Outsourcing to India. good or bad?

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Abhi

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2003
4,548
0
76
Good for Indians in India...

Bad for the americans who call up to try and get tech support out of them....
 

NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
1
0
Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
I personally don't care about call center type of work being outsourced.

Work in a call center for 3+ years and you will.

Yeah, but I'll probably never work in a call center.

I should clarify in that I don't really think that it's bad for the US if some of the lower level types of technical support or call centers are outsourced.

Lower level? Some companies are sending their entire support crew to other countries (Kanaduh, India, etc).

What did this support crew do? I'm not sure if I would consider that a high level type of work.

It might be bad for some people, but I wouldn't say that it's bad for the US.

The highest level of support that the customer can possibly interact with. I don't consider that low level, but it's not the highest level, either. There was one level above me that we, as techs, did not have access to directly -only through management.
 

NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
1
0
Originally posted by: Abhi
Good for Indians in India...

Bad for the americans who call up to try and get tech support out of them....

No kidding. I had some Indian woman try telling me that my Linksys firewall won't work unless I have the WinXP software firewall running that the same time.
rolleye.gif
 

sash1

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2001
8,896
1
0
At least they can pronounce my name right... can't understand a word they say afterward, though

`K
 

Raj

Senior member
Aug 14, 2000
951
0
0
Originally posted by: Kauru
At least they can pronounce my name right... can't understand a word they say afterward, though

`K


sometimes when i go through the drive through, I pretend to have a thick accent.
and then when i pull up to pay, i sound normal. it always confuses the hell out of
the drive through cashier.
 

ryzmah

Senior member
Feb 17, 2003
474
0
0
Is it particularly good? Not unless you live in India or are investing in a company doing the outsourcing. But the question invites asking what alternatives are there and are they superior?

Placing restrictions on outsourcing invites other nations to do the same - nations that send far more jobs into the US then we send out. Another option would be to create incentives to keep jobs in the U.S. - maybe a tax break for job training or for keeping a certain portion of a company's workforce within the U.S. if analysis determines such measures would bring greater benefit to the nation than their costs.
 

TommyVercetti

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2003
7,623
1
0
Originally posted by: Raj
Originally posted by: Kauru
At least they can pronounce my name right... can't understand a word they say afterward, though

`K


sometimes when i go through the drive through, I pretend to have a thick accent.
and then when i pull up to pay, i sound normal. it always confuses the hell out of
the drive through cashier.

My friend used to do that, "Two jumbo jack, no 'oion', 'meyo' and two large cokes, hold the 'ass'"
 

JYDog

Senior member
Feb 17, 2003
290
0
0
I don't have a problem(yet) with the services as english are sufficent. They're often more technically fluent than the call centers in NA. But with a Global Economy, jobs and skills are just like capital(money), which can move fluidly and are decentralized. As a non-expert though, I have to say this tends to benefit more, the poorer nations(as it probably should!). They see a dramatic increase in standard of living as a result of DFI(direct foreign invest.). For richer nations, the benefits are probably only longterm and even then its only through added stability and liberalization of the world economy as a whole. The debate are mainly political, not economical, as there, the "cost-benefit" is a clean win win... However, human beings are not just graphs and pie charts...and there the real debate begins...
 

atom

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 1999
4,722
1
0
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Originally posted by: hdeck
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Who cares if call center type work is outsourced? Nobody would care if burger flipping was outsourced. Call center work is nothing more than burger flipping.

"wait until you or someone you know gets laid off because of outsourcing and your opinion will change" would be the most common response to that.

I don't know anyone that works in IT. It's not important to the country, and it's not like it was ever any good here to begin with. It's not a high-tech area, it's not a research area, etc. Moving them offshore and concentrating on something else will not hurt this country. Americans are the most innovative people in the world. Why focus in an area where we can't take advantage of that? We've abandoned industries before and came out even stronger. If IT is becoming so cutthroat, maybe it's time to get out and use our innovation for something better.

WTH, IT isn't important to this country?
rolleye.gif
 

Luden

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,269
0
0
For the most part it is the lower level jobs that are outsourced, And the last figures that I saw showed that many more jobs are coming in then being out sourced.
 

Savij

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
4,233
0
71
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Originally posted by: hdeck
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Who cares if call center type work is outsourced? Nobody would care if burger flipping was outsourced. Call center work is nothing more than burger flipping.

"wait until you or someone you know gets laid off because of outsourcing and your opinion will change" would be the most common response to that.

I don't know anyone that works in IT. It's not important to the country, and it's not like it was ever any good here to begin with. It's not a high-tech area, it's not a research area, etc. Moving them offshore and concentrating on something else will not hurt this country. Americans are the most innovative people in the world. Why focus in an area where we can't take advantage of that? We've abandoned industries before and came out even stronger. If IT is becoming so cutthroat, maybe it's time to get out and use our innovation for something better.

WTH, IT isn't important to this country?
rolleye.gif

Umm, the REAL IT people can't be outsourced. For one thing they're the ones that maintain the information flow that makes outsourcing possible. Call center workers are NOT IT, they are the equivalent of telemarketers...sit on phone, answer calls, read script...
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,218
8
81
YAy for the holdouts. InsightBB is still North American, 24/7 support. Dont know how many times I have customers call in who have been working with Netgear or Dell for 5 or more hours and have a simple problem
 

SilentZero

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2003
5,158
0
76
I say keep the jobs in the country instead of outsourcing abroad. Unemployment in this country is still high, so why send jobs away?? Just so corporations can save money? Im sorry, but thats not a good reason to me. They should be giving back, promoting job growth here in the USA, not sending them abroad. Just my humble opinion.
 

atom

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 1999
4,722
1
0
Originally posted by: Savij
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Originally posted by: hdeck
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Who cares if call center type work is outsourced? Nobody would care if burger flipping was outsourced. Call center work is nothing more than burger flipping.

