Speling Problums
Q: What do all of the following have in common?
El Segunel
Woodear
Marina Gelray
Palace Verdez Peninsula
Nora
Suanballey
Dan Nuis
Coldina
Wilm.
K2
Oceanfive
A: They're all cities in southern California...at least, according to our employees!
With the end of the school year, I've returned to working at the market research company that I've called my employer since August of 2002. I never really left the company; I just went on an indefinite leave of absence last October. When the time came to return, I talked to Jason, the call center field director. We chatted a bit, and he told me that Jack, the Quality Assurance manager and my one-time mentor, had been recalled to military duty and was now working as a recruiter. So they've been operating without a QA person. My proposed solution to the problem was both simple and brilliant: "I could do that." He took me up on it. I'm the new quality manager for the call center.
As part of my duties, I have to check the data our interviewers collect. On the project we're running now, there is a particular emphasis on city, street, and personal names because we're going to be sending respondents more information by mail. So I've been checking the data that we've gathered. In my searching on Saturday, I found all of the following errors (and about two dozen others that weren't interesting enough to include here).
I've got my work cut out for me.
Oh, and if you were curious, here are the real city names:
El Segundo
Whittier
Marina Del Rey
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Norwalk
Sun Valley
Van Nuys
Covina
Wilmington
Arroyo Grande
Oceanside
Even if our employees haven't been to any of these places, is it too much to ask that they at least be aware of their existence? Is it possible that there are really people who don't know there's a city called Van Nuys in California? Could someone really think that 'Suanballey' is the name of an actual place?
Pay attention, people!
El Segunel
Woodear
Marina Gelray
Palace Verdez Peninsula
Nora
Suanballey
Dan Nuis
Coldina
Wilm.
K2
Oceanfive
A: They're all cities in southern California...at least, according to our employees!
With the end of the school year, I've returned to working at the market research company that I've called my employer since August of 2002. I never really left the company; I just went on an indefinite leave of absence last October. When the time came to return, I talked to Jason, the call center field director. We chatted a bit, and he told me that Jack, the Quality Assurance manager and my one-time mentor, had been recalled to military duty and was now working as a recruiter. So they've been operating without a QA person. My proposed solution to the problem was both simple and brilliant: "I could do that." He took me up on it. I'm the new quality manager for the call center.
As part of my duties, I have to check the data our interviewers collect. On the project we're running now, there is a particular emphasis on city, street, and personal names because we're going to be sending respondents more information by mail. So I've been checking the data that we've gathered. In my searching on Saturday, I found all of the following errors (and about two dozen others that weren't interesting enough to include here).
I've got my work cut out for me.
Oh, and if you were curious, here are the real city names:
El Segundo
Whittier
Marina Del Rey
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Norwalk
Sun Valley
Van Nuys
Covina
Wilmington
Arroyo Grande
Oceanside
Even if our employees haven't been to any of these places, is it too much to ask that they at least be aware of their existence? Is it possible that there are really people who don't know there's a city called Van Nuys in California? Could someone really think that 'Suanballey' is the name of an actual place?
Pay attention, people!
posted by Michael at
6:28 PM
5 Comments:
It might be language problems, like a heavy accent. Think Apu from the Simpsons saying Sun Valley, I can almost get Suanbally out of it. :)
By
Lord Mhoram, At
July 03, 2007 6:57 PM
he he he!
Where did K2 come from?
Congrats on the new position--I hope it's enjoyable and all that sort of thing.
By
Wendy, At
July 03, 2007 7:02 PM
I was a Marine back in 86-87 and I dare say all of the marines I knew, could spell oceanside it was right outside Camp Pendleton. I do agree with lord mhoram it is a language problem, the cities were all in english, with some spanish derivatives, and these days that is like a foreign language.
By
Unknown, At
July 03, 2007 8:35 PM
I'd go with the 'language problem' explanation, were it not for two things:
1. We asked all of our interviewers to verify any and all names more complicated than 'Smith' or 'Jones'. We told them specifically to spell the names back, letter by letter, if there were any confusion. Obviously, this did not happen.
2. Many of the interviewers who made these mistakes have Spanish as their native language.
So I stand by my original statement: Pay attention, people!
By
Michael, At
July 04, 2007 7:40 AM
Okay, the spellback thing is there but:
2. Many of the interviewers who made these mistakes have Spanish as their native language.
So imagine someone in that situation trying to understand a place name from someone with a heavy Arabic or Indian accent. :)
But I offer this not in expiation, but in way of possible understanding of the problem.
By
Lord Mhoram, At
July 04, 2007 8:57 AM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home