It can be so frustrating!

July 11, 2007, 9:55 PM

Im not being racist or anything of the sort, but working in retail and dealing with foreign customers takes it toll. And I mean foreign customers who dont speak a word of English. It can be so frustrating when your working in a busy supermarket and your next customer cannot understand a single word you say.

Today I had a Polish lady come in and give me a mobile phone top up card and £10. She said "£10" and handed me the card. I located top up on my till and asked her £10?" just to make sure thats what she wanted. If I made a mistake, its out of my wages. And she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders at me. I thought she hadnt heard me and repeated myself and she smiled, shook her head and shrug. I thought she may have been deaf, but she heard other Polish customers fine.

The absloute best one was when a woman came to my friends counter and before he could say "Hello" she said "I dont speak any English!" He just stared at her, then me, then back at her. So that was an entertaining sale lol.

I mean, by all means come to Great Britian, but please at least do us the decesence to learn the language of the country you have now chosen to live in. We do it in other countries because we do need to in order to survive, but its like people arent bothering to learn the langauge now and just earn a living without knowing a single word.

July 11, 2007, 10:05 PM

Lol! I feel your pain, that's why im learning languages right now. My friend is a translator so on his free days he teaches me or something. Where do you live to get so many people o.o

July 11, 2007, 10:07 PM

In the UK there is of course mixed ethnics.
In major cities there are lots and Im currently living in Bradford. Its mainly a Muslim, Asian, Indian, Pakistani communinity.

July 11, 2007, 11:02 PM

Ya, it happens all the time, but it's the other way around where the clerks can't speak a word of English. We go to Mexican stores all around our place, trying to buy food stuffs for....a decent rate. *coughs*
But whenever we try to make the transaction, the clerk kind of stares at us, and kind of motions to us that she can't speak English.

Kinda tough to understand, though, and it takes a load of time just to finish a simple purchase of tacos.

But either way, I think there should be a rule:

1.) If you live in a community dominated by an English speaking population, learn the language, or at least learn a few words that might help you in your job.

And vice versa, or with another language.
It's no use just sitting around, waiting for your friends, or buddies, or relatives, or whomever else speaks your language, to translate anything for you, because you can never rely on any one group or person all the time.
Simple fact.

July 11, 2007, 11:36 PM

Wow, haha. I am glad I don't have to work in that type of environment.

Here in the US we get alot of Hispanics and it's sometimes hard to understand. x__x.

July 11, 2007, 11:57 PM

Ugh, you're preaching to the choir there.
I work in retail too, though I rarely deal with the customers (stockroom boy FTW

) but I still feel it, because whenever a Polish customer (or someone else from the continent) they ask for European sizes in footwear. Not that it's hard to look in a different place on the box, but I like to be stuck in a routine that makes things easier for me.

The best is when you get some guy debating whether or not buy something and asks you how much it is, and then if he can get it any cheaper? Priceless.

July 12, 2007, 12:04 AM

Haggling? I've done it once or twice myself.

One time, my uncle, who was Korean, haggled with a video game retailer, who was Filipino.

Quite easy to see the conflict there, when I tell you that that uncle could barely speak English.

Point being, like I said, learn the language, and you'll be fine. Same goes for English speakers who go to foreign countries. At least learn a few phrases, right?

July 12, 2007, 12:42 AM

Haha, I too feel your pain. My frustration isn't so much with the customers (stockroom boy 'ftw', indeed my friend, I too get to be isolated back there). But a considerable portion of our own co-workers also do not speak english and I think they all got thrown on our early morning team precisely so they won't have to be put in the position of having to try to help out a customer who cannot even understand them. I'm in the US as well, and California is right at the border to Mexico so we have tons of tons of immigrants. I don't see too much wrong with that. Not all of them hop the border over here to mooch off the welfare system, these guys are just looking for a better chance at more equal opportunities in a civil and fair-minded workplace that is required by law to recognize their rights. Most of them downright bust their ass, and I have the utmost respect for it. But I agree, for the love of God almighty if you're going to move to a country then take the appropriate measures to begin learning its predominant language. I would hold myself to no less of a standard if I moved to a country that spoke no english.

July 12, 2007, 12:47 AM

Exactly Ellergy! Even if i'm going on holliday I try my best to learn the basics of the language, even if its just a few phrases. I might sound like a twat but at least I try and it is always appreciated.

July 17, 2007, 5:43 AM

I know what you mean... I encountered this spanish dude... not a word of english, so we both agreed that we couldnt understand eachother.. lol... we had a laugh though