One Night At The Call Center

Shyam and five of his friends work at a call center in India. Their job is to provide tech support for a major home appliance company. All they want to do is get through the night shift, however this night is a night like no other. It is Thanksgiving in America and that means a very busy night. But things seem to keep going haywire…until they receive a call from someone very special.

Reading this book gives a whole new outlook on calling a tech support line. This author continually expounded on the “stupidity” of Americans in their inability to figure out the simplest thing such as the need to change the bag in a vacuum when it is full. This reader, as an American was very much put off…ok, completely offended… by these examples that were shown by this author in this book as the example of an average American. Since reading this book, this reviewer has had, shall we say, an opportunity, to call what she is sure is one of these call centers, when having a problem with Internet service. (NOTE: a problem with their programming, not this reader’s stupidity or inability to turn the computer on!)

However, the reader can’t help but feel for these six friends that work in this call center. They have a tyrant of a boss that the reader will love to hate. His total incompetence has put the future of the center in danger, and therefore the jobs of Shyam and his friends. Not only that, each of them are dealing with demons of their own. Shyam has no self-confidence and doesn’t stand up for himself. To make matters worse his ex-girlfriend is sitting next to him in the call center. Priyanka’s mother has arranged a marriage for her with a man she has never met who lives in Seattle. Radhika learns that her husband is cheating on her. Vroom is unhappy in his life and has higher expectations without a plan to achieve them. Esha, whose dream is to become a model, learns that the life of a model isn’t all glitz and glamour. And Military Uncle is a lonely man who has lost his only family.

On this one night each of these six friends will confront the one thing they are battling with. And they have help from an unexpected source, one call that will change the course of their lives forever. This is a very unique and intriguing plot. It certainly did capture this reader’s interest. However, this reader could have done without the stereotyping of races that was very prominent in this tale.

September 2007