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Reaching
out across the world
A cyber cafe in Shanghai. The person in the far corner
is calling home. |
Calling
China
Call China? The thought evokes images of high phone bills,
language barriers, and poor connections. Yes, language barriers
and poor connections occur. But calling China is now cheaper
than ever. Four years ago, it cost me 32 cents a minute
to call China. Now, some places offer rates as low as a
little over 3 cents a minute. What I would do is get an
international calling card. I would buy it over the Internet
using my credit card. They had set amounts of time you could
buy in $10, $20 or more (US). I would sign up for an online
account to keep track of my balance. Next, I would get an
800 number and a set of instructions on how to call the
number. I would also get a password. I kept this information,
so that the next time I wanted to buy a card, I could simply
charge it to my credit card. There are hundreds of services
like this on every inhabited continent in the world. Do
a search on the Internet using the keywords, "calling
China," "call China," "international
calling card," etc. Try a local travel agent, your
phone company, or your nearest Chinatown. Experiment with
different services to get the best rate and the best connection.
The options are endless...
Communication
Problems
You may face problems like an unexpected disconnection or
delayed voice transmission. But the biggest problem can
be a language barrier. If you can, get the name, cell phone
number or direct line of someone who speaks English in that
organization.
Be patient. If you encounter someone who can't speak English,
and assuming you can't speak Chinese, repeat, "English,
please," slowly until (s)he realizes you should be
transferred to someone who can help you. Why shouldn't you
use complete sentences? Because the less words you use,
the less opportunity for misunderstanding you will have
and the more likely you will be able to communicate what
you want. Key words like "English" will help them
realize that they should transfer you to someone who can
speak English. You may be transferred several times. Beware
of the person who says they can speak English, as they may
mean they can speak a few words of English. While you are
on the phone, stop yourself and ask that person, "Do
you understand?" frequently. Take an initiative with
them. If they appear to have trouble with English, like
pausing frequently, use inadequate vocabulary, speak slower,
but don't sound like a slowed-down record. You don't have
to treat them like little kids, just be sure they understand
you. Why? Because if you just take for granted that they
speak English and spend 10 minutes talking to them, you
may find that they only understand 10% of what you say,
or worse, nothing. Now you have wasted time that you could
have spent on the phone with someone who can help you. If
you do this everyday, the money and time you have wasted
can set you back months, just on this task alone. But if
you are patient, careful and thorough, you can save yourself
a lot of time and headache.
Another
minor setback is talking to the wrong organization. Many
Chinese answer the phone without announcing the name of
their business. If you can, make sure that you are calling
the correct organization. Ask, "Is this the ABC Company?"
Other times you will encounter someone who already speaks
English, especially if you call a larger, more well-established
organization. Or you may get a menu that offers different
language options. In any case, be prepared and be patient.
The
Right Time to Call
There is a major time difference that you must be aware
of which may routinely force you to do work at odd hours
of the day or night. It can be difficult to keep tabs on
a time zone that is say, 14 hours ahead, because you must
keep track of the time and the date. If you plan
to do a lot of business in, or call to, China, you may want
to invest in a small desktop clock or a wall clock set to
Chinese time. Officially, all of China is on one time, from
Beijing to Urumqi. This official time is called Beijing
Time. However, there are also unofficial times in the far
western regions of China, including Urumqi, whose unofficial,
(but commonly used) time is 2 hours behind Beijing time.
The major cities are all on the same time; they do not "spring
forward" or "fall back" with the seasons
as North Americans and Europeans do. Keep a clock with China
time next to the phone or the computer, or wherever you
do a substantial amount of corresponding with people in
China. Beijing is UTC/GMT +8 hours. During Daylight Savings
Time (spring and summer), it is 12 hours ahead of New York
(Eastern time), 13 hours ahead of Chicago (Central Time),
14 hours ahead of Calgary (Mountain time), and 13 hours
ahead of Los Angeles. For British Summer time, Beijing is
7 hours ahead, and Central European Time, 6 hours ahead.
Beijing is one hour behind Tokyo and Seoul. To see the current
Beijing time, please visit my weather
and time section.
Calling
China can be fun or frightening, or both. You never know
what to expect. After spending hours and hours on the phone
with Chinese people, I have learned what works well and
what doesn't work at all. With a little preparation and
practice, you can too.
