How to do business with people with very strong accents?
 

I have a few very important clients that I think are from india and they spend a lot of money. My problem is I try so hard to understand them but I can only make out like 40% of what they are saying. I feel bad saying "can you repeat that again" every other word they say. I feel like I treat them different than other clients because of this even though I know they are way smarter business men. I don't want to sound rude or like some jerk American. Any suggestions on how I can not only better my relationship with these clients but have better communication with them? They all sound so serious and on the defensive side for some reason probably cause I talk to them different than i would with someone that speaks good English.

try to keep most things to email?

hire an interpreter?

Spend a couple hours in the quickie mart asking for assistance with the slurpee machine. :pimp

say your phone/cell has bad reception sound tell em to speak up and slow so it doesn't cut out heh..

I have the exact same problem, but thankfully only with one client. I try to keep everything to emails because I absolutely hate to talk with him over the phone. To be honest I don't think there is anything one can do to solve this. :2 cents:

go rent a few Bollywood movies, most of them are like 90% music and 10% dialog but you'll pick up the accent in no time

qft, and you beat me to it. :1orglaugh

learn their language so they can ask you "can you say that again?"

i say keep speaking to him and ull get better with accents.
I used to have this problem since i was involved in recruiting. After a while i could really understand some of the heaviest indian accents.

we did however have the benefit of not having to deal with the worst of the worst accents (there were people that i could not understand a single word) since they wouldnt get the job anyways...

I don't have any problems with accents but I get some emails that are so tough to figure it out, I just don't know what to say or do. Here is one from today actually when I asked the guy how he planned on promoting Twistys? It's kind of hard not to laugh, even though I speak only one language and definitely do commend him for his efforts in learning English.

His response:

I be because I made a/the homepage



I think that I want to do the WEB guidance of the you manner



I think that it is good if it improves the proceeds by loading an/the advertisement

Yeah you'll get used to it. If it's that important for you, you can make a trip to India. That will solve the problem quickly.

But you guys do have me craving Indian food now. :-)

That would be my answer too. Also, they are very important clients but you only think they are from India?

http://www.rosettastone.com/personal/languages/hindi

yea i was thinkn same thing

most indians know amazing english