alright. i’m going to do something i do not usually do here. i am going to rant. first, a preface — i am one of those people who try very hard to be tolerant, understanding, and accommodating. but sometimes, even i have to go, “what… the… fuck?!?”
this deals with business. the context of this is business. if you write me to complain about this and in any way fail to demonstrate that you grasp this is in the context of business, i will bite your head slap off.
you have been warned.
i’ll start off simple. do not try to communicate to me if you can’t speak my language. do not try to communicate with me if you haven’t at least made an attempt to learn my language.
do not speak to me as if i should be able to understand you if you cannot speak my language. do not speak to me with an inflection that tells me you are annoyed with me because i cannot understand you when you obviously cannot properly speak my language.
do not assume i should automatically know your language. do not assume i should be familiar with people who are functionally illiterate in my language. do not assume that because someone farmed out work to you to try and save money that i or anyone else are obligated to ‘cut you some slack’ or know or care that this is the case and you aren’t very good at speaking my language.
this is not really about the poor schmoe who is calling me, however.
i understand very well that there are a number of companies that, being more concerned with their overhead than with the quality of service or support that i, as a customer, might receive, have “outsourced” their support, service, and call center related activities (marketing, sales, etc.) to companies in India.
most of such companies were presented with a well spoken, well written American who was paid nicely to convince you that it is a savvy business move. that because you can pay India 75% less per hour than you can anyone here in America, you’d save loads of money.
they told you that there were highly qualified people in India just waiting to do your work and make you look amazing. and let’s face it, because you’re always looking to cut corners and save money, you bit, didn’t you?
let me share with you a small and very important reality — the majority of people living and working in India do not speak English. they do not write English. they do not have an understanding of American culture, nor of terms and phrases that are common within the American consumer market.
they may or may not have comparable educations and skills, but it doesn’t much matter if or when they cannot communicate effectively, write effectively, or develop, let alone maintain a working rapport with the people they are supposed to be servicing or supporting in the language that they speak, using the cultural mannerisms with which they are familiar.
i happen to be part of a company that is trying to outsource our development to India. it is the singular source of any annoyance and ineffectiveness in my daily work life and the single stumbling stone that is slowly killing our company. not that the principles are willing to listen, since they cannot afford to be in business at all otherwise.
but i mention it because i had a very interesting conversation about culture clash with the principle of the company in India when i first started working with this company. during this conversation, he confided in me two things that i found very, very interesting and have ultimately also found very, very true:
(1) in the context of business, support, or service, the people of india are not motivated to overcome impediments. they stop at the first question.
(2) most people who “know English” in india are operating at the fourth or fifth grade level; definitely not well enough to support or respond to American business needs.
on a cultural level, this principle confided to me that most people in India are very resentful, if not outright derogatory toward America. they do not want to learn our culture; our culture or way of doing things is considered inferior. so naturally this is reflected in how they interact (or fail to be able to interact) with us.
this is not the first time i have heard this. i have known an number of people from Bombay, New Delhi, and elsewhere in India. they have all, at some point along the way, confided this to me as if it is some great secret and i had somehow demonstrated myself ‘different’ enough to warrant being told it.
and today, i received a call from a fellow who is obviously hired by someone to cut their overhead and business costs. he couldn’t speak well enough or clearly enough to be understood. his own lack of ability was only further impeding things. he knew he didn’t speak English well.
he was abrupt, rude, and patronizing. i knew it was because he was uncomfortable. but i also knew that wasn’t my fault and certainly wasn’t my problem.
do you think he got any business from me? er, no.
do you think he or any that act like him will EVER get ANY business from me? er… no.
tell me — what baseline perception are you building with me about your company, your interest in my service levels, support levels, happiness with your products and services by interactions such as this?
shall i tell you how many companies i no longer do business with because i am not willing to put up with slipshod, illiterate support and service?
shall i tell you that, today, my automatic response to hearing an India accent on the telephone is simply to hang up? that i’m so used to be frustrated and annoyed that i simply no longer bother nor do i listen? that my automatic reaction is to request addition to the no call list or to ask for a manager with which to do so?
don’t get me wrong. i have immense respect for India. there are amazing people and culture and philosophy in India. this is not about the people of India so much as it is about the lazy, thoughtless, short-sighted people of America… people who are willing to try and take advantage of the difference in the exchange rate, poverty, and eagerness of the people of India to handle an aspect of business they wish they didn’t have to mess with at all.
consumers are not so stupid as to not draw these conclusions from this manner of activity. if not immediately, they certainly will over time.
there are some things you just cannot scrimp on because they will eventually and inevitably erode your revenue stream and by the time you notice, you’ve already damaged yourself beyond repair with your consumers.
this is why microsoft no longer gets my business. why i will endure the crap usability of openoffice rather than pay them a single cent more, ever, in my lifetime.
this is why a good many other companies no longer get my business. i do realize i am presently a very marginal minority. i’m used to it. i am forever on the front curve of new trends.
i don’t mind it. and let me tell you something, mr and miss “savvy business” — if you don’t start minding it, i don’t envy you the rude awakening to come.