Outsourcing: The Human Touch

Welcome to my blog, Ground One.

Ground Zero :  Function:  noun; Date:  1946 ~ 1: the point directly above, below, or at which a nuclear explosion occurs; 2: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change; 3: the very beginning .

Ground One:  Function: verb; Date: 2008 ~ 1: to create a new beginning from an ending, starting from the ground up; 2: to use one’s  life beliefs and values to break new ground; 3: to ground oneself; i.e., to become one with the earth or universal whole; 4: to journey within to find new solutions to ancient problems;  5:  to use one’s unique individual gifts to improve the whole; 6: to find common ground among a diversity of cultures, philosophies, and ideas.

Outsourcing is here to stay.  I see outsourcing as having pros and cons. For example, one of the pros is that it puts the world community in touch. One of the cons is that someone in Eastern Europe or India may not understand our infrastructure or society, nor we theirs. Much business these days lacks the human touch.  The motto of this decade has seemed to be: Forget customer service; focus on the bottom line. The economic times we’re in may change this doomed-to-failure strategy, but I’m fairly certain the outsourcing that comes with a global economy is here to stay. So here’s my suggestion:

Next time you’re on the phone with someone and can’t understand his or her directions, decipher his or her accent, or make him or her comprehend your dilemma. . . when it seems they are simply reading a script . . . picture that person in your mind’s eye. Where are they sitting? What are they wearing?  What do they look like? Concentrate on that mind photo for 30 seconds or so, and then ask them how their day is going, ask about their family, ask about their health. Just because that person isn’t standing before us doesn’t mean that we have to abandon all our social graces.  Then proceed with your request. See what happens.

Try this a few times, and let me know how it works. It’s worked for me. I usually get whatever I ask for in situations like this one. I believe it will work 90 percent of the time for you, too. Because we’re not computers. We’re all human. Try it. You’ll like it.