When talking to a customer service rep on the phone, what was the most unusual accent you've experienced?
I called on my Cox bill. Gal answered the phone. When she started talking my heart kind of sank because she had a very heavy accent. I could barely understand her.
But as time went on something started dawning in my brain. Usually you get people who are from the Middle East, and the problem is not only one of not understanding their words, but there is a difference in culture that plays into the frustrations (on both sides.)
I was having a hard time understanding, but this was something different than my usual experiences.
So while I was explaining my frustrations, another part of my brain was working on this accent question.
So we get to the end of the call, and now my bill is going to be $30 less and we are friends.
Then it hit me…I said, “Are you from Scotland?”
She laughed and said, “Yea! Most people doon’t get that!”
I said, “Well, I’m from Kansas. Nice to meet you, Scotland.”
She said, “I know.”
I said, “Do I have an accent?”
She said, “Noo. It just says so on your (roll the R) bill.” :D
That was just interesting. Our cultures are similar enough that all I had to deal with was puzzling out the words, and as soon as I realized what the accent was, and it was actually a dialect of English, it was a piece of cake.
So, what’s the most interesting accent you’ve heard over the phone?
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I once called some customer service rep, for what I do not remember. I had it on speaker phone and my wife was near by. When the rep finally got on the phone she had such a thick southern accent and I had no idea what she was saying. Luckily my wife was able to translate. The rep sounded like she was speaking a foreign language.
Funnily enough, I never have a problem understanding people speaking English with foreign accents, but throw in a southern accent or a heavy northern accent (dontcha know?) and I have no idea what they are saying.
I once got a understandable accent.~
I chaired a once a week meeting with engineers from Scotland, Derby (England), Alabama (USA), Italy and Belgium (hint of French). Almost all were calling in to a conference room in the USA. The conference room was filled with New England / Maine engineers at my office.
My phone service has offices in London but they hire lots of Polish people. I like to guess where customer service people are and I sure got that one wrong.
Usually you get people who are from the Middle East
??
Are you buying shiploads of crude oil?
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Oh so many! Since returning to the UK I’ve heard so many. (I am in Scotland by the way!). The one was particularly odd and to this day I think about it and am unsure of which area it was from. It was kind of attractive , but rather bizarre too.
Also, I thought I’d mention that I do get a good laugh out of the Scotish accent.
They say ‘all dainty’ and ‘al dente’ exactly the same way.
Substitute unusual for indiscernible, one guy with the thickest, milliion miles an hour oirish accent, he sounded like Michael Flatley riverdancing barefoot over hot coals
A professional, competent, easily understood American English one.
I don’t often hear American accents on the phone so I’m going to choose that. Most often I get English, Scottish, Irish, and Indian
@Dutchess_III I am Scottish and I live in England. I do find myself in exactly the situation that you describe. People are so busy working out my accent or listening to my lovely lilting tones that they forget to listen to what I am saying.
@LornaLove ok, I’ve not noticed that. I don’t say them al dente and all dainty the same. I’ve just said those two phrases and I would have to have a really strong accent to make them sound the same.
@Stinley I put one part of my brain to work on the bill problem, and the other went undercover and worked it out for me. ;) When we had the bill all figured out, the other part of my brain said, “You ready now? SCOTLAND!!!”
And lovely, lilting tones they were, Laddie. She said, “You can still hear my accent? I’ve been working so hard to get rid of it!”
I about choked. Ya, I can hear the accent!
I said, “I love your accent. If you get rid of it I’ll cancel my Cox account!” :D :D
@Stinley To your ears, when you say “al dente” and “all dainty” they don’t sound the same, but to us (‘Murkins) they probably would. Just like my girl yesterday. She thought she had almost gotten rid of it. Nope.
The nuances humans pick up are incredible.
I got another puzzler today. I said I couldn’t place her accent and asked where she was.
“The Dominican Republic”.
“Oh, I would never have guessed that.”
“True. Because I’m from Romania”.
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