The Whole "<Western Name> at Customer Service" from an obviously Indian person

[venkman]

Why does this still happen? Everyone immediately knows that the person is working in a call center in India and I think the whole process is demeaning to both the worker and the intelligence and sensibilities of the customer. Granted, some Indian names can be long and hard to pronounce, but shortening them (Rajistanramianam to Raj) is pretty effective.

Do these call centers really think they can "fool" someone into believing they are calling a western call center?

 

[Fayd]

alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

 

[venkman]

That's true, but I don't think every single person working at a call center in India fits that bill.


(EDIT: response to Fayd's post below, SOMEONE GET ON THE PHONE WITH RICK FROM FUSETALK CUSTOMER SERVICE )

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: venkman
That's true, but I don't think every single person working at a call center in India fits that bill.


(EDIT: response to Fayd's post below, SOMEONE GET ON THE PHONE WITH RICK FROM FUSETALK CUSTOMER SERVICE )

maybe so. i've never had to call customer service for anything, so i wouldnt know.

i knew a couple people at D-link customer service's call center (in san diego.) one of them was israeli (thiiiiick accent.) he was also a douchebag, lol.

 

[CanOWorms]

It will always happen to some degree. There are a lot of Christian Indians with Western names. Also, many Indian names sound like a Western name or have a shortened nickname that sounds like a Western name (Nikhil to Nik, etc.).

 

[coldmeat]

I don't pay attention when they tell me their name and all that garbage at the beginning.

 

[frostedflakes]

Shortening names would make sense. I have a professor who's given name is Balasubramaniam. Kind of a mouthful, though, so he just goes by Bala.

 

[Ronstang]

I don't care what their name is because I can't understand their garbled speech so I just hang up, throw the product away, and start researching who has actual support. If I can't find actual support then I just stick to buying the cheap disposable products. I would never by any expensive equipment that actually needed support from a company who uses Indian call centers.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I used to feel that way, but after dating a naturalized citizen and working in LA with a shitload of recent immigrants, and hearing stories about how so & so picked their "Western" name, I'm cool with it, it's a rite of passage for many.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Fayd
alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

This is true. While I do not know about India, everybody with only a few exceptions that I have met here have given me a Western name, even the Mainlanders. Some of the names can be amusing, I heard that a girl working at a bakery took the name "Cake." Some people though keep their Chinese and Western names separate, they only use their Western names with foreigners and use their Chinese names with the locals. Makes it a bit confusing for me when my friends are not familiar with another's Western name.

So it would not surprise me if the employees of the call centers took it upon themselves to choose a Western name for business.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
It will always happen to some degree. There are a lot of Christian Indians with Western names. Also, many Indian names sound like a Western name or have a shortened nickname that sounds like a Western name (Nikhil to Nik, etc.).

Lol, my family is Christian, and we all have Western names.
Yes, my real name is Steve. No, I do not have an "Indian" name.

Reminds me of that Russell Peters special.

 

[SandEagle]

Inside an Indian Call Center by "Jim"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yVbcWX2lV8

speak it bhai, speak it

????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: Fayd
alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

This is true. While I do not know about India, everybody with only a few exceptions that I have met here have given me a Western name, even the Mainlanders. Some of the names can be amusing, I heard that a girl working at a bakery took the name "Cake." Some people though keep their Chinese and Western names separate, they only use their Western names with foreigners and use their Chinese names with the locals. Makes it a bit confusing for me when my friends are not familiar with another's Western name.

So it would not surprise me if the employees of the call centers took it upon themselves to choose a Western name for business.

lol, that explains all the names at our Hong Kong office.

Dash, Cherry...

If they were named that here in the US, it would be mandatory that they were strippers. lol

 

[tasmanian]

It might be to keep the customers in a neutral as possible situation. I imagine if people called and talked to Mohammad Jihad, they probably wouldnt like it very much.

 

[mugs]

Many of the Asian people I know who live in the US use western names even if they aren't their given name.

