The '150' recording

[andy-hughes]

Fancy being sent into a balistic temper in about ten seconds? Just ring 150 and listen.

BT have heard that a Scots accent is perceived as wam and welcoming, so they've employed a woman who souonds like Ian McGaskill on steroids to record their welcome message.

"Hellooo, and thanks for calling Bee TEEEEE."

It just reeks of the sort of nauseasting patronising attitude that makes sane people reach for heavy blunt instruments.

Hey BT - I work for you, I don't need to be spoken to as though I am a five year-old with an attention problem. I don't need to feel 'welcomed', just connect me with a human who speaks English and I'll do the rest.

OK, rant over - any thoughts?

[Sqad]

Dan...LOL

[fieldivision]

(15:29 21-Sep-2009) Report This
Andy....I don't live in the UK, but often have to phone for various reasons and get put through to a Glasgow dept.....boy, that really takes the biscuit, I frequently have to ask them to repeat themselves as I have no idea what they have said, because of their accent.

How about importing Indians into the jobs?

And often we have to ask you to repeat yourself due to the gentleman English you speak...

[andy-hughes]

Good morning Dan

So am I saying the 150 operator doesn't speak English because of her Scots accent?
No, and she is not a 150 operator, she is a voice-over artist employed to record this announcement.

Or that only English people can speak English?
No, I never mentioned nationality as an issue.

Or that only native English people should ever be employed for a job which requires verbal communication in the English langauge?
No - see the above answer.

Or that you are unable to decipher what she's saying because of her Scottish burr?
No - see the answer before the above answer.

And so on and so on.

The whole point of my argument is that BT have chosen a Scots person because they have heard that a Scots accent is seen as warm and welcoming - that is a cynical approach by a big company to its customer base.
Furthermore, the way in which the recording is delivered reeks of a patronising attitude of the kind to which Billy Connolly takes a verbal machete at regular intervals.

I would suggest from your answer that you have completly missed the point I made, which was in no way disparaging to Scots people or their accent.

As for your suggestion that ear syringing might help - I would not be so offensive in my response and suggest that you need your eyes tested - but I would suggest that you re-read my post and note that all your criticism are invalid.