Vodafone outsourcing 777 to Egypt?

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ZollyMonsta

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#18809 24-Jan-2008 15:03

I just had a strange txt from my partner. Turns out she rang 777 to sort out an account issue and was then transferred to someone else. When asked for the guys name all he would say was 'Sammy' and she managed to find out he was in Egypt!
He had no access to internal people's contact details and couldn't help, suggesting she ring back Vodafone's billing department.
She called the number provided and was then told that customers could not contact the billing department directly.

When did Vodafone start out-sourcing their 777 calls to Egypt? Why aren't the out-source folk being provided with the required tools and information to perform their job?

Cheers,
Grant

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#106526 24-Jan-2008 15:12

About October or November 2007.

Fossie

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#106528 24-Jan-2008 15:18

Do they put on a NZ accent?

DjShadow

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#106529 24-Jan-2008 15:18

This may help answer your question:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=55&objectid=10468934

freitasm

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#106531 24-Jan-2008 15:24

ZollyMonsta: Why aren't the out-source folk being provided with the required tools and information to perform their job?

I like this quote from th newspaper article, which probably won't answer your question but tells us that moving th call centre to Egypt was a move to "fix" things:

""Earlier this year we were failing our service levels and therefore failing our customers, simply because we couldn't get enough staff," said Midgen."

Obviously it hasn't worked yet.

ZollyMonsta

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#106534 24-Jan-2008 15:30

Fossie: Do they put on a NZ accent?

I will ask her tonight... :)

ZollyMonsta

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#106582 24-Jan-2008 18:57

She says he did have an accent, but she wouldn't have picked him as being from/in Egypt.

Perhaps they are trying to 'mask' their accents a little :)

cokemaster

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#106589 24-Jan-2008 19:09

freitasm:
Obviously it hasn't worked yet.

Can Optus be blamed like last time?

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paradoxsm

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#106641 24-Jan-2008 22:35

I have struck a few extremely rude reps when phoning on behalf of people (clients and family mostly) They seem to be almost nasty, they are also appear to be extremely poorly trained and seem to run off scripts alone.

But we decided to have a bit of fun.
Phone up for legit resaons but the momnent the tone was condescending or snarky we would let them have it.

me: hello? there seems to be a bad echo on the line ( I was making this up as I noticed a delay)
rep: may I have your mobile and pin
me: is this really vodafone? it sounds a bit dodgy.
rep: Yes this is Vodafone. may I have your mobile and pin
me: Are you based in New Zealand?
rep: after pause, YES, I need your mobile number and pin to help you.
me: No you are not in New Zealand, You are lying to me!, You are actually based in Egypt aren't you, "under the act ..... I must advise you that I'm recording this call and she should prepare a new Resume".

And then we rolled in hoots of laughter and put her on mute while she tried everything she possibly could to dig herself out of that hole. :-P

allstarnz

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#106647 24-Jan-2008 23:16

paradoxsm: I have struck a few extremely rude reps when phoning on behalf of people (clients and family mostly) They seem to be almost nasty, they are also appear to be extremely poorly trained and seem to run off scripts alone

Yeah, very true that with any mobile provider.

My Mum had the same experience when talking to Telstra (Aus, not TCL) to set up a cellphone. The CSR was rude and clearly didn't really know much about what she was doing (mainly insisting you had to go on this plan when you clearly didn't). In the end she hung up, and I rang back, asked the same questions to a different person in a slightly different way and all was fine. Very odd.

c3rn

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#106729 25-Jan-2008 14:14

paradoxsm: I have struck a few extremely rude reps when phoning on behalf of people (clients and family mostly) They seem to be almost nasty, they are also appear to be extremely poorly trained and seem to run off scripts alone.

But we decided to have a bit of fun.
Phone up for legit resaons but the momnent the tone was condescending or snarky we would let them have it.

me: hello? there seems to be a bad echo on the line ( I was making this up as I noticed a delay)
rep: may I have your mobile and pin
me: is this really vodafone? it sounds a bit dodgy.
rep: Yes this is Vodafone. may I have your mobile and pin
me: Are you based in New Zealand?
rep: after pause, YES, I need your mobile number and pin to help you.
me: No you are not in New Zealand, You are lying to me!, You are actually based in Egypt aren't you, "under the act ..... I must advise you that I'm recording this call and she should prepare a new Resume".

And then we rolled in hoots of laughter and put her on mute while she tried everything she possibly could to dig herself out of that hole. :-P

No wonder there are so many rude CSRs if they have to put up with this immature sh*t? Serioulsy, they are probably told to say they are in NZ. Even if they were poorly trained and/or run off sales scripts how is that their fault? YOu are still talking to a person who trying to do the job they are employed to do. If you have a problem write a letter to Andrea Midgen C/O VF head offce.

paradoxsm

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#106735 25-Jan-2008 14:36

It's immature I agree, but it's the only way of dealing with these monkeys.

They take the award for "you get what you pay for"

Oh, by the way, my friend whom made the call (he was drunk of course) is actually from Egypt himself and imitated a "chinese" so he did not give himself away..

PJM

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#110527 14-Feb-2008 03:15

I work on the outsourcing project in Vodafone Egypt. Please rest assured that all reps are getting exactly the same training a rep would get in New Zealand, and are very aware of the culture and expectations of the customers in New Zealand.

The reps are instructed to honestly respond to inquiries about their location and identities as it's not a secret that VFNZ is outsourcing part of its call center operations to Egypt due to the recruitment difficulties in New Zealand

As for the practical joke the Egyptian mate performed on the rep, I think it's unfair to mess with someone who's only trying to do their job and get them to go home worried about having to "prepare a new resume". Not a very funny joke if you ask me

freitasm

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#110538 14-Feb-2008 08:59

PJM: As for the practical joke the Egyptian mate performed on the rep, I think it's unfair to mess with someone who's only trying to do their job and get them to go home worried about having to "prepare a new resume". Not a very funny joke if you ask me

I agree...

BrentR

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#110539 14-Feb-2008 09:08

freitasm:
PJM: As for the practical joke the Egyptian mate performed on the rep, I think it's unfair to mess with someone who's only trying to do their job and get them to go home worried about having to "prepare a new resume". Not a very funny joke if you ask me

I agree...

As do I.

sillybilly

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#110550 14-Feb-2008 10:11

immature prank man, I would expect a teenager to do that....

At the end of the day, these people are trying to do a job, take it out on the company not them!!!

I think that calling them "monkeys" is also inappropriate as well, grow up ...

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