Revenge of the Indian Call Center Worker

I was taking a quick look at how the Bombay Stock Exchange did today.  In that process, I came across an article about an incident of revenge by an Indian call center worker.

This hit me precisely because it’s something I’ve noticed before.  In India, you really have to be careful what you say to whom.  People here tend to take things very personally.  If you pissed them off, they will probably not confront you directly.  (It depends on each person individually I suppose, but as a generalization, this is true.)  Instead, they will get back at you in some other way that you won’t know about.

This is particularly alarming because they will break all kinds of company policies and rules to take the revenge.  In the example of the bank’s call center operator, it is very possible this happened.  Of course, I don’t know if it did, but my experience tells me that I wouldn’t at all be surprised if it was true.  (The bank crediting the man’s account indicates some error on their part.  Or maybe they’re just trying to keep him as a customer in this financial crisis.  Possible but not likely.)

Why do Indian workers, and people in general, think they can go beyond the law to take revenge on a person they feel has slighted them?  I am not even bringing up the lower threshold of professional ethics.  Ethics goes out the door very quickly in these cases unfortunately.  You can’t hold a person to that standard.  The question really comes down to how is the customer protected from an unhappy employee.  I’m sure companies have policies on this type of thing but the degree to which you see them flouted is much higher than what I am used to. 

Even more than company policies and country laws, it has to do with educating workers that in a global world, the lower standards of professionalism just doesn’t cut it.  It’s something I’ve had to explain to my own people on occasion.

Barack Obama is THE Maverick

Barack Obama spent a lot of money to have a 30 minute infomercial on his candidacy.  This was his final argument in front of the country.  Did he make the case?

I think Obama summarized his views and policy goals well.  He covered the main areas we are concerned about as a country.  He gave specific examples of the kinds of things he will do.  I am not taken by too much surprise on anything he said.  He hit his points.

Interestingly, this is the first time I’ve seen him talk for 30 minutes at a stretch.  Usually, I get the less than 5 minutes interview or the 1 or 2 minute sound bite.  I also read his comments online.  Man, this guy is highly poised!  He also seems to have this real capacity to listen.  It’s something I’ve fleetingly noticed before, but don’t you think it’s there?  You see some politicians and you can tell they are more interested in talking.  They are more interested in getting their point across.  With Obama, you get the feeling he is genuinely interested in hearing what you have to say!  (I’ve gotten this about Hillary Clinton also, you can tell that woman is really about you!  I didn’t get that sense when she was First Lady, but I do get that now.)

Polls say the race is getting closer.  I am a bit surprised by this.  What has changed in the last week to make this happen?  News outlets have already coronated Obama as the winner.  Heck, I was reading an article about the Obamas and the McCains on Parents magazine and they’re already calling the Obamas The First Family.  I think that’s a bit presumptious.  Let’s just hope they’re right.  It now look like this election is going to go down to the wire.  Let’s just try to avoid the popular versus electoral vote discrepancy, botched chads, and Supreme Court decision-making for the election, shall we!

On a random note, in an interview with Charles Gibson of Good Morning America, Obama says that it is possible his Cabinet will be bipartisan!  Maybe I missed this point before, I don’t know, but it’s the first time I’ve heard it said.  And, this does not surprise me.  The man is clearly interested in doing things differently.  He doesn’t see a liberal America and a conservative America.  He sees one America.  This is how he thinks.  This is what I call change.

I’ve followed politics for a few years now and I’m usually struck by the trickery, the gimmics, the misrepresentation and the tactics.  I usually get turned off by it, enough to stop following presidential elections after some time.  It hasn’t happened this time around.  I’ve been more engaged later in the campaign than ever before.  Heck, I’ve been more engaged period.  The reason for this I think is because Obama is doing things differently.  In fact, his whole campaign has so many examples of him throwing out politics as usual.

Perhaps, we’ve got the whole maverick thing wrong all this time.  If Obama continues with his bipartisan efforts and his different way of doing things politically, we should be calling him the maverick!  John McCain ain’t cutting it!  No wonder we haven’t heard him refer to his campaign as the Straight Talk Express recently.  He knows he ain’t it either!

The Crossover Continues

I continue to notice the major shift towards Westernization in India.  Yah, I know, we’ve all heard about this happening for years.  When you see it on a day-to-day basis, it hits you differently.  “Theory” gets translated into “experiential” understanding.

Halloween, a major celebration for kids and even young adults, in the United States has become a rather big event here (probably for a few years now).  At least, in New Delhi.  The funny thing is though, you won’t see little bachchas going door to door asking for candy (or would it be mithai?!  Yah, okay, maybe not!  If this was going on when I was a kid, I’d be wanting my 5 Stars and Gems damn it!).  No, sir, India has adopted Halloween in a simplistic but yet big way.  Like you may see in Boston, New York or somewhere in Cali, in New Delhi, you have Halloween parties at every major destination (and even some smaller ones).  The pub and club that you went to in June, well, you should have a costume when you enter the theme party.  I have been receiving emails on this for the last week.  Many emails.  Here’s a sampler of an event mixing costumes, ghouls and goblins and salsa dancing:

“Ghosts and witches and creatures of fright,
Don’t miss the call of Halloween night.
Come one, come all in the threads of the season,
If you miss this salsa bash, better have a good reason.

