by Rebecca on 2008-11-05
My monthly Toyota bill still has my maiden name on it. That name served me so well for so long, so I admittedly have a bit of a hard time changing it still. But it must be done, especially in important situations that could involve the payoff of a loan, an accurate credit report, and the correct ownership of a vehicle title.
So, I called the Toyota customer service line and eventually found myself talking to “Michelle.” Except I would be willing to bet you all the yen in my pocket that her real name was something like Yuko. The connection was so bad that I could only hear about every other word she said. That, coupled with her accent, made it a difficult call. I even asked if she could call me back, and she said, “NO, YOU HAVE TO CALL US BACK.” Except it was in more of a bright chirpy voice, rather than the roar suggested by my use of all caps. So, we muddled through. After confirming all kinds of information about myself, I told her to change my last name to Jackson. I just hope that she heard me correctly. And she read back what I had told her, and I think she pronounced Austin “Ow-stin.” And then she said, in the same bright chirpy voice, “THANKYOUFORCALLINGTOYOTAHAVEANICEDAY.” click I hope she got it right …
I always thought my first call to Japan would have been more exciting.