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Accent Cleaning

Accent neutralization for call center workers is technology that leaves a person with mixed feelings. There is a sense is matching the rep's accent to the caller's accent, giving them a relatable name and backstory even. But to wash off the accent indiscriminately to replace it with something "better" and "more acceptable" does not sit right.

I can't count the number of times I have had trouble following a rep's accent because they were from some part of the country that does not have a flat and neutral accent that is easier for everyone to follow. If they were to wash it off for my benefit I would find it a lot more endearing if they settled for an nice Indian accent that I could both relate to and follow with no trouble. 

In an interview with Bloomberg, Teleperformance deputy chief executive officer Thomas Mackenbrock said that Sanas' technology, which his employer has gained exclusive rights to through its partnership, can "neutralize the accent of the Indian speaker with zero latency."

"When you have an Indian agent on the line, sometimes it’s hard to hear, to understand," Mackebrock said. Translating agents' accents to make them easier for native English speakers on the other end of the line "creates more intimacy, increases the customer satisfaction, and reduces the average handling time," he added.

"It is a win-win for both parties," the deputy CEO enthused. 

It would have been a lot smarter to use the available technology to help create stronger human connection instead of taking a deeply prejudiced view of an accent that many would find entirely acceptable in fact. I'd speak to a Chetan from Mumbai that sounds like himself instead of a wrapper that goes by Chad and inspires no trust or confidence.

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