The pronouciation of the key of the telephone?

[sky753]

Hello Everyone,

I ever called to promote our products to an American company. And the tel. recorder says, ...for purchasing press HR(it seems to me that it is pronounced as "HR")... for sales press five...

I would like to know here what exactly the HR represents?

Regards

Sky

[David L.]

Are you sure they are not saying "press star' - the star key * (and not 'hrrr')

to the left of the hash key #

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by sky753

Hello Everyone,

I xxx called to promote our products to an American company, and the telephonerecording said: "For purchasing, press HR." (It seemed to me that it was pronounced as "HR.") "For sales, press five..."

I would like to know here what exactly the HR represents.

Regards,

Sky

Strange! Maybe it was a bad job of four.

[sky753]

Originally Posted by David L.

Are you sure they are not saying "press star' - the star key * (and not 'hrrr')

to the left of the hash key #

David, many thanks for your answering! I have listened to the recording many times as it has been recorded by my PC. and the voice is HR( the complete sentence is for purchasing HR)

And do you mean that # should be pronounced as ''hrrr''?

THANKS

[David L.]

Firstly, I think Charlie may be right - it's a poorly recorded 'four'.

I thought the pronunciation of 'star' might have sounded like 'hrr' - your HR - to a Chinese ear.

[hanky]

Originally Posted by sky753

David, many thanks for your answering! I have listened to the recording many times as it has been recorded by my PC. and the voice is HR( the complete sentence is for purchasing HR)

And do you mean that # should be pronounced as ''hrrr''?

THANKS

Hi, why don't you post your record here? then we will have more chance to find out it

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by sky753

And do you mean that # should be pronounced as ''hrrr''?

THANKS

In British English, it's the hash key and in American English it's the pound or number key, though I don't know whether these are regional within the USA.

The symbol itself is sometimes called an octotorpe.

[Ouisch]

In US companies, the personnel department is often called "Human Resources," and is commonly referred to as "HR" (the individual letters, not "herrrr"). But Human Resources is not usually responsible for purchasing.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hm.

In the U.S., HR means human resources - the department you talk with if you're looking for a job.

If the recording sounds like "purchasing HR," it might be an extension for purchasing and human resources.

Or maybe it's for purchasing a jar or purchasing a chair. What kind of business is it?

We're dying here....