Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Anyone speak Hindi?
Old 06-02-2015, 09:05 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
Anyone speak Hindi?

typing this while I'm on hold...guess I need to get Rosetta Stone for Hindi. Am trying to file a warranty claim on a Motorola bluetooth headset for replacement or repair.

..the young man (Marvin) on the phone is obviously offshore, most likely India? The on hold sitar music might be a giveaway (kidding). Anyway, the conversation is painfully slow and repetitive due language issues. I have already had to spell and correct my email address 5 or 6 times.

This is the 4th time I've been placed on hold..

Wait, he's back.. but says he needs to put me on hold again for 4 minutes.
I've asked to speak with his supervisor twice... no luck. I'm not even getting the on hold music now..maybe I'm in customer service limbo...

Being retired, I'm treating this as a challenge and I don't care how long it takes, I'm damn sure gonna win this one.

Marvin's back...oh my, I'm being transferred to another department...

Music's back at least... I think it's a 10 second loop of a waltz... guess they save money by not having to buy but 10 seconds of the song.

Reminds me of Hotel California.. you can check in any time you want but you can never leave.

Wonder what the weathers like in Mumbai. Ok, it's 88, with 70% humidity. Now it's 9pm there... thanks Google.

Cell phone was at 99% battery...down to 89% now.

It's been 35 minutes of my life I'll never get back, but I'm multi-tasking..paying bills, etc..

New music playing, still on hold..this sounds like march music. I've probably been connected to the ...oops, they just dropped me...

calling back now...
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 06-02-2015, 09:27 AM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,819
I wonder if you'd be better off filing a dispute through your credit card company?

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 09:37 AM   #3
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,396
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tailgate View Post
Reminds me of Hotel California.. you can check in any time you want but you can never leave.
The lyrics are...you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.
JustCurious is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 09:38 AM   #4
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
ok..got Wendy this time..

She said she's in El Salvador..

a little more helpful..Wendy might be in a higher grade than Marvin.

giving email again.

oops.. on hold again..

ok, Wendy says she needs my credit card in order to send a replacement and when I send back the defective headset they will put credit back on the card... I don't think so....

on hold again. It's 77 in El Salvador, raining at 10am.

I'm breaking up with Wendy! This is like a bad blind date.

She offering me a $25 coupon... got the email with the promo code and now she wants me to go the the Motorola website and give them some more money to be able to use the coupon.

Ok, I surrender. Well played Motorola!

Heading over to Consumer Reports to find your replacement.

I might miss Marvin a little...
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 09:43 AM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustCurious View Post
The lyrics are...you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.
you are correct! thx
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 09:51 AM   #6
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: San Jose
Posts: 607
I've always found it ludicrous that offshore employees adopt names like "Martin", "Steve", etc, and you know there's no way in hell that's their real name.

Talked with a customer service guy not too long ago whose accent was so thick I literally could not understand him. His name was John. Yeah, right.
LoneAspen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 09:54 AM   #7
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Big_Hitter's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
good thing you are retired
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
Big_Hitter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 10:15 AM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big_Hitter View Post
good thing you are retired
agreed.. I actually was mildly entertained.. kind of like living through a 'Who's on first' bit. Once thought about putting on my blood pressure cuff just to show my DW how calm I was.
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 10:18 AM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,361
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoneAspen View Post
I've always found it ludicrous that offshore employees adopt names like "Martin", "Steve", etc, and you know there's no way in hell that's their real name.

Talked with a customer service guy not too long ago whose accent was so thick I literally could not understand him. His name was John. Yeah, right.
John might be easier to remember than their real names.

OTOH, in China it's very common for university students to adopt an "English" first name as a sort of professional handle. I've worked with many Mikes, James, Vincents and so on.

Of course they often get egg shaped and you end up with almost "dog names" like Apollo, King, Tiger, Ziggy, Gunner and Skipper as well.
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
marko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 11:08 AM   #10
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Brat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,108
I was in India a couple years ago and learned that Hindi is not their common language, English is because they have so many local languages. Children are taught in English.. unfortunately not all their teacher are fluent in English. The kids learn what they are taught.

