wherin I hear a hearing user get pwned

[smileyeagle1021]

OK, I finally got my wish... I got to hear a customer service person who is too stupid to actually do their job and listen to me get pwned by their manager.

Me:
SPPE: sucky pizza place employee
APPM: Awesome pizza place manager.

Me: This is (relay) assisting a deaf or hard of hearing person placing a phone call, have you received a relay call before?
SPPE: What, I didn't get that, is this for pick up or delivery?
Me: This is (relay) assisting a deaf or hard of hearing person placing a phone call, they will be typing their part of the conversation to me which I will then relay between the two of you. Please speak slowly as I have to type your part of the conversation to the caller and speak as if speaking to them directly. Also, please allow for a slight delay as they type their responses. Do you have any questions before I let the caller know that you are on the line?
SPPE: Yeah, did you say that was take out or delivery?
Me: This is communication assistant (number), one moment while I let the caller know that you are on the line and relay your question.
SPPE: Wait what, I don't get it, did you want pick up or delivery?
Me: (the hearing user had responded) The caller has started "I want to order for delivery"
SPPE: Can I, umm, get your umm, address please?
*I relay that to the caller*
SPPE: (after maybe 15 seconds) Are you still there.
Me: I was just waiting for the caller to finish their response"My address is (address)"
SPPE: where are you calling from?
Me: the caller is at (address) I am communication assistant (number) with (relay) assisting a deaf or hard of hearing person placing a phone call. Do you need further explanation of who these calls work?
SPPE: hold on a second.
*the following was in the background*
SPPE: hey (boss) I got this guy, says it's a relay call, what do I do.
APPM: Just take the call like normal.
SPPE: Seriously, I don't know what to do.
APPM: Fine I'll take it, since your too stupid to listen to the explanation I know that the relay operators give you can go back in the kitchen and make pizzas for the rest of the night, you aren't allowed to answer the phone anymore.
SPPE: That's bullshit, it's not my fault that I don't know how this works.
APPM: yes it is, you should have listened to the operator explain how the call works, just like every other employee here has done.
SPPE: Fine, be that way, maybe I should just quit if I'm such a bad worker.
APPM: If listening to your customers isn't one of your strong points then perhaps it's best you quit before you do something to get fired.
Me: *thinking to myself* Right on, you go girl, bout damned time a manager actually expect an employee to actually do their fucking job.
Me: *saying* Ma'am, this is communication assistant (number) will you be continuing the call?
APPM: Yes, since my employees are incapable, I guess I will.
Me: OK, one moment while I let the caller know that you are on the line.

Seriously, right on awesome pizza place manager. That is the first time in 9 months I have heard a manager actually hold an employee accountable to actually do their job for ALL of their customers, not just the ones fortunate enough to have good hearing.

[bean]

Random relay call question.

I've taken a lot of relay calls in my times working in pizza places and call centers.

All but one has had no problem repeating what they said "Operator, could you please repeat that?". Every time, it was either because they mumbled or my headset wasn't turned up high enough.

One of them cut me off and kept repeating "Operator cannot repeat, operator cannot become involved in calls, please speak to caller". Every other operator has had no issue repeating anything.

I did crack up one time when a relay operator apparently thought her mic was muted... I heard a very exasperated "God this guy is taking forever, he types so slow!". Cue me cracking up, and an operator saying "...... that wasn't muted was it?". I said no, but I can pretend. She finally told me the person using the services disconnected and went off about how slow they typed and thanked me for not reporting her to her supervisor, I just laughed and told her to have a good night.

Er, the question is, what's proper protocol for asking an operator to repeat something?

[Racket_Man]

Random relay call question.

I've taken a lot of relay calls in my times working in pizza places and call centers.

All but one has had no problem repeating what they said "Operator, could you please repeat that?". Every time, it was either because they mumbled or my headset wasn't turned up high enough.

One of them cut me off and kept repeating "Operator cannot repeat, operator cannot become involved in calls, please speak to caller". Every other operator has had no issue repeating anything.

?

I get that at my pizza place sometimes too. The operator just did not speak clearly or was too fast esp if they are rattling off a complicated order. Sorry but I WILL ask the Operator to repeat themselves if I miss something or have to "read" back what I did catch.

