The Vent - Part 2

[thetreble 19]

DeadpoolX, I feel what you are saying.

If you are in a position to serve the public, you better make sure you as well can speak the same language that the majority are speaking. It's common sense really. It isn't about "CONFORM NOW FOREIGNER!!", it is about doing a job effectively. That's all.

I don't know why everyone took it so personal. I'm surprised someone didn't whine to have the thread locked

In all honesty, had someone else posted the same complaint, they wouldn't have gotten the same flack you did. It's mainly because you are American in Canada and have in the past posted negatively (a bit) about Canada, so people are on the defense when you post about Canada. My 2 cents anyway....

But, as someone who can think objectively, I agree with you 100%. Dealing with public in an English speaking country = speak the language.

Actually, this is just not true. There have been many times I have defended Deadpool as I think he is an intelligent human being. Was there a reason for him to call me an idiot? I did not call him any names.

Also, the guy isn't "serving the public". It's a private complex he lives in, not government controlled. In private enterprise, you can appoint any one you want to do any job you want them to do. Just because a mexican can't speak english, doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen of a restaurant. That's a customer service position, too.

It's one thing to say, "I wish he would have had a basic understanding of English because I found it very frustrating to communicate with him."

It's an ENTIRELY different thing to go on a tangent, speaking in general terms, about immigrants and what they should do.

What if this fellow had been in Canada for 4 weeks? Don't bash him! Bash the people that gave him the job!

Edited July 20, 2009 by thetreble

[Krikit 1,165]

Well. That was interesting.

I agree with Treble that the idiot comment was completely unwarranted.

I just feel sorry for the guy who was trapped in the position of having to respond to DPX, et al, without a proper set of english language skills. He was probably just as frustrated as DPX was.

[Sprailenes 47]

That is my point exactly krikit. We feel frustrated encountering language barriers once in a while, their entire life is a language barrier. I imagine it's very difficult. I found DPX was making unfair generalizations about immigrants and thats what I was defending. I understand you want them to learn English, many of them try. But don't assume that they are all refusing to speak because they can't speak it like you.

Who is to say that the man he spoke to didn't just arrive here? Who is to say that he wasn't taking ESL classes once a week? You don't know.

It sounded like the guy was trying to speak English to him.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I don't usually agree with DPX, and I can't say that I completely agree here, but I do get his point. I think it's completely reasonable to expect that someone doing a job should be able to communicate with those people whom they will serve. Whether it's a job at the government or in private industry, if you can't communicate with your vendors or clients, you can't do your job. But, you can't blame the guy on the other end of the phone. He was put in an untenable situation. It's easy to say "complain to the management, don't take it out on the employee" when you're not in the situation at that point in time and frustration.

[Danu 19]

wow what a thread. I think one thing that might be good to do DPX is when the regular manager is back, get the number for security from him/her so you always have it, and make a suggestion that perhaps it is given to all tenants or posted somewhere so that if there is an occasion where something like this has happened and you can't get ahold of someone, or that temp. manager is on, that the proper people can be notified. I would have been terrified if I was your wife. Wes got mugged at his complex in the parking lot in January. If it had of been me instead of your wife, my car would have been locked and I would not have been moving until someone came to save me

[minnew 4]

I think it's completely reasonable to expect that someone doing a job should be able to communicate with those people whom they will serve. Whether it's a job at the government or in private industry, if you can't communicate with your vendors or clients, you can't do your job.

I completely agree,if someone is in the customer service industry and can't serve their customers because of a lack of ability to communicate, well then thats a problem. My fiances father was in a similar situation as you, not in an apartment complex, but in a customer service oriented atmosphere but the person basically said I speak Spanish and had no comprehendable English, definitely not enough to do his job. Yes some of it is the employers who need to be bashed, and one cannot say whether he or she is "refusing" to speak English. Refusing to learn English is one thing, still learning is another.

[Autumnchik 6]

I'm getting sucked into debating something in OT!!! Argh!!!! Normally, I try not to engage in things, but for some reason the kid selling the toys debate has taken over. I am supposed to be at the gym now and instead I am on VJ!!!!!

[Sprailenes 47]

I posted in that thread but I refuse to go back in and see what it has become.

Post and runnnn.

[thetreble 19]

It's easy to say "complain to the management, don't take it out on the employee" when you're not in the situation at that point in time and frustration.

It's the same as the kids and parents who scream at me when the price of parking goes up, though. Not my ###### fault as that was an administrative decision and I'm merely an employee.

But, someone hired him. At the end of the day, someone hired him. Complain to them.

And don't start making generalizations of what people should and should not speak. I'd like to see you get a job overseas in Germany and 6 months from now speak fluent German. Should you not get work because you can't speak fluent German? That's silly.

[Kimbear 53]

It's easy to say "complain to the management, don't take it out on the employee" when you're not in the situation at that point in time and frustration.

