Apparently, You Need Software to ID Angry Callers. Always Thought You Just Needed Ears.

The University of Texas at Dallas sends word this morning that researchers there, working in conjunction with a Plano-based call center support company called Working Solutions, there have come up with software previously believed to be unattainable: "a tool that could sense your anger in a customer service call and then speed-dial a manager to help solve your problem." The lengthy, detailed news release concerning the development of this breakthrough algorithm goes to great lengths to describe the myriad variables involved in detecting "angry speech" -- like, oh, vowels, for instance, and how hard you hit 'em during a service call.

In other words, "loud speech does not always translate into angry speech." Not unless it's punctuated with curse words and instructions to get your motherlovin' manager on the phone right now, goshdarn it.