I've had issues with offshore CSR service before and used this trick, and I wonder if anyone has used it with airlines to get a US based CSR?

When you call for customer service or support you often have the option of selecting Spanish (either form a menu option or via a separate phone number.) When I've done that with tech support and customer service I've usually gotten a person in the US who is either very well versed in English or speaks English natively and Spanish as a secondary language. When you get the CSR you just claims you mysteriously got routed here and they typically help you out in English.

I suspect this works with airlines who off shore, though I primarily fly NW which has most of it's CSRs in the US.

I have a totally different trick, I ask them if they are based in the US, if told No, I ask to be transferred to a US call center.

If i get the dumb line, Oh I can Help You, I say Great and you can help me by transferring me to a US call center. Then Im on my way

I dont think outsourcing is the biggest problem.

I have had US based CSR's tell me complete B.S!

One lady told me that I couldn't upgrade by paying the difference in fare!

The lack of training is a bigger problem, then outsourcing call centers, IMHO.

A little of topic, but here is a site which has 800 numbers and some instructions on how get to a person...^

http://www.hardtofind800numbers.com/listings/d.htm

That way, you can ask them where they are located sooner.

-mike-

I agree. US or foreign, it is the lack of thorough training - not the location of the employee - that causes problems.

It is also important to note that the airlines (and other companies) could use purely US-based CSRs if we wanted to pay more for our tickets and/or a higher surcharge for phone support. Personally, I'd rather deal with the outsourced help (on the rare occasion I use phone support) and save the $.

I have tried asking the person in the offshore call center to transfer me to a US call center, but they have said they have no way to do so...

When you have done this were they able to transfer you to the US?

Thank you. That one went straight onto my favorites list.

Hmm then explain how all WN CSR's are US based.

The airlines with outsoursed CSR's have not figured out that there is a high cost of being cheap.

Explain what about it? If they use domestic-only CSRs, then they pay more than they would otherwise. If they paid less, they could either be more profitable or pass the savings along to the customer/

You are *assuming* that their financial decision was wrong and that the savings is not greater than the cost (if any) of dissatisfied customers who stop doing business when they wouldn't have if CSRs were domestic. I agree that the problem is training - not location - so I doubt that any customers are lost purely because CSRs are not in the US. If there is lost business to some degree, I'd suspect that it isn't enough to throw the savings out the window.

not quite. delta, for one, is going to close their ICC, because it was creating problems (and most likely they were losing business)

i think more airlines should do like jetblue does, and save money on the call center by hiring at home phone agents