Dell: homeshore your contact centers and drop the U.S. handling fee

I own two Dells: the desktop Dimension 5150 that I am writing this on, and an Inspiron laptop that my wife uses. Both machines are OK, and that is a good thing...as I have not exactly been thrilled with the service that I've needed and received from its offshore agents.

So when I heard from a TV show producer about Dell planning to charge its American account holders $13 a month for onshore support or new customers $99/year, I switched to PR mode to quell the temptation to let out a snarky remark, along the lines of 'it's like paying someone for not hitting you'.

Instead I expressed my skepticism, alluding to the unsuccessful efforts to convince Americans to buy often higher-priced Made in the USA goods in the 1980s to save jobs, rally around the country...especially now with the economy being so tight. People may dislike the quality of offshore service but would they want to spend the money that they can use for other needed purposes...like to buy food and help pay bills...just to ensure that they get onshore agents instead?

While it is true that no one can relate to Americans better than Americans, the dubious U.S. educational quality and 'this job demeans me, I'm doing you a personal favor so don't %^&# me off' customer service attitude that I've come across so often makes me question the value of 'buying American' for service. I will give Dell's offshore staff this much: while their customer service skills are not exactly great the agents in contrast are bright, polite, and willing. In countries like India the abject poverty serves as a stark reminder of the price of failure.

There is of course, a third option, which I'm real curious if Dell has adequately explored, and which I told the producer about, and that is 'homeshoring' i.e. working from home. As told many times, having contact center work handled by people out of their domiciles cuts costs, improves productivity, and taps into a higher quality workforce, while helping to clean up the environment through eliminating commuting.

If Dell had done just that--announced that it is bringing its customer care management literally back home at no charge to American agents--which would allow many to keep their homes by avoiding commuting costs and deducting home office costs--it would have been lauded rather than laughed at.

Dell, please call home...

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