How Much Would You Pay For Tech Support?

Obama has spoken, and apparantly, Dell has listened.

In response to the public clamor created by Obama lambasting foreign call centers for providing unintelligible service, stealing jobs, and thus brining down a chunk of the US economy, Dell decided to create Your Tech Team.

For $150 a year, not only will your calls be answered in two minutes or less, but you can opt to talk to your Favorite Team Member!

But before you start rejoicing, ask yourself...is it really worth it?

Most people think that tech support and customer service should be free, but let's face it, you still to pay the people who answer your questions. It's just that these companies think it should be YOU.

Tech support is expensive, and in services such as cable or DSL, it's about 30% of the cost. It's not limited to technology either: your credit card company, your cars navigation service, international couries. It seems that nearly every service that you are subscribed to employs a foreign voice on the phone.

The reality of it is, the services you pay for are cheaper because of the armada of offshore call centers that handle your concerns. Dell may be setting an admirable precedent, but how would consumers feel if they had to pay 30% more for all these services just to hear an American accent the next time they call?