I often need help with tech support. When I call I sometimes get a representative with a strong accent that I can’t understand.

What is a polite way to address this? I sometimes just thank them and hang up and call back hoping I will get someone that I understand. For the record, my hearing is perfect.

– Need Help

When you call a customer service or help line, you and the representative have the same goal – solving the problem, hopefully quickly. So, encountering communication issues – whether they’re due to a bad connection, trouble understanding one another, or anything else – keeps everyone from their goal.

It’s no one’s fault and so it’s fine to just put it out there by saying, “I’m sorry, I’m having trouble understanding you. Is there someone else I can speak with?” By phrasing it in this way, you keep the focus on the goal – clear communication – without casting judgment on the way the representative speaks.

 This is in response to “Need Help”, who encountered trouble understanding customer service reps. I worked in a call center, international department until my retirement. Because every phone call is constantly being graded and monitored by “quality control department” callers can get better results for themselves and for the representative by asking “can you repeat that, please?” – this is an alert phrase.

You can also say “because this call is being rated for your quality of service, I want you to know, you are doing well. But I need to speak to your supervisor to resolve this.”

What does this do? It releases the CSR from the call allowing them to be the best they can be. Customer Service Rep goals are to “Relay, relate, respond and release” as efficiently as possible with kindness for a good grade. – Former CSR

Dear Former CSR: I really appreciate this peek behind the curtain. After working in restaurants as a server and server trainer for a decade, I feel that I have similar insights when I encounter issues when out dining. It’s helpful to remember that everyone has the same goal in customer service situations – a successful interaction.