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  • #16
    Quoth Ree View Post
    This was a small little town in Quebec, yet the majority of people were more fluent in my language than I was in theirs, despite English not being their native tongue.
    I've been amusing myself with Google Earth. http://www.customerssuck.com/hospital.kmz for anyone wanting to see where Ree's arm was treated.

    http://www.customerssuck.com/chateua.kmz for the place we stayed.

    Rapscallion

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    • #17
      I once got this call from this guy who was speaking French. I know some french, but this guy was talking fast and my skills aren't good enough to pick up what he's saying. Unfortunately no one else at the store spoke french either. I told him this several times, until finally he gave up.

      But just before he hung up, he said, in PERFECT non-accented english "Fine then, I'll take my business someplace else"

      um...wtf?!

      The guy could obviously speak english well and yet insisted talking in French? To this day I haven't figured out why someone might do that.

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      • #18
        I only speak English and a very small smattering of German and Japanese.

        At the company I work, it is a requirement that all employees speak and understand English. They don't have to be fluent, they just need to be able to exchange basic concepts.

        We have several people who speak Spanish. Some as their native lanugage and a few because their parents speak it. One of those (one of the ones who was raised in the US) makes it a point to speak Spanish as often as possible specifically to leave anyone who doesn't speak it out of the conversation. Little does he (or nearly anyone else there) know that the owner of the company actually speaks Spanish.

        ^-.-^
        Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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        • #19
          Quoth CrazedClerk View Post
          But just before he hung up, he said, in PERFECT non-accented english "Fine then, I'll take my business someplace else"
          He was just being an SC and none of us really understand SC logic completely.

          Uhm, maybe because there is none?
          "I don't want any part of your crazy cult! I'm already a member of the public library and that's good enough for me, thanks!"

          ~TechSmith 314
          HellGate: London

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          • #20
            I don't care what language anyone speaks as long as they don't go around assuming everyone will accomadate them on this. I get pissed off at spanish speakers that get angry about not reaching a Spanish speaking CSR, and I get pissed off at english speakers that berate me over the Spanish option on our menu. It pretty much all pisses me off...
            Your dignity shredded in five minutes or less, or your abuse is free.

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            • #21
              I'm Puertorican and speak spanish fluently. But I HATE, HATE, HATE when someone walks in and gets upset w/ someone who doesn't speak spanish. Even though english isn't the "official" language, it's the main language and anyone who's in this country should make an effort to learn it.

              Sometimes, depending on my mood, I'll pretend as if I can't understand spanish and let them walk out. I know it might be evil, but hey, learn the freakin' language....I don't get paid any extra to translate..
              If you don't like my attitude, talk to the manager!!! Oh, wait, that would be me!!

              Yes, I'm the manager. I'm also known as "the brick wall".

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              • #22
                Quoth ominousoat View Post
                I don't care what language anyone speaks as long as they don't go around assuming everyone will accomadate them on this. I get pissed off at spanish speakers that get angry about not reaching a Spanish speaking CSR, and I get pissed off at english speakers that berate me over the Spanish option on our menu. It pretty much all pisses me off...
                One night during my incarceration stay at XYZTV, I got stuck in the Spanish queue by accident. I don't speak Spanish, but I do know enough Italian to hire a male stripper (more or less), order dinner, and follow along during Madama Butterfly.
                Ok, so I handle the first four calls, thinking it's a fluke, and I transfer them to the Spanish queue.
                Then, on the fifth call, I have this misguided epiphany, and I blurt out, "Uno momento, per favore. Grazie, e buena sera."
                The guy on the phone then started speaking prestissimo in Italian.
                I had to stop him and say I didn't speak Italian either, but it was all I knew. He laughed and said, "You Italian more bad than my English."
                I laughed with him, for sadly, he spoke the truth.
                I then ran to Resource Administration and shrieked, "Get me the <bleep> out of the Spanish queue, please. Thank you!"

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                • #23
                  I had the same thing happen yesterday. A patron asked me if I spoke Spanish, and I said no. He replied with "well you should." Ummm...no. I do speak another language, but it's German.

