The 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the Bohol region of the Philippines which has killed at least 20 people is also likely to impact many companies which have outsourced customer support to the country. One company already affected: eBay Australia.
Picture: Getty Images
A notice on eBay’s support page confirms that most support options for Australian customers are out as a result of the disaster:
Earlier today an earthquake hit the Philippines near the city of Cebu. Many of our dedicated Customer Support employees are based in this region, and our thoughts are with all of them and their families as they deal with this disaster.
The office building where our employees are based has been evacuated. However, we are pleased that no employees are believed to have been injured or harmed.
As a result of this disaster, our phone, chat and email customer support operations will be temporarily unavailable. We are working to get support in place and ask for your understanding and patience while we work through this.
The message? eBay customers and sellers need to have a little patience right now.
Comments
7 responses to “Philippines Earthquake Takes Out eBay Australia Customer Support”
Which is why Customer Support should be in the country they are serving…
And if that happens prices will sky rocket. The public have shown many times they prefer low prices, to locally employed staff.
Coz natural disasters will never occur if the customer support is in the country they serve? Really?? Really???
Yeah, put the call center in Newcastle… They never have earthquakes. or Canberra, they would never be affected by destructive bush fires.
Realise how dumb your comment was yet?
… because I totally said we should be putting it in areas prone to natural hazards did I…
The message is outsourcing constantly to a place which is regularly hit with floods and earthquakes is stupid.
My call centre is in Cebu. This is the first time they’ve had to close operations in 4 years.
The one I had in Sydney closed 3 times in 3 years from system issues and voluntary administration.
Which is better?
There’s customer support for eBay?!?!
Everytime i had a query, it was never answered!