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07-24-11, 08:28 AM
"Just stating the facts, guys. Australia is known as the dumbest continent . . . so speak slowly" - CALL CENTRE TEACHER INDIAN call centres are teaching staff Australia is the world's "dumbest continent" where people "drink constantly" and are "quite racist".
Staff taught "how to act Australian" are also told to "speak slowly" to customers on the other end of the phone line because they tend to be technologically "backwards".
Indian-based telephone spruikers and helpline operators are also warned that Australians are "touchy" about their pets.
They are also instructed it's OK to hang up on Australians who use the "preferred term for us" - "brown bastards".
The revelations have caused a stir in the US over cultural stereotyping after they appeared in the reputable news magazine Mother Jones (http://www.motherjones.com/).
One of the magazine's writers, journalist Andrew Marantz, spent weeks undertaking training in India with locals at an organisation called the Delhi Call Centre.
"For three weeks, a culture trainer will teach us conversational skills, Australian pop culture, and the terms of the mobile phone contracts we'll be peddling," he says. "Our first job at DCC will be to interrupt Australians at dinner and ask them to switch phone providers."
Marantz told The Sunday Mail he undertook the investigation last year, when there was some publicity about Indian students in Australia facing violent attacks (http://www.news.com.au/indian-student-bashed-unconscious-with-knuckledusters/story-fn8g495p-1226045257765).
The training program taught employees about conversational skills and Australian pop culture in the hope that they would build a rapport with the person they were trying to sell to.
In "dissecting" the Australian psyche in 20 minutes, the teacher told the class, "Just stating the facts, guys. Australia is known as the dumbest continent. Literally, college was unknown there until recently, so speak slowly".
"Technologically speaking, they're somewhat backward, as well. The average person's mobile would be no better than, say, a Nokia 3110 classic (http://www.nokia.com.au/support/product-support/nokia-3110-classic)."
That revelation "drew scoffs from around the room".
"Australians drink constantly," the teacher warned. "If you call on a Friday night, they'll be smashed - every time.
"Oh, and don't attempt to make small talk with them about their pets, OK? They can be quite touchy about animals."
When one call centre student asked what kind of people lived in Australia, the teacher replied: "Let's admit: they are quite racist. They do not like Indians."
She continued: "Their preferred term for us is . . . 'brown bastards'."
SOURCE (http://www.news.com.au/national/what-indian-calls-centres-are-really-told-about-australians/story-e6frfkvr-1226100495649)
Staff taught "how to act Australian" are also told to "speak slowly" to customers on the other end of the phone line because they tend to be technologically "backwards".
Indian-based telephone spruikers and helpline operators are also warned that Australians are "touchy" about their pets.
They are also instructed it's OK to hang up on Australians who use the "preferred term for us" - "brown bastards".
The revelations have caused a stir in the US over cultural stereotyping after they appeared in the reputable news magazine Mother Jones (http://www.motherjones.com/).
One of the magazine's writers, journalist Andrew Marantz, spent weeks undertaking training in India with locals at an organisation called the Delhi Call Centre.
"For three weeks, a culture trainer will teach us conversational skills, Australian pop culture, and the terms of the mobile phone contracts we'll be peddling," he says. "Our first job at DCC will be to interrupt Australians at dinner and ask them to switch phone providers."
Marantz told The Sunday Mail he undertook the investigation last year, when there was some publicity about Indian students in Australia facing violent attacks (http://www.news.com.au/indian-student-bashed-unconscious-with-knuckledusters/story-fn8g495p-1226045257765).
The training program taught employees about conversational skills and Australian pop culture in the hope that they would build a rapport with the person they were trying to sell to.
In "dissecting" the Australian psyche in 20 minutes, the teacher told the class, "Just stating the facts, guys. Australia is known as the dumbest continent. Literally, college was unknown there until recently, so speak slowly".
"Technologically speaking, they're somewhat backward, as well. The average person's mobile would be no better than, say, a Nokia 3110 classic (http://www.nokia.com.au/support/product-support/nokia-3110-classic)."
That revelation "drew scoffs from around the room".
"Australians drink constantly," the teacher warned. "If you call on a Friday night, they'll be smashed - every time.
"Oh, and don't attempt to make small talk with them about their pets, OK? They can be quite touchy about animals."
When one call centre student asked what kind of people lived in Australia, the teacher replied: "Let's admit: they are quite racist. They do not like Indians."
She continued: "Their preferred term for us is . . . 'brown bastards'."
SOURCE (http://www.news.com.au/national/what-indian-calls-centres-are-really-told-about-australians/story-e6frfkvr-1226100495649)