Press "1" For ENGLISH?

[deputy5211]

I telephoned the NTTA (North Texas Tollway Authority) yesterday because I think my TollTag transponder came unfastened from my bike and was lost. Like many businesses and organizations the line was answered by an auto-attendant. I am no fan of auto-attendants, and usually start pressing "0" for a live person or tell the system "agent" to cut through all of the "new menu options" installed "to better serve" me.

What happened next totally blew me away. The recording said "Press One for English" and then silence. Next thing I knew, I was being given service options, hours of service, and everything else . . . IN SPANISH.

I suppose this means that Spanish is the default language at the NTTA, which is, by the way, a polictical subdivision of the state (pronounced "governmental entity"). I don't have much heartburn over the messages being offered in other languages, but to have to press a button for English or be defaulted to a foreign language??? Needless to say, I will be dashing off a note to their board come Monday when they reopen.

[katnapinn]

Por Que No Senior Tony :rolleyes:

[messenger13]

Tony Tony Tony! It does NOT mean that Spanish is the "default language". Umm...what's the first language you heard?! HELLO! ENGLISH! But you chose to NOT press '1', so you got the alternative language. Would you rather have them say, "Apriete Uno para inglés" first, and then start speaking English??? I don't think so!

Just go polish your guns a while. Everything's gonna be OK. ;)

[RaffyK]

Actually it should be "Apriete Uno para espangnol"

[deputy5211]

Tony Tony Tony! It does NOT mean that Spanish is the "default language". Umm...what's the first language you heard?! HELLO! ENGLISH! But you chose to NOT press '1', so you got the alternative language. Would you rather have them say, "Apriete Uno para inglés" first, and then start speaking English??? I don't think so!

Just go polish your guns a while. Everything's gonna be OK. ;)

Joe Joe Joe! The initial greeting is in English, but if you do not intervene by pressing one for English, the system defaults to a Spanish language session. An example of a system defaulting to English might be:

"Thank you for calling XYZ Organization. Para Espanol marque el numero ocho. For Customer Service press one, for Billing press two," etc, with all other prompts in English, and the agent speaking English if you press nothing.

de·fault /dɪˈfɔlt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-fawlt] 6. computers. a value that a program or operating system assumes, or a course of action that a program or operating system will take, when the user or programmer specifies no overriding value or action.

"default." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 16 Sep. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/default>.

[SilverBuffalo]

Tony Tony Tony!
Just go polish your guns a while. Everything's gonna be OK. ;)

While polishing might be good "therapy" right now,
stocking up on ammunition might be the "necessary" thing.

[messenger13]

Joe Joe Joe! The initial greeting is in English, but if you do not intervene by pressing one for English, the system defaults to a Spanish language session.You're right. My bad. But I guess I just don't see the issue with having to "intervene". I'm also guessing that whomever setup the Automated Attendant just didn't put enough thought into it. Or...perhaps it was a conscious choice. In that case . . . MUTINY!!!!! http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/2ar15smilie.gif

[deputy5211]

You're right. My bad. But I guess I just don't see the issue with having to "intervene". I'm also guessing that whomever setup the Automated Attendant just didn't put enough thought into it. Or...perhaps it was a conscious choice. In that case . . . MUTINY!!!!! http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/2ar15smilie.gif

No real issue in intervening, unless you don't have touch-tone sevice. I object on a philosophical basis, not on the technical aspects. I do agree with your suggestion that perhaps the person who set it up didn't quite think it through. :eek:

[hoog62]

I do agree with your suggestion that perhaps the person who set it up didn't quite think it through. :eek:

...or maybe it was set up by a state employee of Hispanic persuasion?

[2002redrider]

This press one for English crap really makes me see red.
Karl Childress

[zippy_gg]

Press 1 for English.

Press 2 For Berlitz. :histerica