E is for...

[Beetnik]

Transferred insurance on to another car a few days ago (No not from the Merc). The conversation went:

Call centre kid 'Registration number, please'
Me 'Juliet, X ray etc'

CCK 'Is that a Peugeot xxxxxx'
Me 'No it's an Audi xxxxxx'

CCK 'Can I have the number again, please'
Me 'Juliet, X ray ...'

CCK 'Strange it's coming up as a Peugeot - I'll have to amend it'

The documents came through today - wrong registration number on:
JE.....

At first I couldn't understand how he got it wrong but then I realised:
E is for Ecks Ray.

I really thought anyone whose job entailed taking car registration numbers all day long would be trained in the phonetic alphabet.

 

[davidjpowell]

When I was a student about ten years ago I worked in a BT call centre taking calls for external clients. First thing we were taught was phonetics - but very few bothered to use the proper ones. Then got promoted to a team leader, so had to learn and use them to set an example.

Any call centre who does not use them should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Carrotchomper]

I'm very used to using it over the radio, which does tend to make one sound a little military, barking it down the 'phone at a call centre operative!

The worst I have found is NatWest card services, who in 3 changes of address haven't managed to get it right once!

First time, it was "Summerset" as county

Second time, I do not fully remember, but think it was rather minor.

Now, I live at "Anker" Point. Errrm, ANCHOR! I think they also managed to spell "Cathedral" wrong too in the street name!!

 

[miro]

CCK "Ok let me repeat that back to you E for Echo, B for Bravo .... [four hours later ] ..... "

I had used the direct form, ECHO BRAVO TANGO and the CCK was using it in the expanded, long winded form. Thus unable to comprehend that I was aware of the fact that E was ECHO.

Sigh.

 

[masqueraid]

I once had to phone a call centre to get an activation code for some software. It and/or the technician were in India and through a heavy accent I copied down the characters to type in.

"E",
"E"? I replied,
"No, sir, 'E' ",
"E for Echo?"
"No sir, 'E' for apple"

The code was 25 characters long - luckily it was a Freephone number!

 

[recycled]

L--Is for elephant
S--Cellular
G--Jeans

 

[Swiss Toni]

Of course it works the other way too, and whilst we all wish we could have been extras on The Bill (or Juliet Bravo for those old enough to remember), there is no reason why the population at large should learn this foreign language...

Customer - "S"

CCK - "Is that S for Sierra?"

Customer - "Nah, its a BMW..."

 

[R129mine]

brilliant, very funny

 

[pint6x]

Having been looking for various cars on Pistonheads and Autotrader, I've come up against some great spelling mistakes. I have to say I find it very off-putting and always (probably incorrectly) assume the advert is full of BS.

Here are a couple of recent finds:

107,000 miles, 18 inch amg polished wheels, full creme leather interior, mint conditon, walnut dash, E/W, E/M, Clim/Control, Taxed & Tested, will except small P/X, Emaculate.

Burgandi metalic,4 door saloon,e-w,e-s,2 aerobaks,stereo,6 disk chenger,new mot,full servise history,new exsost,new breks,meny new parts,very good condition in and out.Need a quike sale,moving abroad.

I guess with this last advert, the chap is moving abroad because his English teacher is out to murder him.

 

[tony2311]

i was talking to orange call center yesterday
B is for bombay
E is for Elephant

 

[Howard]

I just cannot talk to Orange anymore , nearly sent me to the nuthouse last time ....

 

[pint6x]

I just cannot talk to Orange anymore , nearly sent me to the nuthouse last time ....

Well for your own sanity, don't rush to change to Vodafone - the grass is definitely not greener on the other side.

My experience of O2 and T-Mobile is very limited, but I have heard tell that they can be "challenging" at times.

But seriously - avoid Vodafone like the plague.

 

[Ted]

Worked with a guy who used the phonetic alphabet perfectly - except for 'P'

"P for pterodactyl'

Honestly.

 

[Mondorich]

But seriously - avoid Vodafone like the plague.

You got something against Geordies? That's the accent I always get when I call them, and they've always been great.

 

[flango]

Never had any prob with Vodafone either, but agree you always get a North East accent, so either theres a Geordie ex pat community in Bangladesh or a call centre in Tyne & Wear?

Funniest one I heard on spelling was I used to work in the same place a guy who bought one of the last Austin Allegro or was it Allagro ? anyway the runout model was the Allegro LE and he thought this stood for LECTRONIC EGNITION !!!!!

 

[Rovinghawk]

"P for pterodactyl'

H for honest
E for eiderdown
P for Pneumonia
P for psychologist
O for the wings of a dove.

RH

 

[Peterdon]

P is silent as in Bath

 

[st13phil]

P is silent as in Bath

One of the best "silent letter" incidents must be when the American actress Jean Harlow mis-pronounced Margot Asquith's name as Mar Got. "No, dear", came the reply from Asquith, "the 't' is silent, as in Harlot".

 

[pint6x]

You got something against Geordies? That's the accent I always get when I call them, and they've always been great.

Nothing against Geordies, but I used to work at Vodafone - I know how their call routing was put together.

Basically, unless you're a very high-value customer, don't count on getting through to anyone anytime quickly.

 

[Defiant]

We use the "civilian" phonetic at the Highway Patrol, and of course many of the fellows are ex-military.

It causes all havoc when I sneak in a delta whisky yankee sierra juliet on them, and they usually don't recover all shift.