I’m still learning how to do basic things with my blog, so there’s probably a better way to embed these photos (like down the left side of the text) but what I want to point out is the tiny text line at the bottom of the third image. You can click on the image to see it. Or I can just tell you that it says, “This is India. It’s where you call when you have a technical problem with your computer.”

Seeing as they came from a well-circulated e-mail, some of you may already have seen them. But this was a first for me, and a rather timely one, as I finish off the last chapters of The World is Flat and get a little deeper into Here Comes Everybody.

Some of us have spent more than our fair share of time on the phone with the people who man the Help Desks. My most recent experience a few months ago was rather impressive. The technician I spoke to was very polite, friendly, and conversational. There was no hint of an accent in his voice – something I recall that Friedman referenced in his book. I asked, casually, about his location. Sure enough, it was India, although the company he worked for was based in Australia.

I recall being a little hesitant to accept Remote Desktop help from the other side of the world, but, well, there you are. In their hands. At their mercy. Because your problem isn’t fixed.

It worked out OK. The solution to my problem was discovered and delivered within record time. He profusely thanked me for my patience. (We’d been on a toll-free call for, oh, fifteen minutes.) But then something unusual happened.

He asked if I would hold to speak to his supervisor. Taken aback, I stammered, “Why?”

“Oh, it’s just something we do here. My supervisor speaks to our callers at random to gain information about our level of service. Do you mind, then?”

I think we need more of this kind of quality assurance here in America.

Photo credit: I can’t make out the website at the top left of each image. If you can, or if you wish to claim the image, comment here and I will gladly post it.