# Customer Service reps - accents and poor diction



## applecruncher (Jul 2, 2015)

I’ve had 4 different situations in the past 2 weeks where trying to communicate with a customer service rep is so difficult and frustrating I want to SCREAM and throw the telephone. Why? Because the accent of the person I’m connected to is so thick I can barely understand a word they are saying!

If I call customer service (bank, credit card, merchant) there is a good chance I’m already annoyed…..there has been a mistake, or delay. Or, I have a question about my policy, account, etc. So I really try to take a breath before I dial and I try to be patient. After going thru the verification process, I state my problem then I have to ask several times that the person repeat what they said, speak more slowly, repeat again. Sometimes I say I’m having trouble understanding and I ask for a supervisor – who can be just as bad.

Then today I get a call about an unresolved issue and the first question is “How are you today?” Well, what difference does it make how I am? Do they really want/need to know?  I don't want to chat.  Let’s get this resolved.  Sheesh!


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## QuickSilver (Jul 2, 2015)

I no longer try to be polite and try to figure out what the person is saying..  I simply say... as calmly as possible.. I am slightly hard of hearing.. and I cannot understand you when you talk...  please get me a representative who speaks without an accent.    I stopped feeling guilty about that, my time is valuable and wasting it saying  "what?"   or "can you please repeat that?"  20 times in a conversation is wasting my time.


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## Cookie (Jul 2, 2015)

That's a good strategy, QS.  I've been polite and asked them to speak louder or more clearly and excuse me, etc. etc.  I'll try that next time I get a rep with a strong accent.


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## AZ Jim (Jul 2, 2015)

Years ago companies setup call centers in Nebraska because they had lot's of folks there without drawls or other "accents".  Those days are gone.


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## applecruncher (Jul 2, 2015)

I wait ....and wait....then get someone I can't understand. 

I've seen the commercial where a guy is listening to the canned "Your call is very important to us. Please remain on he line. Your expected wait time is 15 minutes." Then he throws the phone onto the ground. That's how I feel sometimes, but.....then I'd have to buy a new phone. Another hassle I don't need.


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## oakapple (Jul 2, 2015)

You are lucky in the US, we have to interpret calls from Indian staff at call centres there, it's bizarre, if we have a problem with our cable tv Sky, we have to go through the problem with somebody who sounds like Peter Sellers in his ' goodness, gracious me' mode. they are wonderfully polite and friendly though it has to be said.


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## hollydolly (Jul 2, 2015)

That happened to me today AC. '' Your call is important to us, All our operators are currently busy but  we will take your call as soon as an operator is free, you are ..number......*23* in the queue...''!! You think WHAT???>..but you hang on hoping there's a lot of operators and they get through the calls quickly...only to be still on hold 15 minutes later to be told..'' you're call is very important to us..blah blah..you're number *19 *in the queue!!!!!...that's when I throw the phone down cussin' like an Irish fishwife...  ( notice it's usually always premium numbers too)..


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## QuickSilver (Jul 2, 2015)

oakapple said:


> You are lucky in the US, we have to interpret calls from Indian staff at call centres there, it's bizarre, if we have a problem with our cable tv Sky, we have to go through the problem with somebody who sounds like Peter Sellers in his ' goodness, gracious me' mode. they are wonderfully polite and friendly though it has to be said.




We get India calls too... In fact most of the strong accents here are from Indian call centers.. IMO they are harder to understand than the strong hispanic accents..   It's maddening...


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## applecruncher (Jul 2, 2015)

oakapple said:


> You are lucky in the US, we have to interpret calls from Indian staff at call centres there, it's bizarre, if we have a problem with our cable tv Sky, we have to go through the problem with somebody who sounds like Peter Sellers in his ' goodness, gracious me' mode. they are wonderfully polite and friendly though it has to be said.



Lucky?  No, we have to deal with LOTS of call centers in India....very hard to understand. _That's_ the main problem.  I guess there is a re-routing.   Jimmy Kimmel does a skit about this where he calls some of his joke writers at a call center in India.


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## Josiah (Jul 2, 2015)

I haven't had a native American English speaking customer service person in I can't remember how long. Why can't some American agency hiring middle aged US women working in there homes be a sound business model. Just complaining to the south Asian person you're talking to won't accomplish anything....you have to complain to the management.


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## Lon (Jul 2, 2015)

And when you have severe hearing problems as some of us have, it's even worse.


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## RadishRose (Jul 2, 2015)

I am a customer service rep for a large company at a "call center" but I actually work from home now.

So many customers echo your concerns about the accents usually Indian and say how grateful they are to have me as their rep because of my English.

When I am having an issue with my own work applications, I call our own help desk for tech assistance and mostly get an off shore tech from India!  Thank goodness they can log into my computer remotely to fix, rather than me struggling to understand their speech.

