[bmalone]

I can share my experiences in the computer industry. Microsoft and others moved call center operations to various foreign countries some time ago. THis used to be driven by time of day--that is, technical support is typically a 24 hour operation for the larger companies. I first started noticing this when Cisco routed after-hours calls to Australia (about mid to late nineties). I remember thinking this is no big deal; I can understand the person I am speaking with.

More recently (within the last couple of years), Microsoft and other large software vendors have routed the support calls to call centers in India and the Phillipines. For myself or my staff, it is a common occurence to place support calls. So. talking to someone from India, Phillipines or Russia has often caused untenable communication problems. From the beginning, I have always done the same thing: if I really cannot understand the person I am speaking to, I ask for a manager--I don't just ask to be put back in the queue. Getting a manager allows me to share my opinion that this situation causes a severe problem for me and I will not accept speaking to someone whose native language is not English.

To make a long story short, I have talked to and exchanged numerous e-mails with Microsoft managers. They are in the business of providing customer satisfaction. Literally, this has happened more than twenty times. I have stated I will re-evaluate where I buy software from if this is the level of support I receive and have stated that routing the calls gives them a black eye. People do understand that. If the support you receive is terrible, then it really doesn't matter which brand of software you choose to buy--I will buy from those that offer superior customer service.

By my own observation, Microsoft has stopped routing calls to India (I could be wrong, but it hasn't happened to me in a while). As others have said, you do not have to accept what is offered. If enough people complain, the tide sometimes turns in the other direction.