Your call may be record for..
May 16, 2019, 6:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC/SIN
Programs: CX DM, SQ KF
Posts: 2,171
Your call may be record for..
I had been lamenting the fall in my English standards to a colleague, and defended myself by blaming the overall downward spiral around me, here in a Singapore.
For a while now, the DM hotline’s recorded message had a heavily accented “Your call may be record for quality & training purposes”, right at the end of the voice prompt sequence.
Sent them an email yesterday. Possibly, this is entirely co-incidental, but credit where due- the recorded message had been changed by the evening.
For a while now, the DM hotline’s recorded message had a heavily accented “Your call may be record for quality & training purposes”, right at the end of the voice prompt sequence.
Sent them an email yesterday. Possibly, this is entirely co-incidental, but credit where due- the recorded message had been changed by the evening.
May 17, 2019, 12:39 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Thanks!
It was sadly comedic when they changed the recording (or should I say, "the recORD..."), from perfectly fine English to obviously grammatically incorrect English. And she was really emphasizing the last beat, saying it in a rather bizarre cadence "your CALL / may be re-CORD / for quality and training purpose" (pretty sure the plural was also incorrectly left off the end).
Such a contrast to the absolutely lovely MTR English announcements, I think the lady who does those (it's the same lady in English and Cantonese, not sure about Mandarin) is just incredible. Such a good voice in both languages. CX should just pay up for her. Although she doesn't write the MTR scripts she just reads them....and I've actually seen many CX SOPs written out in bizarre, incorrect language as well. So maybe it's hopeless. Years ago SCMP did an article about the MTR lady doing the Cantonese and English announcements.
It was sadly comedic when they changed the recording (or should I say, "the recORD..."), from perfectly fine English to obviously grammatically incorrect English. And she was really emphasizing the last beat, saying it in a rather bizarre cadence "your CALL / may be re-CORD / for quality and training purpose" (pretty sure the plural was also incorrectly left off the end).
Such a contrast to the absolutely lovely MTR English announcements, I think the lady who does those (it's the same lady in English and Cantonese, not sure about Mandarin) is just incredible. Such a good voice in both languages. CX should just pay up for her. Although she doesn't write the MTR scripts she just reads them....and I've actually seen many CX SOPs written out in bizarre, incorrect language as well. So maybe it's hopeless. Years ago SCMP did an article about the MTR lady doing the Cantonese and English announcements.
May 17, 2019, 2:06 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, Watsons Wine Burgundy
Posts: 415
IKEA: “dis is a staafaassmen...”. If you have spent any considerable time there you will know... I’m completely unsure why they need to preface every page with this. Never heard it before anywhere except ikea HK.
May 17, 2019, 9:28 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
for some reason they changed the recording with the same reader for no real reason...
May 20, 2019, 9:42 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 145
Well, you Diamond kids should consider yourselves lucky that you ever had a good recording in the first place! 
(Actually, I'm not sure about that - same deal jagmeets mentioned with decline in personal English standards due to environment, so I guess I just haven't really been paying attention enough to remember for sure...)
MTR announcement person is HKU faculty: https://web.edu.hku.hk/staff/academic/yycheri
It sounds to me like it's her for all three langagues, but the SCMP article QRC3288 mentions claims otherwise, so...? There are some things in some places (escalator announcements inducing people to stand, not walk, for example) that are clearly a different person for the Mandarin, so possibly it's a mix.
If CX (apparently) listened to jagmeets, why not actually make the suggestion about Chan to CX? It certainly sounds like a good idea to me (I acknowledge the point about bad writing, but Chan does specialize in a usefully relevant field), but I'm sure my level of influence is significantly lower than QRC3288's.
(Actually, I'm not sure about that - same deal jagmeets mentioned with decline in personal English standards due to environment, so I guess I just haven't really been paying attention enough to remember for sure...)
Thanks!
It was sadly comedic when they changed the recording (or should I say, "the recORD..."), from perfectly fine English to obviously grammatically incorrect English. And she was really emphasizing the last beat, saying it in a rather bizarre cadence "your CALL / may be re-CORD / for quality and training purpose" (pretty sure the plural was also incorrectly left off the end).
Such a contrast to the absolutely lovely MTR English announcements, I think the lady who does those (it's the same lady in English and Cantonese, not sure about Mandarin) is just incredible. Such a good voice in both languages. CX should just pay up for her. Although she doesn't write the MTR scripts she just reads them....and I've actually seen many CX SOPs written out in bizarre, incorrect language as well. So maybe it's hopeless. Years ago SCMP did an article about the MTR lady doing the Cantonese and English announcements.
It was sadly comedic when they changed the recording (or should I say, "the recORD..."), from perfectly fine English to obviously grammatically incorrect English. And she was really emphasizing the last beat, saying it in a rather bizarre cadence "your CALL / may be re-CORD / for quality and training purpose" (pretty sure the plural was also incorrectly left off the end).
Such a contrast to the absolutely lovely MTR English announcements, I think the lady who does those (it's the same lady in English and Cantonese, not sure about Mandarin) is just incredible. Such a good voice in both languages. CX should just pay up for her. Although she doesn't write the MTR scripts she just reads them....and I've actually seen many CX SOPs written out in bizarre, incorrect language as well. So maybe it's hopeless. Years ago SCMP did an article about the MTR lady doing the Cantonese and English announcements.
It sounds to me like it's her for all three langagues, but the SCMP article QRC3288 mentions claims otherwise, so...? There are some things in some places (escalator announcements inducing people to stand, not walk, for example) that are clearly a different person for the Mandarin, so possibly it's a mix.
If CX (apparently) listened to jagmeets, why not actually make the suggestion about Chan to CX? It certainly sounds like a good idea to me (I acknowledge the point about bad writing, but Chan does specialize in a usefully relevant field), but I'm sure my level of influence is significantly lower than QRC3288's.
May 20, 2019, 7:07 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Cathay Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 691
For me the horribly tortured guttural English vowels of the lithium battery announcement is by far the worst of Cathays recorded messages. I have no problem at all with an American accented announcement although it is perhaps a little strange from a British airline based in Hong Kong. I can't place the accent but perhaps local HK Chinese educated in rural America.
May 20, 2019, 10:47 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,693
For me the horribly tortured guttural English vowels of the lithium battery announcement is by far the worst of Cathays recorded messages. I have no problem at all with an American accented announcement although it is perhaps a little strange from a British airline based in Hong Kong. I can't place the accent but perhaps local HK Chinese educated in rural America.