Monthly Archive for December, 2009

If I want to make a phone call, I have to go through a relay operator since I am deaf.  Sometimes it works if the person I am calling is someone who knows me, but if I have to call a business or make a doctor’s appointment, the person answering the phone often gets confused and hangs up, thinking I am a telemarketer or a spammer.  I’m not sure if the problem lies in that people simply don’t understand this is a deaf person calling through a relay operator, or if the relay operator is doing a poor job explaining the service to them during the introductory call.  Either way, it is frustrating as hell, and I often choose businesses that have online ordering or email over businesses that don’t so I can avoid having to use a relay operator as much as possible.  All of my doctors have online appointment schedulers and my hair stylist & manicurist have email access.

Today was special.  I want to make bœuf bourguignon tonight, and I need a solid block of bacon to make lardons from.  I wanted to call three butcher shops in San Francisco; Guerra’s, Avedano’s, and Bryan’s.  Since they’re all spread far apart and I am relying on pubic transportation, I wanted to call first instead of spending a chunk of my day visiting them in person to see if they have them.  Well, I never got to find out if either butcher has what I need, because they all hung up on me before I could ask.  Below is my transcript of my call with Guerra’s.  As you can see, they hung up on me three times.  This is nothing new.  I deal with this sort of thing almost every single time I call a business.

I can’t live like this anymore.  If someone can tell me how and what I need to do to fix the broken relay system, I will do it.  I don’t like whining and complaining.  I would like to fix this.

11:07:03 AM Kathryn Hill: call 415-564-0585 ga
11:07:14 AM 711 Relay: Connecting to relay center… to disconnect, type HANGUP or SKSK.
11:07:17 AM 711 Relay: Connected at 2:07pm EST on Thursday, December 10, 2009
11:07:19 AM 711 Relay: Hello! i711.com CA#90003M
11:07:19 AM 711 Relay: THK U DIALING
11:07:22 AM 711 Relay: 415 564 0585
11:07:31 AM 711 Relay: RINGING 1…
11:07:37 AM 711 Relay: (AUTOMATED SYSTEM)
11:07:53 AM 711 Relay: thank you for calling guerra’s
11:07:55 AM 711 Relay: (recording to relay)
11:08:44 AM 711 Relay: holiday hours for christmas week
11:08:48 AM 711 Relay: are as follows monday december
11:08:55 AM 711 Relay: 21st through wednesday december 23rd
11:09:02 AM 711 Relay: are
11:09:06 AM 711 Relay: from
11:09:11 AM 711 Relay: (garbled message) thursday december 24th christmas eve
11:09:19 AM 711 Relay: are from 9am to 4pm and closed
11:09:23 AM 711 Relay: christmas day our location is
11:09:31 AM 711 Relay: on the corner of 15th and taraville
11:09:42 AM 711 Relay: and we are now accepting holiday orders
11:09:46 AM 711 Relay: for christmas to speak to someone or to
11:09:55 AM 711 Relay: place an order please press
11:09:56 AM 711 Relay: 0 happy holidays thank you GA
11:10:01 AM Kathryn Hill: 0 ga
11:10:10 AM 711 Relay: (pressing 0)
11:10:35 AM 711 Relay: please hold while i transfer you
11:10:35 AM 711 Relay: (ON HOLD)
11:10:37 AM 711 Relay: (advertisement)
11:10:37 AM 711 Relay: (M)
11:10:39 AM 711 Relay: (INTRO CALL PLS HLD)
11:11:12 AM Kathryn Hill: hello I am making lardons and I need a block of uncut solid bacon do you have this q ga
11:11:18 AM 711 Relay: hello this is john can i help you qq
11:11:18 AM 711 Relay: (CALLED PARTY HAS HUNG UP)
11:11:18 AM 711 Relay: (ANOTHER CALL Q GA)
11:11:34 AM Kathryn Hill: redial and tell them I am a customer with a question ga
11:11:43 AM 711 Relay: (thank you redialing please hold)
11:11:53 AM 711 Relay: RINGING 1…
11:11:55 AM 711 Relay: (AUTOMATED SYSTEM)
11:11:59 AM 711 Relay: thank you for calling guerra’s
11:12:05 AM 711 Relay: (navigating to a live person)
11:12:27 AM 711 Relay: (ON HOLD)
11:12:32 AM 711 Relay: (advertisement)
11:12:38 AM 711 Relay: (M)
11:12:38 AM 711 Relay: (INTRO CALL PLS HLD)
11:12:42 AM 711 Relay: (relaying instructions)
11:12:58 AM 711 Relay: (EXPLAINING RELAY)
11:13:13 AM Kathryn Hill: please don’t hang up I have a meat question ga
11:13:32 AM 711 Relay: hello this is robert (too fast)
11:13:34 AM 711 Relay: (sounds hurried)
11:13:34 AM 711 Relay: (CALLED PARTY HAS HUNG UP)
11:13:34 AM 711 Relay: (ANOTHER CALL Q GA)
11:13:42 AM Kathryn Hill: nooo
11:13:47 AM Kathryn Hill: why are they hanging up
11:13:49 AM Kathryn Hill: redial ga
11:14:00 AM 711 Relay: (thank you redialing please hold)
11:14:08 AM 711 Relay: RINGING 1…
11:14:14 AM 711 Relay: (AUTOMATED SYSTEM)
11:14:22 AM 711 Relay: thank you for calling guerra’s
11:14:24 AM 711 Relay: (recording to relay)
11:15:05 AM 711 Relay: holiday hours for christmas week as follows
11:15:11 AM 711 Relay: monday
11:15:12 AM 711 Relay: december 21st through wednesday
11:15:18 AM 711 Relay: december 23rd are from
11:15:23 AM 711 Relay: 9am to 7pm thursday december 24th
11:15:29 AM 711 Relay: christmas
11:15:36 AM 711 Relay: eve are from 9am to 4pm and closed
11:15:42 AM 711 Relay: christmas day our location is on the
11:15:50 AM 711 Relay: corner of 15th and taraville and
11:16:00 AM 711 Relay: we are now accepting
11:16:02 AM 711 Relay: holiday orders for christmas to speak to someone or
11:16:12 AM 711 Relay: to place an order please press
11:16:16 AM 711 Relay: 0 happy holidays thank you GA
11:16:43 AM Kathryn Hill: 0 ga
11:16:50 AM 711 Relay: (pressing 0)
11:16:54 AM 711 Relay: RINGING 1…
11:17:00 AM 711 Relay: xxx
11:17:10 AM 711 Relay: please hold while i transfer you
11:17:10 AM 711 Relay: (ON HOLD)
11:17:12 AM 711 Relay: (music playing)
11:17:23 AM 711 Relay: (M)
11:17:25 AM 711 Relay: (INTRO CALL PLS HLD)
11:17:41 AM 711 Relay: hello this is robert
11:17:43 AM 711 Relay: (CALLED PARTY HAS HUNG UP)
11:17:43 AM 711 Relay: (ANOTHER CALL Q GA)