Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a...

[AustraliaPoochie]

prattish know it all.
I decided to try it out a while back, and it worked a treat.
But still, most likely only Red Roo and the other mob's contact (VA) would know, what the contact centre's computer keyboard are like, ...
But what do you others think?
Ie, if your surname is Jones-you start say, Juliet/Oscar/November/Echo/Sierra-and my PNR is 34J5QR, and I am due to fly out at 17:30 to WLG...

 

[Joshua]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I always use the phonetic alpha with just about every call centre, yet to find someone who didn't understand. Mostly useful for PNRs and the like. Call centre staff usually treat you better to...

 

[nonpop]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I use it where you need to get the info 100% correct such as PNR, insurance policy number or other complex non dictionary word or where you get similar sounding letters (M,N). I tend to find it is well received and removes the errors.

The only query I have had is with overseas based call centres where English may be their second language and the operator appears to be new / in training.

 

[medhead]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I always use it for the PNR. Never use it for my name because they have my name on their screen, matching auditory and visual cues is easier. Qantas call centre staff do use it for reading out PNR. However, it's always R for Romeo and they always use Q for Qantas. If I use the phonetic alphabet first up they know they can just use it, which saves time.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I use it for PNRs, like others, but not my name or destination.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I use it for booking references all the time. I think it helps the staff understand my broad accent and helps me to practice my NATO alphabet without feeling like a weirdo

 

[bass_ke]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I've used it for a while, second nature after using it at work for many years.

 

[Danger]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I don't think it could be considered "prattish".

It's not like it's QF internal code. The phonetic alphabet has been around for a long time.

 

[wingspan]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

Looks like I'm with the bulk of AFFers - I use it for my PNRs. I wouldn't use it for my name unless I were asked to confirm the spelling or something like that. Especially given that there are so many similar sounding letters (like B,C,D,E,G,P,T,V), it just saves time.

 

[Moopere]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

... and helps me to practice my NATO alphabet without feeling like a weirdo

Haha. I do it too For the same reason ... and, obviously, for clarity in booking. I'm finding that I am using it for more than just flight related interactions as well - banking, insurance, telco's ... all the businesses that tend to have o/s call centres - its made things a _lot_ less frustrating.

 

[Hvr]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

You mean there are people that don't use it for their PNR?

Cannot think of any reason not to use it as the standard language for critical details such as a PNR.

 

[Kangol]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I always use it for the PNR. Never use it for my name because they have my name on their screen, matching auditory and visual cues is easier. Qantas call centre staff do use it for reading out PNR. However, it's always R for Romeo and they always use Q for Qantas. If I use the phonetic alphabet first up they know they can just use it, which saves time.

I do it too - but Romeo is "correct" as per NATO?
NATO phonetic alphabet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I sometimes use Indigo instead of India

I also find some US call centres use this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAPD_phonetic_alphabet

 

[Pushka]

Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or bei...

I use it frequently. A requirement in the Police Force.

India and Romeo are used in the Australian emergency services. Q is Quebec.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or bei...

I use it almost all the time now, especially for PNRs, and also for surname. Almost never use it for my first name as it is common enough.

I usually spell it out with the letter followed by the phonetic; for example, if my PNR was requested and it was F9DZ2H, then I would say, "eff as in Foxtrot, the number nine, dee as in Delta, zed as in Zulu, the number 2, aych as in Hotel".

Of course, when talking about locations, I almost always never use the IATA like I normally would when talking with other FF members (e.g. on AFF ), so if my flight was going to WLG, I'd tell the agent, "Going to Wellington", not "Going to double-you-ell-gee" or "Going to Whiskey-Lima-Golf". The only exception would be when they are misunderstanding where I am referring to.

 

[codash1099]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I use it for booking references all the time. I think it helps the staff understand my broad accent and helps me to practice my NATO alphabet without feeling like a weirdo

Let 'em struggle. After all, call centres themselves can be difficult to understand.

 

[medhead]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I do it too - but Romeo is "correct" as per NATO?
NATO phonetic alphabet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I sometimes use Indigo instead of India

I also find some US call centres use this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAPD_phonetic_alphabet

Yes I know Romeo is correct. I didn't really explain that very well as a separate idea to the Q for Qantas. Just trying to illustrate that the Qantas call centre at least says both the letter and the word.

Q I remember well because my radio course instructor cracked the sads because I didn't pronounce it Keebec. But then he also cracked the sads when I did an unknown station authentication on him when he used the wrong network identifier on a frequency change.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

Not sure why the QF call centre is targeted in this thread, but actually IME the QF call centre are pretty good in using the NATO phonetics. Sometimes you get the odd one which either forgets a letter or two of the phonetics and uses another word instead (e.g. M for Mark or Y for Yellow), or the rare one that uses some of those freak phonetics you are more used to from Wheel of Fortune, e.g. N for Nellie or E for Egg. I suspect sometimes they switch to easier words or something because their customers may not understand the phonetic word and be completely confused; for example, I'm not sure how many people may know of Quebec, let alone that Quebec, which starts with a Q, is pronounced nominally that it would sound more like it starts with a non-sibilant C or a K. Same thing with, say, S for Sierra ("what is a Sierra?").

Other Western based airlines with Western based call centre staff are usually not too bad in this regard too, but there are some select non-Western airlines whose English speaking call centre staff at least understand the phonetics.

 

[medhead]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

Qantas is not being targetted only so much as that's the only call centre that I can remember using phonetics.

 

[Fifa]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I also use it for PNRs, rarely for my surname but often use Foxtrot for my first name initial.
I am also required to use the phonetic alphabet at work.

 

[straitman]

Re: Using Phonetics to help the QF contact centre, is it being a real help or being a

I also use it for PNRs, rarely for my surname but often use Foxtrot for my first name initial.
I am also required to use the phonetic alphabet at work.

With a first name of Fifa it should never be a problem :!: