so no chance is was someone with a foreign accent working and living in the UK.
and what exactly is "sounded Filipino"? is your accent recognition so precise that you can pinpoint it as being Filipino?
Considering I spoke to more than one person and the audio quality was poor and high-latency (sounded like they were using a low bitrate codec - over VoIP perhaps), I'd estimate that they were not in the UK.
Oh, and I've called them more than once. I doubt I got the same person both times.
They sounded Filipino in the same way that I sound "British". You can sub-divide that down into my specific regional accent but to anyone outside of the country I sound "British".
It seems like you're just trying to pick an argument over a very small point. I can't prove that it wasn't a British call centre but from what I hear it sounds like it.
yet both those people could easily be living and working in UK in a call centre.
T-Mobile is known to use call centres in the Philippines and therefore probably do not have as much UK call centre capacity, if at all (if they are like 3 they may only have a UK presence only for the highest tier). Therefore, using logic, it is likely that the foreign-sounding call centre rep is not in the UK.
so everytime you hear a "british" accent, you automatically assume that person is in the UK, and not based abroad?
when you hear a US accent, do you automatically assume that person is in the US?
Pretty much. Using yet more logic (which you don't appear to be doing) there will not be many British or US people working in foreign call centres. The probability of a different person of the same nationality also working in that foreign call centre will be even lower.
It really is not a unreasonable assumption to make. Not that it really affects me, provided they're clear and easy to understand and are able to do what I want I don't really care what country they are in.
so no chance is was someone with a foreign accent working and living in the UK.
and what exactly is "sounded Filipino"? is your accent recognition so precise that you can pinpoint it as being Filipino?
No without a doubt T-Mobile contract customers do get through to Phillipenes. My girlfriend said they sounded American, and I said are you sure they aren't Fillipino? Anyway next time she called she got talking to the girl who said she was in the Phillipenes.
No without a doubt T-Mobile contract customers do get through to Phillipenes. My girlfriend said they sounded American, and I said are you sure they aren't Fillipino? Anyway next time she called she got talking to the girl who said she was in the Phillipenes.
It's never good news when UK jobs are under threat but to get things into perspective it's market forces that demand companies evolve, adapt or perish.
3 have never had UK based contact for other than the most serious issues, T-Mobile out-sourced their PAYG contact to the Pillipean Islands years ago and Vodafone have been using TSC for PAYG customer support for years.
Every operator has to serve customers as cost effectively as possible to remain competitive. O2 are no different from others but have been more cautious making the cost saving changes already delivering huge savings to others.
Business is business and for as long as customers prioritise price and value as their most improtant buying reason every operator will have to consider ways to reduce costs and continue to deliver quality of service.
Reading some comments here reminds me of those in the USA moaning about the export of jobs to China but US consumers have happily encouraged Wal-Mart and others to source cheap products from there to meet their needs.
Cake and eat it springs to mind.......
Hero TSC recently sold their call centre operations to Webhelp.
The company's six Scottish sites are in Dunoon, Falkirk, Glasgow, Greenock, Kilmarnock and Rothesay. It also runs customer contact centres in Dearne Valley, Derby, and Warrington.
A further 400 redundancies are planned by 1st December. These will be on a voluntary basis. This take us to 1,000 redundancies since Capita have taken over.
A further 400 redundancies are planned by 1st December. These will be on a voluntary basis. This take us to 1,000 redundancies since Capita have taken over.
Industrial action has been called off due to an 11th hour deal with the CWU being struck.
The decision on strike action had been due today (18 June) and if it had gone ahead, would have been the first industrial action to hit the telecoms industry in more than 25 years. CWU national official Sally Bridge said: 'We have concluded negotiations on a package which includes job security; pay protection; protection on terms and conditions of employment; redeployment and union recognition. We believe we have made considerable progress in seeking assurances and employment protections.
Comments
so no chance is was someone with a foreign accent working and living in the UK.
and what exactly is "sounded Filipino"? is your accent recognition so precise that you can pinpoint it as being Filipino?
Very fair point. There are many with different accents living and working in UK based call centres.
I don't know about you but I can tell the difference between an accent and when English isn't someone's first language.
Considering I spoke to more than one person and the audio quality was poor and high-latency (sounded like they were using a low bitrate codec - over VoIP perhaps), I'd estimate that they were not in the UK.
Oh, and I've called them more than once. I doubt I got the same person both times.
They sounded Filipino in the same way that I sound "British". You can sub-divide that down into my specific regional accent but to anyone outside of the country I sound "British".
It seems like you're just trying to pick an argument over a very small point. I can't prove that it wasn't a British call centre but from what I hear it sounds like it.
yet both those people could easily be living and working in UK in a call centre.
so everytime you hear a "british" accent, you automatically assume that person is in the UK, and not based abroad?
when you hear a US accent, do you automatically assume that person is in the US?
T-Mobile is known to use call centres in the Philippines and therefore probably do not have as much UK call centre capacity, if at all (if they are like 3 they may only have a UK presence only for the highest tier). Therefore, using logic, it is likely that the foreign-sounding call centre rep is not in the UK.
Pretty much. Using yet more logic (which you don't appear to be doing) there will not be many British or US people working in foreign call centres. The probability of a different person of the same nationality also working in that foreign call centre will be even lower.
It really is not a unreasonable assumption to make. Not that it really affects me, provided they're clear and easy to understand and are able to do what I want I don't really care what country they are in.
No without a doubt T-Mobile contract customers do get through to Phillipenes. My girlfriend said they sounded American, and I said are you sure they aren't Fillipino? Anyway next time she called she got talking to the girl who said she was in the Phillipenes.
confusing filipino with american ?
Hero TSC recently sold their call centre operations to Webhelp.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-21508899
Absolutely, I've heard a few of the Phillipenes call centre staff from T-Mobile. They do speak with a bit of an American accent for some reason.
Also noticed the same when I've got through to one of Microsoft's call centres in the Phillipenes.
Probably a lot learn English from American TV shows and films.
Or the huge US military bases in the Phillipines....
Trouble is that they don't speak it very well and are very tied to the script.
http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/25625/O2_call_centre_staff_face_further_cuts.aspx
I am one of them leaving on December 1st, not looking good for those i leave behind
http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/25670/O2_strike_action_off_after_union_reaches_deal.aspx#sthash.kCpPqz2x.dpuf