Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 1-800-555-TELL

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-20-2002, 09:16 PM:

So I'm trying to find showtimes for a theater in another city. The Regal web page wants me to try calling 1-800-555-TELL. I do. This service is using a speech recognition system -- you don't have to punch buttons to make selections. But it doesn't work very well.

First thing that happens is it asks me a Yes/No question. I say "No" but it can't figure it out. I say "No" again, but no luck. How many pronunciations of "No" are there?? After several tries, it lets me push a number instead and we move along.

Finally get to the movie listings. You can say a city and state, and get a list of theaters there. So I say, very clearly, "Albany, Oregon". Phonetically this is "ALL-buh-nee, OR-ih-gun". It can't figure it out. Repeat several times, but it can't figure it out. As a test, I mispronounce Oregon as "OR-ee-gone", and it works on the first try. It repeats back to me "AL-buh-nee, OR-ee-gone" and asks if this is correct. I say "Yes". Ha ha.

Speech Recognition: Just say "No". Wait, never mind, that won't work...

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 04-20-2002, 09:20 PM:

I had a friend who was really into the Tell-Me service when it first started, used it for directions ALL THE TIME. Whenever I'm out on an audit and I'm severely lost, I try using it to find my way back... but I tell you, the direction getting is far worse than getting the movie listings.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-20-2002, 10:15 PM:

Maybe it was programmed it NOT to recognize "NO"

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 04-21-2002, 08:57 AM:

David, You have to say "No" with a Tennessee twang.

Try it that way.

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 04-21-2002, 09:06 PM:

The ultimate in advertising. The voice recognition system that won't take no for an answer. Just don't let the telemarketers get their grubby little hands on this one...

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 04-22-2002, 12:21 AM:

The correct answer would be:

NAW

As a resident of Knoxville and a former Regal employee that is the correct answer.

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"Running through life at 24 frames per second"

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-22-2002, 02:10 AM:

I can visualize a voice recognition system in the South.

"My brudder, who lives in Bammer, bard my pickup truck and drove it to 'Lanna, Jawjah. He had a flat tar. Then he bernt the motor up 'cuz he fergot to check the all. He was ignert!"

Ok, I can hardly wait for Evans to comment from Huntsvil, Bammer.

Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 04-22-2002, 02:36 AM:

Paul and Dennis...I can't stop laughing...

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 04-22-2002, 09:36 AM:

quote:
Ok, I can hardly wait for Evans to comment from Huntsvil, Bammer.

Unfortunately, since so many people that I deal with from Huntsville did not grow up around here, and moved into Huntsville from other parts of the country, this area is very atypical of the surrounding areas. (Maybe I shouldn't have started the sentence with "unfortunately".)

Go to Gadsden if you want a more typical Alabama rural mix, or any of the many small towns that are at least 50 miles from a large city. The county I grew up in from age 5 - 19 (Cherokee County) was a good example, and it's adjacent to Etowah County where Gadsden is located. Go to Gadsden Mall on a Saturday night. It'll be hopping with lots of people that speak Southern. Heck, Regal got out of Gadsden a couple of years ago. I guess they were too southern even for the Knoxville-based Regal Cinemas. I've been to Knoxville, TN several times and I've been in East Town Mall and there have been plenty of rough, southern style people in there. Shopkeepers were explicitly telling some guys to "keep walking" when they were exiting stores. However, the last time I was in West Town Mall on the other end of town, it seemed really nice. That was the first Regal Funscape I ever saw. I sense a good bit of Gadsden in Knoxville, or at least parts of it.

The only true universal language is Broken English. (from a recent B.C. comic)

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site

Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 04-22-2002, 11:22 AM:

I love deciphering accents, and sometimes shock people by being able to place where they were raised within 100 miles just by the quirks of their language. Evans is right, Huntsville (H<au>UNT<s>Z-vul)has a predominantly neutral accent. Atlanta has a mix of NYC mixed in, the Hoover area of Birmingham is different than north Bermingum, etc.
Gaa-uds-dun sounds like the breeding ground for all the Waffle House and Omlette Shoppe waitresses.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 04-27-2002, 12:31 PM:

David: Why call for showtimes? You can get around it by entering the city and state (i.e., Eugene OR) or the zip code in the Fandango box on the Regal website.

The only time I use the phone now is in case I get contradictory listings online.