| "Honey, I think the world is flat". This is the lovely say of | | | | strong-own-way-in-speaking-English pride. You may |
| Thomas Friedman to his wife in the best selling book in | | | | think it is somehow racist but job is job, efficiency is |
| 2005 "The World Is Flat". No need to explain more to | | | | efficiency and the fact is an American consumer |
| push readers to believe that the idea is true which is | | | | angered by losing something precious can very easily |
| considered to be against the familiar concept "The | | | | distrust an operator with an unfamiliar accent, |
| Earth is round", the short and honest say of Thomas | | | | especially when she finds out the operator is sitting in |
| was still very persuasive that made me happily read | | | | India. |
| through the book in a very short time. | | | | So the operators have to take "pronunciation classes" |
| Among "The ten forces that flattened the world" such | | | | and this is what they look like. "Remember the first day |
| as work flow software, supply chaining, offshoring, | | | | I told you that the Americans flap the 'tuh' sound? You |
| in-forming, etc, I was especially impressed by | | | | know, it sounds like an almost 'duh' sound - not crisp |
| outsourcing. Maybe it will be superfluous if I give you | | | | and clear like British", said the mistress to her students. |
| the definition of or any explanation about outsourcing, I | | | | "So I'm just going to read it out for you once, and then |
| just write down what Nandan Nilekani, CEO of the | | | | we'll read it together. All right? 'Thirty little turtles in a |
| well-known Infosys Technology Limited in India, said in | | | | bottle of bottled water. A bottle of bottled water held |
| the book, "Outsourcing is just one dimension of a much | | | | thirty little turtles. It didn't matter that each turtle had to |
| more fundamental thing happening today in the world". | | | | rattle a metal ladle in order to get a little bit of noodles". |
| An interesting example of this popular trend is an | | | | I brought the book and the story to one of my close |
| Indian-owned "24/7 Customer" call center in Bangalore, | | | | friends who is working in E-commerce field and |
| India where "some are known as 'outbound' operators, | | | | unsurprisingly she was really interested. But what was |
| selling everything from credit cards to phone minutes. | | | | even more unexpected was when she came to my |
| Others deal with 'inbound' calls - everything from | | | | office one week after that with a big smile, "Thank |
| tracing lost luggage for U.S. and European airline | | | | you, Chris. You opened my eyes!" It turned out that my |
| passengers to solving computer problems for | | | | friend's online software company with the main |
| confused American consumers" and "The calls are | | | | product Voice Changer Software can help people |
| transferred by satellite and undersea fiber-optic cable". | | | | change voice and fix some small mistakes in |
| That is an amazingly intelligent idea to utilize the | | | | pronunciation. |
| workforce in the era when all people believe | | | | In fact, after reading through the book, a new idea |
| "Customer is God". Due to the time difference, an | | | | popped up in her mind and she immediately sent a |
| Indian operator in Bangalore can serve an American or | | | | letter to all Voice Changer customers asking if the |
| a British customer when his American partner in New | | | | software can really help with pronunciation. Some |
| York is in the mist of her dreams. | | | | customers from Singapore, Hongkong and India replied |
| It sounds simple but actually not easy. To work in a big | | | | that they did use Voice Changer Software for making |
| company like "24/7 Customer' with much higher | | | | their accent more similar to American to create |
| wages than the average income per month of almost | | | | voice-overs for a Powerpoint presentation at schools |
| people in India, all the operators have to pass through a | | | | or sales reports and product introductions at a trade |
| lot of difficulties. Not mentioning the challenges during | | | | fair. An amazing benefit from her product that she had |
| the working time when confronting a hard-nose | | | | never known and expected. And now she is of |
| consumer or facing a silly phone call, those operators | | | | course planning for a Marketing strategy to utilize this |
| need to learn how to speak English with American or | | | | new benefit. |
| British accent before taking the job. That's not easy | | | | So, Thomas! If you knew this software, would you |
| with many Indians who are stuck in their | | | | have included it in the factors that flatten the world? |