David Frank
  • Home
  • Talks
    • Dangerous Products ↗
    • Sensory Marketing
    • Marketer's Guide to Lying
    • Sex, Love & Marketing
    • How to Market Tobacco
    • Marketing Doesn't Work On Me
    • Marketing SciComm Events
  • Writing
    • Good/Bad Marketing ↗
  • Podcasts
  • Marketing
    • Likert Language
    • Checklist
  • About Me
    • FAQ
    • Maps
    • My Dog
    • Books I Like
    • Weird Food
    • Spreadsheets
    • Food Garden ↗
  • Contact

​Seattle #27: Machines (not) understanding me.

30/3/2018

0 Comments

 
I've given up on telephone services in which a machine asks "in a few words, tell us why you called so we can put you through to the right department." Mind you, American humans struggle enough that I anglicise my accent so they understand me.. 

Still, it could be worse. I could be Scottish. I lived there for 3 years and I struggled with some people. 
​The random wake up word detections results are weird though. I'm not sure if it's just my strong Aussie vowels, but every now and then we'll be having a conversation and the Echo will behave as if summoned and will think we asked it something. Weird questions get answered and songs randomly start. Today the topic of 'poop' came up in conversation and Alexa loudly interrupted, declaring "I'm not equipped to do that."
I mean, I had assumed, but still, thank god.
0 Comments

​Seattle #26: Dialect differences.

23/3/2018

1 Comment

 
Sometimes I have to concentrate harder to remember or swap words or grammar, both when listening and speaking, just as I used to have to in the UK. It took a couple years to stop getting confused and confusing people in the UK, and I have had to restart the process here.

Just this week I asked someone "how did you find X"?
Them: "Where did I find it?"
Me: "No, how do you LIKE it."
This sequence happened TWICE in the same conversation with the same person. Apparently I need to learn.

I have friends in the US who happen to have lived in both the US and UK and are aware I use weird Australian definitions  for words, and know not to accept at face value my usage of words like "cookie", "cracker", "biscuit" and "yes honey, I promise."
Picture
British biscuits.
Picture
American biscuits. Similar to a British "scone", except savory, less dense, and I don't like them.

​I should add to this list the Australian definition of "chips" meaning both "fries" and "crisps", "pants" meaning "trousers" and not "underpants" as it does in the UK, "spunk" meaning "semen" and not "vigor", as Coke's Dasani brand found out when they disastrously launched in the UK, and fanny = vagina and not butt.  That's why we call them "bum-bags", not "fanny-packs."
Picture
There're also definitions of leaving the toilet seat down, doing the dishes and making the bed. This has lead to a lot of frustration for other people, when really it's allllll miscommunication.

What truly astounds me is how massive the list is, how different Australian English is from both British and American English in different ways, and how often I confuse people or have to ask for clarification on simple things. Good thing I clearly have a foreign accent, otherwise people would think I'm stupid.

I've since discussed this with fellow Aussies who have told me they encounter the same thing. One friend said...
"The one that got me when I first moved to England was "you right” (short for are you alright) which means hello. The first time this was said to me I thought that I was looking particularly pale / had some other visible distress that I wasn't aware of!"
Another Aussie in Scotland said
"In the UK when people asked me if I was alright, I would answer with how I was doing because I thought they wanted to know."
And a friend who runs a small business in Australia said
In my business, I want to know what marketing we're doing brings in the most work, so I ask new clients what lead them to us. In the beginning, I used to ask, "How did you find us?" but most times they'd respond with something like, "Pretty good" or "Yeah, I'd definitely recommend you." :D
Now I ask them, "Where did you find us?" and there's no longer any ambiguity.
This reminds me of when I MC events, during the warm-up I ask:
By show of hands, who found out about us through:
Facebook..?
Meetup..?
Email newsletter..?
Apparition in the middle of the night..? Did I personally appear to you in a dream..?
And on that note, if you could post in the comments how you found this blog, both how you like it, and how you came about it, that would be much appreciated. 
1 Comment

​Seattle #25: With the such generous rewards, you're a fool if you don't use credit

16/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Fees are rare as retailers and restaurants build that expense into their prices. Credit card rewards here are the most generous of any place I have been, and while flying miles are popular, 1.5% cashback is also common, which is sometimes increased to 5% at supermarkets/restaurants. There are often excellent temporary rewards, like 15% cashback at Macy's Online Dept Store, or 30% off your first purchase at other online stores. Three-month price protection and extra warranties also make credit cards a money saver. 

