Overseas customer reps!

[glennboston]

I am SO sick to death with these monstrous corporations (Especially EBAY and AMAZON) having their call centers for their CUSTOMERS, in foreign countries. I just spent 1 and 1/2 hours between 3 different EBAY customer service reps, that when I asked, said they were based in the Philippines.  First of all I am NOT xenophobic. Not in the least! But these **bleep** corporations make it so hard to EVEN get a hold of an actual person on a telephone. Then 9 times out of 10, they send you to an agent that is overseas, and have an accent and/or language barrier (or both!) that makes it almost impossible to have a conversation with them. I always tell these representatives that I can't understand them due to their accent. I always let them know that it is not their fault they have (for me) an accent. That is just the way speak. I'm sure they feel I also have an accent. (to them).  After all, we have slight accents in different parts of the U.S. But a lot of foreign accents are VERY difficult to understand. If these f*ing multibillion dollar corporations really cared about their "so called" CUSTOMERS, they would not send calls overseas, and make their customer struggle to communicate their problem or concern. Obviously they DON'T really give a sh*t about their customers at all! I truly feel sorry for these underpaid folks, who for the most, are very nice to you. They have to field calls all day long from usually angry customers to begin with, and then the customer getting even more angry during the call, because of the accent/language barrier. GREEDY **bleep** CORPORATIONS!  If you REALLY cared about your "CUSTOMERS", you would have your call centers here in the U.S. No, that doesn't guarantee you still won't get someone with a heavy accent. But it sure would be much less likely. To EBAY and AMAZON... 

[mtgraves7984]

I can't do call-in C/S, either. Between my Southern drawl and the foreign accent, it always starts a tornado. 😐

For what it's worth, qualified, literate eBay C/S can be reached beginning with a message on the eBay facebook page.

You'll set up two-way (email) communication with Reps who have the ability and resources to actually offer service.

Trust me and good luck.

[jbbowers12012]

Hi,  We also had that problem a while back.  I think that the foreign C/S reps were really doing their best to try to help - But, we just had problems with the accents. (Always have & likely always will).  Tried the "chat with us" online help and have not had any issues since. Reps. have been quite knowledgeable & very helpful with no communication issues.  (So Far) .  You

may want to try it out.  GOOD LUCK!!

[maxine*j]

Maybe it's just me, but as an English-only speaker, I have never had trouble talking to anyone from The Philippines, which is one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world.  

The two official language of the Philippines are Filipino and English.  English is spoken by the majority of Filipinos.   About 90% of Filipinos speak English, most of them clearly and a great many of them fluently.  Most education is in English, and English is the language of commerce and law in The Philippines. 

As an aside:  Filipinos serve in the United States Navy, have done since the end of the Spanish-American War, and they are still actively recruited to serve in the USN.   Filipinos have fought in every conflict involving the United States Armed Forces since 1900.  

-

[jbbowers12012]

I am sure that it is jus a problem with me - have a hard time often with most accents, Not jus Filipino.

[gosimus]

@glennboston 

< cared about their "so called" CUSTOMERS, they would not send calls overseas >    

While pondering some way to assist you, a thought fell out of the sky.  To eBay's overseas customers, these customer service reps are not overseas, they're right next door.  Just a thought. 

We see many, very many, questions similar to yours, namely:  Why take down my listing and leave up the thousands of others just like it?  We see them every day.  We, or at least I, aren't familiar with the specific coding of the subroutines in the enormous computer program that's called eBay, aka the bots. 

It wasn't a person who removed your listing, it was a bot.  There was no human value judgement in the consideration, just an impersonal, uncompassionate computer.  Maybe you're familiar with the acronym GIGO ... in my humble opinion, that might be the root cause, or at least contribute to it.  I don't expect this speculation to be any consolation to you. 

[glennboston]

You have made it seem like what I thought some people would think. I realize you don't know me, but I am NOT, I repeat NOT anti Filipino, or anti ANY other country. Yes, there are a lot of bigots and xenophobes out there. No doubt. But I am not one of them.  Yes they spoke english. And yes, they were very nice. Maybe you don't have a problem understanding people with heavy foreign accents, but a LOT of people do.  Why bring up that their languages are Filipino & English, and their service for the U.S.? Once more, please believe me. I am not a xenophobe! All I said is that I struggle to understand them when they have a heavy accent. That's all. And again, so do a lot of people. That does NOT make them bigots! 

[glennboston]

Thanks, but I'm "old school" and still prefer to TALK with people on a Telephone. Todays society has resorted to texting, e-mails, and electronic "chatting" on websites, and all sorts of non verbal communication. That is NOT for me. But thanks for your info. G.B.

[glennboston]

Thanks, but I'm "old school" and still prefer to TALK with people on a Telephone. Todays society has resorted to texting, e-mails, and electronic "chatting" on websites, and all sorts of non verbal communication. That is NOT for me. They ARE knowledgeable and nice. It's just the accent problem. Typing out communications, just like this, is WAY to slow a way to converse.  But thanks for your info. G.B.

[glennboston]

Thanks and agree.

[mtgraves7984]

I can't do call-in C/S, either. Between my Southern drawl and the foreign accent, it always starts a tornado. 😐

@glennboston 

I had a call-in C/S Rep once from Scotland. It was like talking with Mrs. Doubtfire, but a bit more like a summer breeze...

since I'd seen the movie. 😂

[katzrul15]

@glennboston 

I have found that when I ask for a call back, they do try to assist.

They call me sir (I am not a guy) and they repeat a script and thank me for my 18+ years of selling.  But they do "try" to assist me.  Often, not fruitful, but they are kind and pleasant and doing a thankless job for peanuts.

They are also not empowered.

I too prefer a live convo, but have been really pleased/successful with using Facebook for Business and contacting dedicated e-Bay reps. 

Good luck to you.  Better dats/sales await.

[glennboston]

I just feel that when a customer from the U.S. calls a call center, it should BE in the U.S.  Just like someone from say, Germany needs to call a service rep, that rep should be in Germany. Is that too much to ask of these massive corporations?  I don't think so. But thanks for your thoughts. G.B.

[femmefan1946]

but I'm "old school" and still prefer to TALK with people on a Telephone. T

That's your choice.

But as you have been told, the phone reps are not eBay employees and the American sub-contractor does not seem to offer them much training.

So your choice is going to get you second-class service and poor advice.

The social media accounts are covered by eBay employees who are well trained and have some authority.

And you get a transcript of what you were told to compare with what you thought you were told .


https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.get to the Automated Assistant, type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options.


https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en

[southern*sweet*tea]

https://www.ebay.com/help/contact_us?id=4822&st=10

In the left side bar click the automated chat. When the chat window comes up, type "agent" into the chat box.  Choose live chat.  This is what I use.  I'm old school, but absolutely hate phone calls.  I hate them, always have. I guess I have telephonophobia - I'll go see you or write you a letter before I call you.  I write down exactly what I want to say and still, as soon as I start talking all the other party hears is uhhh, uhhh, uhhh...I freeze up and sound like a muttering fool.

I was so happy when live chat was introduced.  The few times I've used it my issue was solved in moments, and you get a written transcript of the chat.

No straining to hear a conversation over a bad phone line, no accents to deal with, no forgetting what I was going to say, just an issue solved.  I don't care where the folks on the other end are located, all I know is they solved my problem.