Apple to outsource tech support to India

Twenty years ago, as a student, mine was one of the backs on which Mr. Jobs made his fortune; then he had an identity crisis, came back and made another fortune. Meanwhile, I was hit by a car while riding a bicycle, and became severely cognitively disabled.

Despite the fact that I live in the State that is synonymous with Microsoft, I have been unyieldingly loyal to Apple, despite its arrogant approaches to reasonable accommodation, especially in regard to voice command and web page recognition readers (try getting a web page reader for Safari). In the past two years, my small community has helped me use the computer to become slowly more independent, and I have tried to work with Apples systems.

Yesterday, I spent four hours on the telephone via TTY trying to order new equipment. I was hung up on, put on hold, transferred around and around, although I informed speakers that in my state it is a gross misdemeanor to interfere with a disabled persons assistive technology. Customer Relations representatives told me they dont know what reasonable accommodation under the law means, but if I request accommodation under the law, they are instructed to hang up on me.

Today, I spent an hour speaking via TTY with the corporate offices, struggling to make clear, what to most corporations is first-stage risk management in meeting civil rights laws requirements for the disabled. What shocked me most was the absolute vertical integration of arrogance into Apples corporate culture. Gone from the days when fellow classmates were proud to be hired by Apple, to a cavalier Groupthink mentality.

Civil Rights laws were not special rights in the 1960s for black people in the South. They were matters of life and death in some cases. And for the disabled, it is absolutely impossible for most people to understand, either without a disability, or a long and patient learning curve, why accommodation in our society is so important. Forget technology, Microsoft is light years ahead of Apple on the curve of educating its employees about civil rights for the disabled. This month I am buying my first PC.

I onced talked to an Apple tech support agent from the support center in Australia who happened to be Indian. He had an odd Australian-Indian hybrid accent. Needless to say, I could not understand him very well. I actually prefer email support over phone support. I'd rather wait a couple of hours instead of going through the hassle and frustration of having a difficult phone conversation. But then some issues are more suited for phone support. Is this a call center only tech support facility that they're setting up in India? If they'll be used for email and online chat support, that probably won't be as problematic as having them do phone support only.

Xenophobia at its best

Everytime I call an outside center (most recently for a Linksys router) I swear never to support that company again, just from the shear hell it is to get an intelligient answer. Apple's Server Tech support is already close to a joke, I find my high end tech support getting worse, and I may start questioning my warranty purchases!

My main beef with outsourced support is that the people who do it often do not use the products/services themselves. This could work, IF they gave each employee a loaner Mac to use at home. That would actually have a nice side effect of seeding/promoting a Mac market in India.

Hmmm... using intel processors, moving support to india... Who do they think they are, microsoft?

I mean, seriously, when was the last time that anyone had a satisfactory tech support call that was answered outside this country?!

The two times that I've called Apple tech support, I've gotten someone in the US who spoke english ver well, and who was very helpful. It was one of the reasons I recommended that my parents buy a mac when they bought my mom a new laptop last year.

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!

Apple should have looked into this a little more. People from Bangalore have a very strong South Indian accent which is almost very hard to understand to even Indians outside of that part of the country.

Call center's in Mumbai or Pune have 95% of college going students as employees and are very comfortable with English AND they know more about Apple and computers then people from any other part of the country.

Apple you listening...?

What do you mean by "downgrade support to india?" What a typically American attitude you all have. I am staggered and amazed at your ignorance. India is the world's largest democracy, has the 2nd fastest growing economy (after China) and has some of the brightest hardest working people on the planet. It's IT sector is absolutely booming (quite deservedly) and it has taken full advantage of the fact that you guys can no longer complete efficiently. Outsourcing to Asia is common place, makes sound business sense and will only increase. Get used to it. As for not being able to understand the accents, i'm english, i live in asia and i deal with Indians every day. They are more receptive to ideas and more helpful than any american i have met. And perfectly comprehensible. As for the quality of the support phone lines, it is up to Apple to train their staff and given that Apple are far and away better at most things than the likes of Dell (who incidentally are about to double the size of their Indian Campus) i have complete faith in what Apple is doing. To say you would get rid of your Mac because another country is offering a service is just plain ignorant and offensive. Time to get into the real world folks 'cause your country is being left behind.

Oh this is so humiliating....Though I agree, most of the people employed at call centres in India come with terrible english...

Milind
India

as a recent worker for the apple call center in austin, which IS considered part of apple, not outsourced, apple is still hiring in america. apple is growing like crazy and plan on growing even more, and this just looks like a good move to cushion the call center loads.

the main complaint i got was from people who couldnt understand the support from the person in india, that they talked to first, and apple knows that. but the india call centers do fix alot of easy stuff that honestly people should know by reading thier manuals and what not.

also someone else said that apple wasnt known for their customer service, is wrong, we won the award i think 5 years in a row, from PC magazine or consumer reports.

dont freak out, just send a letter to cupertino if you want to be sure you are heard on this topic.