my ever growing list of pet peeves

[Sapphire Silk]

Oy vey.

My hospice has several deaf clients, so I've taken quite a few relay calls when working telephone triage.

Really, it is no huge deal to talk to a deaf person over a relay system. The delay is usually not so great that it is unlike a typical conversation. If anything, I find it easier as the relay operator is calm and doesn't try to interrupt me when I ask questions.

I do have a question: why would a scammer pretend to be using a relay service. What possible benefit could it be?

A prankster I get.

[EricKei]

I usually wound up as the guy to whom Relay calls were given back at DaddyJim's, mainly because I had (infinity minus one) patience ^_^ Either that, or the teeny-boppers working there really were that dumb. I never really minded.

I wanna say, in 5+ years of tech support, I've gotten maybe 2-3 Relays, ever. None of them ever actually took a call because, like 90% or so of our first-time callers (we actually counted them!), they didn't want to actually pay for tech support (despite the fact that I could have remoted into their system and used text chat to communicate, if they had wished).

[alacazar]

Me: This is relay assisting a deaf or hard of hearing person placing this phone call. Have you received a relay call before?
SE: You realize you've reached a phone company right?
Me: Yes.
SE: Why would a deaf person be calling a phone company.

I will admit that when i started working with cell phones between 04 and 05 at some point, I remeber thinking this to myself when i got my first relay call for one of the "good" cell companies. I did not say it out loud, and i realised during the call that we offered SMS services. That and we were actively marketing sidekicks to hearing impared customers at the time.

eaither way If I had said anything like that the conversation on my end would have been more like this:

SE: Why would a deaf person be calling a phone company.
SE Supe:
SE Supe: hey SE, can you transfer that to me, oh and when im done with this call go into aux and come see me. We need to talk

[fireheart]

I do have a question: why would a scammer pretend to be using a relay service. What possible benefit could it be?

A prankster I get.

Voice isn't recognised, so if he/she is calling somewhere that DOES record their calls, there's no record that states that so-and-so was the one who actually MADE the call. On top of that, according to Wiki, it was illegal for relay services to keep track of call logs.

[mdog]

I have never had a relay call before, so I guess it's helpful after reading this post to know what they are and what to expect if I ever get one at some point.

[Seshat]

Deaf people do more than be deaf, they work, they eat, they even go on vacation to bumfuck towns with desk clerks who are too stupid to comprehend the fact that just because someone has a disability doesn't mean that they do nothing in their lives other than treat that disability.

“Health is capricious - it can vanish at any moment. Don't rely on health, and if it goes, don't waste your life grappling at straws to recover it.” - Jennifer Vesperman


Many, many disabled people start out doing just that - grabbing at straws, trying to get rid of the disability at (almost) any cost. If your problem is a treatable-but-not-curable one, or the treatment is a long term thing... that just wastes your life.

All the rest of us live.

Yes, I meditate, I plan out my tasks, I use pacing/position/planning strategies when I'm doing anything non-trivial, I do my physiotherapy, I (usually) eat appropriately to my conditions.

But the rest of the time, I have a LIFE to live. And so does everyone else, disabled or not. (Gay or not. Male or female or intersex or genderless or whatever else. Black, white, red, yellow, or polka-dotted. Etc.)

[Sapphire Silk]

Voice isn't recognised, so if he/she is calling somewhere that DOES record their calls, there's no record that states that so-and-so was the one who actually MADE the call. On top of that, according to Wiki, it was illegal for relay services to keep track of call logs.

OK, that makes more sense, now. Thanks

“Health is capricious - it can vanish at any moment. Don't rely on health, and if it goes, don't waste your life grappling at straws to recover it.” - Jennifer Vesperman


Many, many disabled people start out doing just that - grabbing at straws, trying to get rid of the disability at (almost) any cost. If your problem is a treatable-but-not-curable one, or the treatment is a long term thing... that just wastes your life.

All the rest of us live.

<snip>

Amen, sister!

Deaf people do more than be deaf, they work, they eat, they even go on vacation to bumfuck towns

They also party! When I was in college, I joined the Sign Language Club. A friend of mine was grew up learning sign because her mother was deaf. She worked as an interpreter. We went to a party hosted by some of her deaf friends so we could practice what we were learning.

The music was LOUD (they dance to the vibrations on the floor). It was a LOT of fun, even though I couldn't sign worth a lick drunk or sober.

[smileyeagle1021]

Voice isn't recognised, so if he/she is calling somewhere that DOES record their calls, there's no record that states that so-and-so was the one who actually MADE the call. On top of that, according to Wiki, it was illegal for relay services to keep track of call logs.

Not only that, but even with registration, it ads one more level of anomimity between the caller and the person being called. Rather than just trace back a phone number, they have to trace a phone number, a profile, an IP address, and potentially the routing of the IP address if they are using software to hide it.

[DeltaSierra]

Smileyegle - on behalf of all deaf people out there who use relay - YOU ROCK. Your manager needs to give you a raise. Heck give you an office!!!

Thansal - I went to RIT - and you are right, text & video messaging & the internet have been some of the greatest boons to the deaf community since the invention of the TTY/TDD.

[Jetfire]

What part of deaf don't you understand
This is another primarily outsourced call center gripe, but once again, even in house people have this problem.

SE: I'm sorry, we can only speak to the caller directly, can you put them on the phone?
Me: (and I'm ashamed to admit I have said this) Sir, are you unclear on what deaf means? They CANNOT hear on the phone which is why they are having me interpret for them.
SE: We must speak to them directly we can't go through a third party.
Me: You ARE speaking to them directly. (legally they are, as far as the FCC and anti-discrimination law is concerned, for as long as the deaf person is connected to us, we are one and the same, we are merely an extension of them)
SE: No, we must speak to them directly, I will have to ask them to call back when they can speak to us directly.

Dear God, I only hope every time that happens the deaf person files a complaint with the FCC and gets the company nailed with massive fines and the employee fired. Discrimination is NEVER acceptable, so please just stop. Deaf people have every legal and moral right to perform the same business transactions as hearing people (baring any unusual safety concern where hearing would be needed)

This part seemed particularly bad. Are you allowed to break script and warn the peon on the other end of the line of the FCC regs they are about to break in that case?

Or if not that, file a complaint? Or do you have to be completely transparent and not do anything at all? I think that need for transparency must be some of the hardest part of that job; to relay without adding or subtracting anything. Hats off to those patiant enough and strong enough to do that.

[EricKei]

To the best of my knowledge, most Relay centers, including Smiley's, require total transparency. Even if the caller is saying something that the Relay Operator considers totally vile, threatening, or what have you (not sure what the rule is if it's potentially illegal). They're generally not allowed to speak/respond to anything either party says, either, no matter what. Not an easy job at all.