A customer service representative in a call center wrote to About.com Deafness, asking "How should we handle relay service calls?" Good question. The only answer I know of is "talk directly to the deaf person, not the relay operator." Is there anything else that a hearing person who gets a relay service call should be doing?
“How should we handle relay service calls?”????? Handle them like any other call!!!
Do you hang up on regular hearing customers? No, so don’t do it to relay calls!
Do you transfer hearing customers to a TTY line? No, so don’t do it to relay calls!
Do you say “tell her…” to hearing customers? No, so don’t do it to relay calls!
She should suggest to her management that this should be included in the training. People freak out when they get a relay call because they dont feel like they know how to handle it. A five minute training session at the next meeting can highlight the following points:
- do not hang up! if you do not know how to handle the conversation then ask! We are more than happy to explain the process
-the relay operator is not part of the conversation. Using words like “you” and “tell me” refer to the person on the other end of the line and not the relay operator
-some people use ASL language which has a different grammar structure. Think of it like a foreign language.
-Intelligence is the same as any other person you get on the phone, some are smart and most are average
-it may take a little more time to communicate so be patient.
-the relay operator will relay everything they hear. If you are talking to a colleague then the relay operator may indicate this or even type exactly what you are saying! The relay operator does not censor anything
Although it shouldn’t be, it’s incumbent on the caller to add special instructions to be explained to the called party, to put them at ease.
[Depending on who I'm calling, I mostly still use voice, but occasionally relay -- And on occasion, I also receive relay calls. An analogy would be for a CEO to make a blind call into the company main number, to see how it's handled.]
I use my Computer and the IM to talk with people for the very reason, I can’t get the person who I am calling to talk directly to me..No Need to say “TELL HER” anything.. Why???? Is there NO Education on this for ANYBODY who answers a Phone in ANY workplace..
Yes…one needs to speak slowly and without complicated words since the relay operator is only human and has to type out the responses. Its a pity that the relay operator has to put up with all the voice menu yadda yadda…cause they type it all out. Probably the best thing the rep can do is to ask the deaf person via the relay operator…what is the best way for me to respond to you so that I may help you? Patience is needed….because two folks are typing here….and so time goes by and many customer reps simply do not understand this.