Another week is almost over. These
weeks fly by faster and faster.
Answering Service Humor
There is so much of it.
Humor in an answering service or call center is probably
very similar from coast to coast. Like the cubicle
jokes, a whole set of jokes can develop dealing
exclusively with call centers and the contact center
industry.
Answering Service
This is the transcript of
the new answering service recently installed at the
Mental Health Institute.
Hello and welcome to the
Call Center Mental Health Hotline.
If you are
obsessive-compulsive: Press 1 repeatedly.
If you are co-dependent: Ask
someone to press 2 for you.
If you have multiple
personalities: Press 3, 4, 5 and 6.
If you are paranoid: We know
who you are and what you want. Stay on the line so
we can trace your call.
If you are delusional: Press
7 and your call will be transferred to the mother
ship.
If you are schizophrenic:
Listen carefully and a small voice will tell you
which number to press.
If you are manic-depressive:
It doesn't matter what number you press - no-one
will answer.
If you are dyslexic: Press
969696969
If you have a nervous
disorder: Please fidget with the 0 key until a
representative comes on the line.
If you have amnesia: Press 8
and state your name, address, phone number, date of
birth, social security number, and your mother's
maiden name.
If you have short-term
memory loss: Press 9.
If you have short-term
memory loss: Press 9.
If you have short-term
memory loss: Press 9. If you have short term memory
loss: Press 9.
If you have low self esteem:
Please hang up. All our operators are too busy to
talk to you.
A Cool
Video on the Call Center or Call Centre World
Interesting to see what Australians
are thinking, or any other country. It's a big topic
here in America too. Lots of call centers and answering
services all over the country outsource to India and
other nations.
Honestly, if you need straight
messages, nothing else. Dollar for dollar foreign call
centers are a better value than American. So you can't
blame the many companies that route calls
internationally. Their profits probably skyrocketed
since they did.
On the other hand a firm like our
firm is a bit different. We do the more complex things,
keep appointments, sales calls, setting appointments,
charities, website chat, and more. You could say we do
the things for our clients that couldn't be done by any
company outside of the United States. The reason being
is that we sell ourselves as becoming the American
staff. Promising to never use foreign workers. The
cultural familiarity believe it or not, goes a very long
way in dealing with people and helping them get to the
answers that they need.
Pride in the job is so important.
The foreign workers are in many ways more prideful of
their work than Americans in many instances. Let's all
be honest about that. In my last company, I'd say Indian
call center workers are far better employees. In India
college educated women are dying to get a answering
service or call center position. It is seen as a step up
and a way to bring your family out of poverty. A way to
alter your family's history.
Knowing this you can see why many
Indians are better at working in a call center, than we
Americans. Even in America many look down on those
of us that work in the thousands of answering services
and call centers and virtual offices all over the
country. There is this image of a low-paid passerby who
will be gone in a few weeks or months.
.gif)