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                  • #24
                    I never have had to deal with it while I worked retail, but I have been witness to many people tearing into employees at stores for not speaking Spanish.

                    The way I saw it, I had 4 choices in high school......French, Spanish, German, and Russian. I chose French. Most kids are now required to take a 2nd language in school nowadays anyway. They never said it HAD to be Spanish.
                    You really need to see a neurologist. - Wagegoth

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                    • #25
                      We have customers all the time who can't/won't speak english until they realize that there is no one to help them right then.

                      I have two co-workers who sit behind me that speak spanish a lot. They will sit and talk in english until the boss comes by and then they switch to spanish once she goes by they switch back. Well they weren't watching which manager came by and they switched over to spanish the manager stopped and listened to them. Turns out they wre saying things that should not have been spoken about at work.

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                      • #26
                        Quoth blas87 View Post
                        The way I saw it, I had 4 choices in high school......French, Spanish, German, and Russian. I chose French. Most kids are now required to take a 2nd language in school nowadays anyway. They never said it HAD to be Spanish.
                        You had Russian? I'm so jealous. I won't learn Spanish out of sheer stubbornness. All of the people I've liked who speak it also have a solid grasp of English, and those that I've known that had a poor grasp of English were also rude & obnoxious and expected everybody else to accommodate them, so I won't do it. And I don't like French. Nothing against the language, I just have never liked the way it sounds. So I was left with German in high school. I would have killed for either Russian or Japanese.

                        ^-.-^
                        Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                        • #27
                          We had Russian, but unfortunately, it only went as high as Russian 3, so there were no advanced Russian classes like the French and Spanish and German ones (most high schools I know go up to level 5).

                          We even had a Russian club, a French club, a Spanish club, and a German club.

                          I think French sounds so beautiful and elegant.....you could say "I want to take a big nasty shit all over your white couch" and it would still sound so classy.

                          I also refused to learn Spanish out of stuborness as well.
                          You really need to see a neurologist. - Wagegoth

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                          • #28
                            you could say "I want to take a big nasty shit all over your white couch" and it would still sound so classy.
                            ...unless you happen to be sitting on a white couch in a hotel in Paris.
                            This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.

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                            • #29
                              Okay, I've got a story.
                              This happened about a year ago.

                              I was in a convienience store late one night. The gentleman behind the counter was from Saudi Arabia and had a heavy Middle Eastern accent.
                              The only other customers in the store was a husband and wife from Czecholavakia. They had heavy Czech accents. They needed to buy some items and get directions.

                              All players spoke English very well.

                              However, they also couldn't understand eachother's accents at all. I am very good with understanding accents so I wound up translating English into English.

                              They were all very greatful.

                              "I don't want any part of your crazy cult! I'm already a member of the public library and that's good enough for me, thanks!"

                              ~TechSmith 314
                              HellGate: London

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                              • #30
                                Quoth NightAngel View Post
                                However, they also couldn't understand eachother's accents at all. I am very good with understanding accents so I wound up translating English into English.
                                I once was in a pub in Perth, Scotland. At our table were 3 Scots, an Irishman, a couple from Bristol, a couple from Yorkshire, and my brother and I, 'murricans. NONE of us could understand the couple from Yorkshire. I too am good with accented English (I taught school in West Africa) and it was hopeless. They weren't drunk, nor were they punking us, it gradually got quite hilarious.

                                Back OT, both Medicare and Medicaid require medical facilities provide translators for patients who need that service. Obviously, though, it has to be arranged in advance for most languages and even for Spanish if it is not during the normal time of day. Generally the need is made known and the facility pays for an outside translator to come in and be there with the patient. This is usually way better than a friend or family member (especially younger kids) doing the translating. Unfortunately Medicare & Medicaid do not reimburse for this, so the facility loses even more money on the visit than they ordinarily lose.

                                Dunno what you'd have to do if the couple from Yorkshire ever turned up.
                                Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints...
                                TASTE THE LIME JELLO OF DEFEAT! -Gravekeeper

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