Outsourcing Risks And Criticisms Part Ii

End-user satisfaction, however, is also one of the major sources of criticisms aimed

towards outsourced services because of several factors, including the language barrier. The language factor is a major target of criticisms from both the public and the media. Some customers have blasted certain companies despite their credible sales offerings, because of less than satisfactory customer support provided by people to whom English is not a cradle or natural language. Complaints have centered on miscommunication because of the call center agents' incomprehensible English as well as the difference in cultures.

Outsourcing critics have also pointed out the absence of visual representation, which could minimize the occurrences ofnmisinterpretation. This danger concerning communications is a risk that a company must recognize in the decision-making process, because this risk could potentially incur damages to a company's reputation. However, in some countries, non-English speaking call center agents undergo accent training in order for them to speak like natural English speakers. Accent training also includes lessons on the different accents of American speakers in order for them to understand.

Outsourcing has also come under fire especially in call center services. Some people argue that the agents working as outsourced customer service representatives do not have any semblance of understanding of the company's processes that can only be acquired by being part of the system. Thus, they feel that these agents could not provide satisfactory customer service as needed to retain clients.

Because of factors such as language, and a thorough understanding of the company's processes, people, who are against the concept of outsourcing, often call the qualifications of the outsourced employees into question. nnOutsourced customer service companies or call centers also pose a security risk not just for the company, but also for their customers. Because of the outsourced nature of the job, the companies utilizing these services are usually unaware and unable to address directly the security problems that affect their customers. The nature of customer service itself is inherently a security risk.

One example is a theft involving Citibank and call center agents based in India. The arrangement between Citibank and the Indian call center inherently compromises the security of the client's customers, because sensitive information like credit card numbers and account passwords were conveyed by voice to the call center receiving every customer call. What happened in April 2005 was that employees of the Indian call center used customer information to steal money and transfer them to their own accounts. The worst thing was Citibank was powerless despite being notified to address the discrepancies in its customers' accounts. The reason for this was because the workers were not under Citibank's turf.

by: Lawrence Perry

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