Foreign Accent Telephone Reps

[Pew]

Yep, I went to a client's earlier this year to help setup a SDWAN device and I couldn't understand what their network engineer was saying over the phone. Normally I can piece together what they're saying but not this guy. But that's just one example, usually they're easy to understand.

Some companies also have call centers in the US specifically for business/enterprise accounts. Those are nice.

 

[skyactiv]

Can you do that with a landline? I have a cell phone for if I travel, but hate it and won't use it for a normal conversation.
Old men and cell phones do not get along, at least in my house! Good info though and thanks! Your link says nothing about landlines.

You need link to cell phones that auto link using your phones bluetooth to Panasonic cordless phones. You can use two different cell phones for the system if wanted. We have it and it works great. We never have to fiddle with anything, just make sure your phones bluetooth is on and when you get home it auto links, no effort needed ever.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/panasonic-kx-tgd864s-link2cell-dect-6-0-expandable-cordless-phone-system-with-digital-answering-system-black-with-silver-rim/6479125.p?skuId=6479125

 

[andrew_j]

I have been learning strong Indian English accent with the nicest coworkers over in Chennai. Previously at prior role I figured out Belarusian English which was pretty tough!

The hardest by a long shot is Japanese accent on English.

 

[Jdeere562]

You need link to cell phones that auto link using your phones bluetooth to Panasonic cordless phones. You can use two different cell phones for the system if wanted. We have it and it works great. We never have to fiddle with anything, just make sure your phones bluetooth is on and when you get home it auto links, no effort needed ever.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/panasonic-kx-tgd864s-link2cell-dect-6-0-expandable-cordless-phone-system-with-digital-answering-system-black-with-silver-rim/6479125.p?skuId=6479125

You just lost me and talked way over my head. I'm an old man and don't do internet, email or any of that stuff on my cell phone. Don't know crap about Bluetooth either, and don't plan to learn. I have zero interest in that stuff.

I do remember how to stuff 5,10, and 25 cent pieces into a pay phone though!

 

[csandste]

I'm old. I'm deaf.

I have a Medicare Advantage plan that wraps up everything into one package without any supplements. Yes I know I can't go to Cleveland Clinic and my choice might kill me but it's a risk I'm ready to take. I always try to use chat and save copies so I have a record. I use about six stamps a year. mostly for Menards rebates. I shake my head at my neighbors who put checks in their mail boxes...rob me, they say! I haven't had a land line in about twelve years. The twenties are not like the nineties. If only the lobbyists would allow me to dial 911 from my Google home speakers when I fall on the floor, life would be good.

 

[chainblu]

I can’t figure out why people still call. Everything these days can be solved on the internet or over a text.

I don't like talking on the phone either. But my reason is that I much prefer a face-to-face conversation. And yes, many problems can be resolved via the internet, but sometimes a phone call is just easier (and quicker).

 

[TimeFlies]

I prefer a phone call, or face to face chats.
Even if the call only takes 30 seconds, its better than 20 texts back and forth.
Email is a waste of time, I check mine once a month, nothing important ever comes.
I don't own a computer, I can do anything that needs doing on my cellphone.
I have a cheque book to, and know how to fill out a cheque, and mail it. But most things are directly debited from my bank account, so I really don't write many.
My phone has a bank app I use once a month to pay my visa card bill on.
Life is simpler this way.

OP, sometimes I have to hang up on a person who is too difficult to understand, and call the number back, praying for someone else who I can understand, so I share your frustration about the weird accents.
By the way, i am not 98, but 28 years old.

 

[02SE]

When I was a caregiver for my parents, I dealt with this for awhile. I (amazingly) still have good hearing, but understanding people on the phone who speak English as a second language, and often with a heavy accent, can be tough. Even when you can hear them. I tried texting and Emails as a work-around, but that wasn't guaranteed to achieve good results either.

Good luck. The struggle is real.

 

[andrewg]

I have hearing issues as well. Hearing specialist told me I have a hearing discrimination issue. That is, I can't pick out a persons voice from background noise. It's extremely frustrating. People I talk with at work get almost upset with me because I ask them to repeat what they say. Sometimes I give up and just nod my head or laugh if I think it's a joke. As for phone accents? Yep....very tough for me to figure out what they are saying if they have poor English skills. I even have occasional trouble understanding my wife....she was born and raised in Mexico....speaks great English but her accent on certain words, plus my hearing issue, makes it a bit difficult at times.

