The other day I called Elizabeth Gas, our local utility to turn on the heat at our Newton, NJ warehouse. To my surprise, I heard a seemingly familiar accented voice on the other end, similar to the one that I had just hung up with trying to solve a software problem earlier that morning. Which didn't happen. So my ear was tuned in.
I had to know.
“Am I calling India?” I asked.
“Yes sir,” the polite voice said.
“How do I get my heat turned on from 8,000 miles away?” I asked.
“No problem, sir,” the voice replied. “I just take all your information and send it by Internet to the local office in New Jersey.”
Incredulous, yet still fascinated at the company’s logic, I asked the question that his answered begged, “But what if I have a gas leak?”
He stated matter of factly, “Well then, sir we would make that a priority contact.”
I won’t bore you with the details, but it did take three days to finally get the heat turned on, with missed appointments, wrong meter numbers a needed deposit and so on. The India connection may save money for the comapny. But such savings seems to always be at the customer's expense. Corporate short term thinking playing fast and lose with long term results.
Conclusion: Gas heat isn’t local anymore at least for us here in New Jersey.
A quick piece of research found that Elizabeth Gas isn't local. It is big business. It is now owned by AGL Resources which is based in Atlanta. In turn AGL owns six utility companies providing gas distribution in Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Maryland.
Perhaps one day the ultimate outsourcing is to send all of its customers to India for the winter to stay warm. Maybe I can get my software problem fixed when I'm there.
I had to know.
“Am I calling India?” I asked.
“Yes sir,” the polite voice said.
“How do I get my heat turned on from 8,000 miles away?” I asked.
“No problem, sir,” the voice replied. “I just take all your information and send it by Internet to the local office in New Jersey.”
Incredulous, yet still fascinated at the company’s logic, I asked the question that his answered begged, “But what if I have a gas leak?”
He stated matter of factly, “Well then, sir we would make that a priority contact.”
I won’t bore you with the details, but it did take three days to finally get the heat turned on, with missed appointments, wrong meter numbers a needed deposit and so on. The India connection may save money for the comapny. But such savings seems to always be at the customer's expense. Corporate short term thinking playing fast and lose with long term results.
Conclusion: Gas heat isn’t local anymore at least for us here in New Jersey.
A quick piece of research found that Elizabeth Gas isn't local. It is big business. It is now owned by AGL Resources which is based in Atlanta. In turn AGL owns six utility companies providing gas distribution in Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Maryland.
Perhaps one day the ultimate outsourcing is to send all of its customers to India for the winter to stay warm. Maybe I can get my software problem fixed when I'm there.
Links for Further Reference:
- Beware of Outsourcing - Law.com (subscription)- Technology Technology Blo..
- US anti-outsourcing moves not to hit firms Manoj Jain’s Blog
- Best Jobs in BPO, KPO and ITES space » All is not well with the Indi..
- Lou Dobbs 2008 « GABRIELSHERMANdotCOM
- SAJAforum: POLITICS: Bollywood Obama
- Hillary Clinton turned anti-outsourcing two days after Indian American body..
- Two Reports: Outsourcing to China and Black Market on Chinese Web : China W..
- Last act of 2007 Washington Legislators at Desert Conservative
- Insourcing, Outsourcing (Spin Cycle)
- Responsible Outsourcing « Market for Change
- Anti-Immigrants Say “Call in the robots!”
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