What the Indian call centre staff are really told about Australians

[Feuer Frei!]

"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.
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.
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."
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

[Jimbuna]

You reading this Grant?

[Growler]

I might not have considered this particular source - Mother Jones - entirely credible, but that's me.

This piece seems specifically designed to inflame, not inform. (Not you in posting, FF, but the tone of the article.)

It makes me feel bad about all the stereotypical Indian call center jokes...


... Ah, who am I kidding. No it doesn't.

[papa_smurf]

I hate it when I get a call from my bank and cannot understand what they are saying.

[Tchocky]

Well, Australian pilots are polite and clever almost to a fault

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by papa_smurf

I hate it when I get a call from my bank and cannot understand what they are saying.

You should move further north then

[BossMark]

Originally Posted by papa_smurf

I hate it when I get a call from my bank and cannot understand what they are saying.

Just say to them "get someone who can speak English" then put the phone down that's what do anyway.

[papa_smurf]

Should reply like this:

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

You reading this Grant?

No mate, I can't read, because my turn at college hasn't come up yet, and I'm clearly too racist/drunk/stupid to understand it.

Oh and my nokia 3110 won't stop ringing at dinner time with those "brown bastards" asking me to change phone plan.

What a load of tosh!

Pass me another beer!

EDIT: I'll tell you something that works a treat down here is the Do not call list. Get younumber on that and the phone calls stop. Have'nt had one in four years since going on that plan.

[Penguin]

A question to the Aussies:
Are the Indian call center agents, who deal with Australian clients, trained to speak with your accent? The Indians who deal with US-customers do so, wondering if they do the same.

(I typed this r e a l l y slow, so that you understand my question )

[TarJak]

Dunno can't understand them when they talk so they might.

[Falkirion]

I've got no problem with Indian people working in call centers. What I do have a problem with is them calling at times when its just plain stupid. Dinner time. Phone rings, Indian in a call center off shore wanting me to participate in a survey or trying to sell me something. I just leave the phone off the hook till they hang up. Don't really get calls from call centers so much these days. I think its working.

And "brown bastards" is not my preferred Indian racial slur, so I dont know where they're getting their info. As for the "entire country is pissed on a friday night" well at least they're getting somewhere close to the truth with that statement.

[krashkart]

Originally Posted by TarJak

Dunno can't understand them when they talk so they might.

Huh?

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by krashkart

Huh?

My careful lack of punctuation has rendered my message incompatible with your interface.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by TarJak

My careful lack of punctuation has rendered my message incompatible with your interface.

btw: no spam-thread for the 10000th post?