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*sigh* Back on the phones . . . back in my own private Hell.
But honestly, after five years of this I think I've found some sort of sick humor in my predicament.
I've always had a hard time understanding what other people say. It may be due to a mild hearing problem on my part, but mostly because I hate mumblers and I think subconsciously (or perhaps not so) I've started tuning out things people mumble, because if they can't be buggered to enunciate then it must not be that important.
There's also the issue of people with thick accents, which I'm a bit more sympathetic to since they have about as much control over how they learned to speak than I did. So, I try my best to hear through the accent but you know what? Sometimes I just can't despite my best efforts. When that happens I apologize and ask the other person to repeat him or herself.
This, logically, means I'm a deaf idiot who's racist against people with thick foreign accents.
So today, I get both a mumbler with a thick foreign accent on the phone. Guess what? I can't help you if I can't understand what you're saying. So, I ask you to repeat yourself so that I can solve your issue instead of just hazarding a guess and getting it wrong.
Yes, it's annoying to have to repeat yourself. I know, no one likes doing it. However, if the first few times haven't clued you in, speaking faster and more jumbled isn't going to help your situation. Look, I don't even care if you speak slowly to me as though I'm stupid because I honestly couldn't care less what you think about me. You don't like me, and guess what? I don't like you either so speak slower and more clearly so I can fix your issue and get you off the phone.
"What is wrong with you?! You don't understand my English!?"
Well, you certainly do a good job of making your words easy to understand when you're insulting. Could you imagine that every word out of your mouth, regardless of what it is, is a horrid insult and then use the words that would best describe your issue so I can get you off my phone, please?
"How long has that doctor been in your office?"
Well, I don't know. I've only been here a few weeks.
"(sigh) Yeah, I can tell."
See how easy it is to enunciate? Now, if you had been doing that the entire time you might not be so frustrated now. But clearly I was to blame, being a deaf idiot who is racist against people with thick accents.
Oh, you want to speak to my supervisor to complain about me? I'd be more than happy to transfer you!
Uh oh, what's this? It seems my supervisor is asking you to repeat every sentence you say. It seems that she's a deaf racist idiot too.
But honestly, after five years of this I think I've found some sort of sick humor in my predicament.
I've always had a hard time understanding what other people say. It may be due to a mild hearing problem on my part, but mostly because I hate mumblers and I think subconsciously (or perhaps not so) I've started tuning out things people mumble, because if they can't be buggered to enunciate then it must not be that important.
There's also the issue of people with thick accents, which I'm a bit more sympathetic to since they have about as much control over how they learned to speak than I did. So, I try my best to hear through the accent but you know what? Sometimes I just can't despite my best efforts. When that happens I apologize and ask the other person to repeat him or herself.
This, logically, means I'm a deaf idiot who's racist against people with thick foreign accents.
So today, I get both a mumbler with a thick foreign accent on the phone. Guess what? I can't help you if I can't understand what you're saying. So, I ask you to repeat yourself so that I can solve your issue instead of just hazarding a guess and getting it wrong.
Yes, it's annoying to have to repeat yourself. I know, no one likes doing it. However, if the first few times haven't clued you in, speaking faster and more jumbled isn't going to help your situation. Look, I don't even care if you speak slowly to me as though I'm stupid because I honestly couldn't care less what you think about me. You don't like me, and guess what? I don't like you either so speak slower and more clearly so I can fix your issue and get you off the phone.
"What is wrong with you?! You don't understand my English!?"
Well, you certainly do a good job of making your words easy to understand when you're insulting. Could you imagine that every word out of your mouth, regardless of what it is, is a horrid insult and then use the words that would best describe your issue so I can get you off my phone, please?
"How long has that doctor been in your office?"
Well, I don't know. I've only been here a few weeks.
"(sigh) Yeah, I can tell."
See how easy it is to enunciate? Now, if you had been doing that the entire time you might not be so frustrated now. But clearly I was to blame, being a deaf idiot who is racist against people with thick accents.
Oh, you want to speak to my supervisor to complain about me? I'd be more than happy to transfer you!
Uh oh, what's this? It seems my supervisor is asking you to repeat every sentence you say. It seems that she's a deaf racist idiot too.
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