Roger's head 0 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 This might have been done before, but - what is it with the high-pitched squeaky voices Japanese ladies seem to have to put on in shops and making announcements etc? Is it supposed to be cute or what? It drives me nuts personally. It sounds so forced. Link to post Share on other sites
Karnidge 2 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Hate it too, and don't know the reason for it. I'm pretty sure there isn't a good logical reason. It's just "feminine". Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I think this might have been done before Roger. A girl in our office has the high-pitch - when she's on the phone and talking to customers of course. As soon as she's off, her voice reverts back to this almost gruff low voice. The contrast is startling. Knowing her natural voice, she must be putting a lot of effort into everything she says to customers. Poor woman. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I spoke to a woman at Yahoo BB support yesterday and I wasn't sure at first if she was actually human. There was a long pause after her amazingly long and redundant introductory spiel while I thought through the implications of trying to talk to a recording or a robotic voice. Then she said "Mishi mishi...?". Everything was an adenoidal "dehngozaimasuka?", an approach which doesn't match the ideally fast give and take of a service call. The feminine voice and the intricacies of keigo can be charming when you meet a practioner who understands the true point of them. But seeing as most Japanese don't these days (if indeed they ever did), the conventions are just grating. The other day I listened to an arubaito girl yelling keigo nothings at the top of her voice as she took somebody's order in a restaurant. It literally made me wince to listen to the parody of politeness and service. I just wanted to say "Oh be quiet!" Link to post Share on other sites
beguiling 0 Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 High picth is better than a gruff bark. But I don't like it when it gets really hi squeaky. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I tried doing the squeaky girly thing, but it didn't work. People looked at me like I was daft. Link to post Share on other sites
sachiko 0 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I don't do it, but it does not annoy me, since I have memory I remember it and so it is not so strange for me. Link to post Share on other sites
KlingKlang 1 Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Do they go through squeaky voice training? Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 Yes. I saw a documentary on some of the squeaky voice training they go through a while back. It was quite an eye-opener. For some of these departo store workers and the like, this is a major part of their job/training - or so it seems. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 That's so they can be completely stupid and unhelpful with a pliant, feminine, squeaky voice. It's a special kind of saabisu. Link to post Share on other sites
IceEiji 0 Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 But I think that from my experience overseas, some shop assistant could learn from service in Japan. Sometimes I even think shop assistant is RUDE to customer, it is not good. Link to post Share on other sites
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