Do you have a telephone voice

When I was at work we had a site manager from Glasgow - well his accent was so strong he may well have been speaking double dutch, I never did manage to understand him! My boss used to change his accent according to the accent of the person he was speaking with, he thought it helped the business if he didn’t sound posh all the time. I love Geordie and Yorkshire accents.

Daisend1

Depending on who is at the other end of the line dictates the 'temperature' of my voice when making or receiving telephone calls.
Warm. Exclusive to relatives /friends .
Cold. I am not interested what you have to say/ sell.

When the caller asks me if I'm Ms whatever, my voice goes very flat and uninterested. I'm polite with the caller but very firm that I'm not interested and put the phone down.

Yes, I'm guilty as charged!

When you work in a professional office and have to talk to various different people everyday ranging from the general public through to company directors or very high up medical professionals, it "doesn't do" to answer the phone in a "common" or "relaxed" accent, so I believe most people in those scenarios DO have a "telephone voice" because you're representing the company/organisation and it projects a more professional/knowledgeable image.

Yes, if it's a friend/colleague or someone you know well on the other end of the line, your accent might change back to your "home voice".

Even though I've not been in an office environment for several years now, if I have to telephone anyone other than friends/family my (Solihull) telephone voice comes out because I sound a lot more professional than my home (Solihull crossed with Birmingham) accent might portray and I believe people treat me better too.

I hate speaking on the phone and nerves make me talk too loudly. My DH hisses 'Stop shouting!' at me every time.

Me too... foxy48 ??

I don’t think I have a telephone voice but my lovely dad did. When I was a little girl I used to call it “daddy’s best voice”. This post brought back some lovely memories of him.

I was pleased to learn at uni that it is highly skilled to adapt your voice / register to your audience. Not false not weak but highly skilled which explains a telephone voice; from a time when you didn’t know who was ringing and a formal tone was used. Again highly skilled.

Daisend1

Luckyfour
I was brought up in Northampton shire and frequently heard 'ent' / am not' and 'shent' /'shall not' .

That's me, I've posted already about that.
Born and lived all my life in Northamptonshire and in the ent, kent and enna gonna brigade.

Lucy127 I’m shocked ?. Would explain all those interrupting conversations we had on our magical candlestick telephone when I was a child.

I don’t know but if I sound like I do in videos then I sound like an (intelligent and educated) 13 year old.

Kate1949

No. Broad Brummie here!

and here lool

I didn’t think so and still don’t, but apparently I do!

I dont think I do but my husband certainly does. He is a handyman and often gets calls for prospective jobs and I can always tell if the caller is a woman by the tone of his voice, its so funny because he doesnt think he does it.

Years ago I used to , and I'm sure like most of us back then would say " insert town 23432 "
These days I put on a grumpy sounding voice and just say Hello !

I apparently have an extra clear voice on phone. It’s due to my being taught switchboard skills at a young tender age, by the phone people of the time. Would that be the Post Office then? I was taught on old fashioned plug, pull and push switch. Great fun. We did some practical jokes on same device - ‘double calling’ and putting those calls together. Very naughty. Eg. One of us phones Jones the Butchers in Hanley and another Jones the Butcher in Stoke. Put the calls together and then stay completely silent. They each answer ‘Jones the Butcher’ and then it’s hilarious. Incredibly naughty. You phoned me - no! You phoned me! And it went from there for quite a while. Lunch time was fun. Lucky not to have got the sack.
Apologies if I have offended anyone but it was 50 yrs ago. That job taught me lots of practical jokes. Sorry to my lovely bosses at the time. Tables were turned on me but that’s another story. Happy Easter all. x

Definitely! I always lower my voice and enunciate carefully, until I find out who is on the other end of the line. It amuses me when strangers respond by apologising for bothering me.

I’m sure I read somewhere years ago that you subconsciously change your voice depending on who is on the other end of the conversation.( To “ fit in” maybe?) I didnt believe this until one day my son said he could always tell who I was talking to as my speech changed when talking to “ posh friends” ( never knew I had any TBH) to local accent when talking to family. One day a colleague at work told me she could always tell if I was getting ** off with the caller as I became increasingly articulate, used bigger words and the tone of my voice lowered. ?. ? Who knew??

Hate the sound of my voice. In the olden days when I had to dictate letters into a Dictaphone I loathed having to play it back. Lived all my life in Yorkshire but my mum was from Enfield so I have a mixed accent but now I can do a really good Yorkshire accent, particularly when we visit our expat DCs in the south.

Definitely not. I'm a common or garden Cockney whoever I'm talking too.
My mother and grandmother both had telephone voices, and an auntie who was a trained telephonist sounded like the Queen!

Luckyfour
I was brought up in Northampton shire and frequently heard 'ent' / am not' and 'shent' /'shall not' .

I come from Liverpool but have never had a real Liverpudlian accent, however on the phone it must break through sometimes, different words, because people can say who dont know me, "you havent lost your Liverpool accent,"I havent lived in the UK for over fifty years,and I am quite pleased when a little twang gets through. I love my City.

Depending on who is at the other end of the line dictates the 'temperature' of my voice when making or receiving telephone calls.
Warm. Exclusive to relatives /friends .
Cold. I am not interested what you have to say/ sell.

I dont think so, as a norm, other than not mumbling!! Although if I am talking to someone posh sounding I probably do get posher!!

Depends to whom I am speaking to lol. I have a Northern Ireland accent that some find hard to understand so find I talk slower and more precise when dealing with callers from GB, etc. Hello, the lady of of the house speaking....oh I do love Hyacinth Bucket

I couldn't keep up a posh voice to save my life and it tickles me enormously when my northern daughter in-law says how posh I sound. I've never known a 'ampshire 'og to be called posh. ?