[sfhub]

I've been told today is the last day for Replay tech support in the US,

after which support is moving to India as a cost cutting measure. My

experience with other companies doing this is it takes a while for the

new support folks to get up to speed on anything other than checklist

type questions.


Does anyone have information that could confirm or deny this rumor?

 

[JimWCB]

Well, there was mention that SonicBlue was hoping to increase support personel soon. This would be one way to do it.

 

[jingcha]

Yes I heard from a tech support person from Sonicblue yesterday about this. Although my experience with SB tech support hasn't been very helpful so far, I still feel, Call center based tech support from technicians not very well versed with the RTV itself is very questionable. There is no RTV based hardwares available in India, AFAIK.


I had some difficulty from Netgear wireless support from similar Call center based tech support as when I was trying to explain the rep about RTV hookup, he was not very knowledgeble about even simple issues.


Jingcha

 

[joesc1]

I doubt they would send all their support to India. I'm guessing they would send the activation type issues to India and keep the technical support in US. So you'd call the 800 # and be greeted with options.

Option 1 - activation - goes to India

Option 2 - Guide problems - goes to India

Option 3 - Technical problems - goes to US.


That's how I would design it. Hopefully that's how it would be.

 

[pda]

Could it be the call center still remain in US. Only the computer people who support the call center computer system would move offshore.

 

[FreezeFrame]

You'all should read some of the "customer support" questions that get asked!


"I turn of the unit but the little green light keeps comining on now and again! How do I really turn off the unit?"


"When I unplug the unit it no longer records? "


"Where do you put the tape?"


...


Of course you lot would never ask questions like that

 

[Darky]

Yes, its true. Sonic|Blue tech support as of 5:30 has moved to India.

Might I susgest learning swahelii? (sp?)

 

[RandyL712]

I actually know someone who converts manuals and other technical documents into the call-tech-support system of q and a, in her case for Avaya. What I think would be best, is if these companies would just put the same damn system on their website and let us troubleshoot 90% of the problems ourselves.

 

[Darky]

Quote:

Originally posted by RandyL712 I actually know someone who converts manuals and other technical documents into the call-tech-support system of q and a, in her case for Avaya. What I think would be best, is if these companies would just put the same damn system on their website and let us troubleshoot 90% of the problems ourselves.

Psst, 70% of the solutions should be on the net by Jan. Or so I hear... so umm yeah, Jan...

 

[caro2002]

i talked to customer support fri dec 6 and was also informed that fri was the last day in the us and support was being transferred to india.

 

[SuperDave]

I guess now i wouldnt be buying a Replay 5000 , or 6000. American companies need to hire American workers. yet another reason why the economy is the way it is.

 

[jconawa]

A warrant officer friend of mine in Hawaii is from Mississippi and the Indian vs Southern accent was too much of a difference in English to accomplish anything.

 

[heathriel]

Quote:

Originally posted by SuperDave I guess now i wouldnt be buying a Replay 5000 , or 6000. American companies need to hire American workers. yet another reason why the economy is the way it is.

I'm sorry, but that bothers me.


I think every country should hire the best people they can get for the job, no matter where they're from.


I have lived too many places where people who do shoddy work have been hired over people who can do the job much better simply because of their nationality. Its like saying Affirmitive Action works in every single case; we shouldn't need it. We should just always hire the person most qualified for the job at hand.


My husband was in the US Navy, and he always gets angry at me for my "anti-American liberal crap" but I totally think he was brainwashed. We shouldn't hire people because they're the lowest bidder. And America isn't the best country in the world for education, either. We have some of the best colleges in the world, but the sad reality is that most Americans don't GO to college. They don't feel motivated enough or don't have the grades or the money or any other number of excuses they come up with to flunk out of high school and sell drugs on the street.


My husband again is one of the people who gives excuses; first, he said he didn't have the money for college, I said "You joined the navy, which was a good step because the navy pays for school, when you got out you could have gone to school and gotten a job that paid for the rest." He said he didn't have the grades to get into college, I said "You could have gone to a community college, got your grades up, and transferred to a state school." He says he came from a place in the US where people don't go to college, they just go to high school and go to work in the Ford factory, and SOMEONE has to make the cars that we all drive. I always say "if more people that work in those factories went to school to learn what they were doing to the environment by building them, they would come up with a better form of transportation rather than being brainwashed by the Big Three."


Anyone who thinks they are entitled to something simply because of where they are from or what religion they are or the color of their skin or any other number of superficial things is really doing a disservice to the entire planet. We need to get past all these artificially imposed boundaries or we'll never have peace or true global prosperity.


And the economy in America is still better than that in the majority of the world.

 

[SuperDave]

Heathriel,

My post has absolutely nothing to do with race, nationality, or ethinicity. It has to do with American companies choosing to hire people in other countries rather then the US. If American companies are not going to value American workers( which includes all races). Then i will not buy from them. Notice i didnt state any group or race in my post, I only referred to Americans.