I get pretty hot about American service jobs going off shore so greedy corporations escape American scale wages, paying for health benefits and taxes; throwing away American jobs and leave us, the consumer with sub-standard levels of service because we cannot understand their flippin' accents!

(Every year we are pressed to partake in the Big Company Survey which is quite lengthy and supposedly anonymous. Every year I offer my comments at the end.."keep our jobs here".). But that's another thread.


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## Underock1 (Jul 2, 2015)

Lon said:


> And when you have severe hearing problems as some of us have, it's even worse.



Try "hopeless".


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## applecruncher (Jul 2, 2015)

> say how grateful they are to have me as their rep because of my English.



My niece has two jobs and one is in a call center.  She sometimes hears the same relief from callers (her diction is excellent).


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## Falcon (Jul 2, 2015)

I think that some companies hire these folks with heavy accents to take your call because they DON'T WANT your problem solved!
Too much trouble and it may cost them something to fix your problem.


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## Pappy (Jul 2, 2015)

I don't know if any of you have Trac-Phone, but pray you never have to call for service. I can't hear all that well and I totally cannot understand their heavy accent. Bless my wife, as she now makes any calls to them and also gets very frustrated.


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## Butterfly (Jul 2, 2015)

The last couple of weeks I've been having an issue with my computer and have talked to several reps in India.  It's extremely frustrating to try to communicate with someone about a technical issue you don't understand with a person whose "English" you don't understand!  At least the reps at this particular company do know what they are doing and I get my problem solved whether I understand it or not.

The most frustrated I ever got with a customer service rep was back when I was working and we had a banking issue with a major bank.  I ended up talking with someone with such a heavy Asian (not Indian) accent I couldn't understand her at all, and to add to my frustration, she didn't understand the problem either, and didn't even understand very basic banking/accounting terminology and besides that she was rude.  I ended up calling the company HQ and complaining my head off until I got someone who understood the difference between a wire transfer and an online transfer!  Had the decision been up to me, I would have changed banks immediately.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 2, 2015)

I had that problem a couple of times, seems I speak louder and clearer as the conversation progresses....unfortunately they don't.


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## Underock1 (Jul 2, 2015)

Falcon said:


> I think that some companies hire these folks with heavy accents to take your call because they DON'T WANT your problem solved!
> Too much trouble and it may cost them something to fix your problem.



Ah, now we are looking at the real problem. While there is no doubt that dealing with the accents is a pain. those reps on the other end are suffering just as much as we are. Who would want their job, listening to the complaints and no doubt taking outright abuse all day long. Most in these other countries are just trying to feed their families. The _real _problem, as you say, Falcon, is that the companies really don't want to solve your problem. Try cancelling any type of contract. They make it impossible for you to reach anyone who can really get the job done. They just want you to go away.


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## Kadee (Jul 2, 2015)

​Sorry a little off topic but I wonder how many encounter customers like below :laugh::laugh:



This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills!


Tech  support:    What kind of computer do you have?
Customer:    A  white one...
Tech  support:    Click  on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of 
the screen.
Customer:    Your left or my left?
****************************
Customer:    Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every 
time I try, it says 'Can't find  printer'.  I've even lifted the 
printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still 
says he can't find it..
****************************
Tech  support:    What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer:    A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
****************************
Customer:  My keyboard  is not working anymore.
Tech  support:  Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer:  No. I can't  get behind the computer.
Tech  support:    Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer: !  OK
Tech support:  Did the  keyboard come with you?
Customer:  Yes
Tech support:  That means the keyboard  is not plugged in.
****************************
Customer:  I can't get on the Internet.
Tech support:    Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer:  Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech  support:    Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer:  Five dots.
****************************
Tech  support:    What  anti-virus program do you use?
Customer:  Netscape.
Tech support:  That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer:  Oh, sorry... Internet Explorer..
****************************
Customer:    I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver 
on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
****************************
Tech support:    How may I help you?
Customer:  I'm writing my first email.
Tech support:    OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer:  Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I 
get the little circle around it?
****************************
This one and the next are our personal favourites!
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her 
printer.
Tech support:  Are you running it under windows?
Customer:  'No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. 
The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his 
printer is working fine.'
****************************
And last but not least!
Tech  support: 'Okay Bob, let's  press the control and escape keys at 
the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. 
Now type the letter 'P' to bring up the Program  Manager.'
Customer:  I don't have a P.
Tech  support:  On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer:  What do you mean?
Tech support:  'P'.....on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer:  I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!


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## Butterfly (Jul 2, 2015)

Underock1 said:


> Ah, now we are looking at the real problem. While there is no doubt that dealing with the accents is a pain. those reps on the other end are suffering just as much as we are. Who would want their job, listening to the complaints and no doubt taking outright abuse all day long. Most in these other countries are just trying to feed their families. The _real _problem, as you say, Falcon, is that the companies really don't want to solve your problem. Try cancelling any type of contract. They make it impossible for you to reach anyone who can really get the job done. They just want you to go away.



