The Secret Deafie is a series of anonymous columns written by different writers. Today’s Deafie has sent us a transcript of an actual call made on Text Relay.
Recently I made a call via Text Relay, to our local Indian restaurant for a home delivery. I am a rare user, preferring to use emails or SMS, like most deaf people I know.
I expected this to be a fairly straightforward call. However, this call left me astounded at the Text Relay Assistant’s unprofessional attitude.
Note: The operator’s side of the conversation is in bold. ‘ga’ means ‘go ahead.’
Read on…
[operator].. Hello how can I help? ga
[caller] Hello my name is ******** and i would like to place an order please. ga
Note from operator… its too noisy. he cant hear me. ga
Try again please. ga
You are going to have to give me the order etc first. ga
Ok that’s fine, are you ready… one chicken rezzela, one chicken tikka masala, bindi and brinjai bhaji, bindi and chana…just to check that you are following this ok?? ga
Yes keep going. ga
Bangladesh tarka dhall, fresh spinach and indian cottage cheese, sag aloo, cucumber ratia, one pilau rice, one mushroom rice, one garlic naan. I believe that we are entitled to one free dish too? Ga
Look I’m just the text relay op. He cant barely hear me so there’s no point asking me if you get a free dish. Just say what it is you want. ga
Sorry, it is your job to relay my questions, so please just ask that. ga
Do you understand what I’m trying to explain to you? it is very noisy. He cannot hear me that is why he hung up. You need to make this as simple as possible. I’m not going to be mentioning text relay or he will hang up again so if you get a free dish what dish do you want? ga
Well the menu mentions that so that’s why. Can you try one more time please and we will try and be patient this end! ga
You are going to have to answer some questions first. Firstly, your address and how are you going to be paying. ga
Ok ****** I live at ******** ***********, and I have my mastercard ready. ga
And the question I’ve already asked you to answer is what free dish do you want? If you don’t tell me now this man will not hold on the line whilst I relay everything to you, he will just hang up. ga
Mushroom and sag is the free dish we would like please. ga
hold txd re-dialing … txd pls wait … txd dialing txd engaged sksk txd re-dialing … txd pls wait … txd dialing txd engaged sksk txd re-dialing … txd pls wait … txd dialing txd engaged sksk txd re-dialing … txd pls wait … txd dialing txd engaged sksk note from operator… as you can see the line is busy ga
Ok, can i just check, did you get through once or twice? ga
You know I only got through once. The first time when he hung up. ga
Ok thanks, can I take your op number please? ga
Yes you’re welcome to it, firstly why do you require it? I’m trying to help you here. ga
Previously, the op number would come up on a call, but not on this screen, so it is helpful for me to know your op number. I would also suggest that try one more time, I get the impression that you are finding this call hard to deal with, but perhaps we can see if we can try one more time? ga
A take away order is usually the most simple call to do. So your impression is wrong. hold txd re-dialing … txd pls wait … txd dialing txd engaged sksk note from operator… again as you see line is still busy. ga
Ok, so can i take your number please ga
**** ** ga
Thank you very much for your patience, bibi for now – off to find another takeaway by foot! ga
Thank you for using text relay. sk
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Reload
April 23, 2012
As a hearing person who has battled with takeaways on the phone I can understand the frustrations of the op. However they passed on them to you which was not professional. Text can often be misconstrued, but think in this case they were just being arsey! Much prefer using just eat myself, far easier! :0)
Reload
April 23, 2012
*misconstrued (grr iPad autocorrect)
JR
April 23, 2012
http://www.hungryhouse.co.uk. No need to ever call takeaways again.
Tali
April 23, 2012
I think you are being VERY unfair on the poor operator. Often some hearing people are so rude and impatient (especially in takeaways (because ur taking up their time and they may miss a few other orders)!) and what the kind operator was trying to ask you is for all the information before calling again so that she can place the order quickly and efficiently as possible without explaining the whole text relay thing to a clueless hearing person.
mmostynthomas
April 23, 2012
The difference between a text relay operator and a deaf person is that the operator is doing a paid job. If he doesn’t like it, he can leave.
Another reluctant Text Relay user
April 23, 2012
Tali, I disagree with you, the tone of the operator was unnecessary and demeaning and what made you think the operator was a female?!
