Call Centre woes :(

[PooMan UK]

I had to telephone a call centre here in the UK (BT British Telecom) to retrieve a user name and password for a clients internet connection as I was installing a new router. .... this is where the fun began

I phoned from the UK on a UK number which connected me to somewhere in India (via the internet of course) to which I spoke to a lovely lady called Nisha who was trying to help me out.

Now although I have a fairly strong welsh accent I speak English, the lady on the other end couldn't understand me and kept telling me to speak english, I could hardly understand her as her accent was also very strong, so I kept on saying that I too couldn't understand what she was saying.
Unfortunately she ended up putting the phone down on me as she kept repeating that she couldn't understand me.

This has happened on 3 separate calls now, so the poor old customer still has no internet access as i cant get anyone that can give me a coherent clear answer. ..... common BT get your act together ....

 

[Trucidation]

I know that feeling - our guys here (southeast asian outfit) occasionally (couple times a week) call overseas, people from the UK/US/Europe generally have accents that are way easier to understand compared to people from India, heh.

 

[Paarkhi]

people from the UK/US/Europe generally have accents that are way easier to understand compared to people from India, heh.

We feel that the accent is very strong over there and we are not able to understand as the lady (nisha) was not able to, but generally that should not be the case as there's a special training program to understand and speak in the same accent (American English) for every employee in reputed call centres...

 

[boohbah]

poor nisha, i have trouble understanding taffs most of the time also.
you need an interpreter nick.

why dont you type it out in windows then use the ease of access to speak out the message and request for nisha's colleagues, hold the phone to the computers speaker, or ask if they can txt somehow.

 

[seavixen32]

Nisha wants to think herself lucky she wasn't speaking to a Geordie!

Examples from a Geordie dictionary:

Aad: Old
Alreet: Alright
Blaa Oot: A heavy drinking session
Canny: Nice, very good
Claes: Clothes
Clivvor: Clever
Divvent: Don't
Gannin: Going, as in 'Gannin to watch the Toon'
Geordie: a native of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Hinny: Honey; a term of endearment
Mebbees: Maybe
Reet: Right
Sparra: Sparrow
Thowt: Thought
Toon Army: Newcastle United football fans

 

[Joan Archer]

It's surprising just how many different accents there are in such a small country, try Birmingham or Liverpool ones.

 

[boohbah]

arrey la, worra yer on abous.:- (scouse)

ah divvena ken whit ye gannin an aboot.:-(Geordie)

getefih yabbassa :-(Glaswegian)

 

[Joan Archer]

arrey la, worra yer on abous.:- (scouse)

ah divvena ken whit ye gannin an aboot.:-(Geordie)

getefih yabbassa :-(Glaswegian)

Don't know all of them but, what are you on about for the scouse, I don't know what you're going on about for the Geordie and I haven't a clue with the Glaswegian.

 

[seavixen32]

Joan, you don't want to know the Glaswegian - even for a Forum that is used by mature adults. It translates with two swear words so you'll have to PM me if you really want to know!

 

[Hopalong X]

arrey la, worra yer on abous.:- (scouse)

ah divvena ken whit ye gannin an aboot.:-(Geordie)

getefih yabbassa :-(Glaswegian)

...and some people say we talk funny on this side of the pond.
Inhabitants of the British Isles are no longer allowed to make fun of Australian, Canadian or American accents or colloquialisms.

 

[Anak]

getefih yabbassa :-(Glaswegian)

I'm a coal-kracker, and it took me awhile...
CoalSpeak: Dictionary of the Coal Region

 

[boohbah]

the Glaswegian is the polite way of saying they dont understand what you are saying.

 

[seavixen32]

arrey la, worra yer on abous.:- (scouse)

ah divvena ken whit ye gannin an aboot.:-(Geordie)

getefih yabbassa :-(Glaswegian)

...and some people say we talk funny on this side of the pond.
Inhabitants of the British Isles are no longer allowed to make fun of Australian, Canadian or American accents or colloquialisms.

We're not? Mike, at the last count there were nearly 40 different dialects in a country not much bigger than the state of Florida. Go into any pub on a Friday night and listen to the politically-incorrect jokes. You'll be in stitches.

As for making fun of American accents, my grandson does an impression of Forrest Gump that is so good he could be mistaken for the Tom Hanks character anytime.

 

[Anak]

the Glaswegian is the polite way of saying they dont understand what you are saying.

Thanks booh for my chuckle of the day!

 

[Hopalong X]

arrey la, worra yer on abous.:- (scouse)

ah divvena ken whit ye gannin an aboot.:-(Geordie)

getefih yabbassa :-(Glaswegian)

...and some people say we talk funny on this side of the pond.
Inhabitants of the British Isles are no longer allowed to make fun of Australian, Canadian or American accents or colloquialisms.

We're not? Mike, at the last count there were nearly 40 different dialects in a country not much bigger than the state of Florida. Go into any pub on a Friday night and listen to the politically-incorrect jokes. You'll be in stitches.

As for making fun of American accents, my grandson does an impression of Forrest Gump that is so good he could be mistaken for the Tom Hanks character anytime.

If I can razz you about it I guess you can do the same back.

 

[seavixen32]

Razz. That's a new word on me. Our nearest equivalent would be to josh or wind somebody up.

 

[Hopalong X]

Razz. That's a new word on me. Our nearest equivalent would be to josh or wind somebody up.

Josh or joke with.

 

[Joan Archer]

OK I'll pass on wanting to know the Glaswegian I'm too delicate for such language.

 

[boohbah]

a likely story joan ,ive seen the potty mouth language that goes on on the crossstich forum.

 

[Joan Archer]

Oo you've been peeping again.