Businesses hanging up on relay calls

Booger_Bender

Booger_Bender

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Is there anything I could do if there's no possible way to make a simple call to my housing management where I live without being hung up on and denied connection? I have been finding it very impossible to use relay services anymore due to the constant hanging up by hearing user.

It should be a law that all businesses should educate their employees about Deaf clients making relay calls.

Any info and help is greatly appreciated.
 
I don't have anything helpful to say, but I wanted to chime in and say that I've been really frustrated with this too! When I was apartment shopping, there's a couple that I didn't even go look at because they kept hanging up on me... the one that I did go look at, I asked the lady why she kept hanging up and she goes "Oh, I don't take relay calls."

It took me four times to get through to my internet company so I could pay the bill. A restaurant here, the lady who answered kept saying "Call back when the manager is here" and hanging up... Even when I had the relay person start out with "DON'T HANG UP ON ME!"

I get so frustrated... I usually end up switching to using clear captions (since it's VCO and they don't announce relay), but then the delay is worse and I seem to have a lot of issues with really incorrect captioning.

I often want to go in to whatever business and go a little ape sh*t on them.
 
I hate the relay service with a passion. It's no wonder companies hang up on you if the relay operators opens with "Hello, this is the relay operator from..."

Just that word operator makes one think of telemarketers, naturally their first instinct is to hang up.

Second biggest peeve with relay operators is their lousy spelling/typing skills. You would think, considering the good pay they get, that they would at least be qualified.
 
RachelRene said:
I don't have anything helpful to say, but I wanted to chime in and say that I've been really frustrated with this too! When I was apartment shopping, there's a couple that I didn't even go look at because they kept hanging up on me... the one that I did go look at, I asked the lady why she kept hanging up and she goes "Oh, I don't take relay calls."

It took me four times to get through to my internet company so I could pay the bill. A restaurant here, the lady who answered kept saying "Call back when the manager is here" and hanging up... Even when I had the relay person start out with "DON'T HANG UP ON ME!"

I get so frustrated... I usually end up switching to using clear captions (since it's VCO and they don't announce relay), but then the delay is worse and I seem to have a lot of issues with really incorrect captioning.

I often want to go in to whatever business and go a little ape sh*t on them.
Click to expand...

I nearly went apeshit on Telus when I called through relay to cancel my service with them and they said they can only take cancellations directly from customers, not through a second party. I was furious!
 
One thing hearing people don't understand is that us Deaf/HOH folks have technological advances for years before hearing people had any kind of communication interface such as text messaging. I also feel that Hearing people hijacked our communication and calling it their technology. the whole thing smells like hypocrisy. This is linked to why hearing people feel they have to own everything above others. with this type of attitude it's no wonder why hearing people ignore deaf or hang up on them.

Next time the Deaf/HOH culture comes out with another cool way to communicate it should be Deaf/HOH culture only. :P

( just ranting )
 
DeafCaroline said:
I nearly went apeshit on Telus when I called through relay to cancel my service with them and they said they can only take cancellations directly from customers, not through a second party. I was furious!
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For exactly this reason, my mom / sister know password all my utility accounts etc. any problem, they phone, say they me.
 
blame on nigerian and possible ADA itself.

OOps, this is Diehardbiker not LakeTahoe
 
Yup, the Nigerian scammers have had a great impact on the hang-ups.....
 
sometimes fraud Nigerian is very serious scammer caught you jail, you go to jail
 
DeafCaroline said:
I hate the relay service with a passion. It's no wonder companies hang up on you if the relay operators opens with "Hello, this is the relay operator from..."

Just that word operator makes one think of telemarketers, naturally their first instinct is to hang up.

Second biggest peeve with relay operators is their lousy spelling/typing skills. You would think, considering the good pay they get, that they would at least be qualified.
Click to expand...

During the winter of 2010/2011 my hearing aids were too broken down to use on the phone and I used relay until I could replace them. I got a lot of hang-ups and it was very frustrating.

But what can relay operators do? Legally don't they have to make it clear that there are speaking for a deaf person and are not the person they are calling for?

That being said, a few times when I was dealing with difficult businesses I was able to get a relay op to start the conversation by asking my question, and delay bringing me into the picture until later.

It was similar to giving a relay directions on how to get through a company's voice menu system without getting the exact byplay.

But I don't know if it was legal. If the relay businesses are set up to have supervisors listen in to conversations randomly, I suppose some of my relay ops could have gotten into trouble.
 
What I did was to tell relay operator first before I give her the ph number. I explained to her that business tend to hang up the first thing they hear you tell you're relay operator. After my "secret discussion" with VRS operator, She did exactly what I want her to. It works every time and biz didn't hang up on me.

