I have to deal with customer service at various tech companies almost daily. This can get pretty frustrating as nearly all of these places outsource their call centers to foreign countries. The people who answer usually speak English very poorly and have thick accents. They also tend to read from scripts, and if you ask any question that isn’t on the script, they can’t help you or even answer you. You also get placed on hold frequently and shuffled around from one non-helpful department to the next.
I’ve gotten some relief from this by asking first thing for a customer service person located in the United States. They don’t all have them, but many times you’ll get transferred back to the U.S. I’ve also noticed that the employees located in the U.S seem to have more authority and in general know a lot more about the products.
Also, I’ve found that if you have to call any customer service center on Saturday or Sunday, you’re going to be connected with a part-time employee who speaks English badly, and who knows even less than the full-time, foreign speaking employees who work Monday-Friday. At all costs, you should avoid calling these places on the weekend.
The only customer service center I’ve ever called that actually had employees located in the U.S was Lenovo. They also answered their phones pretty quickly as well. It’s been a few months since I had to call them however, so by now their call centers may also be located in foreign countries and staffed by people who speak English poorly.
Not just tech call centers, but almost all customer service centers for U.S. corporations are located in various foreign countries. All banks and major retailers like Amazon will provide you will a customer service person located in the U.S if you ask up front. Don’t be shy about asking. You have nothing to lose but your frustration.