Customers and Work: Offended

Offended

By Anonymous - 04/09/2009 04:31 - Canada

Today, a customer came in who only spoke Spanish. I speak Spanish rather well so I helped the customer. She ended up buying $2300 worth of stuff. I got written up because not speaking English apparently "has the potential be offensive to other customers if they are not able to understand you." FML

I agree, your life sucks 60 168

You deserved it 3 507

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Same thing different taste

Communication Breakdown

By rosie - 08/03/2021 13:59

Today, I was unable to communicate with a customer who only spoke French. As a result, my boss called me a "monolingual idiot." I speak Spanish, German, and Japanese. FML

I agree, your life sucks 1 113

You deserved it 69

By Smittynumerouno - 28/10/2016 03:13 - United States - Amarillo

Today, I had an old man yell in my face because the boxes in our store only had Spanish words on them. I spent 15 minutes apologizing and trying to explain that the English was on the back side. He stormed out before I could even show him. FML

I agree, your life sucks 10 824

You deserved it 917

By anonymous - 15/02/2015 22:39 - United States - Valdosta

Today, while working at Subway I joked with a customer asking him if he was going to order in Spanish. The women in front of him began yelling about how I was being racist and told my manager that I needed to be fired. The customer I was joking with was my Spanish teacher. FML

I agree, your life sucks 40 977

You deserved it 2 908

America, **** yeah

By BrazilianGal - 12/08/2021 02:01

Today, a lady at the clothing store told me to, “Stop speaking 'Mexicano', this is America!” when I was talking on the phone. I actually speak Portuguese. When I pointed this out, she verbally tortured me and threatened to, “Call the cops” if I didn’t leave her store for, “making her feel threatened.” FML

I agree, your life sucks 1 264

You deserved it 148

By Username - 28/02/2011 16:26

Today, my assistant manager was arguing with a customer. I interjected letting the customer know that "we want everything to be copacetic." After the customer left, I received a write up for using "big words." FML

I agree, your life sucks 29 890

You deserved it 5 400

By Anon - 26/05/2009 17:45 - United Kingdom

Today, I was at a mall. A woman stopped by me, said slowly and loudly, in Spanish "baño?" Knowing a bit of Spanish, I nodded and pointed the restrooms out for her. She then mutters about "dang Mexicans and their inability to speak English". I'm not even Latina. I'm Irish-American. FML

I agree, your life sucks 70 083

You deserved it 4 168

By people suck - 28/03/2015 04:16 - United States - Oakland

Today, while at work, a customer refused to speak louder, despite me asking her to do it several times. As a result, I took her order incorrectly. The customer then finally decided to raise her voice, but only to yell at me about my poor listening skills. FML

I agree, your life sucks 32 375

You deserved it 2 513

By PuddlePirate - 07/09/2012 16:23 - United States - Mountain Iron

Today, my co-worker and I were having a conversation in Russian. Our boss overheard us talking, shouted, "I know you're talking about me! I speak Spanish too!" and threatened to fire us. FML

I agree, your life sucks 30 640

You deserved it 3 434

By Anonymous - 07/03/2012 06:46 - United States

Today, at work, we had an extremely rude customer who started cussing at us, and my coworker started cussing back. I jumped on the register to quickly bring down the line, and apologized to everyone for the scene. A secret shopper was in the line and claimed that I was rude. I got written up. FML

I agree, your life sucks 29 899

You deserved it 2 474

Differences

By Anonymous - 17/06/2014 15:28 - United States - Saint Louis

Today, I almost got written up for insubordination by my boss. All I did was explain to him that I couldn't help a tourist out because I speak Japanese, not Korean, and that it's not in fact "the same Asian shit" as he seemed to think. FML

I agree, your life sucks 48 792

You deserved it 3 323

amdm 0

Friday 4 September 2009 12:07

Yeah, I get that a lot... And the stupid part is? I was hired BECAUSE I'm bilingual.

24788 6

Friday 4 September 2009 12:13

Well, your in Canada... They have many people who speak French. This one doesn't sound right to me.

Comments

bobleheadNS 0

Friday 4 September 2009 22:55

@ #123 just bcuz ur a fuking mexican and ur invading our goddamned country doesnt mean u make ur language the official one dumbfuk

jewrlove 0

Friday 4 September 2009 23:58

First of all, the Europeans invaded the US. The Native American's were here first. The western land mass of the US (now considered Texas, California, etc) were first inhabitted by the Native Americans, Mexicans & some Spanish people who moved there when Mexico was conquered by the Spaniards. Second, your a dumbass. STFU.

icehockeyrox 0

Friday 4 September 2009 22:56

how can you possibly make that assumption

timothyD12 0

Friday 4 September 2009 23:06

I can only say that your job sucks, so maybe get another one where you special skills can be appreciated instead of being frowned upon? to some of the comments...I wonder when language stopped being a mean of communication and started being the reason to insult minorities and immigrants on one hand and the motto of the stupid idiots who move to another country and are to lazy to learn the language and call it "preserving their own precious ******* culture" on the other.

mercedeslove 0

Friday 4 September 2009 23:16

Shouldn't the customer learn the language that is most spoken?

Macthenyfe 0

Friday 4 September 2009 23:19

F*ck that reverse racism BS! What ever happened to diversity? Good for you for attempting a bridge and performing well on the job

FTB27 0

Friday 4 September 2009 23:24

People SHOULD learn the native language. I'm planning on doing a study-abroad in Denmark next year and I'm doing what I can to not just be an ignorant American speaking English the entire time. HOWEVER, not everyone has the resources to learn the language, and some people simply cannot learn a new language without putting an enormous effort into it. OP, you did exactly what you should have done, and your supervisor is extremely closed-minded. When I was working in retail last year I had a similar situation: I saw a manager trying to talk to a man in a 'Mexico' t-shirt, but noticed a communication barrier and stepped in since I'm at least proficient in Spanish; fortunately, my supervisor understood that I helped a customer better than most of the employees could have, and I was commended. Honestly, I'd take the issue to Corporate if you actually get in trouble for it.

FSBull 0

Friday 4 September 2009 23:33

Time to look for a new job unless you enjoy working around racists.

annie101 0

Saturday 5 September 2009 0:18

All of you dumbasses crying reverse racism sound stupid! Reverse means opposite so the reverse of racism would equal no racism at all you idiots. Second of all, look up the word racist in the dictionary because this fml is not racist, so again you look like an ignorant twat for crying racism when there is none.