A Telemarketers America

Here's my very un-scientific analysis of Regional differences, from a telemarketers point of view. I've called coast to coast, every state in the USA, and every single province of Canada.

I'm doing this as a series, where I'll discuss my personal experiences with populations from various regions across the U.S.

As far as the USA goes, here's my less-than-in-depth analysis of what people are like in various states/regions of the US, when it comes to basic telephone behaviour and general personality quirks:

Part I--New York and New England:

NEW ENGLAND:

Maine--bonkers. No, really. Mainers largely very nice, but also are bonkers. No lie. Trying to have a sensible conversation with the average Mainer is a bit of a challenge--okay, it's maddening. I like Mainers, don't get me wrong, but I HATE talking to them. It's like, people from Maine are born already sectioned. Here's how one old lady answered the phone, recently, when I asked for her by name, "Yes, she's right here." (LONG PAUSE) "Well, can I speak with her ma'am?" "You can speak with her all you want." (GRINDING MY TEETH) "That's good. But is she available to come to the phone right now?" "Yes." (LONG PAUSE)--then a light dawns. "Is this Mrs. McDonalad?" "That's what I said, I'm right here. What do you want?" ARRGH!!!! Mainers!!!! (About that time I'm ready to bang my head on my desk)
And that's a NORMAL conversation, okay?

Vermont and New Hampshire both are very closed, suspicious and abrupt...oh, and cheap, very cheap. Not a myth about New Englander's being tight-wads with their money--they really are.

New Yorkers (varies from region to region)

People in the metro NYC area are mostly nice, tho' sometimes in a bit of a hurry.
People in downstate New York and Long Island (downstate = north of NYC and south of the mid-Hudson valley) are largely uptight, paranoid, egotistical and snobby. But, like other areas, there are pockets of nice here and there.
People in upstate and northeastern New York are uptight, paranoid, mean and self-centred--mostly. There's pockets of nice--mostly in rural areas. I speak from a lifetime of experience, and not just as a telemarketer.
People in Northern New York are a mixture of both nice and uptight.
People in Western New York are mostly pretty nice. Except for Buffalo...those people are a bit odd--but hey, it's Buffalo...

New Jersey: A mixture across the board...there's nice, uptight and snarky, and rude chavs. Regionally, the rural people are nicer to deal with. The closer to NYC one gets, the more one finds the negative people.

Pennslyvania: half-and-half: half nice and half uptight snobs.

Massachusetts: A bit distant and mildly snobbish, sometimes rude, but reasonably intelligent--you can actually talk to most of them, which is more than I can say, sadly, for most of America. Like many places in the region, there are pockets of nice people, here and there, tho' unlike many places, there's no clear pattern marking the nice regions from the snobby and rude areas. It seems to be random, which is actually unusual.

Rhode Island (don't get many of these). Snobs. Right across the board. A lot like Vermonters, as well.