Depending what VRS you are using. Some just let you call VRS terp first before giving phone number

If some VRS do not let you connect directly to VRS terp except type ph number you are calling to and VRS terp shows up. Tell her WAIT WAIT.. Before you dial, I need to talk to you about this company/business that tend to hang up and can you just tell them my name and explain nature of issue you want to tell them. VRS terp should do what you ask for to "get around" with "phone hanging jerks". Be sure that you don't surprise "jerk" that you were actually using relay. Sometime they asked why female voice while you're male ( :giggle: happens to me once). It's none of their business, just make sure the "jerk" shut up and listen and do what you asked for.

Works like a charm!!

Catty
 
Is that through VRS? I have experienced less hang ups using VRS than online relay services.
 
Its perfectly fine as I believe. Yes it works like charm. You make the VRS call, your in charge not the operator. The job description for these operators is very simple and straightforward, relay the message vice-versa, nothing more, nothing less. The operators should never take over the call that you place. Its your call not theirs!



purplecatty said:
What I did was to tell relay operator first before I give her the ph number. I explained to her that business tend to hang up the first thing they hear you tell you're relay operator. After my "secret discussion" with VRS operator, She did exactly what I want her to. It works every time and biz didn't hang up on me.

Depending what VRS you are using. Some just let you call VRS terp first before giving phone number

If some VRS do not let you connect directly to VRS terp except type ph number you are calling to and VRS terp shows up. Tell her WAIT WAIT.. Before you dial, I need to talk to you about this company/business that tend to hang up and can you just tell them my name and explain nature of issue you want to tell them. VRS terp should do what you ask for to "get around" with "phone hanging jerks". Be sure that you don't surprise "jerk" that you were actually using relay. Sometime they asked why female voice while you're male ( :giggle: happens to me once). It's none of their business, just make sure the "jerk" shut up and listen and do what you asked for.

Works like a charm!!

Catty
Click to expand...
 
purplecatty said:
What I did was to tell relay operator first before I give her the ph number. I explained to her that business tend to hang up the first thing they hear you tell you're relay operator. After my "secret discussion" with VRS operator, She did exactly what I want her to. It works every time and biz didn't hang up on me.

Depending what VRS you are using. Some just let you call VRS terp first before giving phone number

If some VRS do not let you connect directly to VRS terp except type ph number you are calling to and VRS terp shows up. Tell her WAIT WAIT.. Before you dial, I need to talk to you about this company/business that tend to hang up and can you just tell them my name and explain nature of issue you want to tell them. VRS terp should do what you ask for to "get around" with "phone hanging jerks". Be sure that you don't surprise "jerk" that you were actually using relay. Sometime they asked why female voice while you're male ( :giggle: happens to me once). It's none of their business, just make sure the "jerk" shut up and listen and do what you asked for.

Works like a charm!!

Catty
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are saying Catty. For the difficult businesses, did you do the same thing as me? Have the relay operator act like they were asking a general question, or calling for their boss, or pretending to be me (I'm not sure what they did -- I guess it varied), until it came time to make a appt. or something similar?

FWIW, I never made a call with a relay operator that involved making a payment.
 
What he means that when calling a VRS, as soon as operator answer the call, he instructed the operator NOT to announce that this is relay, blah blah, just call and get connected. That is it. It works! In other word, the person he calls to would not realize it is relay calls. The only way the other party knows it is relay call is when operator announces that the call is being relay.

You can do that, give a try.

TTY or text relay, it is almost impossible to cover the relay operator due to speed. VRS, easy to cover up.

Jazzberry said:
I'm not sure what you are saying Catty. For the difficult businesses, did you do the same thing as me? Have the relay operator act like they were asking a general question, or calling for their boss, or pretending to be me (I'm not sure what they did -- I guess it varied), until it came time to make a appt. or something similar?

FWIW, I never made a call with a relay operator that involved making a payment.
Click to expand...
 
diehardbiker said:
What he means that when calling a VRS, as soon as operator answer the call, he instructed the operator NOT to announce that this is relay, blah blah, just call and get connected. That is it. It works!
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OK, so when the relay operator does it that way -- how do they explain the delay in responding throughout the phone call?

ETA: Maybe there are less delays in a VRS than in a relay call that involves text?
 
Just do it, instruct relay operator not to announce, and as soon as the other side answer your call, operator must relay back to you immediately to give you time to response. It works, but not on TTY or IP relay.

Jazzberry said:
OK, so when the relay operator does it that way -- how do they explain the delay in responding throughout the phone call?
Click to expand...
 
diehardbiker said:
Just do it, instruct relay operator not to announce, and as soon as the other side answer your call, operator must relay back to you immediately to give you time to response. It works, but not on TTY or IP relay.
Click to expand...


I had edited my post after you responded, but before I saw that you did.

So I guess VRS is really fast. Another reason to learn sign! :)
 
Yes, I saw that

Generally though text relay, average speed is around 60 WPM. While speech and ASL has speed of about 200 WPM, that is why VRS is faster, If you are hard of hearing, why not try VCO option?

Jazzberry said:
I had edited my post after you responded, but before I saw that you did.

So I guess VRS is really fast. Another reason to learn sign! :)
Click to expand...
 
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