Google adding strings to meta title in SERPs => Driving my client crazy!

[TheReference]

Fellow Mozzers,

I'm really baffled by Google's behaviour adding strings before my meta title in the SERPs.
This behaviour seems random, but it mainly happens on queries that trigger the homepages (multilingual .com domain).
I'm aware of meta title guidelines concerning length, and I know that Google may insert strings if it thinks it could benefit the user.
But clearly their "aid" is not helpful at all...

Client is really anxious to get this resolved and we're stumped on what could be the cause for this...

Some examples:

Query: https://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&pws=0&q=Ogone - Online payment gateway
Result title: en-gb - Ogone - Online payment gateway
Normal title: Ogone - Online payment gateway

Query: https://www.google.at/#hl=de&q=Ogone Online Payment Service Provider
Result title: ogone.at - Ogone. Online Payment Service Provider & e-payment ...
Normal title: Ogone. Online Payment Service Provider & e-payment Deutschland
=> For longer titles it will just prepend strings, and leave out our piece of the meta title

Query: https://www.google.nl/#hl=nl&pws=0&q=Support Ogone
Result: Support | Ogone
=> For very short titles, Google doesn't add anything, why does it so for the other results?

I really don't understand why this happens. The titles are long enough (but not too long), no strange characters inserted.

Please, please help.

Thanks in advance!

Nikolaas

[TheReference]

We've found the solution. We needed make each meta title unique, so we added the country dynamicall to each meta title.

[TheReference]

Hey Federico,

Yes we are using rel alternate to its fullest extent. But this still doesn't explain this strange behaviour.

Any ideas?

[FedeEinhorn]

Are you using the advantage of rel="alternate" hreflang="x"?

[WhoWuddaThunk]

That's really interesting!  How is it effecting your CTR?  Higher than average?  Lower?