Health Dept. Worker Suspended for Speaking with Robot Voice

[NJCher]

He knew just how to press his boss’s buttons!

A city Health Department worker was suspended without pay for answering the agency’s help desk phone using a robot voice, city documents show.

Computer specialist Ronald Dillon, 66, was slapped with a 20-day suspension for speaking in a “deliberately robotic fashion” while fielding calls from co-workers and the general public, according to an Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings decision.

Dillon, who answered calls at the department’s IT help desk, was caught using the weird monotone voice at least five times between February 2012 and April 2013, according to the document.“You-have-reached-the-Help-Desk. This-is-Mr. Dil-lon. How-may-I help-you?” he would over-enunciate.

http://nypost.com/2014/10/31/nyc-worker-suspended-for-answering-phone-with-robot-voice/


I thought this was hilarious.

As Dillon says, "I'm not a people person."



Cher

[NV Whino]

1. I love it!

Obviously his boss is humor impaired.

[TM99]

2. Hardly.

So, how much would you love it if you needed real assistance, called a Help Desk, and got someone being 'funny' like this? Would you tolerate it if you had a real problem that needed correcting in an expedient manner?

[NV Whino]

3. Probably

Although, I get your point.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

8. I would not care about the sound of his voice.

As long as he knew what he was talkin about and helped me resolve the problem. I would probably find it funny as long as e took my issue seriously.

[mackerel]

4. It's fun and funny but unfortunately as an office manager I'd have to

talk to him about it too. Especially since he deals with the general public. An ALJ heard the case so I'm wondering if this is having some sort of affect on his retirement and his pay? The article says he is 66.

[magical thyme]

5. maybe he was unhappy about being forced to read from a script

"Dillon told a judge at a disciplinary hearing that he was simply reading from a script that his boss had asked him to follow.

His thick Brooklyn accent had caused him trouble in the past, so he was trying to speak slower so that callers could understand him better, he told Administrative Law Judge Kara Miller."

I know there are times when I get so frustrated with the stupid scripting we are supposed to use at my p/t job that I get tempted to sound as robotic as possible.

Or maybe he was just trying to get past his accent and be understood.

[MrMickeysMom]

6. Hey, wouldn't this be his corporation's "voice"?

I mean, if they are persons, too… someone's got to speak for them!

[Initech]

7. Domo arrigato Mr. Roboto?

[marzipanni]

9. I would welcome any voice, robotic or not

as long as I'm not subjected to "hold" and its tinny, canned music that sounds like a worn out tape, and is way too repetitive!


Ten years ago on DU I posted this, about speaking like a robot on the phone at work... I couldn't believe my luck at the end of the call!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1547169