 

[heathriel]

But don't you see that classifying "Americans" IS denoting a group? And indeed, that means you DID mention Nationality in your post, as "American" is a nationality. And of course, by setting boundaries on where or how something should be done you're guilty of global prejudice; thinking your own is the best or only place something could be done is one of the worst mistakes people can make.

 

[Creech]

I agree with Heathriel. You should hire the best person(s) for the job at the most efficient pay rate you can. SonicBlue is attempting to make their company profitable which in turn is good for the economy whether foreign labour is used or not.


I would challenge SuperDave to even try to make U.S. only purchases for 3 months. Almost everything we consume in the U.S. has foreign elements in it from the food we eat (where DO all those fresh fruits and veggies come from in the winter), to the electronics we buy, to the shoes and clothes we wear. If the U.S. were to put trade barriers in place that made it impossible for foreign goods and services to be purchased here, we would see massive inflation, huge increases in the costs of durable goods, and services would become too expensive for the average American to be able to afford.


Likewise, the U.S. sells goods and services in other countries at competitive rates. This is good for the U.S. economy as well. America IS able to produce some goods and services at a lower cost than some other countries AND is able to produce higher quality goods at a competitive price.


I would like to see trade barriers reduced further than we currently see. It DOES mean that certain industries would not flourish in the U.S., but others would do superbly well. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to produce something here that would cost half to purchase abroad. Trade tariffs and worker subsidies artificially make certain industries competitive.


Competition is a good thing. It helps breed innovation, it ultimately reduces costs to consumers, it encourages strong management of businesses, and helps stimulate the economy.


Best,

Matthew in CO.

 

[sfhub]

Aargh, my thread got hijacked!


All I really care about is whether the person answering the phone

can solve my problem or escalate to someone who can without

running me in circles. Regardless of where they are from I'm going

to be upset if they can't accomplish this.

 

[SuperDave]

heathriel, and Creech,


Okay Its obvious you dont work or have ever had a job.


--the economics--

First, If you have a job and your employer said " i am firing your department, because your too expensive", and i am moving the entire operation to india. So you would be out of work, and no money was returned to the economy.


---the bias-which isnt--


heathriel, I have no bias as stated, your not American? So let me talk to your employer. I am sure i can find so people in Mexico to do your job, for pennies on the dollar, and never pay benefits. Gee matter of fact in Mexico there are no labour laws. So i guess thats a good thing to support.


--i never mentioned imports-


Import as made by other countries, I never said BUY AMERICAN only. I said support Americans workers.


--reactional---


I find your response not even appropriate to what i said. You saw what you thought might be a bias, and over-reacted. I guess its good to shoot first and look for bias later.


---Americans--

Americans are all races, and if i have biases towards countries that support labour abuses, hatred to woman, and possbly children, i guess i am a bad person.

 

[SuperDave]

Quote:

Originally posted by sfhub Aargh, my thread got hijacked! All I really care about is whether the person answering the phone can solve my problem or escalate to someone who can without running me in circles. Regardless of where they are from I'm going to be upset if they can't accomplish this.

Good point. Gee i hope they are familiar with Dish, Direct tv, and cablevision problems. oh they dont have American TV in India, they have Indian tv.

 

[heathriel]

Actually, I have been very lucky to work and study in different countries. Nowhere is global perspective more skewed than in America.


I have also always felt lucky to be employed over other candidates no matter what country I've been in irregardless that I'm a jewish female.


I respect the cultures of each country, and while I may personally find them repulsive in some places, I respect their choices to be that way.


However, it makes entirely no sense that because I am a German born dual American citizen (both parents are multi-generation American, I was born on an Army base), I shouldn't be employed in the US because the US doesn't recognize dual citizenship and I won't give up my German passport.


The economy of one nation is nothing compared to that of the whole world. Saying that America's economy is more important than other countries defeats the purpose; we would not survive without them, and they without us. Its a delicate balance.


And as to your problem with TekIndia employees taking money away from the American economy, well, that needs further evaluation. From Friday and before, Sonicblue tech support was so horrible that waiting 3 hours on the phone for an answer was commonplace. That most likely turned off many people from purchasing or retaining Sonicblue merchandise, causing them to lose money (as reconditioned/used units are sold at more of a loss, and bad word of mouth keeps other people from purchasing a product.) Spending the money they were using to pay 1 person here to employ 5 people there will increase sales by making the people on the phone for support have to wait much less time and the customers feeling less frustrated.


In addition, paying people in India will give them more money to spend on imported American goods (Coca Cola products are VERY big there, as well as McDonalds, Subway, Wendy's, etc...). Those companies give back to the communities they inhabit, and especially to the country they were founded in. Sure, they might also buy some vegemite or some double devon cream with the money they're paid by an American company, but that helps out Australia and England as well as America.


Its impossible nowadays to spend money anywhere that doesn't trickle back to the US. In fact, there's more American money outside of the US at any given time than within. (Look it up if you don't believe me). It doesn't hurt America to hire people in other countries. It hurts the pride of Americans who feel they are too good to take another job.