The Language Barrier.

[Pixagi]

Now, my company is one of those that acts as a call center for about a bajillion (I need to take the time to sit and count these, because there are quite a few) different companies, law firms, doctor's offices, building management offices and even the odd private home. Now, as such, we represent a couple of companies in India.

And yet, whenever I talk to an Indian, they speak English. Very clear English. There's an accent, but you can tell they've spent a lot of time learning the language. Generally, I'm impressed and delighted to talk with these people, and am patient if there are a few words they don't know or understand because, well, damn, they're calling an Indian Company!

So, if people calling Indian companies speak pretty good English, I guess it just makes sense that, depending on the account, half of the people who call certain American companies can barely speak English, or, know all the words, but can barely speak the language in a way anyone can understand.

The worst was when a woman called speaking at least one of the Languages spoken in India, speaking only that language, and not understanding enough English to understand the "I have no idea what you're saying."

I checked five times, the account was an American one.

And not once did she stop talking, she just rambled at me in her language (or two, as I can't tell the difference between Punjab and Urdu if my life depended on it, but I'm damned sure both words popped up which made me think she was switching between the two), the idea that I may not understand what she was saying completely lost on her. Eventually, after 5 minutes of trying to tell her I have no idea what she's saying, I just hung up. If there had been ANYONE in my office who spoke the language (either one, most I know who speak Punjab can at least muddle through all of India's other 20-something languages, and vice-versa) I would have tried to transfer her, but there wasn't, so she was SOL.

I understand that there are people coming into America from all over, but why the hell would you call a company and just start prattling on in your language expecting the person on the other line to just know what you're saying? And if you simply dialed the wrong number, does it really take that long to figure it out? I mean, after a while you have to figure out at some point that the person on the other line has no idea what you're saying.

At least the Spanish speakers generally start the conversation with "Do you speak Spanish," and are generally very understanding when I tell them the Spanish speakers are either all tied up or are home for the night (we only ever have about 7 or 8 at most in the office at a time, which totally sucks), and some decide to try and leave a message with me anyway, and we both have to be totally patient with each other.

Though, I do wish clients would warn us if they're expecting a high volume of Spanish speakers so we can be prepared.

[BlaqueKatt]

And yet, whenever I talk to an Indian, they speak English. Very clear English. There's an accent, but you can tell they've spent a lot of time learning the language.

Well according to both history(India was under British rule for quite some time), and my co-worker Krishna-who trained me-almost everyone in India speaks english, as it's taught in schools and due to the large number of local dialects it's the easiest was to conduct business transactions(It's their "common language")

[HawaiianShirts]

At least the Spanish speakers generally start the conversation with "Do you speak Spanish," and are generally very understanding... and we both have to be totally patient with each other.

Y'know, I hadn't noticed it before, but you're right. Not once have I had a French customer ask if I spoke French or a Chinese customer ask if I spoke Mandarin. The ONLY group of people who have EVER asked me at the beginning of an exchange if I spoke their language is the Spanish-speakers! I wonder why...

I had one lady once, when I worked in a call center, who responded to my greeting with: "Ah... Yooou spee e'bunny?" Now that I've had time to think about it, I figure she must have been asking if I spoke Spanish, but I swear it sounded like "bunny," and the only thing I could think of for an answer was: "No, I'm sorry. I don't speak bunny." She said "oh" and hung up.

[IvorTangrean]

At my job sometimes we have to phone a supplier's head office in Qubec so they answer in French. The nice thing is that the CSRs are all biligual and what I have found works is just a nice firm 'Hello...' to give them a second to switch to English. I always laugh at my coworkers who just dive right in and have to repeat themselves because the CSRs ALWAYS answer in French first (Canadians should know why, stupid Quebec).

[Skrae]

Reminds me of the time my mother called Japan (don't ask how she made this fatal error, I've absolutely no clue) by dialing a wrong number. She called and after hearing a few things she didn't make sense of (in Japanese) she finally spoke long enough to say "I'm sorry I don't understand," by which she was answered in a thick Japanese accent "This is Japan!" and a click of the phone hanging up.

[AdminAssistant]

"No, I'm sorry. I don't speak bunny."

But I'm fluent in chicken, goat, lamb, and lolcat.

[Becks]

"No, I'm sorry. I don't speak bunny." She said "oh" and hung up.

I can speak cat, dog, and some iguana, but I've forgotten a lot since Tail Whippin' Ike died.

[Nakajo]

I can speak cat, dog, and some iguana, but I've forgotten a lot since Tail Whippin' Ike died.

That is the most amazing name for a pet ever.

[Becks]

Thanks.

When I got him (I think it was a boy, just a baby iguana and I never found out how to tell the sex of them, anyway), all the rest of the iguanas were hanging out in their cage...HE (for the sake of convenience) was hanging out on the bottom of the lid to the cage, whipping his tail around.

I picked him up and he flicked his tail some more.

It was love and a name was inspired.

[wanderingjoe72]

no pay, no play

I have run into too many companies that just assume if you know a language, you will take calls for it.
Most of the companies don't advertise or make it a part of the job description that bilingual is desired. So because of that, they don't pay for the "skill" of knowing another language.
I make it a point to bring that up during an interview and negotiate a higher starting pay if I am expected to use my fluency in spanish.

So I always go back to the thought "you get what you pay for"

[Ciarrai]

We have a problem like that at work. I work in an area highly populated with Chinese immigrants. However, very few of the people who work in my store speak Mandarin or Cantonese. Only two of the seven people in the cosmetics department speak it, and of course neither of them can work every day all day. On a daily basis we get someone in who cannot speak a word of English, and then promptly starts screaming at me (or any of the others who also cannot speak Chinese).

I've also had people tell me that we should all learn Chinese in order to work here. Excuse me, but we live in Canada. I can speak both English and French, which are the official languages here. If you cannot speak English, you need to bring someone with you who can, as you cannot depend on there being someone who can speak to you.

I am a very pale-skinned redhead, so I do sometimes wonder why people think that I will understand them if they speak to me in Chinese.

I may resort to breaking out the Gaelic if they scream at me again.

[Posture Moll]

I've also had people tell me that we should all learn Chinese in order to work here.

Ha! Which one, idiots? They expect you to learn 7+ foreign tongues when they can't even manage one?