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The Indo-American Dream - Coming
Of Age With Call Centers
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Call Centers in India Call centers are a phenomenon that has taken over the young crowd of metros in India by a storm. Its implications are social, cultural and economic. It is a new society of the young, rich and free, selling the new dream of an independent life to the regular desi. With a bang in telecommunications and the boundaries of countries fast disappearing because of the Internet, the world is shrinking into smaller and smaller dimensions. It is getting slighter by the day and faster by the hour. Whether it is culture, arts or economy, you are no more in your own national space. The world has telescoped into one big melting pot of ideas. In this shrinking economy, India has made its presence felt in many fields. And the Call Center industry is one of them. India shining! What started as a niche service provision has evolved into a whole new industry in itself. Call centers are organizations in countries where an offshore company services American customers for American clients. Although the business did start off with America, it is no more restricted to the United States only. Countries like Australia, Canada and The United kingdom have also started outsourcing their work to India. The work that is outsourced is from various industries like credit cards, healthcare products, personal care products and education. Because of its vast English speaking population, India has become an ideal candidate for outsourcing US workload through business process outsourcing. English is a popular and well spoken language here. Indians learn English as their second language and are familiar with it. But speaking the global language is not the sole reason for this choice. The fact that Indian labor is relatively cheaper than American, was also a valid argument for those in favor of outsourcing. Indian labor cost is almost one tenth as compared to American when it comes to the call center industry in particular. That stems from the facts that Indian standards of living are lower than Americans and that Indian pay structures vary greatly from their American counterparts. So America saves costs and benefits from the same by outsourcing its work to India. A win-win situation Reiterating the economists and the sociologists, the cheap labor in India owes its origin to the high rate of unemployment here. Hundreds of thousands of graduates are jobless and desperate for work in India. With higher studies only an option for the affluent, professionals too are facing increasing difficulties in recruitment. And as far as skilled labor is concerned, it is limited to few technical branches of work. Here is where the call center industry fills the gaps. Call center units are not very demanding as far as qualifications and prerequisites are concerned. Most call center jobs require a basic understanding of computers and a good grasp over English. And the urban youth of India are computer literate graduates with a command over English language. This is the ideal unskilled labor that the call center industry is looking for. Call center executives only need to be trained in soft skills that include voice neutralization and accent training. This helps to give them an accent more familiar with the people they are going to be talking to. For Indians, this is a smooth transition. Ours is not a country that has evaded the influence of the West and Americanism has seeped into our daily lives like ink on blotting paper. Thank you channel [V]. Day and night Another vital factor that played a role in getting India on America's most wanted list for offshore outsource locations was the convenient time zone difference that naturally exists between the two countries. Indian and American skies play hide and seek with the sun and stars, so that when it is day in India, it is night in America and whilst we cozy up to slumber, they rise and shine. This time difference has been cleverly made use of by the call center industry. And in more ways than one. The time difference between India and America is such that the diametrically opposite days and nights can be easily manipulated to combat the difference. So Indian call centers work in the night, at par with their American counterparts. To address the time difference between the two countries, the offshore company has to work at hours suitable to its clients. Hence, most Indian call centers servicing American customers have timings ranging from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. Indian time. A regular day in the life of a call center executive starts in the night and ends early morning. This time difference does not benefit the Americans alone. It is a boon to India too. Not only does the time difference allow Indian companies to service American clients by working in the nights, it also allows for better utilization of their resources. All the resources that companies use to service American clients in the night are used by them to service other clients in India and abroad in the day. This sharing of resources saves costs and also earns call centers better revenues. Winds of change Socially it has altered the way Indians have lived for years. With its operations mainly during the night, the call centers offer an opportunity for the young to live a perpetual nocturnal life, a saleable idea to the youth. The fascination of the dark and the forbidden, is tremendous for the Indian youth, recently unleashed from the chains of tradition and culture. Because of this fascination, the industry has developed an air of revolution about itself. Not only is it cool to work for call centers, it is radical and revolutionary. Just like the bikers subculture of the 60s and the flower children of the 70s, these call centerites also have their own lingo and a unique style of existence. Most of them are happy in a well paying monotonous job, reaping the benefits of technology, enjoying a life away from rush hour traffic and local trains. The moolah is good, the work is easy and life is comfortable. In a world that is increasingly getting glamorized, doesn't the call center industry present a tempting offer? It does. The young are becoming independent, economically and socially. Where will the call center industry stand tomorrow, is unpredictableSome say in a service based economy, call centers are here to stay. Others speculate it might go the dotcom way. Whatever its future, the call center industry has taught Indians a lot about Americans and Americanization, opening now not only their wallets to us but also their minds and offering a peek into their lives. It has shown Indians the hidden west and unleashed all its secrets. How far are these call centers involved in influencing a young generation into a westernized life is debatable, but it does open channels for discussion. Feel free to email me with any comments that you may have about this article. Gary, Editor, QuikContent Services. |
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