Spelling out letters in phone convos with Customer Service

[SField]

Every time I call some company over the phone and need to give some kind of confirmation code or spell something out, I am at a loss for half of the letters.

If the letter I'm trying to tell them is the first one in a foul word, that is literally all that comes up. C, N, F, S, V... those are probably the worst. This is a skill that I need to get better at since I deal a lot with UPS over the phone sending and receiving time sensitive documents.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by SField

Every time I call some company over the phone and need to give some kind of confirmation code or spell something out, I am at a loss for half of the letters.

If the letter I'm trying to tell them is the first one in a foul word, that is literally all that comes up. C, N, F, S, V... those are probably the worst. This is a skill that I need to get better at since I deal a lot with UPS over the phone sending and receiving time sensitive documents.

this is what I grew up with

Alpha
Baker
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Peter
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uncle
Victor
Whiskey
X-ray
Yankee
Zulu

I have moderated it a little and put in some personal names instead of some of the words - "fred" works better than "foxtrot" usually.


http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theor...a/alphabet.htm

 

[gdl203]

I use state names whenever possible, common first names when not.

 

[sho'nuff]

this is funny. i always get tongue tied when i try to spell out "J" for some reason and mumble out "Jelly" or something like that.


i always use Edward/Elephant, David, Frank. people's names. first thing that comes to mind.

i know echo, delta, foxtrot and charlie are correct, but it sounds too im trying to be pretentiously 'military' or something like that

 

[Milpool]

I had finished up a job and was all used to military radio chatter. I was on the phone about a new job and used the military alphabet to spell something out quite rapidly. Confused the hell out of the guy. When we met in person he asked me how long I had been a pilot.

 

[randallr]

Golf
Alpha
Yankee

 

[Dakota rube]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

"fred" works better than "foxtrot" usually.

Yeah, but "whiskey tango foxtrot" just sounds so awesome.

 

[Bradford]

My middle name is Scott, but sometimes when I'm telling someone the initial I'll say "S like Sam" and then I'll stop and think why didn't I say "S like Scott" since that would actually be more accurate.

 

[Cognacad]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nato_phonetic_alphabet

 

[TourbillonTurk.]

HaH ,here in London we have post codes like zip codes in the USA. they usually have 3 letters. i.e. W1 3SD. So bloody annoying when you tell it to a phone operator and they don´t catch the letters "Yes thats Whiskey one, three Sierra Delta". Understand it the first time you vile man

 

[BP348]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

this is what I grew up with

Alpha
Baker
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Peter
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uncle
Victor
Whiskey
X-ray
Yankee
Zulu

I have moderated it a little and put in some personal names instead of some of the words - "fred" works better than "foxtrot" usually.


http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theor...a/alphabet.htm

I learned and used the above when I was in the Military and still use it. Sometimes instead of Foxtrot I use Frank.