Dear Crabby,
I am the credit and collection manager at a small logistics company. I’ve been working here for about one year and as a small company, I find myself wearing several multi-ethnic hats that are making me slightly unbalanced. Let me explain.
I am an older American who through my upbringing and international experience speaks English, Spanish, French, and Polish. When I applied for my current position, I was delighted when I was hired since in today’s job market, being older and more experienced doesn’t always translate into value.
Upon starting my job, the president of the company felt that in order to project having a larger staff to his customers, he asked me if I would speak English to some customers with either an American, Spanish, French, or Polish accent. Although I thought the idea was a bit bizarre, I went along his request.
At first, it was kind of interesting and fun to be this multi-accented collector in which I was also using different names and email addresses. However, over time, I have become confused about which accent I’m supposed to speak with. In addition, sometimes when I’m speaking with an accent and the conversation goes on with the customer for an extended period of time, my accent decreases, and I sound more and more like a native American.
I would really like to eliminate this whole accent situation and have told the president about my discomfort. However, he keeps insisting that I use the accents as much as possible.
How can I make him understand?
Signed: Lost in Translation
Dear Lost in Translation
I must say, you’ve got quite the talent for languages! But while multilingual skills are a huge asset in credit and collections, juggling multiple fake accents sounds like a recipe for stress, confusion, and possibly some very awkward phone calls. Your goal is to collect money, not to accidentally turn a serious conversation into a comedy sketch! If this strategy is making you uncomfortable — and causing inconsistencies that may confuse customers — it’s time to reevaluate.
First, let’s talk about credibility. Collections is all about establishing trust with customers. If a past-due customer starts sensing that something is off — say, your French collector accent suddenly sounds American halfway through the call, it can create doubt about your professionalism and even your company’s legitimacy. That doubt can make it harder to secure payments, as customers may start wondering what else isn’t quite right.
Second, let’s address your president’s perspective. It’s understandable that he wants to present the image of a large, multicultural team. However, credibility and consistency should always come before appearances. If he’s so determined to maintain the illusion of a bigger staff, perhaps he should invest in additional collection resources. Faking accents shouldn’t be the go-to solution for making a small company seem bigger.
Instead of accents, focus on language fluency, which you already have! Speaking directly to a customer in their native language (without forcing an accent) is still a major advantage and doesn’t carry the same risk of inconsistency. If a Polish-speaking customer hears fluent Polish, they’re far more likely to appreciate that than an exaggerated accent. The goal is to make customers feel comfortable, not to make them wonder why their Spanish-speaking collector sounds mysteriously different every time they call.
Since you’ve already expressed discomfort and your president is insisting you continue, try to negotiate a compromise. Explain that you’re happy to use your multilingual skills to connect with customers but that forcing accents is making your job harder rather than helping. Offer to track the effectiveness of real multilingual conversations versus the accent strategy. Chances are your results will prove your point better than any argument. After all, nothing builds trust and gets invoices paid faster than clear, professional communication.
Best of luck, and may your collections be smooth and accent-free!
Crabby
Dear Crabby is a credit, collection, and human resources advice column by Nancy Seiverd President CMI Credit Mediators Inc. Your thoughts and comments (nseiverd@cmiweb.com) are most welcome!
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