During a CapTel call, you (the caller) have complete control, just as you would during calls on any other telephone. There is absolutely no interaction with the Captioning Assistant (CA) who provides the written captions that appear on the CapTel display. This is a little different than a traditional relay call, during which the relay CA might get involved to ask for a proper spelling of a name or ask the caller to repeat themselves for clarity.
If you are talking with someone who speaks very quickly, who is in a noisy environment, or who has a heavy accent, you may sometimes see “(Unclear)” on your CapTel display. This simply means the CA could not hear that particular word or words clearly enough to determine what was said. Simply ask the person with whom you are speaking to repeat the unclear word. The CapTel CA cannot get involved to ask for clarification.
It may help your caller if you relate the last few words that were readable. For example, if your CapTel display reads, “I think I’ll go to (Unclear) at about 1:30 pm,” you might say something like, “You think you’ll go where at 1:30 pm?”
Should you ever experience a conversation that sounds clear to you, yet has numerous “(Unclear)” designations, please note the date and time of the call, and, using the “Review Captions” feature, note the number of the CA who handled that call. Contact CapTel Customer Service right away. We will be happy to follow up, to make sure that every CapTel call is clear!