“As American as Curry Pie”

It appears that several companies are opening call centers in India, where the labor is cheap, but them tutoring them for an American accent to complete the illusion:

“Hi, this is Betty Coulter and I am calling because I have a great deal for you today. I am going to offer you a credit card at a low 2.9 percent with a whole bunch of free gifts.”

Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard it all before. You try to get off the phone, but Betty just drones on and, amazingly, never takes a breath. You try to place the accent. Iowa maybe? No, the “a” sound is too flat. California? Maybe it’s a crowded call center in some business park in Kansas City.

But Betty is actually calling from Bangalore, and her real name is Savita Balasubramanyam. And she is indeed in a crowded office, but it's not dinner time, it’s the middle of the night. And her perfect American accent is the result of rigorous training and an employer-encouraged addiction to Ally McBeal. […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.