How United Airlines’ Customer Service System Ruined My DMA07 Conference (and What Catalogers Can Learn from My Experience)

3. Do the reps speak and understand English perfectly?

4. Are they too reliant on scripts? Scripts have their place, but confining reps— regardless of whether they’re offshore or local — to a set of phrases is insane. Give them flexibility to see problems to the finish line.

I felt badly getting so testy with the New Delhi-based reps at United. It certainly wasn’t their fault. It was the system’s fault. Speaking strictly as a consumer who’s been through the ordeal I’ve been through, third-party customer service makes me uneasy. But from a business standpoint, I truly believe it can work, regardless of whether the reps are based in India, the United States or wherever. The key, however, is for you to oversee the operation personally to ensure these reps are representing your company properly and taking appropriate care of your customers.