Last night I got a phone call from a woman I couldn't understand. She had an accent of some sort and I could only understand every third word or so that she said.
I thought she said she was from "Turner Broadcasting," but wisely I didn't assume that and I asked her to repeat where she was from.
I managed to understand, "The Internal Revenue Service."
Now before you think it was a prank, I should interject that I have recently spoken on the telephone to people working for the IRS, but none of them had foreign accents.
In fact, they spoke very clearly and were easy to understand.
This woman was unintelligible.
I was able to get a phrase here or there, like, "We have allowed you ..." but I have no idea what they allowed me.
Finally I asked if she would put all of what she was telling me in a letter which she said she would and it would probably take about two weeks to reach me.
Now I know when I call Dell Computer I'm getting someone in the Phillippines, or if I call certain banks I'll be connected with someone in India. But I didn't imagine we had gotten to the point where an arm of the Federal government was farming out telephone work to third world countries.
I mean, maybe this woman was good with numbers and auditing and she could have worked for the IRS in Sri Lanka, but for someone who speaks only English, I could not understand what she was saying.
I think if the IRS is going to call you about an audit they should at least have someone call who can communicate with you in English. Or is that the method to their madness? Will we grow tired of contesting audits if we have to struggle to make ourselves understood? Will we agree to whatever they say on the other end of the phone because we have no idea what the hell they're saying?
Is this what we've come to? Language as blackmail?
What is next? Will the DAR outsource calls to South American call centers?
3 comments:
I was just on the phone with a representative of a credit card company. Three times I had to ask her to spell a word in order for me to understand what she was trying to tell me.
Maybe someone should tell her to talk slower.
I try to be understanding and compassionate of those who were born with marbles in their mouths but it's tough when the credit card company is trying to charge me $1200 for something I never received, never ordered, and never wanted.
AARGH!
Moons, I feel your pain!
(got anything else you want me to feel?)
(see that's what happens when one goes beyond their compassion limits. The resentment bleeds into lust)
(sorry about that)
No doubt you were speaking to someone in Bangladesh. All they know is that Americans are ignorant, insatiable consumers. They must be charged!! All Americans must be charged a fee just to be capitalists!!
Moons, I love the way you sidestep my advances. So cool. So lacking of encouragement. And yet there's a certain kindness in the way you don't throw it in my face.
Oh by the way perhaps you're right about this woman's native country. Speaking of which I know a nice Bangadeshi restaurant you might be interested in. I could take you there sometime if you'd like.
BTW, you're not a female impersonator by any chance, are you?
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