C as in Sierra... what

[smileyeagle1021]

Okay, I had a call yesterday, reading an email address to the hearing user
Me:mstblahblahblah
HU: Could you do that phonetically?
Me: Of course, Mike Sierra, Tango...
HU: No, could you do it M as in Mike, etc.
Me: Okay, M as in Mike, S as in Sierra, T as in Tango (blah blah blah)
HU: So, M as in Mike, C as in Sierra

Since when has Sierra started with a C?

Well, the DU may or may not have gotten their confirmation email

[Slayer]

To give them credit, Sierra can be spelled like that or as Cierra.

And when you pronounce it, it's c-era so easy to mistake.

Though them not listening to what you said is inexcusable XD

[thehuckster]

To give them credit, Sierra can be spelled like that or as Cierra.

Sierra is the standard phonetic spelling of 'S' as defined by NATO.

Granted, I don't expect laypeople to know the phonetic alphabet, but when one asks to spell something phonetically, I don't think it's a stretch to assume they know it.

[smileyeagle1021]

thank you huckster, I'm the same, if they specifically ask for phonetic, I assume they know the NATO phonetic alphabet... most people who don't know it don't know to ask for it to be spelled phonetically

[Slayer]

Sierra is the standard phonetic spelling of 'S' as defined by NATO.

Granted, I don't expect laypeople to know the phonetic alphabet, but when one asks to spell something phonetically, I don't think it's a stretch to assume they know it.

Even when asking 'M for Mike', I still don't assume they know. To them, it's a name according to the spelling they know. That's why I gave them a credit.

I've gotten "M for Mike", "B for Bob", "P for Paul" etc. Them knowing Mike doesn't automatically give for the assumption they know everything.

I usually don't assume when it comes to customers. It just gives me headaches lol

[dalesys]

Well, there was the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera...

[Andara Bledin]

I always use S is for Sam because there's really no other way to spell Sam and it's 1/3 the syllables as Sierra.

^-.-^

[bhskittykatt]

I had a friend named Cierra once. So if the hearing user knows a Cierra as well, I can see some of the confusion.

[smileyeagle1021]

Well, there was the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera...

And now the GMC Sierra

I had a friend named Cierra once. So if the hearing user knows a Cierra as well, I can see some of the confusion.

true...
but then why ask to use the phonetic alphabet if you don't know it...

[TowelKing]

I automatically default to using the phonetic NATO alphabet when spelling out email addresses or whathaveyou.

[MoonCat]

I always use S is for Sam because there's really no other way to spell Sam and it's 1/3 the syllables as Sierra.

^-.-^

That's what I do. Most people don't know any "official" phonetic alphabet, and some of them have a hard enough time with "Sam."

Here's a typical conversation regarding spelling the name of a deceased person:

Me (reading back): John T. Is that T as in Thomas?
Customer: No! His middle name was Terrence!

It's still a T, right?? Geez...

[skylark28]

M as in Moron, s as in stupid, T as in Too dumb to follow this...