Here in the UK B Telecom are moving call centre jobs to India. The employees in India are being told to give English type names and are watching UK soap operas (Eastenders, Coronation Street etc) to "localise them culturally" they even get details of UK weather so they can drop in that into conversation. And of course they are much cheaper than UK staff. Their English is probably better too.

Nick

PS ever heard Massive Attack (music)

>Don't forget to figure into the cost of the ATMs all of the armored vehicles that employ minimum wage (gun carrying) employees to service and replenish the ATMs!
>
>
>>Nick,
>>
>>When ATMs first hit the streets it was obvious that they would one day replace tellers at banks. And they were open 24hrs per day, 7 days per week.
>>I wrote to the Finance Minister of the day and suggested that they charge the banks the UI *premiums* (at the time - Unemployment Insurance) of 5 average teller employees per month for EACH ATM installed.
>>The banks were still saving the salaries/benefits of actual tellers and the proceeds would help to fund social services for the actually displaced tellers.
>>
>>I never heard anything, and it never happened.
>>
>>
>>
>>>Tom
>>>
>>>I've often thought over here that there should be an additional tax on corporations that save money by reducing their work force because the social security cost hits all of us.
>>>When that company "streamlines its operation" and sack 100's I pay. So they reduce their costs but mine go up.
>>>
>>>Nick
>>>
>>>>>>Don't just throw out the stats, throw out the cities and their occupants too. In this case throwing the baby out with the bath water may not be a bad thing...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>:o)
>>>>>
>>>>>You are a true visionary! Tracy for Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Now there is another Department I would abolish if I were King for a day. Right along with the money pits of Agriculture, Education, Energy, and Commerce.
>>>>
>>>>Mark;
>>>>
>>>>A guy was on the news last night and made an interesting statement. He said that welfare for the needy cost $50 billion a year. Another form of welfare is for corporations and costs $170 billion a year. The former is not acceptable to the majority of people while the majority do not know or care about corporate welfare from the federal government.
>>>>
>>>>The last time I looked the cost to administer welfare was over 50% of the budgeted amount. Without welfare for people there would be more unemployment.
>>>>
>>>>Tom