Richie
April 23, 2012
I agree, it’s unfair on the operator. The problem is text pops up so slow and the other person would have to wait… one… chicken… rezzela… one… chicken… tikka… masala… It is no wonder the person receiving the call hung up on the relay operator. She did the right thing by trying to help you out by having you put all of your order in first so that the other person doesn’t hang up. She did her best.
Tali
April 23, 2012
also top tip for take aways, instead of giving the full name of the dish, give the number of the dish, i.e “I’ll order 7, 14, 15, 34 and a coke please”.
barakta
April 23, 2012
I’d be furious if that was a text relay operator that I was using. I realise they think they are being helpful, but their job is to assist and ensure that we the deaf textrelay user retain our autonomy. They could have explained to secret deafie that “In my experience with takeaways in noisy environments if you give me all the info I can do the call more naturally to a hearing person as takeaways will often hang up during the relaying process”.
Then it would have been secret deafies CHOICE! That’s the key word here. Nothing infuriates me more than call-relayers (textrelay or friendly hearies) cutting me out of the discussion and making decisions for me.
My textphone doesn’t give me op numbers either and the fact the op was hedging about giving it implies they know they’re doing wrong. It’s one thing them ‘bending the rules’ if it’s something the caller is happy with, it’s another where the caller is unhappy about it.
Andie
March 8, 2013
Exactly! When I was relaying, I would bend the rules when the user was ok with that and it could help in a difficult call, but I tried to limit that sort of thing as much as possible.
TRA
December 5, 2012
I deal with calls like this on a daily basis as i work in text relay and this situation is not uncommon. If you are dealing with someone who is foreign and speaks broken English who also doesnt understand English clearly its very VERY hard to make them understand that a ‘deaf’ person is calling them. So if we get any sort of resistance ie…they hang up…we have found its quicker for YOU the text relay user if we take as much information as we can and just give them the order details along with delivery information etc. Why couldnt you just tell the advisor what your extra free meal was instead of prolonging the process??? You probably could of saved yourself 1-2 minutes of unnecessary back and forth communications.
The text relay op would not of just been ‘arsey’ for no reason. If you would of ordered from say a Dominos pizza or a fish and chips shop where the likelihood is the person on the phone would of been English then we would of explained to them what the situation was and it would of been handled more efficiently. Its hard to explain to foreign people…obviously!!!
You deafies think its a simple process and everyone understands the nature of your business and the text relay service…..they dont!!!! Its like me asking you what is your opinion of the new One Direction song….you would have no idea!!!!
Yes the service is YOUR service and we try everything we can to make it as smooth and fluent as we can for YOU. But certain situations require us to use our own judgement.
You have a laptop right??? You went to the trouble of posting this pathetic rant?? Heres a tip…www.just-eat.co.uk….
Tra
🙂
Love Text Relay Renegades!
DeafPerspective
January 29, 2013
Us ‘Deafies’ … WOW … was it necessary to call us that! This is playground name calling! That’s like a white person calling a black person a ‘blacky’ or a black person calling a white person a ‘whitey’. Totally unnecessary. I am not sure why the text relay operator/s had to point out the difficulties they encounter with the other parties we are trying to call. It’s their job to relay the call and not to use their own judgement on how best to proceed with the call if they encounter difficulties. They should keep trying until they get the message across to the other party we are calling loud and clear.
barakta
January 29, 2013
Wow! Do you have any idea how patronising you are being here TRA?
I would not want to use you as a relay op if you’re going round on the Internet in D/deaf space saying stuff like this and not raising “the relay op view” in a more considered and respectful way. You have treated the Secret Deafie as if they’re stupid and not worth your professional time and that Secret Deafie should have done things your way or not used relay!
As a hearing person especially in the role you are in, you have power over D/deaf users of your service. You may have more experience of handling takeaway kinds of call, but that does not give you the right override a deaf caller’s decisions and be rude to them if they decide not to take your advice and make decisions that you think are wrong!
And in case you think I don’t know what it’s like:
I am a deaf/disabled person and I work as a professional adviser/support person for other disabled/deaf people. I know both sides of the fence and yes there are times when my clients say or do things which I find MADDENING! However the responsibility to remain professional, courteous and respectful at all times towards my clients and in “their spaces” is *MINE*. I have power over my clients and it is vital I am always aware of that and do not abuse it! I have my own ways of privately letting off steam and expressing my frustration so that I don’t take my frustrations out on clients.
