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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to be able to understand the person in the call centre?

67 replies

Picante · 05/06/2009 12:05

Is it too much to ask? And before you ask it wasn't even one directed through India, it was a strong Scottish accent and I had to ask her to repeat quite a few things.

Argh.

OP posts:

onagar · 05/06/2009 13:46

They are employed to do something. If they can't do it they are not doing their job. Not their fault, but their employers fault for taking on people who can't provide the required service.

I knew this one would have posts saying it was "intolerant" to expect to be able to understand the person at the other end.

There's always at least one who doesn't understand how things work in the real world.

Rhubarb · 05/06/2009 13:47

onager - I can't think of anything more boring than listening to some unaccented drone on the phone.

londonone · 05/06/2009 13:48

Thunderduck - which shows would they be? Do you find the news difficult to understand, many newsreaders have "southern" accents.

holdingittogether · 05/06/2009 13:49

Also really annoys me when even if we understand the physical words being said they don't understand what I'm asking for. I have hung up on a few in the past who I just couldn't make understand.

Thunderduck · 05/06/2009 13:50

That's a bit patronising Onagar.

Most people have a regional accent and may be understood by many and not by others.

Can I, as a Scot, complain about not being able to understand some English accents? Is that the call centre worker's fault if I can't, though I know many or most people would understand them?

Thunderduck · 05/06/2009 13:54

I struggle with many accents in and around the London area. Believe it or not Scottish accents aren't the only ones that people find difficult to understand.

Newsreaders are easy for most people to understand as they speak in RP. Not that many people in the UK do and I wouldn't expect to find the majority of them working in low paid jobs such as call centres.

RP is fine for me, estuary accents less so but that's my problem, not theirs.

My dp is a Southerner and 'posh' and I can struggle to understand his family at times, as the way they pronounce words is considerably different from what I'm accustomed to.

That said guess where dp and I are moving to because of his job, London.

Thunderduck · 05/06/2009 13:55

I couldn't name specific shows as I don't really watch tv apart from the news and documentaries.

sarah293 · 05/06/2009 14:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Saltire · 05/06/2009 14:03

I get told all the time by some customers - "stop talking to me in your bloody/fuckin/stupid (delete as necc), Jockinese/foreign/Scots * (again delete as necc}, accent.
Apparently I ahve to accept it. It's usually only a certain type of customer that says it.

Wordsmith · 05/06/2009 14:03

Strong accents can be tricky sometimes but I think the main problem is the call centre equipment which can render even the clearest diction incomprehensible! Sometimes the voices are so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear.

onagar · 05/06/2009 14:03

Rhubarb, if I want entertainment I put the TV on. If I call up a call center I have some important matter to deal with and need to be able to communicate.

Thunderduck, firstly if they used call center staff from the same country as the customers you would get a higher rate of understanding on average.

If the difference between regions causes a problem then you need two sets of call center staff or at least a system in place to easily switch calls between them if there is a problem.

I don't blame the staff themselves. If a job comes up in your area you take it don't you. I just get fed up with the notion that inclusiveness doesn't have to take into account being able to do what's needed.

onagar · 05/06/2009 14:05

I think the 'switch to another member of staff' option would actually do the trick in most cases and wouldn't cost anything.

blondissimo · 05/06/2009 14:06

I have a Scottish accent, but I have been told by friends that it is not that strong, however I always get asked to repeat things as I don't think people expect the accent down south. I used to get so fed up with people going "what?" that I actually used to stay pretty quiet when out and about and only spoke if I needed to. And I used to get quite upset when people said, "sorry I can't understand you it's your accent" . There are sooo many different accents in the uk now and I think it is politer to just say sorry I didn't hear that.
I think you are being a little unreasonable - did anyone hear the news re a mancunian girl told to "talk more posh" as she worked in TM Lewin. Was told she sounded like someone from Corrie! I heard her on the radio and she sounded perfectly clear!

smallchange · 05/06/2009 14:12

My dh used to take high volume calls (ie about 1 every 25 seconds). He was asked to "speak English you facking Jock c*" about once a day. The rest of the time he was perfectly understood. Some people aren't very good at listening (and extremely rude) but I don't think we can change the world to suit them

Thunderduck · 05/06/2009 14:12

Call centre equipment certainly doesn't help matters, though usually I find the problem is that the volume is too low.

Morloth · 05/06/2009 14:42

I sometimes can't understand DS, his accent has been so South West Londonised. I have to ask him to repeat it and then translate in my head.

It is hard especially here I think because the accents vary so much between counties.

girlywhirly · 05/06/2009 15:52

I would be able to understand most people in call centres, if it weren't for the loud background noise of the other staff voices drowning them out!

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