The customer service agents that help Americans sort out their credit card bill or troubleshoot computer issues are often not from the U.S. Usually, they’re from India. Many Americans have strong opinions about Indian call centers, most of them not good. But few people know what it’s like to work at one.

Freelance journalist Andrew Marantz thought it was high time we found out.  He went to a suburb outside Delhi to speak with call center workers. He chronicles his experiences in the most recent issue of Mother Jones.

Andrew tells us about some of the folks he met and what they have learned about Americans as a result of making hundreds of phone calls to the U.S. He also explains how call centers are changing Indian society in surprising ways.