I think about ways of ensuring I tell clients clearly with reasons when and why I think their decisions are wrong, but also making it clear where it is ultimately their decision. If clients still choose a potentially bad decision then I am required to let them know of potential consequences so they are making that decision with full information but beyond that it’s my job to shut up and go along with what they have chosen.
And when sometimes clients’ bad decisions cause problems for them, it’s absolutely not acceptable (EVER!) to say “I told you so!” or “If you don’t do as I advise, go away and do something else!” At this point my job becomes about fixing things and moving forwards. When I do have to raise the fact that it was the client’s bad decision that caused problems I do it with the best possible care and kindness.
So TRA, please go away and think about how you’re coming across here. You’re not helping D/deaf people if you’re secretly thinking of us as if we’re stupid.
TextRelayOp
February 19, 2013
I know this is an old thread but I felt I had to comment.
I’ve been a Text Relay op for almost 10yrs.
I’m disgusted and astounded at the attitude of both my colleague who took that call and my colleague who commented above. And I appreciate some of you defending my colleague who took the call but they really don’t deserve it. I would normally stick up for my colleagues but there was absolutely no need for them to speak to the customer in the way they did. Takeaway calls can be extremely frustrating and I’ve often simply hung it up, got the order details and redialled. There is absolutely no excuse for the op taking their frustrations out on the customer. Yes the customer could have been more forthcoming with information and saved some time but they didn’t do a single thing to deserve the way they were treated by the op. And as for my colleague’s comments above, I can safely say they don’t represent the general attitude of the ops.
There are some customers out there who could do with reminding that we are people and not robots, some people do treat us dreadfully and most of us do our best to make our customers’ calls easier, but nothing gives us the right to treat customers like that. So for what it’s worth, on behalf of Text Relay, I apologise.
Andie
March 8, 2013
As a former relay operator, I have to second that. Calls like that could be frustrating at times, but I see no reason to not be a professional about it; after all, that’s part of the job.
When I was working, our operator numbers were automatically sent, so it was never really an issue, but questioning a user as to why they want your ID and reminding them that you’re there to help them (as opposed to doing your job and offering a service) strikes me as being grossly unprofessional.
tom
December 6, 2013
Hi, I’m not a user of text relay but am looking into it for a friend who is very hard of hearing and lives on her own.
I’m amazed in this thread by the strong element of entitlement I’m witnessing here. It comes across to me .. a mere bystander .. as I AM DEAF, DO MY BIDDING AS I INSTRUCT YOU!
I think I’m right in saying this service is free. A service to those with an impairment by our society. It would be nice to see some appreciation here and to realise that the operator is helpless in certain situations.
Is it SO difficult to imagine a noisy restaurant …a hassled member of staff with dozens of calls coming through …and a slow slow slow caller?
A drunk caller or one with a terrible stutter would get exactly the same treatment. These people need to make money (restaurants) so give them a break and thank your lucky stars you’re not born in a third world country.
MZ
December 12, 2013
Well that is pretty much what the job of a relay operator is: they are there to relay communications from one mode to another, not interject themselves into the process unless requested. The operator isn’t a deaf person’s personal assistant or mother who takes over the call herself. A user of relay services is, in-fact, “entitled” to exactly that kind of service from the operator. And it’s certainly never acceptable (and usually illegal) for a restaurant staffer to refuse to help someone who communicates a little more slowly than others because of a disability. While I can relate to the difficulty it may pose for a busy restaurant employee, doing your reasonable best to serve customers with disabilities is not optional and not something people should have to be thankful for.
That said, I do think the operator was really trying to help here. Calling some loud takeaway places where the person on the other end speaks limited English can be difficult for us hearing folks too. Certainly, the operator could have done a better job of working with secret deafie as barakta suggests, offering a choice to bend the rules in the name of efficiency rather than trying to take over the call.
minadina
July 6, 2014
I was a relay operator for 3 years and this operator was extremely unprofessional. Our jobs were to be as transparent as possible while being helpful. Had this operator been working at my center he or she definitely would have been fired on the spot. I’m appalled by the operators attitude and audacity to speak out of turn like that.
AK
July 17, 2014
I can’t believe there are people on here suggesting that Deaf people are being uppity or “entitled” by expecting a Text Relay Operator to do their job correctly and not be rude.