Sunday, March 30, 2008

The World is Flat....like my Domino's Pizza

Oct. 2007

Earlier this year I made the goal to dedicate my daily commute to educational purposes instead of just rocking out to the Killers and Pat Benatar (or most recently, wearing out my Colbie Caillat CD).

I brushed up on my Spanish for a month (mi espanol necisito mucho practicarlo), became one with energy and the universal law of attraction (i.e. The Secret), and traded CNN (Constant Negative News) on television for the soothing sounds and more neutral news stories of NPR.

Most recently, I popped in the first CD of "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century". The book, written by New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman, takes up 20+ CD's. Basically, it's about the equivalent of college level history and economics wrapped into one tidy little package.

The first few hours detail Y2k through 2004, breaking down the convergence of technology and political events that effected crucial development. I found the topic of the international outsourcing of the service sector (telemarketing, technical support, telephone customer service, etc.) most interesting.

Bangalore, India was highlighted as a city that is fast embracing the opportunities that companies like Microsoft and Sprint are offering by sending their business overseas. A city of 6.5 million people, residents provide educated, hardworking, motivated and much cheaper labor then that which can be found in the U.S.

For dimes on the dollar, American companies offer these "call center" jobs, and for Indians in Bangalore, the good work conditions, plethora of hours and competitive pay attract the college educated in droves. Call center employees even participate in "accent training" classes to develop an accent more palatable to their American customers....choices ranging from Midwestern, Texan and Southern to British.

In addition to tech support and telemarketing, many fast food chains have been outsourcing their call-in ordering elsewhere. For chains like KFC, it is possible that you may pull up to the drive through and put in your order for a diet coke and crispy chicken bucket, and your voice is actually routed over fiber optic cables thousands of miles away. That's right; the person that will be handing you your food is on a different continent then the person taking your order.

What is the benefit? Higher accuracy on ordering (thanks to the education levels and work ethic of those in the jobs), no distraction from co-workers, customers and malfunctioning kitchen equipment, and most importantly, the incentive of up selling to you as you sit in your car..... "Would you like fries or an apple pie with that?" Not to mention that the person taking your order in India or Asia may speak better English then the person who will hand you your food.

A few nights ago, I was craving a pizza. I placed the call to my local Dominos, which is located less then two miles from my home. The call began automated, walking me through my ordering options by quantity, topping and crust preferences. Finally, a live voice came on to review my order with me and note any special instructions.

As she was repeating the order back to me, I noticed a slight accent. I said "May I ask you a question", and I noticed a brief hesitation before she replied "Yes". I asked her if she was at a call center out of the U.S., and she said she was. I guessed Bangalore, India, but was wrong. "Philippines", she remarked. "Salamat", I replied ("Thank you" in Tagalog - one of only two phrases I know in that language, thanks to numerous Filipino clients who have bought homes from me).

My pizza arrived less then 25 minutes later, the fastest delivery time I had experienced from Dominos. They even got my "thin crust, veggie pizza with no cheese" correct (which rarely happens). And in ordering since then, I listen for the slight accent and thanked my order taker in the language of their country. A very small token of appreciation for a job well done.

Without delving into the economic debate of whether companies should outsource so-called "American" jobs to other countries, I must say it made me realize how small, or "flat" the world is when.....

I can pick up my Blackberry phone (on which I receive calls, emails, pictures, texts and can surf the net) with free long distance in the U.S., call a local number to a Dominos in walking distance, have my call routed through fiber optic cables under the ocean floor to a call center thousands of miles away in a country that has a 9 hour time difference and know that my picky vegetarian pizza will be delivered hot to my door before I can finish writing this blog.

No comments: