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Auto Talk => General Automotive => Topic started by: SVT666 on March 30, 2009, 09:42:55 AM

Title: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: SVT666 on March 30, 2009, 09:42:55 AM
Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.

 
Chrysler?s customer satisfaction director says that, in an effort to retain the automaker?s customer base by improving service, it will move its off-shore customer care call centers from India to Michigan and Utah. Chrysler says the transition will take several months but that eventually all customer service calls will be directed to the United States.

?In these difficult times, we all must view each customer as a keeper,? Chrysler?s customer satisfaction director, Paul Alcala, wrote on the automaker?s corporate blog.

?As promised by senior management, we are in the process of transitioning the customer assistance center toll-free telephone number from India back to the United States.?

The automaker said that it is opening call centers in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and Salt Lake City. Chrysler didn?t comment on the degree of success it had with its offshore call centers, which were implemented as a cost-savings measure.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: Submariner on March 30, 2009, 10:04:20 AM
Wow...A move in the right direction...by Chrysler???
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: Byteme on March 30, 2009, 10:27:00 AM
Quote from: HEMI666 on March 30, 2009, 09:42:55 AM
Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.

 
Chrysler?s customer satisfaction director says that, in an effort to retain the automaker?s customer base by improving service, it will move its off-shore customer care call centers from India to Michigan and Utah. Chrysler says the transition will take several months but that eventually all customer service calls will be directed to the United States.

?In these difficult times, we all must view each customer as a keeper,? Chrysler?s customer satisfaction director, Paul Alcala, wrote on the automaker?s corporate blog.

?As promised by senior management, we are in the process of transitioning the customer assistance center toll-free telephone number from India back to the United States.?

The automaker said that it is opening call centers in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and Salt Lake City. Chrysler didn?t comment on the degree of success it had with its offshore call centers, which were implemented as a cost-savings measure.

I'd like to see some other US companies move operations like call centers back to the US.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: MaxPower on March 30, 2009, 10:37:49 AM
Utah...I wonder if that means Mormon housewives, like JetBlue did a while back.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: NomisR on March 30, 2009, 10:57:44 AM
Who calls Automotive Customer Service anyways?  That's what dealerships are for.  They probably realized that off shoring the service means the savings is minial.  They can just hire part time workers for this which means cost is significantly less than full time.  So it won't cost too much more anyways.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: cozmik on March 30, 2009, 11:13:23 AM
I didn't even realize they were in India. When I had to call GM, they were North American based.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: MaxPower on March 30, 2009, 11:32:28 AM
Quote from: NomisR on March 30, 2009, 10:57:44 AM
Who calls Automotive Customer Service anyways?  That's what dealerships are for.

That was my first reaction, as well.  But then I remembered that when I bought my last car I called the Subaru customer service number to get information about factory warranties and warranty work.  I wanted to be absolutely sure that if I bought the car 200 miles from where I live I could have a dealer 20 miles away do warranty work on it.  I can.

I think the guy I talked to was an American; he had a southern accent.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: NomisR on March 30, 2009, 11:42:25 AM
Quote from: MaxPower on March 30, 2009, 11:32:28 AM
I think the guy I talked to was an American; he had a southern accent.

Some I've talked to are just as difficult to understand as the Indian.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: Laconian on March 30, 2009, 11:54:37 AM
Transparent PR move, IMO.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: Byteme on March 30, 2009, 11:57:37 AM
Quote from: MaxPower on March 30, 2009, 11:32:28 AM
That was my first reaction, as well.  But then I remembered that when I bought my last car I called the Subaru customer service number to get information about factory warranties and warranty work.  I wanted to be absolutely sure that if I bought the car 200 miles from where I live I could have a dealer 20 miles away do warranty work on it.  I can.

I think the guy I talked to was an American; he had a southern accent.

When outsourcing to India first became popular some comopanies pur their people through "Charm School" to learn american idioms, and possibly even accents so the caller wouldn't feel so alienated.  I think they soon dropped that idea as being a transparent and wasteful ploy.
Title: Re: Chrysler moves call centers from India to U.S.
Post by: Xer0 on March 30, 2009, 01:11:44 PM
Quote from: Byteme on March 30, 2009, 11:57:37 AM
When outsourcing to India first became popular some comopanies pur their people through "Charm School" to learn american idioms, and possibly even accents so the caller wouldn't feel so alienated.  I think they soon dropped that idea as being a transparent and wasteful ploy.

Yeah, I love getting guys on the phone that are obviously from India that are named Bob and tell me "hey, whats up".