"wait until you or someone you know gets laid off because of outsourcing and your opinion will change" would be the most common response to that.

I don't know anyone that works in IT. It's not important to the country, and it's not like it was ever any good here to begin with. It's not a high-tech area, it's not a research area, etc. Moving them offshore and concentrating on something else will not hurt this country. Americans are the most innovative people in the world. Why focus in an area where we can't take advantage of that? We've abandoned industries before and came out even stronger. If IT is becoming so cutthroat, maybe it's time to get out and use our innovation for something better.

WTH, IT isn't important to this country?
rolleye.gif

Umm, the REAL IT people can't be outsourced. For one thing they're the ones that maintain the information flow that makes outsourcing possible. Call center workers are NOT IT, they are the equivalent of telemarketers...sit on phone, answer calls, read script...

Hate to break it to you dude, but "real" IT jobs can be outsourced. In fact some already are.
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Originally posted by: Ranger X
Outsourcing is good for the ones on top and bad for the ones on the bottom.

But those on the bottom may not be working as hard as those in other countries for the same or lower pay
 

CanOWorms

Lifer
Jul 3, 2001
12,404
2
0
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Originally posted by: hdeck
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Who cares if call center type work is outsourced? Nobody would care if burger flipping was outsourced. Call center work is nothing more than burger flipping.

"wait until you or someone you know gets laid off because of outsourcing and your opinion will change" would be the most common response to that.

I don't know anyone that works in IT. It's not important to the country, and it's not like it was ever any good here to begin with. It's not a high-tech area, it's not a research area, etc. Moving them offshore and concentrating on something else will not hurt this country. Americans are the most innovative people in the world. Why focus in an area where we can't take advantage of that? We've abandoned industries before and came out even stronger. If IT is becoming so cutthroat, maybe it's time to get out and use our innovation for something better.

WTH, IT isn't important to this country?
rolleye.gif

No, it isn't. I'm mainly talking about these call center jobs, lower programming, etc. They are not essential to this country.
 

Savij

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
4,233
0
71
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: Savij
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Originally posted by: hdeck
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Who cares if call center type work is outsourced? Nobody would care if burger flipping was outsourced. Call center work is nothing more than burger flipping.

"wait until you or someone you know gets laid off because of outsourcing and your opinion will change" would be the most common response to that.

I don't know anyone that works in IT. It's not important to the country, and it's not like it was ever any good here to begin with. It's not a high-tech area, it's not a research area, etc. Moving them offshore and concentrating on something else will not hurt this country. Americans are the most innovative people in the world. Why focus in an area where we can't take advantage of that? We've abandoned industries before and came out even stronger. If IT is becoming so cutthroat, maybe it's time to get out and use our innovation for something better.

WTH, IT isn't important to this country?
rolleye.gif

Umm, the REAL IT people can't be outsourced. For one thing they're the ones that maintain the information flow that makes outsourcing possible. Call center workers are NOT IT, they are the equivalent of telemarketers...sit on phone, answer calls, read script...

Hate to break it to you dude, but "real" IT jobs can be outsourced. In fact some already are.

So what exactly do you consider "real" IT?
 

Raj

Senior member
Aug 14, 2000
951
0
0
Guys, it sucks to lose a job to outsourcing. I lost mine to it. probably to my cousin or distant relative.
FFMCobalt lost his job twice.
and there are others in here that have.

but do our personal experiences discredit the bigger picture?

I do think that outsourcing too much will make our economy weaker, rather than stronger.

but, the tax benefits to not outsource would have to be really high, and unrealistic, and would
outweight the benefits to keep those jobs in the U.S.
 

Raj

Senior member
Aug 14, 2000
951
0
0
Originally posted by: Savij
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: Savij
Originally posted by: atom
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Originally posted by: hdeck
Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Who cares if call center type work is outsourced? Nobody would care if burger flipping was outsourced. Call center work is nothing more than burger flipping.

"wait until you or someone you know gets laid off because of outsourcing and your opinion will change" would be the most common response to that.

I don't know anyone that works in IT. It's not important to the country, and it's not like it was ever any good here to begin with. It's not a high-tech area, it's not a research area, etc. Moving them offshore and concentrating on something else will not hurt this country. Americans are the most innovative people in the world. Why focus in an area where we can't take advantage of that? We've abandoned industries before and came out even stronger. If IT is becoming so cutthroat, maybe it's time to get out and use our innovation for something better.

WTH, IT isn't important to this country?
rolleye.gif

Umm, the REAL IT people can't be outsourced. For one thing they're the ones that maintain the information flow that makes outsourcing possible. Call center workers are NOT IT, they are the equivalent of telemarketers...sit on phone, answer calls, read script...

Hate to break it to you dude, but "real" IT jobs can be outsourced. In fact some already are.

So what exactly do you consider "real" IT?





INFOSYS AND WIPRO are two of the worlds largest software development firms. many U.S. companies are outsourcing
to them instead of doing it in house in the U.S. they're eveny listed on NASDAQ INFY and WIT respectively.

 

atom

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 1999
4,722
1
0
So what exactly do you consider "real" IT?

Well, I consider tech support a part of IT even thought you don't. IT is such a broad term anyways, from tech support to system administrators to developers creating the enterprise level software to manage all that data and every job in between, to me it's all part of the IT field.
 

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
6
81
The only good thing about outsourcing is that it is a good thing...