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Sprint to Slice 800 Customer Service Jobs

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the fewer resulting calls to its customer service representatives.

Haggard

Aug 27, 2013, 2:21 PM
That's because you just opened up online chat for Customer Care, and they're absolutely awful.
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Tofuchong

Aug 27, 2013, 2:41 PM
Probably offshore too, maybe in Honduras or Phillipines.
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Haggard

Aug 27, 2013, 2:45 PM
Yep, India as well. You can already expect on how the quality is.
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Haggard

Aug 27, 2013, 2:47 PM
we have been sent quite a few courses and such for self help options as well. The phone reps are going to be almost worthless soon.
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Downscripting

Aug 27, 2013, 3:26 PM
ATT tells us to push self service but I don't, because I'm not going to push something that can potentially put me out of a job.
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KOL4420

Aug 27, 2013, 3:42 PM
{The move, said Sprint, reflects improved levels of customer satisfaction and the fewer resulting calls to its customer service representatives. A Sprint spokesperson said the cuts reflect "organizational adjustments being made to meet the changing needs of our business." }

Nothing in there about firing employees because of online chat... that has been there for about 5 years now. Just like any department phone or in store there is policy and a specific amount of things each department can do. Language barrier is one thing but that is not the case over the text.

One does not simply blame the cut back of jobs on online chat. It is actually a plus that they have a functional live chat option as many other carriers dont have it and if th...
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Haggard

Aug 27, 2013, 3:54 PM
Of course they're not going to state that, but it's definitely possible considering we've seen an increase of care representatives on chat. Plus outsourcing the work is much cheaper than paying reps on the phone in the US.
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worldwatcher

Aug 27, 2013, 5:54 PM
Amen!
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Jellz

Aug 27, 2013, 4:08 PM
"Language barrier is one thing but that is not the case over the text. "

Believe me, you couldn't be further from the truth. It's just as easy to tell when you're chatting with someone from India as it is when you're talking to them on the phone. And then there's the fact that it doesn't matter if you're talking over the phone or chatting online, the incompetence is still there. I work with online chat, and I've seen my fair share of botched transfers where it's obvious 1. the person had no idea what they were doing, and 2. their grasp on grammar was a dead give-away that they didn't speak English as a first language.
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KOL4420

Aug 27, 2013, 4:24 PM
Well as it does appear your generalization is correct. There is more to it because even Americans dont know how to properly formulate a sentence. So the assumption is not appropriate as you have no idea who you are talking to over text as their is no accent. Furthermore even American customer care agents at times dont know what they are talking about it could be lack of training, knowledge, age with department, or just a horrible customer care agent.

Personally I do not support outsourcing of jobs. I dont discriminate as I know and have experienced phenomenal customer care service from both over seas agents and American agents. However to stay on topic this article has nothing to do with what the comments are about.
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Jellz

Aug 27, 2013, 4:43 PM
Just one point to clarify: I didn't say Americans have great grammar. But as a whole, we do follow the same 'grammar rules' (right or wrong). When you learn English in another country, you'll likely learn different grammar quirks (like how a lot of foreign people use the word 'take' differently than it's generally used in the US). It's easy to tell the difference, at least for me.

But you're right, it's rather beside the point.
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KOL4420

Aug 27, 2013, 4:52 PM
I definitely do understand and agree to an extent the point you are making. However the fact is Sprints customer care has been getting better and better even with those few rotten apples.

Great to see improvement. Although I am sorry for all those individuals who are now unemployed. Never good news.
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Tofuchong

Aug 27, 2013, 4:58 PM
Sorry, just had to point out --
you didn't say Americans have great grammar, and then you started a sentence with the word But.

Nice.

It's also very easy for me to tell if the person I'm speaking to has a different first language. You can tell right away based on the words used, its not difficult.
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Downscripting

Aug 28, 2013, 6:27 AM
Like how ATT's warranty is all in the Philippines and every other thing they say is "by the way"
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arox413

Aug 28, 2013, 7:12 AM
I can tell you for a fact that AT&T's warranty dept is not all in the Philippines. It's what I do here and I'm pretty sure I don't live there. There are also a number of sites in the US that process AT&T warranty but yes it is true at certain times you will get an overseas rep but just as likely to get one in the US who isn't great at english as well.
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T Bone

Aug 27, 2013, 4:30 PM
I can confirm that many of those foreign speakers with funny accents who can't speak English that you probably think are stationed overseas are actually employed right here in the US. Call centers are becoming positively flooded with foreigners because working in a call center is increasingly becoming one of those cliched 'jobs that Americans won't do'. When I worked at an at&t call center, at least one third of the employees were Mexican, Vietnamese or Indian.
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Jellz

Aug 27, 2013, 4:59 PM
That's definitely plausible, but I do know for a fact that at least some of the people that work for AT&T online chat are outsourced. They subcontract to different vendors.
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KOL4420

Aug 27, 2013, 5:05 PM
True as all carriers do that as well. When comparing ATT and Sprint Customer care though the ratings are better with Sprint overall compared to ATT. Not a fan of ATT at all services or customer care agents. Most of whom I have dealt with in store, online, or over the phone have been super rude.

:/
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T Bone

Aug 27, 2013, 5:38 PM
Actually, the most recent JD Power survey had at&t ranked first in customer service and Verizon second.


http://www.zdnet.com/at-and-t-tops-verizon-for-first ... »
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Downscripting

Aug 28, 2013, 6:28 AM
^^ I was getting ready to say that.. you beat me to it.
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T Bone

Aug 28, 2013, 9:12 AM
"The move, said Sprint, reflects improved levels of customer satisfaction and the fewer resulting calls to its customer service representatives. A Sprint spokesperson said the cuts reflect "organizational adjustments being made to meet the changing needs of our business."

That reminds me of Spinal Tap, 'we're not becoming less popular, our audience is simply becoming more selective'
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Zpike

Aug 27, 2013, 9:53 PM
I have to say I completely agree with Haggard on this one. I busted my butt in a call center for three years only to have it outsourced to India. And here are a few things I learned from the experience.

1. Illiterate Americans type very differently from illiterate foreigners. I read a plenty of support tickets from a large number of different people and I always knew what kind of person was responsible for the notes I was reading. It even got to the point that I could read part of a ticket and know whose it was without ever checking the agent's name. There are elements of written language that are just as distinct as an accent in a spoken language. The person in the thread who thought otherwise has obviously spent very little time reading...
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