English as a second language in customer service personnel

Published on October 17, 2005 By dharmagrl In Misc

I just got off the phone with the housing office. It was a very frustrating conversation.

The woman who answered the phone had a hispanic accent so thick that I could barely understand her. I had to keep asking her to repeat what she was saying, and eventually asked to speak to someone else because the conversation was going nowhere. It was obvious that English wasn't her native tongue.

I had the same problem last week when I called SBC tech support. They outsourced to India, and again, the language barrier was a problem. I can't help but think that if we could have understood each other better we might have got further when we were trying to fix my problem.

America is a huge congolmeration of cultures and nationalities, and I love that. People want to stay true to their own cultures, and I like that too. Differences are what make life interesting.

But, is it reasonable or even wise to put someone who speaks English poorly in a customer service position, where their primary duties will be dealing with people on the phone? Where they will need to be able not only to understand, but be understood themselves?

I don't think so. If you cannot understand me, cannot understand what I'm saying, how can you possibly assist me? If I cannot understand you, how can I get the answers I'm looking for? How will we communicate if there's a language barrier?? We're not face-to-face so sign language and gesticulations won't suffice or assist with our language barrier.

Whilst I admire the drive of a person who comes to the US not speaking the language and teaches themselves to speak English, I have to question putting them in a telecommunications job until they've got more than a rudimentary knowledge of the lingo. I know from experience the best way to learn it is to speak it, but there are other jobs where the main duties are NOT telephone related.

Putting someone who doesn't speak English clearly in a customer service phone job is akin to having a deaf person tune pianos or a blind person critique works of art, IMO.

Comments

Spc Nobody Special

on Oct 17, 2005

Reminds me of Korea. I used to get communication by mixing languages. I would use bad Korean, and they'd respond with bad English. Konglish works. Except..........

We had one sergeant, half-korean, female named Schillinger. She couldn't speak understandable korean or english. (either one would have been fine in a company full of linguists and Katusas.) She was so hard to understand, that her platoon made sure she was always stuck on CQ. Great, it got her out of their hair, and she liked it too, but.......

CQ is responsible for answering phones all day. All soldier accountablity goes to the cq. When you go on post. When you go off post. Everything. (and everything is done over cell phone. EVERYONE has a cell phone in Korea, even three year olds. You couldn't follow a word she said, and if you stopped to take a breath, would either babble non-stop or more often hang up the phone. I called as many as five times sometimes to get through a conversation or leave a message.

Texas Wahine

on Oct 17, 2005

I think the Indian accent is dead sexy.

Then again, I've had good luck with foreigners doing my customer service.

dharmagrl

on Oct 17, 2005

I think the Indian accent is dead sexy

Not when it's so heavy I can't understand what's being said....

You couldn't follow a word she said, and if you stopped to take a breath, would either babble non-stop or more often hang up the phone

That's what this chick this afternoon did (minus the hanging up). She just talked over me, and I still didn't understand what she said.

Dr Guy

on Oct 18, 2005

I think the Indian accent is dead sexy.

Not when you are trying to resolve a nasty technical issue.

singrdave

on Oct 18, 2005

I had an entertaining conversation with a DISH Network employee the other day. So "Earl" gets on the phone and is helping me, with a very thick Indian accent, and I ask in polite small talk, "So where am I speaking to today?"

Seems they are trained to claim that they are in Colorado. (DISH Network used to maintain a Littleton, Colorado call center; my nephew worked for them in high school.) Surprised that such an accent would be in suburban Denver, I pressed him for the source of his accent. "No sir, this is a Colorado accent."

We concluded our call and I went on with my life. A few days later, I needed to call again. Turns out I got "Earl" again (what are the chances?), and I asked how Colorado was today. He told me he didn't know; they were in Bangalore, India. It was 2:30 am and he hadn't been outside for 12 hours.

zweihander01

on Oct 18, 2005

This is why I try to use email exclusively. Even if I'm just getting form replies and such, I can understand computer.

dharmagrl

on Oct 18, 2005

Not when you are trying to resolve a nasty technical issue

'Thank you, come again' doesn't quite cut it when you're talking modems and configurations....

what I find truly alarming is the number of health care professionals that can barely speak/understand english.

Oh hell yes! That's even more unacceptable than customer service not speaking english. It's really bad in the UK, because of the large number of Pakis and Indians living over there. When I go to my doc, I want him to be able tyo understand what I'm trying to tell him, and I want to know what he's trying to tell me before he gives me ANY meds or makes any kind of diagnosis. It's your health, you know? You don't want to be fucking around with that.

This is why I try to use email exclusively.

We didn't have internet connectivity when I had to speak to SBC, or else I'd have tried that.

Surprised that such an accent would be in suburban Denver, I pressed him for the source of his accent. "No sir, this is a Colorado accent."

HAHAHAHAHAH!! That's like my pretending to be in Scotland and swearing my mutt accent is straight up Glaswegian!!!

I got a call from SBC yesterday. They had stupidly sent me a questionnaire asking how my experience was the day after I got pissed at their shitty 'tech' support. So, I completed it as honestly as I could, and I sent it back.....and they called to see what they could do to make it better. Apparently, if you get through to someone that you can't understand because they're in India, you're supposed to ask for an 'onshore' agent. I'll remember that.....

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