 

[SonicIce]

They will all be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

 

[gorcorps]

I don't care what the fuck they call themselves as long as their English is good enough to help me out.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Fayd
alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

no, you'll talk to them on the phone and their name is chad or david, but when they send you an email its kuthrapali or rajesh.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: Fayd
alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

This is true. While I do not know about India, everybody with only a few exceptions that I have met here have given me a Western name, even the Mainlanders. Some of the names can be amusing, I heard that a girl working at a bakery took the name "Cake." Some people though keep their Chinese and Western names separate, they only use their Western names with foreigners and use their Chinese names with the locals. Makes it a bit confusing for me when my friends are not familiar with another's Western name.

So it would not surprise me if the employees of the call centers took it upon themselves to choose a Western name for business.

lol, that explains all the names at our Hong Kong office.

Dash, Cherry...

If they were named that here in the US, it would be mandatory that they were strippers. lol

THANK YOU! I KNOW!

I have met girls with names like Apple, Cherry, Candy... Though with Cherry, the girl's Chinese name is Xiao Yi and so Cherry was a close English approximation but dammit, I can't help think the exact same way you do when it comes to some of the names I hear. Worst part is, none of my friends understand so I have to keep the joke bottled up.

 

[Madwand1]

Originally posted by: venkman
some Indian names can be long and hard to pronounce, but shortening them (Rajistanramianam to Raj) is pretty effective.

Do these call centers really think they can "fool" someone into believing they are calling a western call center?

(1) I doubt that they expect to "fool" anyone -- much more likely (2) they don't want to bastardize their actual names (3) they don't want to spend 5 minutes repeating their name while the other person doesn't get it / gets it wrong.

It's surprisingly hard for the average person to learn a really foreign name, and there's no real point to going through the trouble for either party in such cases.

Note however that things are different once it's written down -- that makes it easier. The fact that the real names are used in written communication also supports (1), (2), and (3).

Simply -- they use Western names to make it easier for Westerners, and themselves in the process.

 

[BoomerD]

"Guud avtrnoon. My name eez Steve. I am so happy, I am standing vehside myself, to be able to helping you today. Vhat seems to the problem is ?"

Oh, ok, let me make sure I am understanding. You are having this problem? Let's go in and change a bunch of random shit just vecause I don't really know vhat I am doink and vill be soon passink you to second tier support. "


It fucking pisses me off to have to deal with some of these morons who can't work without a script. Throw them one little curveball ahd they get so excited they are standing veeside themselves... :roll:

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: Fayd
alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

This is true. While I do not know about India, everybody with only a few exceptions that I have met here have given me a Western name, even the Mainlanders. Some of the names can be amusing, I heard that a girl working at a bakery took the name "Cake." Some people though keep their Chinese and Western names separate, they only use their Western names with foreigners and use their Chinese names with the locals. Makes it a bit confusing for me when my friends are not familiar with another's Western name.

So it would not surprise me if the employees of the call centers took it upon themselves to choose a Western name for business.

lol, that explains all the names at our Hong Kong office.

Dash, Cherry...

If they were named that here in the US, it would be mandatory that they were strippers. lol

THANK YOU! I KNOW!

I have met girls with names like Apple, Cherry, Candy... Though with Cherry, the girl's Chinese name is Xiao Yi and so Cherry was a close English approximation but dammit, I can't help think the exact same way you do when it comes to some of the names I hear. Worst part is, none of my friends understand so I have to keep the joke bottled up.

The reverse is also true. I know a lot of fobby taiwanese and korean girls with really old fashioned names like Agnes or Esther

 

[sandorski]

As long as it's not Billy Bob Sundip, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[LTC8K6]

I quit calling customer service about 10 years ago.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Fayd
alot of people from foreign countries are named western names because it's fashionable to do so.

no, you'll talk to them on the phone and their name is chad or david, but when they send you an email its kuthrapali or rajesh.

no, sometimes a person's given name is a western name, even if that person doesnt speak a word of english.

it's fashionable. in the same way as engrish sells.

it doesnt make sense to us, but it doesnt have to.