So if you're choosing to pay by cash, cheque/check or debit card, or you're not eligible for a credit card at all because you have a insufficient credit score (e.g. you're a new resident), you're effectively paying more for everything. It's also another tax on the poor, not unique to this country, but far more than the other countries.

It took months of living here to build up enough credit history to have a credit card, and because furnished rentals aren't really a thing here, the expense of setting up a new home was compounded by the lack of a credit card at the time.
Incidentally, I have also one of those people I never thought I would be. I have joined the hordes of people who are proud of their expensive couch. I've become one of those people.
0 Comments

​Seattle #24: Vulnerable banking System, cheques/checks and cash

9/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Gone are the days of direct debiting my bills, only having a debit card, or even using normal checks (not that I ever have.) This is because once someone knows your US bank account number, you're susceptible to fraud. My first few months here I used cash and paid my rent by cashiers cheque. I literally walked down to the bank and had them issue me a fresh paper cheque of their own which I then walked over to my landlord. For bills, cashiers cheques can also be ordered online and automatically printed and posted to your bill provider, which I think takes days. (At least that's how I think it works?)

​Eventually I built up enough credit history to get a credit card, so I use that and no longer need to carry cash, but many Americans do not or can not. This is why those big stores having their credit card systems being hacked is such a big deal - debit cards have inferior fraud protection, and debit card consumers may be out of pocket for months as fraudulent transactions are is resolved.

Mind you, this is better than card-wary, cash-loving Japan, where ATMs close at night and on holidays. My recent trip to Berlin was also frustrating, as card payment is not as common as one might expect. Mind you, I'm not from a country that used to be fascist or experienced economic turmoil on the scales these countries have. 

Having said that, I can pay by credit card everywhere, even the tiniest food trucks, and there is almost never any minimum spend, and extra fees for paying by credit are rare. Split billing at restaurants, usually refused in Western Australia, is also normal here, and very efficient.

Once again, this place, like all others, has both pros and cons.
0 Comments

Seattle #23: The sad state of mainstream American chocolate.

2/3/2018

0 Comments

 
It's no secret that Hershey's is the dominant chocolate manufacturer in the US with a 45% market share. In 1988 Hershey paid $300m for Cadbury's operations and right to manufacture Cadbury brands in the US. Hershey also makes Nestle's KitKats under license here. It's also well known that Hershey are unique for using use soured milk in their recipe. Close your eyes and Hershey's and it smells like puke for a reason.

So I spend more on Lindt (with a 9% market share) and local niche brands (Theo's), and ask visiting Brits and Aussies to supply me with the good stuff (Tim Tams, Kinder Bueno, Tunnock's Caramel Bars).

I think I'm known as the person with an amazing imported sweets bowl.
​
Oh my god, I am becoming my grandmother!
Picture
My private haul from my recent trip to Scotland and Germany. This makes up my secret stash and will NOT make the sharing bowl.
0 Comments

    About this blog

    Musings, frustrations and wonderment from an Australian who moved to the US having never visited the country before. 

    ​This is the fifth country I have lived in in five years, and if I've learned one thing, it's that every place has its pros and cons.

      Subscribe

    Subscribe to Blog

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017

    Categories

    All
    Cars
    Food
    Humor
    Language
    Money
    People
    Shopping

    RSS Feed

Home
Talks
Dangerous Products ↗
​​Sensory Marketing
Sex, Love & Marketing
How to Market Tobacco
Marketing Does Not Work on Me
Marketing SciComm Events
Writing
Copywriting portfolio 
Seattle Bewilderment Blog
Good/Bad Marketing ↗
Podcasts
Marketing
​About Me ​
​FAQ
Books
Weird Food
Food Garden ↗
Contact​
© David Frank 2020 | Don't confuse with Mirror David Frank