You're right. This is a common exchange:
ATC: "EK 123, turn right heading 150."
ATC: "EK 123, turn right heading 150."
ATC: "EK 123, turn right heading 150."
ATC: "EK 123, UAE/Bahrain/Baghdad???"
Pilot: "EK 123, go ahead."
Two nights ago it was someone 'super' with a really cool sounding drawl coming back from Munich, reading back clearances like, "Three one zero six zero." It sounded so cool.
RT standards here are woeful and yet we have people defending the standard of recent joiners in the pay review thread and others. Mind you some of the defenders are trainers who teach them and sign them off so make of it what you will.