Outsourcing fund-raising calls to India

I reported back in September 2003 that an Indian newspaper reported a local company receiving an outsourcing contract from the Republicans for fund-raising calls. The Republicans denied this at the time. Dvorak has an update.

The Telegraph - Calcutta

Indian voices in Bush pitch - Geography error blows lid off campaign outsourcing

The Texas outfit may have actually got away with its outsourcing exercise if it had not been for the poor training given to Indian telemarketers who handled the job. Sources here said the India-based operation was exposed when one American who received a fund-raising phone call on behalf of the Republican Victory Committee wanted to know where the call was coming from.

“The Washington DC of Virginia,” the caller answered. Washington, the US capital, is actually in DC, short for District of Columbia, and Virginia is its neighbouring state.

[Joi Ito's Web]

That's the American spirit! But why stop there? Let's get Indian politicians as well...

See, I would have never noticed, because Caller ID takes care of 95% of solicitation calls and I am hanging up on the remaining 5%.

posted by ottmar on September 4, 2004 12:04 PM | in