To rant about unclear speaking voices on the phone

Sometimes the signal is not very good if it’s a mobile phone. I also find I have to take my mobile off loudspeaker or they can’t hear me properly and then I can hardly hear them.

Beats me why you’d want to know!! I loathe the Haribo ads for that reason!

I don't like to use subtitles as I find them too distracting and I don't get to watch the tv. But I think I'm going to have to turn them on for the Haribo advert with the two Scottish fishermen. I just can't make out what they are saying and I listen so carefully. they mention Nessie and one of them says something about the green ones but that's it. If somebody could give me a transcript I'd be grateful, it's just driving me nuts. Mind you, going by some of the hilarious subtitles mentioned so far I dread to think what AI will make of it

I've worked in call centres. The one thing never tested is speech clarity - essentially, the employers (as opposed to the managers and other call centre staff) only care about monetising everything that they can.
eg, you know those hideous prerecorded messages and questions you have to wade through before getting to a real person? They are scraping information which will be used to sell services and may be sold to other companies; the information is rarely if ever passed to the person answering the call, which is why you have to repeat everything. The bottom line driven execs don't care that the bottom level employees get to bear the brunt of the frustrations and annoyance caused, and that there is a high turn over of those employees as a result, which means even worse service.

Has anyone else noticed that they can hear the adverts pretty clearly? I wonder why!!

I'm deaf, so can you imagine my problems, I get fed up of say 'I'm sorry can you repeat that' even when I've explained that I'm deaf, in the end I get fed up of trying to communicate with people that I don't!

My husband insists our granddaughter and daughter speak too quietly. He keeps telling them to speak up. I know for a fact that his hearing is poor yet he won't admit it.

Both DH & I wear hearing aids. We use subtitles on TV and also have a soundbox. It seems to make speech easier to understand.

Allira

I wonder if it's because they use headphones and talk into the built-in microphone?

I think that this is the case. Also the clarity when they use speakers is pretty poor. I have good hearing and if I'm finding them difficult to understand I ask them if they are using a speaker, and if so to turn it off.

One of my first jobs was as a telephonist, you know, on the old switchboards so you can tell how long ago. We were told we could'nt use our everyday voice, we had to have a telephone voice, because when the voice travels down the phone lines it becomes distorted. So you learned another way of talking on the phone. Today no one does that, they use the natural voice and you can't understand what they say. It's not you. It's a n ightmare.

I am deaf and I actually say to the person on̈ the other end of the phone that l am deaf, so please could they speak slowly and clearly. I remind them of this if necessary. It is not only unclear speech in my experience, but people speaking far too quickly, too. Subtitles are vital for me; those of you who don't need them and get irritated by them - please remember that we are doing our best by not having the TV on at the volume we would like to be able to hear comfortably, which is why we have the subtitles.

Diction is terrible in so many films! Often I've had to give up, as, struggling with 'flashforwards' and 'flashbacks', trying to make sense of a film, I haven't been able to understand what they're saying either! Usually it's strong Scottish accents or drawling Americans speaking very quickly. Accents - great! But don't expect those without the accents to be able to understand them! And, yes, I speak Southern English, but, really, everyone does understand that!

I have no hearing issues but do find a lot of actors both on tv and film mumble and it's worse when the production seems to be based in the dark. I find I have to increase the volume by about 50% to enjoy whatever I'm watching.

It's the speed, especially when they are reading from a script which that is the problem for me

As a hearing aid wearer the most difficult accen to try to decipher is Scottish.
I mentioned this at my last audiology check up and was told that I'm not the only one who has said that.

I use hearing aids but really struggle with phone conversations even though i have Blue Tooth aids. Usually I stop the caller immediately and say I am deaf so please speak clearly and slowly. We use subtitles all the time apart from the News. Attending a cinema we only go to a subtitled showing - offered infrequently!

Allira

I wonder if it's because they use headphones and talk into the built-in microphone?

It could be. I frequently have to ask unknown callers to repeat their words. Mostly they d do willingly, but occasionally they take offence.
Also, often if I have my phone on speaker, the person at the other end says that what I say isn’t clear.

I have the same problem on phone calls and dread having to communicate, trying put my problem in a polite and thoughtful way, but so frustrating!

Babs03 I quite agree. It's worse when you are speaking with someone from a foreign call centre.
As for tv we find that more so on American programmes they can't possibly talk as fast as they do normally. I once read that the programmes are speeded up slightly which would explain that.
A lot of people can't pronounce their words properly which doesn't help.

merlotgran

Scammers often start a conversation quite clearly then speak more quickly and exaggerate their accent to reel you in. Some people will avoid being in the awkward position of saying they can’t understand what’s being suggested by just agreeing.

Never be afraid to say that you can’t understand a word so you’re hanging up.

Quite right, Merlotgran. Another recent development is to call your mobile and me speak so inaudibly that when you say "I can't hear you" the scammer then says "Ok, I'll transfer this to WhatsApp - don't hang up" and then you see the same written dialogue appear on your WhatsApp at which point they are hacking your account for the other phone scams. Hang up immediately. This happened to me only last week when I saw the WhatsApp "hello mum I've got a new phone" scam on TV

Had this problem only the other day! I've recently had my hearing checked, no problem at all, yet with two successive people from the same company I really struggled to hear what they were saying. The first had a very strong accent, the second didn't and it wasn't the accent that was the problem but the fact that both spoke so fast and presumably using headset microphones that caused terrible fuzziness . My husband and I were both listening on speaker and trying to interpret what was being said. We eventually had to request that they slow down. Easier when they did but still fuzzy. No, you are definitely not being unreasonable 🙂

Had someone call my landline a few days ago. I do not often use it as easier to understand my mobile! This man had a very strong Indian accent & spoke very fast! Told him sorry I could not understand him & he hung up! One way to get rid of scammers!

I get accused of mumbling and not when I'm on the phone by my OH who has recently acquired a Hearing Aid.🤣🤣
All these posts make me wonder whether actually I am mumbling.
I've encouraged OH to put subtitles on the telly even when English is being spoken. I find it helpful even though my hearing is fine.
I agree actors seem to mumble these days.

I haven’t had that problem but then I never answer the phone unless it is someone I know. It works. If they know you and are genuine they will leave a clear message.

At the first sign of a problem I ask politely for them to speak slowly and clearly and it usually works except with people whose command of English is perhaps not quite enough if the discussion turns complex.