Is it because I'm Scottish?

[malvolio]

That's the bottom line for me. Communication is a key requirement for the role and should be treated like any other skill. Unfortunately it is difficult to quantify though. What is difficult for some to understand it's easy for others. Your own accent can impact. I remember trying to put a service desk in Cairo and they wouldn't touch offshore indian bods. Egypt English and Indian English were just incompatible due to the accents.

There are extremes like when you call an offshore desk and the spoken English/accent of the call handler is absolutely dire. Simple case of that person should not be doing that job. Heavy local accents are a difficult call...but.. if the job is to speak to a wide range of people then IMO a strong local accent is going to be a problem.

Indeed but how?


Evening having an average accent I'd have to disagree with this. The call handler has to concentrate on slowing down/speaking properly which takes concentration off the job in hand so still contributing to a break down in communication. It's also hard work to be on phones all day to be constantly concentrating on your speech all the time.
When I go to the states they can't understand me so I have to slow down/pidgin speak which then means I can't flow with what I want to say. Quick quips, jokes etc are difficult.

It's tough but IMO if someone does mumble/talk too fast/has a thick accent and is a blocker to communication then they aren't properly skilled.

The accent is only half the problem. After many years working around service desks and call centres of various sizes, the other half is the call taker either working to a set script, which they will run through without thinking or necessarily understanding, or they are technically good enough to understand what they are doing so will be using technical jargon and abbreviations. Getting them to calm down and explain things to a non-expert is harder than many realise. "Can you right-click on the desktop please" can be construed as finding a Sharpie and writing "Click" next to the keyboard... A trivial example but it has happened.

[vetran]

The accent is only half the problem. After many years working around service desks and call centres of various sizes, the other half is the call taker either working to a set script, which they will run through without thinking or necessarily understanding, or they are technically good enough to understand what they are doing so will be using technical jargon and abbreviations. Getting them to calm down and explain things to a non-expert is harder than many realise. "Can you right-click on the desktop please" can be construed as finding a Sharpie and writing "Click" next to the keyboard... A trivial example but it has happened.

To be fair communication is a skill that is very rarely taught. The experts know it needs to be, Kings & Prime ministers have frequently had speech therapy. Mrs T for instance lost her northern twang and fast paced speech.

How to be precise, gathered and calm in negotiations. Interactive listening, leading the converstation etc.

Lots to go wrong but companies throw agents into the frey with no training or guidelines.

Funniest example was when I was part of the team that installed a telephone system 36 years ago in an organisation that did re-insurance who had also changed their name to PSAC which was pronounced by the Oxbridge call centre manager as Peas-sack. The customer support agents were all local to Tower Bridge. These young ladies all with eyelash extensions. 6 inch heels & 6" nails started answering the phone in a heavy cockney accent saying "good morning Piss-sack". My colleagues and I went for a smoke outside and a good laugh.

[northernladuk]

One thing that irks me about service centre calls is when the user doesn't understand first and last names. You introduce yourself as say 'Brian Smith' and then the caller either asks if I want to be called or starts to call me Mr Brian. It rarely goes well after that. Not quite an accent issue but none the less isn't great.

[edison]

One thing that irks me about service centre calls is when the user doesn't understand first and last names. You introduce yourself as say 'Brian Smith' and then the caller either asks if I want to be called or starts to call me Mr Brian. It rarely goes well after that. Not quite an accent issue but none the less isn't great.

I used to think this was just an Indian quirk but I noticed it on a global (non-IT) forum I frequent where it's used by people in multiple parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

[vetran]

I used to think this was just an Indian quirk but I noticed it on a global (non-IT) forum I frequent where it's used by people in multiple parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

sorted!

[edison]

sorted!

LOL, I see what you did there!

[SueEllen]

I used to think this was just an Indian quirk but I noticed it on a global (non-IT) forum I frequent where it's used by people in multiple parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

They know it is rude to call people just by their first name if they aren't a friend or close associate. Therefore in order to be polite but not completely formal they put "Mr" in front.

I wonder what they do with titled people. Like Sir Dr Brian May for example....

[Gibbon]

I used to think this was just an Indian quirk but I noticed it on a global (non-IT) forum I frequent where it's used by people in multiple parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

And in Portugal, when I phoned an Hotel to ask after my father, "I will put you through to Mr B***y"

[NotAllThere]

One thing that irks me about service centre calls is when the user doesn't understand first and last names. You introduce yourself as say 'Brian Smith' and then the caller either asks if I want to be called or starts to call me Mr Brian. It rarely goes well after that. Not quite an accent issue but none the less isn't great.

Try "Mr Smith". Or "sir" will do.

[vetran]

Try "Mr Smith". Or "sir" will do.

NLUK prefers "Big Boy" apparently