New York – A city Health Department worker has been suspended for 20 days without pay for using a robotic, monotone voice when answering customer service calls.
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Ronald Dillon, who has worked for the Health Department since 1976, is a computer specialist for the department’s IT help desk who answered calls in a “deliberately robotic fashion” after being told by his boss to stop, reports DNAinfo New York (http://dnain.fo/1ucXN69).
In the Feb. 14 decision, the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings decision lowered the penalty to 20 days from 34 days the Health Department originally gave him.
Dillon appealed the decision with New York City’s Civil Service Commission, however, they upheld the suspension earlier this month.
Dillon defended the sound of his voice and the monotonous, robotic imitation, by saying that he needs to articulate his words because he speaks fast and has a Brooklyn accent. He also said he was reading from a script provided to him by his boss.
The judge in the case disagreed with Dillon, and stated that the voice was intentional, calling Dillon a “disgruntled” employee who was acting out because of restructuring in the department and a new boss.
Dillon said for years he was a project manager and supervisor, but was made to transfer to the help desk three years ago against his objections.
Information taken from DNAinfo New York
I had a job once and decided to speak like that. I noticed that people listened less and spoke less when I did that.
He’s been there since 1976, with no complaints against him until recently. Seems to me that the city wants him to retire after 38 years, so they are making his life difficult and scrutinizing everything that he does.