@Seek_Kolinahr Yes its’ often call centers and same here to background noise. But I have a programmer in Hyderabad that I work with from time to time. He’s really good at what he does. But he’d always rather talk through a new assignment on Skype rather than Google chat. I can read what he writes in email or chat just fine. But understanding him on Skype is a challenge. He seems to pick up my accent with no trouble. Perhaps it’s our age difference.
@thorninmud Great point. If I can find a way to ask for clarity making the problem mine and not theirs, that may help.
@bookish1 I’ll test the idea of slowing down my own speech. Might help.
@ucme If the call-center operators I’ve been dealing with are modifying their accents, perhaps they should abandon that strategy. So you’re from up North, eh? I lived in Edinburgh for a time, so I got used to something not to dissimilar. But now, 50 years later, go fast with that and I’m lost.
@elbanditoroso Nice egalitarian answer, but it simply doesn’t fly. I could claim to speak German, and come out with a string of gibberish that is remotely like words in those languages, but pour them out as fast as my mouth can move. Nobody from Germany would understand a word I was saying, and that would not be their fault.
@JLeslie Excellent idea. Next time it comes up on a call center, I’ll do just that.
@Kardamom Yes, mostly telemarketing (easy—hang up) and tech call centers. Also the guy I’m collaborating with on some client’s work right now. He’s in Hyderabad, India.