It's the same as the kids and parents who scream at me when the price of parking goes up, though. Not my ###### fault as that was an administrative decision and I'm merely an employee.

But, someone hired him. At the end of the day, someone hired him. Complain to them.

And don't start making generalizations of what people should and should not speak. I'd like to see you get a job overseas in Germany and 6 months from now speak fluent German. Should you not get work because you can't speak fluent German? That's silly.

And welcome to my life in Quebec lol

I moved back here after being gone for a long time..and tryign to get a job since january has sucked..My french is not good enough for them..go figure. I can talk to french ppl and they can more or less understand me..for some stuff i kinda wing it..but thats not good enough..they want FLUENT french..in fact..i go to a store..and no matter how much i speak english..i get replied to in french as well..

not that i hate french ppl i don't..in fact some of my friends are / were french. However due to the language laws here it makes living here retardedly frustrating and stupid. and the only jobs atm are ones in restaruants etc which hi turnover rates....you can tell me how to cook your food..but i will have not understood a damn thing you said..although it may have sounded nice lol. bah..my little rant for the day

[Flames9_RN 358]

It's easy to say "complain to the management, don't take it out on the employee" when you're not in the situation at that point in time and frustration.

It's the same as the kids and parents who scream at me when the price of parking goes up, though. Not my ###### fault as that was an administrative decision and I'm merely an employee.

But, someone hired him. At the end of the day, someone hired him. Complain to them.

And don't start making generalizations of what people should and should not speak. I'd like to see you get a job overseas in Germany and 6 months from now speak fluent German. Should you not get work because you can't speak fluent German? That's silly.

And welcome to my life in Quebec lol

I moved back here after being gone for a long time..and tryign to get a job since january has sucked..My french is not good enough for them..go figure. I can talk to french ppl and they can more or less understand me..for some stuff i kinda wing it..but thats not good enough..they want FLUENT french..in fact..i go to a store..and no matter how much i speak english..i get replied to in french as well..

not that i hate french ppl i don't..in fact some of my friends are / were french. However due to the language laws here it makes living here retardedly frustrating and stupid. and the only jobs atm are ones in restaruants etc which hi turnover rates....you can tell me how to cook your food..but i will have not understood a damn thing you said..although it may have sounded nice lol. bah..my little rant for the day

Talk to Charles, he won Quebec in this years Roll Up the Rim contest at Tim Hortons!!!

[Krikit 1,165]

I was on business in Montreal, once, and I had one lady who worked at VIA Rail yell at me because I didn't tell her I wasn't french. My last name was french, btw, so she just naturally assumed I was too. Which is fine. I have a working knowledge of it and can get by. Just don't yell at me for impersonating a french person when I'm not!

Edited July 20, 2009 by Krikit

[Kimbear 53]

I was on business in Montreal, once, and I had one lady who worked at VIA Rail yell at me because I didn't tell her I wasn't french. My last name was french, btw, so she just naturally assumed I was too. Which is fine. I have a working knowledge of it and can get by. Just don't yell at me for impersonating a french person when I'm not!

see i do that..by accident..i'm bad with accents..i tend to kinda pick them up and start talking like that..and people think i'm making fun of them but i'm not..it's just this stupid thing my brain decides to do lol. like i had this gay hairdresser..and well by the end of the night i was talking like him! and he asked why i was making fun of him and i apologized over and over cuz i didn't even realize i was doing it! lol poor guy..

[thetreble 19]

Talk to Charles, he won Quebec in this years Roll Up the Rim contest at Tim Hortons!!!

[trailmix 77]

Last night I made a hotel reservation for a night, for after we have moved our stuff out of the house. I did it online at the hotel website, all good.

Well after discussing it for a few minutes we decided that it would be a good idea to spend the night before at the hotel as well, since all our stuff should be packed at that point and check in time isn't until 1:00 the next day and the movers will be here etc.

So I call the hotel directly. She was soooo rude, first she picks up the phone and is talking to someone else, then after a while she says HELLO - name of hotel. I explain I would like to change our reservation.

'I can't do that for you, you will have to contact your travel agent'

Me: 'We don't have a 'travel agent' - I reserved the room online'.

'I don't mean an actual travel agent that you hired, I mean whoever you reserved with, I can't change it here'.

'I reserved it through your (hotel's) website directly'.

'Yes, but you will have to call your travel agent (or something else silly) - if I change it for you here they will have already charged your credit card and there is nothing I can do about that'

What?? So I say I will just call the 800 number for the hotel. But honestly - did she even think about anything she said before she spoke, what she said made zero sense!

Anyway, I called the main number and sorted it out - sort of - I have two nights confirmation by email, but each night is in a different email, so have to call them back today to make sure they have it right.

Funny thing is, I had spoken to her a couple of hours earlier (about early check in) and she was really nice.

Edited July 21, 2009 by trailmix