Monday 30 April 2012

Mysteries of modern life (1)

Is it just me or is there loads of stuff about modern life that just doesn't make sense?

Like this one:

Why is it, when (as happened to me about ten minutes ago) someone rings you up from a call centre in Bangalore, or Chennai, or, for all I know, Delhi, they always claim to be called Chris (or Sue, or Jim), when clearly they're actually called something entirely different?

Just wondering.

13 comments:

  1. This really pees me off and why when I have opted out of calls via the telephone preference service do I still get them?

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    Replies
    1. I suspect it may say something really sad about me that I happen to know that the telephone preference service only covers UK (or possibly European?) calls. So if they're calling from India (or indeed Japan or Australia) they can go ahead and annoy you.

      Sorry (both for the annoyance and for very sadly actually knowing that fact).

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  2. So you don't get scared by them foreigners phoning you. Obv.

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    Replies
    1. Well, ye-es. But with all due respect to people with very strong Indian accents (some of my best friends etc etc), the use of a British name is not necessarily going to convince me that they're phoning from round the corner.

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  3. I usually ask them if their mother gave them that name then they hang up on ME

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  4. To be quite honest it's just as likely the call centre is in the midlands and their name is Jim. It's because even for thm Harmandeep is a damned mouthful and Harry is easier! Its the 3 second gap before the automated dialer connects them that annoys me most. The silence of impending doom and I practise my 'no thankyou' in anticipation.

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    Replies
    1. But it's not... Or at least in my experience it's only the calls that come up saying "International" on the phone and then try and convince you that they're calling because there's a problem with your computer and please can they have your credit card details to fix it that have people I don't believe are called Jim.

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  5. There was a documentary on this subject years ago. It was all about the call centres in India and how companies train their staff there on aspects of British culture (such as making them watch episodes of Eastenders(!) - does that ring a bell?) and giving them all new names that are 'easier' for Brits to relate to. Must try and find a link...

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    Replies
    1. That rings bells... but when it's so unconvincing you wonder what they really think it can achieve...

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  6. Not the one I was thinking of - this is Australian, but it's the same topic. It's called 'Diverted to Delhi' should this link not work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1okXqlBaL7I

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I know. I'm sorry. I hate these word recognition, are you a robot, guff things too, but having just got rid of a large number of ungrammatical and poorly spelt adverts for all sorts of things I don't want, and especially don't want on my blog, I'm hoping that this will mean that only lovely people, of the actually a person variety, will comment.

So please do. Comments are great...