It started when I called the New York State Insurance Fund, that guardian of worker’s comp and disability insurances in the State of New York, to get help filling out two required forms. The forms themselves were a stumbling block; otherwise, I would never have had to spend two hours on the telephone getting the necessary information in the first place. But the gentleman who tried to help me was the utmost of stumbling blocks, even though I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and hoped he meant well.
This gentleman clearly had a thick mid-Eastern accent, the type you find when you call your credit card company for help and learn it has outsourced its customer service department to India or Pakistan. He also had an attitude, one that I interpreted as “I talk, you listen.” I mean, he even felt the need to explain that a quarter is three months of the calendar year. He didn’t know it, but I have a Master’s Degree for pete’s sake.
I wanted to ask for someone else, maybe even his supervisor, as he ranted on and on about what the law was and what I had to do, without ever answering my original questions. So it took every ounce of my patience to attempt communication in an effort to be culturally sensitive; in the end, maybe he felt the same frustration, as he finally transferred me to someone else who was most helpful.
I realize this person was doing his best — at least I hope so. At the same time, if most of the customers who seek help speak English as their first language, it seems incumbent that someone answering questions speak the same language clearly. This doesn’t mean that person be native-born; on the contrary, I have no problem with the general theory of outsourcing. But I do think it’s appropriate for the company representative to understand English idiom and respect intelligent women who ask a lot of questions.
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