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I think it depends a lot on the specifics, if the background noise is loud and persistent enough it makes it harder to understand the other person. Hard to tell from OP's description but I'm guessing it was actively impacting the conversation if they're complaining about it.

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Admittedly it wasn’t loud enough to make it hard to hear words.

You know when you call your cell phone company and you’re routed to a Call Center in India/Philippines and you hear snippets of other people’s support calls in the background?

It sort of throws you off throughout the call. You wonder if the agent is getting everything you’re saying, given the distraction.

It was that, but with a children’s cartoon and a toddler.

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