Be there by time and meet your fate, bring your scariest costume and your tastiest date.

This week, we are inviting you to a Spooktacular Halloween Party combined with your very own weekly Salsa Night!!”

When I first heard “India is becoming like the US” mantra years ago, I hadn’t quite expected this.  In fact, I have now seen Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween here.  For the teenagers and young adults, all of these holidays have become something people look forward to and celebrate with partying.  Valentine’s Day probably has the same implementation here as it does in the US.  Halloween doesn’t.  And Christmas probably doesn’t either.  Actually, it’s half way in my estimation, more than Halloween but less than Valentine’s.  I guess people take whatever they see and know about each holiday, copy it, and twist it to fit their own situation.  And you have a morphed Western holiday in India.

Of course, there are also times when the Westernization, or whatever you want to call it, doesn’t happen.  I haven’t quite been able to convince people here to go watch a cricket match at the stadium (why would we go into that crowd, it’s much easier to watch it on TV?!)!  Back in the States, my friends and I caught at least one game each of football, basketball, and baseball every season.  Usually a couple each.  I’d even head out to the very small college gymnasium at Harvard to watch college basketball with a roommate who graduated from there.

It really is amazing how we, Indians, in both countries are trying to become more like each other.  Yet, the differences remain immense.  Growing up 1.5 Generation Indian, I can’t help but look at things from the “here versus there” or ”East versus West” glasses on.  Even as much as I wish I didn’t.

Plot to Kill Obama?

To tell you the truth, I had not thought about this until last week when I read reports about the Secret Service looking into claims that someone in a Governor Sarah Palin rally shouted out “kill him” – whomever it was directed towards.  It had crossed my mind many months ago, true, but it was a fleeting thought and I didn’t think about it again.

There is a news report that two white supremacists planned to kill Senator Barack Obama.  It seems the plot was mid-way to seriousness of being carried out.  Whether they would have made an attempt is unknown.  But, let’s be clear, in situations like this, we do not want to know the unknown or have it become reality.

I have to admit, I am very concerned of the situation where more white supremacists plan an attack on the African American Obama.  As much as I hate to think this out loud, I am afraid of what may happen if Senator Obama wins the presidency.  Racial extremism still happens in America today.  This is a fear that hasn’t really hit anyone’s radar yet.  Or at least, it hasn’t been vocalized yet.  I am not saying this because I am highly partial to Obama.  I’m saying this straight-forwardly from the perspective of not wanting the national leader – what’s the most neutral word to use? - harmed.

But, to me, the question is, if Senator Obama wins, what can be done in addition to what is already done for presidents to ensure his safety?  There is no doubt he would be a greater target.

If Senator Obama should win, I hope the Secret Service detail is enhanced more so than it would have been for Senator McCain.  Actually, I’m not even sure that is the right answer.  You don’t want any president unsafe.  Plus, I can’t imagine the Service doesn’t do everything it can anyway.  I can’t imagine that it holds back.  The thing that is possible, though, is that maybe sufficient financial and other resources are not allocated to the Secret Service.  I don’t know how much they requested last year (I can probably find this information if I looked) and how much was given to them.  I also don’t know if there are ever situations where it needs something but it doesn’t have it and can’t get it.

Let’s assume that the Service has everything they need and that they have had no reason to hold back any level of safety.  Doesn’t it still seem like they should do more for an African American president?  But if they’re doing everything now, what else could they do?  This is also a very weird kind of double standard, isn’t it?  Why should a President Obama be given more security, forget the question if that is even possible?  But if he’s elected and becomes president, I think it’s a double standard I am going to be okay with.

My question remains unanswered though.  Is there anything that could be done to protect a black president more than a white president?  Maybe a reporter with much more access to information and knowledge will write about this sometime soon.

McCain Guarantees Win?

It looks like John McCain is using his latest and possibly final tactic to try and convince the voters to vote for him.  He said that he guarantees a win.  This one really irks me and here’s why.

While guaranteeing a win inspires confidence, does he really think that after 2 years of campaigning (when including primaries) and listening to him and the other candidates, I will change my mind and vote for him because he uses this tactic in the final week?  Come on, John.  Do you really think I’m that gullible?  Haven’t you had enough time to tell me why I should vote for you?

The sad thing, though, is that it is very likely more of the American public will end up voting for him just because he took this desperate step!  From business to sports, whenever someone tells us they guarantee a positive outcome, we like to gravitate towards it.  Psychologists may even say this is a great way to move things towards a positive outcome.  I would not be surprised if this makes a difference and we see poll results moving in Senator McCain’s direction.

If for no other reason than to think that Americans aren’t that easily led, I hope they don’t fall for this one and change their mind.  If they have decided, or were strongly leaning towards one candidate, I hope this doesn’t change their mind.  If they’re undecided and the issue that they are considering is the candidate’s leadership quality, then perhaps this will make a real difference in their decision.