I think it is critical to the success (or failure) of outsource call centers. Not only do they need nueutral accents, they also need to be familiar with colloquialisms and dialects so that they can better relate to the callers.

In the US, nobody wants to work in a call center, but they also don't want call centers to be sent overseas… we can't have it both ways, but we can expect to speak to a person we can understand and who understands us - that is reasonable.

I think it's important to be able to understand what call centre people are trying to tell you. Unfortunately in Australia if you ever have to speak to call centre people, e.g problems with your mobile phone or something then you have to speak to India. The Indian accent is very hard to understand, especially over the phone. I think the call centre people would be better off speaking to people within there own country. It's better for everyone.

Hi..
I am from Russia. I hardly listen to this kind of term " neutral accent " . Sorry but Now I am opening my dictionary.

In American English the neutral accent is usually " (Emerging)General American English" and occasionally "Network English" and Broadcaster English."

In British English, the neutral accent would be RP (or Received Pronunciation) based primarily on the upper middle-class speech of London.

For a job, using a "General American" accent would be fine. It would still be easier for you to learn an acquire that than a Southern Midlands accent which is the next most common type of accent. A General American accent is easily understood everywhere in the world.

Indians speak English with a certain rythm which doesn't sound bad at all. I knew several Indians students in college who spoke Indian-accented English as well as Hindi and Telegu and I had no problems understanding them event though they pronounced the consonat 'v' almost like 'w' (e.g. wiolation" and "inwent" for violation and invent etc.

I think what irks American customers the most when talking to someone at an Indian call center is a person who has a strong, inpenetrable Indian accent. Otherwise, they will have no problems understanding someone who speaks Indian-accented English.

i humbly say i have not come across to this problem. But my daughter might have come as she is working in abn amro bank as a financial consulting in Aviva Insurance.I don;t think this answer will satisfy you. But we proudly say Indians are better than others.