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to do different； more sophisticated work； and it helps because it gives an opportunity
to produce the end product more cheaply； benefiting customers even as it helps the
corporation。 It's certainly difficult for individuals to think about 〃their〃 work
going away； being done thousands of miles away by someone earning thousands of dollars
less per year。 But it's time to think about the opportunity as well as the pain； just
as it's time to think about the obligations of off…shoring as well as the
opportunities。 。 。 Every person； just as every corporation； must tend to his or her
own economic destiny； just as our parents and grandparents in the mills； shoe shops
and factories did。
〃The Monitor Is Burning？〃
Do you know what an Indian call center sounds like？ While filming the documentary
about outsourcing； the TV crew and I spent an evening at the Indian…owned 〃24/7
Customer〃 call center in Bangalore。 The call center is a cross between a co…ed college
frat house and a phone bank raising money for the local public TV station。 There are
several floors with rooms full of twenty…somethings… some twenty…five hundred in
all…working the phones。 Some are known as 〃outbound〃 operators； selling everything
from credit cards to phone minutes。 Others deal with 〃inbound〃 calls…everything from
tracing lost luggage for U。S。 and European airline passengers to solving computer
problems for confused American consumers。 The calls are transferred here by satellite
and undersea fiber…optic cable。 Each vast floor of a call center consists of clusters
of cubicles。 The young people work in little
22
teams under the banner of the company whose phone support they are providing。 So one
corner might be the Dell group； another might be flying the flag of Microsoft。 Their
working conditions look like those at your average insurance company。 Although I am
sure that there are call centers that are operated like sweatshops； 24/7 is not one
of them。
Most of the young people I interviewed give all or part of their salary to their parents。
In fact； many of them have starting salaries that are higher than their parents'
retiring salaries。 For entry…level jobs into the global economy； these are about as
good as it gets。
I was wandering around the Microsoft section around six p。m。 Bangalore time； when
most of these young people start their workday to coincide with the dawn in America；
when I asked a young Indian computer expert there a simple question： What was the
record on the floor for the longest phone call to help some American who got lost
in the maze of his or her own software？
Without missing a beat he answered； 〃Eleven hours。〃
〃Eleven hours？〃 I exclaimed。
〃Eleven hours；〃 he said。
I have no way of checking whether this is true； but you do hear snippets of some oddly
familiar conversations as you walk the floor at 24/7 and just listen over the shoulders
of different call center operators doing their things。 Here is a small sample of what
we heard that night while filming for Discovery Times。 It should be read； if you can
imagine this； in the voice of someone with an Indian accent trying to imitate an
American ora Brit。 Also imagine that nomatter how rude； unhappy； irritated； or ornery
the voices are on the other end of the line； these young Indians are incessantly and
unfailingly polite。
Woman call center operator： 〃Good afternoon； may I speak with 。 。 。？〃 （Someone on
the other end just slammed down the phone。）
Male call center operator： 〃Merchant services； this is Jerry； may I help you？〃 （The
Indian call center operators adopt Western names of their own choosing。 The idea；
of course； is to make their American or European customers feel more comfortable。
Most of the young Indians I talked to about this were not offended but took it as
an opportunity to
have some fun。 While a few just opt for Susan or Bob； some really get creative。）
Woman operator in Bangalore speaking to an American： 〃My name is Ivy Timberwoods and
I am calling you 。 。 。〃
Woman operator in Bangalore getting an American's identity number： 〃May I have the
last four digits of your Social Security？〃
Woman operator in Bangalore giving directions as though she were in Manhattan and
looking out her window： 〃Yes； we have a branch on Seventy…fourth and Second Avenue；
a branch at Fifty…fourth and Lexington 。 。 。〃
Male operator in Bangalore selling a credit card he could never afford himself： 〃This
card comes to you with one of the lowest APR 。 。 。〃
Woman operator in Bangalore explaining to an American how she screwed up her checking
account： 〃Check number six…six…five for eighty…one dollars and fifty…five cents。 You
will still be hit by the thirty…dollar charge。 Am I clear？〃
Woman operator in Bangalore after walking an American through a computer glitch： 〃Not
a problem； Mr。 Jassup。 Thank you for your time。 Take care。 Bye…bye。〃
Woman operator in Bangalore after someone has just slammed down the phone on her：
〃Hello？ Hello？〃
Woman operator in Bangalore apologizing for calling someone in America too early：
〃This is just a courtesy call； I'll call back later in the evening 。 。 。〃
Male operator in Bangalore trying desperately to sell an airline credit card to
someone in America who doesn't seem to want one： 〃Is that because you have too many
credit cards； or you don't like flying； Mrs。 Bell？〃
Woman operator in Bangalore trying to talk an American out of her computer crash：
〃Start switching between memory okay and memory test。 。 。〃
Male operator in Bangalore doing the same thing： 〃All right； then； let's just punch
in three and press Enter 。 。 。〃
Woman operator in Bangalore trying to help an American who cannot stand being on the
help line another second： 〃Yes； ma'am； I do
understand that you are in a hurry right now。 I am just trying to help you out。 。 。〃
Woman operator in Bangalore getting another phone slammed down on her： 〃Yes； well；
so what time would be goo 。 。 。〃
Same woman operator in Bangalore getting another phone slammed down on her： 〃Why；
Mrs。 Kent； it's not a 。。。〃
Same woman operator in Bangalore getting another phone slammed down on her： 〃As a
safety back 。 。 。 Hello？〃
Same woman operator in Bangalore looking up from her phone： 〃I definitely have a bad
day！〃
Woman operator in Bangalore trying to help an American woman with a computer problem
that she has never heard before： 〃What is the problem with this machine； ma'am？ The
monitor is burning？〃
There are currently about 245；000 Indians answering phones from all over the world
or dialing out to solicit people for credit cards or cell phone bargains or overdue
bills。 These call center jobs are low…wage； low…prestige jobs in America； but when
shifted to India they become high…wage； high…prestige jobs。 The esprit de corps at
24/7 and other call centers I visited seemed quite high； and the young people were
all eager to share some of the bizarre phone conversations they've had with Americans
who dialed 1…800…HELP； thinking they would wind up talking to someone around the block；
not around the world。
C。 M。 Meghna； a 24/7 call center female operator； told me； 〃I've had lots of cus