Have any of my fellow Americans called Dell the computer manufacturing company recently? If not there may be a big surprise. They are outsourcing their customer service to overseas companies. For instance, Dell has their phone support based in India for support around the globe. Now, like most businesses one of the goals is to save money. The business philosophy of saving the company in turn saves our customer money I also support. But, everything has a price nothing in life is free. I believe outsourcing is a downfall in the America society because of the lack of communication between two totally different countries when trying to communicate problems between two people from two different countries.
I recently purchased a computer from Dell.com and needed to speak to someone at Dell. Now, I must admit my first impression from Dell was excellent. The website was easily navigated and I had no trouble designing my Personal Computer and finalizing the order. Here is where all the trouble started, when I received the package and opened it. My invoiced showed I was to receive a wireless keyboard and mouse (which I did not receive). So, I thought to myself this is easily rectified with a phone call. Dell’s television commercials brag on their customer service and it excellence. I have been on the phone for 45 minutes before I hear my first voice and to my surprise they are speaking broken English. It was such a surprise because I called a “1-800” number, which had lead me to believe it was going to be an American.
Let me be clear, I respect everyone’s background. But, when two people are trying to communicate they both need to be able to understand one another. When the customer “me” is trying to ask a question, the representative on the other end needs to be able to understand me clearly. If the representative does not understand they need to be able to ask prodding questions to be able to get a clear understanding. The representative does not need to be relying on a “frequently asked questionnaire” booklet. I could hear the representative turning the pages looking for the response, which was maddening. The employee I got on the phone at Dell could not communicate well, which poses the question, “what is the actual cost of outsourcing?”
Dell, which is an American company, is currently employing 20,000 workers in India. Which poses this interesting question to me why is Dell not employing 20,000 workers on American soil? There is not a single answer to that question. In India there is no Union, nor is anyone their to make sure the workers in India have benefits, and it is clear Dell does not put money into job training like English class. Which means Dell does not have to spend a whole lot of money to employ those 20,000 workers in India. Now, who is to blame for this? Every American who sits back and does nothing while American based companies are outsourcing overseas to save a dollar when ultimately we the tax paying Americans are suffering with rising prices everywhere we look.
I believe that we need to take a stand and stop supporting these American companies that are outsourcing to save a dollar. If we stand back and watch the federal deficit America is in now, this is not the time for funding into International Affairs but into Domestic problems. These problems include: unemployment, lack of education, and lack of job training for the many jobless Americans that lose their jobs due to companies outsourcing. Now is the time to get out take a stand and stop this outsourcing and bring jobs back to the United States.