What did you say? Don’t make this mistake
I was standing in line waiting for the cashier to ring up my sale. There was a woman in front of me. The cashier asked the woman …
“Areyouinourloyaltyprogram”?
She said it super fast with the words bleeding together.
The customer asked the cashier to repeat the question … twice. The cashier repeated the same thing, at the same rapid speed. You could sense the frustration on both sides.
I get it … some people talk quickly. This can be especially true with some members of younger generations. But hear me out … literally.
There is a significant portion of the population with some form of hearing loss.
And guess what, it’s not just your older members who are struggling to hear and understand. Hearing loss is a major problem. According to the National Center for Health Statistics:
- Hearing loss affects about 60.7 million Americans age 12 and older. About 15.5% (44.1 million) of American adults age 20 and older have some level of hearing loss.
And according to the CDC:
- Hearing loss is considered more prevalent than diabetes or cancer and is the third most common chronic physical condition in the United States.
I am especially sensitive to hearing issues since I lost most of the hearing in my right ear at the age of 4. I grew up being able to read lips which helps me with comprehension, but people new to hearing loss don’t have this advantage.
Simple solution
There is such a simple fix. Slow … down.
Put space between your words. For example:
Instead of: “Can I get your emailaddress?”
Say: “Can I get your email (pause) address?”
Added bonus
There is an added bonus to slowing down and putting a space between words in a phrase. People who speak slowly, calmly and clearly can appear more credible. Talking too fast can give the impression the person is nervous or insecure.
Speaking from personal experience, it’s frustrating and embarrassing when you can’t hear or understand what someone is saying to you. Make it easier on all involved. Make a conscious effort to slow down and annunciate. You’ll appear more confident and your members will appreciate being able to understand what you’re saying.
