GNRMatt

Because it's a lot cheaper for offshore vendors to do this work. When you hire someone in America, it costs a LOT more, especially once you start including things such as health benefits. Unfortunately, most American companies are all about how to make the quickest buck, not how to help out fellow Americans.

QiKReS

And one more thing US airways Outsourced their Reservations to the worst Call Center in the Philippines,

User Name

Are these off-shore call centers actually outsourced?

It is common for some companies to outsource to American-based call centers and for others to own and run their own off-shore operations. In my experience both models have downsides, but at a pinch an on-shore outsourcer will perform worse than an well-run off-shore company-owned center. The transfer of training, systems and culture is incredibly difficult to replicate really well in an outsourced operation (despite what those who work in such industries will tell you).

jeffhacker

Boy are you right. I had a weather delay which would have resulted in a misconnect (at CLT) a few months ago, and didn't have the Silver number (that's all I am at the moment). They answered overseas and tried to reroute me DFW-ATL via LAS! I asked the lady on the phone if she had access to a map of the U.S.
Jeff

QiKReS

Up for this thread I just received my End of Contract papers from the Call Center in Manila, By October 2 EST there will be only a few calls routed to manila and by the 31st all General Reservations call will be handled by INT RNO,PHX, Manila reps will only Handle The US airways Tech Support, until May 2012,

split8s

Looks like QiKRes correctly reported the timing of the end of the Manila call center:
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...hore-call.html

BoeingBoy

I didn't know it before, but apparently part of the combined CWA/IBT post-merger contract was to have res completely back in-house by 11-1-2011, which presumably coincided with the end of the offshore contracts. I know that few here use the general res folks, but there will be an influx of new agents still learning the ropes - 350 according to US.

Jim

QiKReS

I wonder how are they doing right now Phoenix I guess Reservations will be running much smoother they better be.

QiKReS

I got insider info heheh from my Boss

burlax

Every time (any) company starts to outsource, CS quality always plummets. Foreign call center staff cannot speak or even understand English and usually are not particularly competent either. I know, I know, sounds arrogant, but truth always hurts...

A few years ago Citi started to outsource its call center and it was OMG, cannot get anything done with a foreign person on the phone. U.S. (in my experience, best CS globally on average) > Ireland CS (rude, but will get things done) > Philippines CS (hard to understand, cant understand you, often incompetent, but at least always polite) > India CS (rude AND hard to understand AND won't listen to you AND incompetent).

GeorgeJ

Problem of geography knowledge too...

Last year after a cancellation at BWI, the phone agent told me I needed to fly to PHX and then make a connection to get to JAX...

Biggie Fries

Of course, there are mileage junkies on this board who would just about kill for that kind of company-sanctioned re-routing.

QiKReS

You nailed it big time..

Fortunately for me my english is always good enough to be understood by my customers even if they noticed the accent they will sometimes complement me for speaking clear english. But there was this one time a lady from CLT calling about baggage fees and no matter what I do she could not understand me but she is very Patient and Polite and starting to laugh because of the situation Over all my experience as CS from Manila is Pleasant.

I almost cried during my last call, An elderly lady who is stranded at the airport if remember PHL. That despite being marooned and scolded by a gate agent. And when she called in to complain she even apologized to me for calling reservations since she know we are from Manila and it is during the middle of the night like around 2am. She was even sympathetic when she found out that the Call Center will be sent back to the US. She's like but what about you? and all your colleagues? So they are just going to be out of work?. I told her not to worry and that we are okay about it since I understand a lot of people in the US could benefit from the Jobs that will be created. She even ask me what are my Plans, I just told her that maybe the next time she calls in for assistance for her cable I may be the one to get the call. She laughed. The Sad thing is I could not find any other available flights every flight was already oversold Other airlines are also booked others have ridiculous lay over times. I really felt bad for the Old Lady I tried calling UA but the hold time is just infinite so we just chat about things Until I manage to get a UA agent and re protect her on a UA flight. But that flight will not lieve until the next morning. I really felt bad since after giving her the Confirmation code the line just got disconnected. I Tried calling her back but to no avail. During my next shift I checked the PNR. I noticed that ticket is No Show. Then after a few days the PNR is up for a partial refund maybe she just purchased a ticket from diff. Airline. I just felt bad about that.

PVDtoDEL

I would rate call centers in the opposite direction. India/Phillippines>Ireland>USA.

Simply because in the India and Phillipines, they know that they haven't been trained properly, so they are willing to go ask the support desk. If a US-based agent doesn't know how to do something, they assume that it can't be done instead of trying to fix it.

thomwithanh

Even before I was preferred, I always remember speaking to agents with distinctly American accents. Then again, I usually called during normal business hours, so the after hours call centers may be offshore.