Disney Outsourcing!!

[SAWYERMAW1]

I was really upset when I called my Disney Credit Card (not Visa) and found out they are outsourcing their calls to India. I hate to cancel my card but It really bothers me when companies take American jobs to India.

 

[DiznEeyore]

I know just what you mean. So many companies do this, unfortunately.

I just had an issue with my Citi card and the guy on the phone was Indian. He was completely inept (I had an inaccurate charge from a company I'd cancelled a membership to long ago). Instead of doing the preliminary credit and starting the investigation as the rep I'd spoken to a month earlier had done, he kept saying, "I suggest you call them again and have a word with them." I explained I'd done that for several months in a row and it wasn't working, but all he kept saying was the same thing over and over. It absolutely made me crazy.

I finally asked for his supervisor, and guess what? An American voice came on the line. I really vented at her for the Indian-outsourcing and the fact that the guy had no business in the job, and she was very nice and handled the call correctly.

*sigh* It'd be nice to deal with someone actually on the same continent as the company you're working with.

 

[Geismeat]

Disney has outsourced for years. When you call Central Reservations your call may be answered from an operator located in another state. I realize that this is not the same as another country, but I'm sure that government officials in Florida do not appreciate losing tax dollars or job opportunities to other states.

 

[fkj2]

I finally asked for his supervisor, and guess what? An American voice came on the line. I really vented at her for the Indian-outsourcing and the fact that the guy had no business in the job, and she was very nice and handled the call correctly.

*sigh* It'd be nice to deal with someone actually on the same continent as the company you're working with.

The only thing you know for sure is that the voice you spoke with sounded American. Those foreign countries have classes to teach the call recepients to sound just like us, picking up our dialects and speech patterns.

We have to blame ourselves to some degree for some of the outsourcing; we want things done as inexpensively as possible and yet we demand the highest wages and benefits. I don't think 10 years ago the threat of cheap foreign labor was even on our radar screen. Plus, stockholders wanted the company to make money, so the stock prices went to the stratisphere.

It's a vicious cycle. The thing is, is that I don't think US companies realize that at some point, we won't be able to keep spending if we don't have jobs, and now that the bankruptcy laws have changed, requiring people to at least pay back some of the debt, (not that I don't think people should be fically responsible, I do) I can see a future curtailing of retail and the service industries because the consumer will be forced to shift money from future purchases to pay for the ones already incurred.

And there's only so much time in a day and so many "second" jobs to be had.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

Disney has outsourced for years. When you call Central Reservations your call may be answered from an operator located in another state. I realize that this is not the same as another country, but I'm sure that government officials in Florida do not appreciate losing tax dollars or job opportunities to other states.

I don't think that is nearly the same as sending American jobs to another country. Another state is one thing but another country???? It's really not uncommon for American companies to have call centers in other cities, most companies do that. Disney has at least one call center in Florida. You can still understand people in other states. They still speak English that you can understand. The language/accent is a huge barrier when a company outsources to another country. Along with sending American jobs overseas, the language/accent is a major issue that people have with outsourcing. Someone else in another state answering my call to Disney is not a big deal.

 

[JonetteA]

Actually, if you are talking about the non-visa version of the disney card, this card was branded Disney, but is not issued by Disney. If I remember correctly, it is Monogram Bank of GA, which is GE. Of course, this is my memory from years ago. Check out the back of the card to see who issued it. I can guarantee it is not Disney, as they are not an issuing bank.

 

[DiznEeyore]

The only thing you know for sure is that the voice you spoke with sounded American. Those foreign countries have classes to teach the call recepients to sound just like us, picking up our dialects and speech patterns.

"The only thing I know for sure"?? That's an interesting comment.

If that were the case, they sure didn't do that with the first guy, did they? Perhaps you don't realize it, but accents are extremely hard to lose, and can even be for children born in America to foreign parents. I live in an extremely multi-cultural area and I yes, I know FOR SURE that the supervisor was indeed American, especially since it took several minutes to re-route my call.

Not that it matters, really. My point was that the initial Indian representative was poorly-trained, not customer-oriented, and had no business holding his position. It's sad to outsource American jobs and then pay the foreigners who take them such a paltry salary that they don't even care to learn how to do them properly.

 

[jekjones1558]

This thread makes me happy to know that I am not the only one who is worried about the mismatch between what we want to pay for goods and services in this country and what we expect to earn. I can only hope and pray that the light bulb finally goes on before our whole economy has tanked. The trade deficit is a HUGE black cloud that is not on the radar screens of many Americans. Somehow something as "American" as Disney makes it all the more sad when I see almost nothing in the parks made in USA. Heaven help us if DVC MS or CRO are ever out-sourced!

 

[JodyTG]

it is Monogram Bank of GA, which is GE.

Ah, Yes...GE...the people who sent MY job to India. It's just so wonderful to have done a fabulous job (if I do say so myself) for years only to be repaid with a pink slip. Some of my friends (in another company) lost their jobs to outsourcing to Canada and THEY actually had to go up there and train the people taking away their jobs.

 

[JodyTG]

Somehow something as "American" as Disney makes it all the more sad when I see almost nothing in the parks made in USA.QUOTE]
Well...it was very interesting when we were shopping in Germany in Epcot a few years ago and most of the items were actually made in China. How's that for interesting?

 

[macs4us]

I have to say I disagree with outsourcing American jobs as well, but having an inept customer service rep has nothing to do with what country your rep is working from. Most of the inept customer service people I have come across are definitely American (and, yes, I do ask where their call center is). I worked at a couple of customer service call centers during and after college, and a lot of the people there just wanted their paycheck.

