“umm… what?”
30 03 2006Speak. Clearly. On. The. Phone.
Seriously.
I get several phone calls every day at work from people who sound like they might be retarded somehow because I can’t understand a word they say due to how poorly they enunciate when they’re speaking. I think the majority of you are already familiar with my disdain for talking on the phone in general, but when I have to try to decipher what you’re saying, it makes it much, much worse. Like justifiable-stabbing worse.
Actually, it’s not just on the phone. I don’t have to deal with it anymore, but there were several times during one of my stints as an employee in the retail industry in which I would have some slack-jawed asshat ask me or tell me something and I would have no idea what they just said. It’s ridiculous. One guy in particular stands out in my mind; I was working at Circuit City in Bloomington and he asked me a question about a computer. I had to ask him three times to repeat himself on the first question and had to make the same request multiple other times throughout the conversation. It was one of those times where I would have gladly foregone any possible commission just to avoid dealing with someone.
So stop being lazy speakers. Corky and I thank you in advance for your cooperation.
The Corky thing….how terrible Chris! Terrible and absolutely hilarious, I about peed my pants laughing.
I have a couple (well quite a few) really not with it drivers that I tend to do quite a bit of hand holding for and I get absolutely infuriated at some of them. Not only can you not understand what the hell some of them are talking about, but they will leave messages along these lines “Hey Stepanie this dang thang on da truck leakin, and flsmdfkjf (can’t make it out) red little, so may need get er fissed up, on side of da road, lemme know” Think really strong southern accent for a lot of these guys too…
Okay, who the hell is that? On the side of the road where? And wtf is wrong with the truck? I usually stop writing almost as soon as I get the first 5 seconds of the message and say “What??”
I have a pretty good ear and can recognize most people’s voices, but when someone is standing next to a highway or is at a truckstop with the truck running, it can get really muffled and hard to hear. Common sense would tell someone that, but like you Chris, I have a tendency to grossly overestimate how much common sense other people have.
I can sympathize with this topic…
Hey! How ya doin? “Nuthin” That is what I get waaaaay too often and it begins with you kids! Back-at-cha! I am NOT a mumbler and though more and more hard of hearing, cannot believe or excuse people for this behavior. And, yes, it is a behavior. They are just. not. listening. When I run into this too many times with anyone person I will raise it up an octive or two and say “HEY!” (now that I have your undivided attention, you better be listening). Oh well, bottom line here folks, most people would much rather hear themselves jabbering away and have your undivided attention. On the outside, if they do listen to you, they probably are not much interested in your opinion or remarks anyway UNLESS you’re in agreement with their position in the first place. And that my friends is just the way we are. Clare is an exception only because she really enjoys arguing a point which we had the pleasure of doing for many years! Regarding the foreign language issue, if someone cannot TRY to lean and speak English to me, then I don’t care about their opinion…..they are obviously “just visiting” or should be. This is my country….love it or leave it; and if your’e loving it, then by God learn to speak our language!
Dad