God love India. It probably benefits more from outsourcing than any other country. Chances are we’ve all experienced that call with someone in Mumbai trying to help sort out a questionable charge on the credit card bill, or help with a minor technical problem with the laptop. The calls can be a bit of a challenge language-wise, but they’re always very polite and trying to get things solved quickly. So guess what India did? Starting at the beginning of October they outsourced all their US-based Visa application and fulfillment operations…to the biggest bunch of typical, impolite, inept, hourly American I Could Give A Shit workers you can possibly imagine. 40 of us were there for well over 2 hours, watching as the line never moved, watching as no one walked past with smiles on their faces and passports in their hands, watching as 6pm came and half the staff walked out “hey, it’s quitting time, I’m out of here!”. Unreal. Check the pix—those are disorganized piles of passports strewn all over the office, and with every request a search through EACH pile ensued. “Sorry, your passport’s not here”. “But you didn’t check those piles over there.” “What? Oh, wait, yeah--here it is. Sign here. NEXT!!” I actually got the daughter of the Vice Consul on the phone and suggested she call her Dad on his mobile so he could get someone down to prevent the anarchy that was brewing. Eventually I got my passport back with my Indian visa…I don’t know what happened with the other 15 people who were in line behind me--someone send them some sandwiches.
Bobbi says this is a preview of coming attractions. I can’t wait.
And so the latest trip begins---an early morning flight out of Chicago to Hong Kong (via fire-haze filled Los Angeles), then a series of quick 2- and 3-day jaunts to Jakarta, then Tokyo, then Mumbai, the Dubai, then home. Stay tuned as the fun ensues, won’t you? It’ll be something indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment