The phone rang last night:
"Can I speak with Mr. or Mrs. Watson, please?"
I'm actually Mrs. Watson Hyatt, but close enough. "Yes, I'm Mrs. Watson." Dead silence. "Yes, hi?"
"Is your Mom home?"
Well, given that it is 7:30 and she doesn't like driving in the dark, there is a very good likelihood she is home. But, THIS is not her home.
"I'll call back later." Click.
Fine, call back later, but Mom still won't be here and I will still speak like this!
I have had countless phone exchanges such as that one through the years. And, I find each one equally frustrating! I know I shouldn't let them get to me - the calls are no big deal in the overall scheme of things. But, not to be taken as a capable, intelligent woman, to be asked if my mommy is home, because of my speech still hurts. There are even a few tears at times. This caller hung up before I had the chance; I didn't even get the satisfaction of hanging up on her!
I know I am not alone in facing this phone frustration. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 7.5 million people in the United States have trouble using their voices.
Do telemarketers and call centre employees not receive any training on how interact with people with speech impairments or heavy accents? You would think mastering skills in verbal communication would be essential for success in this type of job, no?
