🗣️Accent frustration vs accent preference

88% of Americans on a 2,002 person survey said accents frustrate them on service calls.

Frustrated by accent issues: 88%
Familiar accent lowers stress: 35%
Prefer a matching accent: 23%

Frustrated is not confused. And annoyed is not “couldn’t understand.”

Here is what the research says about understanding.

Munro and Derwing had native English speakers listen to accented speech and write down what they heard. Nearly two thirds of the samples scored 91 to 100% correct.

They heard the accent. They understood the words.

A study of Filipino call center agents found the same split. Clarity and fluency predicted how COMPETENT an agent sounded. While accent mostly predicted whether the caller wanted a longer chat. (COMFORTABLE)

Source: Answering Service Care, U.S. Accent Study 2025 (Censuswide, 2,002 adults).

When you hire support agents, do you test for clarity or for accent?

I test for 2 things. Clarity. Fluency. Train for those.

But there is comfort. Which has nothing to do with understanding.

My experience in less cosmopolitan areas, where your service caters to an older age group, is that accent really does matter.

So clarity first. Then match the accent to your market.

And always know what your audience wants!

Thank you for your time and consideration!

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🗣️Accent frustration vs accent preference