Keep in mind that there are several English dialects. Notable are British English and the English spoken by many in Mississippi and Alabama.
__________________
Duck bjorn.
Brat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 11:19 AM   #11
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: South central PA
Posts: 3,469
Have you thought about taking it to the place where you purchased the item? Or if you got it online, ask to be transferred to someone in the US, Canada, or London. Or maybe contact the company from where the purchase was made. Never give out any information that would allow them to steal money from you.

Buy a new bluetooth from a local store. Last week my husband decided to replace his bluetooth due to it being uncomfortable. His buddy, (AT&T employee for 36 years) and he walked into an AT&T store and bought a really good one for about $20 with employee discount. If it fails, take it back to the store. I got ripped off by someone in customer service in India a few years ago...never again.
EastWest Gal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 11:24 AM   #12
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 233
A few years back I had to call Virgin Mobile to activate a phone. The call center was in Manila, Philippines. I spent $300 to buy the phone. While I was talking with customer service rep. we talked about the cost of living in Manila. She said she makes around $300 per month. It made me a little more grateful since $300 was what I made in one day in the US.


I realize it is frustrating but if you want a call center in the US they are going to pass the cost on to you.


Also I bought a Samsung Bluetooth for $15. What is your time worth?
retirementguy1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 12:02 PM   #13
Gone but not forgotten
imoldernu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Peru
Posts: 6,335
Please listen carefully as our options have changed... press 1 for.... etc.

We have your number as 555-1212... Is that correct?

Please enter the last four digits of your social security number.

Because of an unusual volume of calls, all of our operators are busy....

Your waiting time will be approximately 25 minutes

Your call is important to us... Please stay on the line for the next available assistant....

repeat 25 time at 30 second intervals. Interspersed with scratchy ugly music...

Then:
My name is John, may I have your phone number, and the last four digits of your social security number....

You have reached billing... I can transfer you to customer service... please hold...

...because of an unusual volume of calls, all of our operators are busy right now... Please hold and the next available operator will be with you shortly...

Your waiting time will be approximately 25 minutes
Your call is important to us..........Please stay on the line...
imoldernu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 12:10 PM   #14
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 528
I thought you were supposed to press 2 for Spanish and hope for a bi-lingual person (which is often the case.
eroscott is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 01:03 PM   #15
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 312
...quick hijack (sorry)...

about 25-30 years ago, Southwest Airlines was running a "$25 each way" promotion. Anywhere they flew! Heck of a deal. So, I, like thousands of my friends decided to take them up on it. Of course, there was no interwebs, just a phone number. What they did was brilliant, and virtually free. Instead of horrible hold music, or worse, advertisements, they had recordings of a series of jokes told by a professional comedian. At one point, an operator-sounding lady interrupted and said "We're so sorry for the extensive hold time. If you've been on hold more than five minutes, press the pound key... Now, that won't really do anything, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead and press that pound key again and again!"

I was on hold for 25 minutes, but by the time I got to an agent, I was laughing and in a great mood. Didn't seem like 25 minutes at all. Never understood why other business don't adopt this model.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled program...
Unpaintedhuffhines is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 02:17 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,361
Quote:
Originally Posted by eroscott View Post
I thought you were supposed to press 2 for Spanish and hope for a bi-lingual person (which is often the case.
HEY! That's my hack!

See the thread: http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ish-75617.html
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
marko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2015, 06:02 PM   #17
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,299
Just this morning I got that nonsense "Please hold, your call is important to us. Your estimated wait time is 15 minutes". I'm making the call to a company that wants me to write them a check for a hospital bill that the insurance has already paid.

So I hung up, made a copy of the insurance statement and their bill, and mailed both back to them. Perhaps they'll figure it out.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2015, 02:42 PM   #18
gone traveling
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: DFW
Posts: 7,586
I think more companies should play up having a domestic call center vs an offshore one. It could be a market differentiator, although some of the domestic ones are no joy to speak to either.
eytonxav is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Annoying Corporate Speak cube_rat Other topics 49 03-09-2006 06:19 PM
need to speak to early retirees mbenjamin2 Other topics 36 02-23-2006 07:32 AM
800# Cheat Sheet - Speak to a Human Being Honkie Other topics 0 12-29-2005 11:28 PM
Half-timers speak up LRS FIRE and Money 15 11-20-2005 05:37 PM
What language do you speak? GTM Other topics 34 10-16-2005 03:57 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:19 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.