But it’s more than just having a heavy foreign accent.
Today, jobs working the help desk are frequently filled by failed computer professionals. It’s the old adage:
Those who can; do
Those who can’t work the help desk:
For example, Dell was flooded with complaints about staff that spoke with nasty foreign accents:
“Newspapers located near Dell's Austin, Texas headquarters reported that customers were complaining not only about having their calls answered by technical support staff who spoke with accents”.
Today, help desk jobs are filled by “accent neutral” professionals, and help desk jobs require the same Northwest Ohio accent that has been required for TV reporters for many decades.
Allow the verbally disabled to work help desk jobsBut the most disturbing trend is that people with verbal disabilities (stuttering, Tourette's) are excluded from working at help desks jobs:
These people's accents disqualify them for help desk jobs
For example, victims of Tourette’s syndrome who exhibit Coprolalia (involuntary shouting of profanities) may be legally excluded from help desk jobs.
It's just not right.
I think that the American with Disabilities Act should be broadened to allow disabled people to take-on any job they want.
Help Desk customers will understand if their support person randomly screams profane words at them, and they would be impressed that the companies hires the disabled.