Originally Posted by geneven

I do find that Americans often refer to foreign customer service reps as if they were all poorly informed and reps who spoke good English were all well informed. This is far from true. I have spoken to and worked with many American customer service reps who didn't understand their jobs at all. And yes, I am an American.

I didn't write "wanker" but "wonker" because I wrote in wrong way the word "worker" becaue I have a lot of respect for "workers" in the way it is used in the slogan "Workers of the world, unite!"
But I see that there is who took the grammatical error as a pretext to make believe that I am saying what I don't think at all.
Shame! Shame ! Shame!

Originally Posted by oved_etzot

I think the word "racism" was a stretch of the word. But complaining about someone's accent in a globalized economy is a bit unfair. I mean Nokia is a Swedish company, so you might have gotten a representative with an accent like the Swedish chef on the Muppet show - Why do you assume that you deserve someone who speaks your exact language in your exact accent?
My English isn't bad, it's my second language though. When I call the US for customer service or other professional business, many times I have trouble understanding people's accents, sometimes it's not the accent but all sorts of idioms that are taken for granted in the US. Frustrating, but that's the way it goes.
It probably isn't racism but it is a bit anglo-centric to expect that everyone fits theirselves into your standards.

Originally Posted by geneven

When I was living in Russia and working for a US company, were they outsourcing? I was always curious about that I was working for a Russian company at the same time -- were THEY outsourcing?

Originally Posted by Patroclo

It's a big shame that I come to read posts so full of racism against poor indians and people working hard to earn some money! In my country saying something like what I read above would result in jail! I cannot understand why moderators are not banning racists from the forum and informing FBI.

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

It just doesn't cut it. If I press 2 for Spanish I expect to get a Spanish speaking person (doesn't have to be of any latin/hispanic/whatever decent, could be totally white, or black, or whatever, it's how well they speak the language that matters.)

Originally Posted by andraeseus1

If i call customer service of a place called "NOKIA USA" i expect to speak to some one who speaks the main language of the USA. when i call NOKIA EURO or AFRICA i expect to speak with some one who speaks the applicable language.

imagine if you will for a second:

I see the phone advertised on NOKIA/usa (advertised in English writing to English speaking residents of america)

I buy the phone in NEW YORK (a English speaking American city)

I buy from a American English speaking cashier and talk with a American English speaking regional manager (English is the primary language in the USA runner up is Spanish)

I pay for this device in US DOLLARS (the official Currency of the United States)

These US Dollars have English words written on them

My receipt is printed out in English

The Language programed on the phone is English

Now imagine my frustration when i have a problem with this phone and i call a customer service rep who can not speak English to a reasonable degree? after the smooth transitions to the phone all being done in very easy to use and easy to understand English I now have to deal with a problem with some one who cant understand me and i cant understand them.

This is how regular old customer service calls escalate very quickly.

For the record if you call customer service and ask to speak with some one who speaks clear English (preferably a manager ) they will find one for you and it usually doesn't take too long

Originally Posted by oved_etzot

I understand it's frustrating. But the US has always prided itself as being open to immigration. Should immigrants be barred from customer service because of their accents? Should they not be teachers, policemen, postal clerks? Should they only be trash collectors and supermarket baggers?

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

They could be customer service for other immigrants of their language...

However - this touches on an entirely different subject: Should you be required to learn the language of a country that you plan to live in..... or should the country you are moving too be required to change everything for you?