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Message |
    
gozerbrown
Citizen
Username: Gozerbrown
Post Number: 630
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:34 am: | 
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This morning I called Sallie Mae for some info on my student loans. I am usually a big advocate for them as I'm always pretty pleased with their service. This morning, though, I got reasonably good customer service, but I could barely understand a word the woman was saying on the phone! I had to have her keep repeating herself and I really felt like I was straining to understand her. What is up with that? When people hire customer service reps, do they think about their articulation and enunciation? |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3734
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:46 am: |
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Gozer - you are being completely over-demanding here. You seem to want good customer service and articulation? Which is it? Pick one.... |
thegoodsgt
Citizen
Username: Thegoodsgt
Post Number: 735
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:48 am: |
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I'll raise the bar even higher. I want good customer service, articulation, AND a sense of humor!
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Cato Nova
Citizen
Username: Cato_nova
Post Number: 473
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 11:58 am: |
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And a really nice rack can't hurt. |
mooewe
Citizen
Username: Mooewe
Post Number: 225
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 12:56 pm: |
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And how about someone who is physically in this country? |
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 696
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 1:11 pm: |
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I don't mind the outsourcing of phone-center work. But, really, I have a very hard time understanding many of the native-born Indians over the phone. I often have to ask them to speak much more slowly and repeat things several times. I explain that I am having trouble understanding their accent -- I am very polite about it, but I feel terrible. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3737
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 1:12 pm: |
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Moo-
That reminds me...
When I held my nose and called DCH for an appointment to have my VW checked over, I got a central calling place in California. You can't even get a local person for a local business.  |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7350
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 1:27 pm: |
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Greentree, are you sure you didn't misunderstand and the person said Calcutta, not California? 
Last week I had to talk with a state agency in good old Alabama. The woman had trouble understanding me and I had trouble understanding her very pine woods accent. Finally she said, "you ahl yankees shure talk fune". We had a good laugh.
Sometimes this can work out. A friend of mine from Bangor, Maine who never lost his accent is married to a woman from south Texas. They communicate OK, but he and the inlaws don't understand a word the other is saying, which apparently makes both parties quite happy!!! |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3739
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 1:36 pm: |
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Bob - Funny you mention that....
I freaked the poor kid out when I commented on the fact that at least he was in the Continental US, but that he was as close to India physically possible and who knew how long it would take. He got worried and said "I hope not"!
I didn't mean to be mean; I was thinking out loud.  |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2220
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 2:12 pm: |
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Apple tech support is still based in the good ol' U.S. of A. -- in Texas, no less (how much more 'murican can you get?) |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 5094
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 2:28 pm: |
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Apple Tech support? Sounds like the Maytag repair guy's job. |
gozerbrown
Citizen
Username: Gozerbrown
Post Number: 634
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 2:38 pm: |
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I was calling Sallie Mae. They're in Pennsylvania, not Calcutta. At least in India, they train reps how to speak. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5245
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 2:38 pm: |
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bobk makes a good point. Then again, maybe we can require -- or at least hope -- that employees, whatever country their desks are in, speak an accent that is understood by most customers. Note that most people in broadcasting are understood by all viewers.
Anyway, I've worked in places where Indian immigrants are very common, so I am very accustomed to many types of Indian accents. I call Dell tech support often, and I usually get very good service, even when the person is in India.
Today, I called Dell tech support and got an American. I think she was in Texas. No problem with the accent. She was highly knowledgeable about my hardware. The problem was that she was not able or willing to speak up loudly enough so I could hear her, as I was working in a very loud computer lab. |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 640
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 3:11 pm: |
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I'm sure the operator had wads of $50 bills stuffed in her mouth.
Judging from the amount of money I've paid to Sallie Mae in my life, that is. |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2221
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 3:15 pm: |
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I'm pretty sure Linksys tech support is in India, since every person who's ever answered the phone there has an Indian accent (but in the IT world, who knows? they could all have been in the U.S.).
The Texas guy at Apple had just as much of an accent as the Indians at Linksys, and all of them were perfectly understandable. The difference was that, during those long pauses in the process where you're waiting for your computer to reboot, the Texas guy and I talked about football.
And Dave -- from your post it sounds like I got the only two lemons Apple ever made. I've got an iPod with a battery thats crapping out, and a 3 month-old iMac that needs new RAM. I guess they saw me coming.  |
Neen
Citizen
Username: Neen
Post Number: 100
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:43 am: |
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The new thing I have found is all these people with their tongues pierced who try to hide it at work and as a result can't open their mouths when they speak and can't annunciate many sounds. Totally annoying...makes you want to say "Even if I can't see it, I know it is there." I am not sure what is worse, knowing someone had the bad judgement to pierce their tongue, or being willing to sound inarticulate inorder to keep it. |
Sgt. Pepper
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 589
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:52 am: |
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On a somewhat related note, what's up with women/girls whose jobs require keyboard use (typing, cash register, etc.) and who grow fingernails so long they can't even use their fingers properly?
When they're on the potty, how do they wipe? |
J. Crohn
Citizen
Username: Jcrohn
Post Number: 2027
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:57 am: |
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As though with a Borg-like mechanical claw. |
Neen
Citizen
Username: Neen
Post Number: 102
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:57 am: |
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These are excellent questions you raise, and though female, I can't answer them. Personally I don't even see how people can tie their shoes with long nails. |
ReallyTrying
Citizen
Username: Reallytrying
Post Number: 595
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 12:50 pm: |
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I cannot stand it when I'm waited on by a server with those long nails. I'll sit elsewhee to avoid them. I thought I was being ridiculous (not the first time, y'know), and then I read a study somewhere it which it was found that something like 85% of servers withlong nails were bearing harmful bacteria, as compared to about 20% of the short-nailed people. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5262
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 1:07 pm: |
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I had a cow-orker who was so concerned about her nails that she would ask one of us to insert a floppy disk in her computer for her. It really bugged me, because she had crippled herself from doing her job. |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1426
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:37 pm: |
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What's a Floppy Disk?
 |
thegoodsgt
Citizen
Username: Thegoodsgt
Post Number: 738
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:06 am: |
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A floppy disk is a painful spinal condition that requires a chiropractor to properly diagnose and treat. |
anon
Citizen
Username: Anon
Post Number: 1635
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 11:38 pm: |
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I am very confused. Why would anyone put marbles in their mouth? Isn't it dangerous? Who is Sallie Mae and was she born in India or did she move there?? Sounds more like the name of a Texas gal. And why has Monty given her so much money? Is it because Cato is right that she has a "nice rack"? |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 653
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 11:42 pm: |
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Finally someone who understands me. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 1182
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 3:55 pm: |
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Oops, I thought this thread was about Tom Brokaw. |
Sgt. Pepper
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 612
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 10:50 am: |
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Tom Brokaw always sounds like he's fighting back a burp. |
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