payment is."

"May I have your date of birth for verification purposes?"

"THE FU--February 30th 1969."

"Very good, madam. Alright, what was your question?"

"My minimum payment! What is it?"

"That is the minimum amount of money we ask you to send in each month in order to keep the--."


"It depends on your balance and current percentage rate, madam."

"I--*sigh*. Alright, listen. How much is my balance currently. Right now. How much do I owe?"

"We show a balance of $3417, madam."



"GOD! Thank you. When is it due?"

"It was due yesterday, madam."

"So, in other words, it was due when I first placed this call?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Nevermind. Alright, can I pay it over the phone?"

"Yes, madam. Let me transfer you to the payment offices."

"Transf--wuh? I--!"




"Thank you for calling us today. How may I help you?"

"I need to make a payment on my account."

"Very well, sir. What is your account number?"
Nov. 16th, 2006 05:18 pm (UTC)
Erm, not to be snarky, but Dubai is in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, not in India.

Or did you mean Mumbai?
Nov. 16th, 2006 05:52 pm (UTC)
Maybe. Probably. I couldn't understand a word he was saying.
Nov. 16th, 2006 09:22 pm (UTC)
Could be worse. In NZ they employ people with non-English speaking backgrounds to work in the bank branches *here*. I've just spent several days trying to get a bank to mail me a few forms, only to be left with the suspicion that the reason it took so long to get any result is mostly due to the Indian gentleman I was trying to work through. :/
Nov. 19th, 2006 09:29 am (UTC)
Could be worse here's an American perspective
from boingboing:

In August Matthew Shinnick sold a pair of bikes on Craig's list for $600. After shipping the bikes, he received a check for $2000, not $600. The buyer explained that the extra money was for shipping costs and for his "trouble."

Shinnick was suspicious, so when he went to a San Francisco branch of Bank of America to deposit cash the check (which was drawn on a Bank of America check), but expressed concern that the check might not be good. He asked the teller to find out before depositing cashing it.

"The teller contacted the business and was informed that no check had been written to Shinnick for $2,000 or any other amount. She immediately passed the check to the branch manager. "I saw him talking on the phone and staring at me," Shinnick said. "A few minutes later, four SFPD officers came into the bank. They didn't say a thing. They just kicked my legs apart and handcuffed me behind my back." The police report for Shinnick's arrest says he was taken into custody "for the safety of the bank employees as well as the bank customers." -- SFGate

Shinnick was hauled to jail, stripped of his clothing and put into an orange jumpsuit. His father posted $4,500 bond to spring him. Shinnick ended up spending $14,000 to get out of the mess Bank of America caused.

Read the full story at:

( 6 comments — Leave a comment )

Latest Month

May 2015


Powered by LiveJournal.com
Designed by Tiffany Chow