I called the local Mazda dealer to make an appointment for an oil change. It went something like this:
Mazda: Service Department, can I help you?
Me: Yes Ma'am, I need to bring my car in for an oil change.
Mazda: Can I get your name?
Me: Sure, it's Howard G----in.
Mazda: (typing) Hmm. I don't show a G----and.
Me: No, Ma'am, there's no a, n, d. It's i, n.
Mazda: Oh. Sorry. Let me try that again. (keys clicking) I still don't find you. You said it's "G----an".
Me: No, Ma'am. It's an i, and an n. In. G----, then an i, then an n. I as in "icycle" and n as in "nancy".
Mazda: (keys clicking). I still don't find you. Are you sure that's correct? It just doesn't sound right.
Me: Well, that's how my Dad taught me to spell it. He wasn't very good at spelling though, so he might've gotten it wrong. Do you think we could try it one letter at a time?
Mazda: Um, sure. Whatever.
I spell it one letter at a time and have her repeat it as she types.
Mazda: OH! There you are. Howard G----in.
Me: Yes Ma'am, that's me. Just like my Daddy taught me.
"Are you sure that's correct?"
Oh, that's a good one. I feel your pain. Try getting people to spell "Maura" correctly on any sort of regular basis.
I'm thinking of coming up with a can't-miss name for placing orders at restaurants. Last week I said my name, quite clearly and slowly, and the woman asked, "Laura?" I'm used to that, so I just said yes. On the receipt, she'd spelled it "Lhoura." Have to admit, I've never seen that one before! :-)
Posted at February 10, 2005 05:56 PMYou have some pretty good patience there, Howard. "My daddy taught me". Excellent.
Posted at February 11, 2005 11:59 AMI hate spelling out my name for people too, even though I know I have to. I have to be careful with my first name. It's a common name with an uncommon spelling. So when I got a book autographed by Rachael Ray (the Food TV woman) for my mom for Xmas one year, she asked me my name so she could write it in the book (To [Mom] From [C]). I said my name and she immediately wrote the incorrect spelling, which she scratched out and rewrote it with my name correctly. So I handed my mom a book with a whole bunch of scratched out junk in the front of it. Not quite what I wanted to give.
Posted at February 15, 2005 10:15 AM