I disagree, at least as concerns my computer service people.  They really DO want to help you, in order to keep your business.  I've never had a problem they haven't been able to take care of, and they do check back with you in a few days to see if your fix stayed fixed, but sometimes the frustration comes in when I don't understand what's going on, or what they are telling me.  

Also, I do keep my cool when talking to customer reps, knowing that they are probably doing the best they can.  My big complaint is that some companies (especially banks) put people on their customer help line without adequate training about what they are supposed to be doing.  It's like someone put me on a customer help line in Russia or somewhere about "what's wrong with my carburetor."   So you find yourself with a person you can't understand, AND who clearly has no knowledge of the subject at hand, anyway.


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## applecruncher (Jul 3, 2015)

> My big complaint is that some companies (especially banks) put people on their customer help line without adequate training about what they are supposed to be doing.



But that's not the issue.

Speaking clearly or speaking with less of an accent isn’t something that an employer can or should be expected to train a person to do.

My beef isn’t that the employees don’t know what they are supposed to be doing.  It’s that callers cannot understand what the person is saying.

I remember once when I was working at a company that needed to replace their front desk receptionist.  The duties involved handling the switchboard and receiving/announcing visitors.  There was an internal PA/paging system that was used frequently.  We had a couple of applicants that had accents so think that it was obvious they would not be a good fit for that particular position.  Callers/clients/staff need to be able to understand what the person was saying, and the person needed to be able to pronounce names correctly.

While most customer service reps might know the duties of the job quite well, callers must be able to understand them or there will be a complete breakdown in communication. People get angry/frustrated, time is wasted, and accounts can be lost.


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## Phillygal (Jul 3, 2015)

Love those Kadee! 

I was a CSR for Cingular back in the day. My favorite calls were from older people who had cancelled service. 

They'd be yelling how the phone still turns on and they aren't paying. I'd tell them to lick it in a desk drawer for 7 days, don't touch it. Call back if it still turns on ROFL

I have great difficulty understanding most accents on the phone lately. What really irks me though is how they all say "I'm so sorry you're having this problem". 

1. No you aren't. 
2. I don't care if you are.
3. Please just FIX it!


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## SifuPhil (Jul 3, 2015)

Thank Buddha I don't need to use phones for customer service ... back when I did most of the CSRs sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher.


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## Lynk (Jul 4, 2015)

I wear hearing aids in both ears but still have problems hearing.  I do not like using a phone but sometimes it is necessary.  I always seem to end up with someone who has a thick accent and we waste so much time trying to understand each other.


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## Pappy (Jul 4, 2015)

This about sums it up:


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## tnthomas (Jul 4, 2015)

RadishRose said:


> I am a customer service rep for a large company at a "call center" but I actually work from home now.
> 
> So many customers echo your concerns about the accents usually Indian and say how grateful they are to have me as their rep because of my English.
> 
> ...



That's it in a nutshell!  :shrug:


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## Red (Jul 4, 2015)

The last couple times I had to call a service rep, I would wait until he/she answered and if I didn't like the accent, I would hang up and call again in 1/2 hr, and I did that until I found someone I felt might be suitable.  I can't stand saying "pardon" all the time during the conversation.  It really ticks me off.


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## jujube (Jul 4, 2015)

Mujibar is looking for a job, so he goes to a hiring fair in Mumbai.

Interviewer:  We'd like to hire you for a customer service position, Mujibar, but you will have to pass a test in English first.

Mujibar:  Very well, Sir.  I will try most diligently. 

Interviewer:  Please use the words green, pink and yellow in a sentence.

Mujibar:  I believe I can do that, Sir.  The phone goes _green_, I _pink_ it up and say "_Yellow_, here is Mujibar, how may I be of service to you?"

I'm sure you've spoken to Mujibar lately.  He calls himself Bob these days and is working for Microsoft.


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## Mike (Jul 4, 2015)

oakapple said:


> You are lucky in the US, we have to interpret calls from Indian staff at call centres there, it's bizarre, if we have a problem with our cable tv Sky, we have to go through the problem with somebody who sounds like Peter Sellers in his ' goodness, gracious me' mode. they are wonderfully polite and friendly though it has to be said.



My internet provider is BT, (British Telecom), any calls to their customer
services automatically go to India, but, if it is during the day, I can ask
to speak to somebody in the UK, they don't mind and transfer the call.
Should you be able to understand them at all, it is better to stick with
the Indians if you can as they all have a degree in computer science.
British Gas is another company who have overseas call centers, this
time in South Africa.
Skype call centers for the UK and probably other countries are in the
Philippines, more accents to master.

Mike.


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