[jnd4rusty]

I honestly don't agree with how the manager handled the situation. Calling your employee stupid and incapable, especially where others can hear is very unprofessional, im my opinion. I can understand where you come from and I am sure you get people who don't listen to you when you are trying to tell them about relay but I can seriously see a couple of my own employees acting the same way as that young man did. I can see this because I work with teens and I have a couple of guys who can be two bricks short of a load sometimes but I would never dream of telling them they were stupid. Anyways that is just how I feel, I would be horrified if a manager ever called me stupid if I did not understand something or have never handled a certain situation.

[smileyeagle1021]

One of them cut me off and kept repeating "Operator cannot repeat, operator cannot become involved in calls, please speak to caller". Every other operator has had no issue repeating anything.

Er, the question is, what's proper protocol for asking an operator to repeat something?

First, they are a bad operator, they are taking the non-involvement rule far to far. There is NO rule saying that messages can't be repeated.
The proper protocol to ask for a message to be repeated is "operator, please repeat last message" or some variation such as "operator, last message not received, please repeat" or... well you get the idea, start with "operator" to make it clear that you are not speaking to the deaf user and keep the request as simple and specific as possible to ensure that it cannot be interpreted that you are trying to involve the operator in anyway beyond repeating what the deaf user has stated (it is also appropriate to ask for clarification on relay call operations, such as whether or not the company requires 'go ahead', or for verification that the call is still connected, or, and this is typically best for the end of the call, ask for the CA to repeat their communication assistant number and ask for customer support contact information for the relay company)

[HYHYBT]

I've answered the phone to a relay operator many times, but have never taken the call. That sounds a lot ruder than it was: at that store, we had an employee whose son was deaf, and so the calls were for her, and not for me or for the business.

Not wishing harm on anyone, but it *would* be a delicious irony if, one day, Sucky Pizza Employee had to rely on your services.

[Andara Bledin]

I'd take the call long enough to ensure that it really wasn't for business, and to ensure that the son wasn't calling due to some form of emergency.

Then again, I've had a lot of practice informing family members that they should be calling during allowed break times unless it was an actual emergency.

Of course, we've all got cell phones now, and most of the people here have text, so there's a lot of time spent on those, these days.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

I don't mean I hung up: I'd say "just a moment" and hand her the phone. We weren't strict on personal calls as long as they were infrequent and short.

[telecom_goddess]

When I worked for an internet provider years ago I used to take relay calls and learned how to work with them. It's difficult to keep straight when you're supposed to talk and to remember to say "go ahead" to signify you're done...I can't imagine how hard it is on Smiley's end....that's gotta be mentally exhausting.

[Seshat]

But also hopefully a satisfying job.

There's got to be days when Smiley's just ensured that a grandmother and her grandson can talk to each other. Or got help for someone who desperately needed it.

It's these small things that make all the difference, sometimes.

[Sunsetsky]

The employee should've listened to your explanation to begin with. It would've made things for the both of you a lot easier. However, I don't agree with how the manager reacted. Yes, the employee was being an idiot but the manager had no right to name call. I honestly would've walked off the job if that had happened to me. The manager should've just taken the phonecall and then talked to the employee in private later.

[Teskeria]

I agree the manager should not have name called in public. However, I will give them the benefit of wondering if this is not the first time the employee has not taken a relay call 'because he didn't understand how' or if it isn't the first time he's used not understanding to get out of doing something he doesn't want to do.

[smileyeagle1021]

I honestly would've walked off the job if that had happened to me. .

no, you wouldn't. Unemployment is still double digits, being out of work for months is not unusual and walking off the job is not going to make anyone eligible for unemployment benefits.

[fireheart]

Man, we almost NEVER get relay calls in Australia for one reason or another, but even I'd know that there's a delay in the call.

Most of the deaf users I see with phones have videophones or make video calls so they can sign to one another (or lipread). Most payphones in Australia also have an SMS function.

[smileyeagle1021]

Most of the deaf users I see with phones have videophones or make video calls so they can sign to one another (or lipread). Most payphones in Australia also have an SMS function.

Yeah, same here, IP Relay and TTY is on it's way out. Most deaf users are moving over to video relay service over video phones. The one area that IP relay is holding it's ground and even expanding in is with smart phones. I would estimate that almost half the calls I process are done by people using smart phones (I have no way of verifying that though, the only smart phone that our system differentiates for us is blackberries).