 

[andyd]

Jdeere562, I got into that 6$ a month thing. I'm so deaf and the guy at the Senior Ctr signing me up was too, that I missed the part about the payment book. I am splitting pills to stretch them out and I'm down to 2 huffs on my inhaler. I'm gonna go down to the CVS, playing old deaf guy with a heart of gold, New Yrs Day morning with my new card. I wonder if hearing aids, teeth and vision are on the plan too. The foreign accented English is an adventure but at least I'm interfacing with a human, not a robo flow chart. I called a 888 number on the new card. Lady couldn't find out anything about the new card, neither did the lady at CVS. I'll reply back. Please post a follow up too

 

[oldcodger]

I am 76 years old and am fed up with these Advantage Plans calls with callers I can't understand. I have got to the point I just say loudly
" Don't want it, don't need it and don't call back".

 

[99Saturn]

On the plus side, nice to hear it is only $6/year for that prescription!

 

[Pablo]

First off, I am an old man....

You are under 70. Old?? Not yet!!

 

[alarmguy]

First off, I am an old man that is hard of hearing. Even my family and friends are hard to understand and I make them repeat things.
Probably best anymore to send text messages or an email. I'm retired and have to buy health insurance and all those supplemental plans.
Lord know how many insurance cards are in my wallet. It was so much easier working, one card.

So anyway, I get a payment booklet for my prescription drugs the other day. 12 monthly stubs to tear off and send with my .50 cent per month payment. $6.00 for the entire year! Not going to happen, stamps cost more than the payment. No way am I going to open an online account and have more user names and passwords to remember.

I dial the 1-800 number to just give them my credit card and pay it in full for the year. Go thru the regular BS, press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish stuff. Takes forever to speak with a real person these days! Sure enough, I get a gal that English is not her native language. Knew I was in for trouble from the start!

Nice and patient gal, don't get me wrong. But I had to have her repeat things about 6 times before I got the drift. Even made her spell the word several times that I could not understand. Was on the phone, after getting a human voice over 30 minutes to pay a $6.00 bill! I could have rolled quarters down the street to her faster. Anyone else frustrated with that crap? I can't be the only one.

I dont talk to people on the phone. I use my computer for everything related to services, billing, health care, etc.
I understand some dont want to learn, some cant learn, some say they are too old to learn. But this is the way, as generations more on forms of communication. services and payments change.
So you have to go with the flow or do the best you can if you stay with the old technology. Much of the service centers are moved offshore to save money and service a dwindling number of customers as many customers use the tools of the Information Age and find it more convenient.

I do agree though, in times you do need to talk to someone it can be quite frustrating. Typically this is because a solution isnt present on the web portal of the service or company you are dealing with, though at times, if chat option is available it's a godsend and online chats can be great to find solutions, plus you have it documented at what you are told.

 

[centertex]

I try to remove anything I don't like from my life. I don't like the situation you've described either...for whatever reason, don't matter. No right or wrong here. You don't like it...remove it! The particular insurance deal you described- you may have to do it once, but you don't have to do it twice! Get a paper bill. That's right- a ****ed paper bill! They hate that as much as you hate the 800 call centers- Mexican stand-off. BOOM! Done.

 

[y_p_w]

I dont talk to people on the phone. I use my computer for everything related to services, billing, health care, etc.
I understand some dont want to learn, some cant learn, some say they are too old to learn. But this is the way, as generations more on forms of communication. services and payments change.
So you have to go with the flow or do the best you can if you stay with the old technology. Much of the service centers are moved offshore to save money and service a dwindling number of customers as many customers use the tools of the Information Age and find it more convenient.

I do agree though, in times you do need to talk to someone it can be quite frustrating. Typically this is because a solution isnt present on the web portal of the service or company you are dealing with, though at times, if chat option is available it's a godsend and online chats can be great to find solutions, plus you have it documented at what you are told.

A lot of those chat operators are handling multiple chats simultaneously. In addition, I've seen awkward grammar (common in India) used which gets frustrating, although sometime they use tools to fix grammatical errors.