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It's not a fake American accent.
After the war America had a massive dominance in the Philippines.. All their lessons are taught in English, not their native language... So they are taught in school English with an American accent.
So it's all they know. They don't deliberately put on the accent to try and fake it.
Also their wages are about £270 per month.. Which is 18,000 pesos and that is a higher end wage, some only earn 12000 pesos which is only £180!
But to earn that they pretty much work 12 hour days 7 days a week.
I don't agree with overseas call centres either.. But having been to the Philippines 3 times in 2 years... I'm quite happy to at least try to put up with it. Because my problem is with vm for having overseas call centres, my problem isn't with the agent who is trying their hardest to communicate with me.. And yes they are trying their best because it's in a Filipino nature.. Despite them not being able to communicate easily or understand.
They can't be expected to be able to speak fluent British English when they are taught English in American, their American accent teaching alone is enough to throw them off.. Because Americans pronounce words different.
But when you know they are working 12 hour days for a minimum of £180 a month to feed their family.. How can somebody be angry with the agent?
It's not their fault that vm chose to send their call centres there.. They are working for what people here earn within a few days and that is their entire month.
Also are you aware if you make one formal complaint about the agent they have no workers rights and they get the sack instantly... So who's going to feed their family then? Are you willing to send money to make up for their lost money?
Also there once you hit 30 nobody will employ you.. They even have employment job signs there where they specify age ranges and height.. No such thing there as discrimination.
So don't blame the agent, blame vm! And the companies who go there in the first place.
The agent is only trying to make a living and they don't earn a lot for it either.. Would you work for £180 a month? 12 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Because I know I sure as heck wouldn't.
But in regards to the accent, there's people in this country who can't even understand some accents in this country.. And it's the same country!
So if we can't understand some English people with a different accent.. How is a foreign person going to understand us when they went through school being taught American English with an American accent.
Like I said I don't agree with international call centres on principle, it's cheap labour and taking advantage of people trying to make a living for their family.
But despite gripping my fists sometimes when on the phone to an Indian call centre who wants me to spell out my name letter by letter using the phonetic alphabet.. I refuse to take out that frustration on them.
Because it really is not their fault at all.
If you are willing to take your frustration out on the agent trying to help their family survive.. And by family I don't mean like here.. Husband, wife and children.. I mean Parents and their own family, because often than not there what the children bring home each month feeds their family, brothers, sisters, parents. Because the older members of the family can't get a job any more.. Over 30 discrimination.. So people there do what's necessary to survive.
And if you are willing to slag that off you need to go there for a serious reality check because your vision of what life is like in some of these countries like India and the Philippines is warped and you are too spoilt with life here.
Try going there.. And experiencing life there outside of a hotel.
No automatic washing machines.. Too expensive...People there still scrub clothes with bowls, stones and wash boards with bars of soap.
Shower? Forget it.. Wash with no hot water, and a bucket.
Health and safety? Discrimination? Forget it.. If you get picked up by the police.. Guilty or not if you can't pay the bail they will pin a crime on you.
Control of the police can be brought for bough dollars. On banged up abroad a police chief was offering to assassinate somebody for money.
Government is corrupt.
Children on the street begging.. I witnessed something sickening when I was there last year,
A bucket of food.. They put scraps and leftover food in it for the pigs.. Flies swarming it because of the heat and it's just rotting outside in a bucket... And I witnessed 2 homeless children take a cup and scoop food put of it.. Draining off the water and picking bits out of it.
It sickened me. They was only 10 maybe..
Then there was another occasion where a child walked into a fast food place.. Stole the scraps of chicken off somebody's plate and muttering jackpot.
So next time anybody chooses to criticise the agents.. Rather than filling in a complaints form to vm complaining about it.. I suggest you go there and witness life there first and have a reality check.
Take your anger out on the companies not the workers.
---------- Post added 09-07-2012 at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was 09-06-2012 at 11:30 PM ----------
Btw need to edit the title it's Manila
One L only
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