I would, however, rather have a person from India help me over an inmate, (which is where some American companies get their cheap labor) at least if I have to give any real personal information.

 

[disneychrista]

The only thing you know for sure is that the voice you spoke with sounded American. Those foreign countries have classes to teach the call recepients to sound just like us, picking up our dialects and speech patterns.

And all she knows is that the first guy SOUNDED Indian. Everytime I call a certain state run program I get Mexican "sounding" voices that are very hard to understand as they speak only limited / broken English but I am pretty sure that the State of California is not out sourcing their goverment services to Mexico.

 

[Danimal_35]

Now, let me start off by saying that I am far from rich & do not own a business (just a regular working stiff.

I think that many people get a little too upset about outsourcing (notwithstanding the people who've lost their jobs to it). First of all, I see tons of time spent on this the DisBoards talking about getting codes, getting good deals on airfare, etc., saving money for trips by clipping coupons, etc.; i.e. nobody wants to pay full price for anything. And yet we complain when a company ships a call center overseas where the cost of doing business, as well as government regulations, allows them to a} keep making profits (which is what a company is supposed to do), and b} keep our costs down so we can get codes, good deals on air, save money at Wal-Mart, etc.; i.e. save $ for trips to WDW and keep inflation low. Some stores have tried selling higher priced items that were all "made in USA" & we all (and you know that you have too) still go for the better deal (preferring USA brands, but doesn't always work out that way).

Also, I don't hear us complain too much when Toyota or Mitsubishi 'outsource' high-paying jobs from Japan to the USA - isn't that the same thing folks.

Basically, going to any extreme is going to be bad, but we still have an economy that the world envies; while some have lost jobs (and I feel sorry for them), more have gained jobs (we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world) and that's the way it'll always be; free market economies are always fluctuating. My rant for the night is over - good night, and for those who have been affected by in a negative way by outsourcing I wish you all the luck in the world in any future endevour.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I also don't agree with the outsourcing to foreign countries. I can't stand the robotic voice filter that most overseas companies use to mask the accents and filter the reps voices. It sounds like you are speaking to a recording!

I think it is very sad and worry about our security when our information is stored in a foreign country with different laws should one of the employees decide to steal personal info.

 

[vossjemi]

Dell does it too. My DH was trying to put a new ink cartridge in our printer, and the clasp that holds it in place broke. I couldn't find a replacement part anywhere on their website. I think I made several calls, always got transferred around because the person I was talking to didn't know or didn't handle that, and they were all Indian. I could tell from their voices, but they also told me their names, which were Indian. Several could not understand what I was even needing. FInally, after about 5 calls and 20 transfers, I got someone who understood...and guess what? My printer was still under warranty, so he sent me a new one free of charge and return postage sticker to send my broken one back. So, ultimately, it worked, but it was a hassle to finally get someone to understand my problem and help me with it.

 

[TZMOM]

I feel your pain - I've been on the phone w/Dell - no lie - for over 10 hours and STILL didn't fix the problem. Gave up, spent $120.00 and had a nice kid from a local computer "fix it" place come over. YUCK

 

[Tishke]

A lot of insurance companies do it to. I work in medical billing and when I verify benefits for a patient who lives in GA, has insurance through GA and am calling a GA insurance, I get a rep in the Middle East. It makes it difficuly when I have a patient that I have specific tehings that need to be answered and they are only trained to read what is on the screen and don't understand what you are asking. Frustrating!!

I did call the PS line to book my Fantasmic dinner and I swear I was outsourced. I asked DH, who had booked our hotel and other PS if he had spoken to anyone foreign and he said no. Definitely confused me! But I got my ressie and that is all that matters.

 

[disneysteve]

I guess I need to put on the flame suit and stand with Danimal_35. Certainly, I feel sorry for anyone who has lost a job as a direct result of outsourcing, but I don't believe the process is inherently bad. Every single one of us benefits from these business practices in the form of lower prices for goods and services. I'm also a bit surprised by the level of prejudice being displayed here: American is good; foreign is bad.

I have made customer service calls that I am positive were handled in this country and I've gotten incompetent service people. I've also gotten people with heavy accents that made them nearly impossible to understand. And I'm not just speaking about foreign accents but also heavy Southern US accents.

And, as Danimal pointed out, outsourcing is a 2-way street. Lots of major foreign companies have huge operations in the US. Toyota and Honda come to mind, just to name two. And guess where more and more of those foreign workers come to spend their newly earned money. American tourist destinations like Vegas, New York City and, of course, Disney World.

Like it or not, we live in a global economy. America can't operate in a vacuum. Many major US companies do a significant percentage of their business overseas. And many major foreign companies do tons of business in the US. That's just the way it is and will continue to be. Does that mean some Americans are going to lose jobs and have to retrain for other positions? Yep. But if you look back in history, that's always been true.

Ok. Rant over. I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[wdwpluto]

If you called about the Disney Visa, then I believe it's the credit card company doing the outsourcing. Disney may have their name on the Visa, but from what I remember reading, all the details are handled by the credit card company (originally Bank One, now bought by Chase).

Should Disney think twice about working with a company that outsources? Sure. But Disney is a business, and it's about making money. (Of course you could debate the whole thing about Walt's vision and how Disney has become too focused on making money, but that's a whole 'nother story IMHO) Plus, I bet they'd be hard pressed to find a credit card company to partner with that didn't outsource.

Just my $0.02.

 

[iLoveEeyore2]

It's interesting to note that those who agree w/ the outsourcing are in professions that could not be outsourced to other countries (family physician and new home sales.)