Work, Awkward and AITA: Duolingo

Duolingo

By Anonymous - 17/04/2025 03:00 - United States

Today, a client came in and was struggling to speak properly. He said, “Sorry, no good English” so I offered a Spanish speaking colleague who could assist. He frowned and said he was from Greece. He threw a fit and got my manager involved. I got a write up and have to do an online sensitivity training. FML

I agree, your life sucks 412

You deserved it 282

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Same thing different taste

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 60 203

You deserved it 3 523

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 1 143

You deserved it 73

Let it out

By MrTandy - 16/09/2011 02:38 - United States

Today, I was working when I delivered the standard "Hello, how are you?" to a customer. He took the opportunity to tell me about his deceased wife, his estranged children, and his anal tearing. After a while, I tried to help someone else, and he complained to my manager. I was written up. FML

I agree, your life sucks 31 697

You deserved it 3 715

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 29 919

You deserved it 5 416

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 10 842

You deserved it 926

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 41 009

You deserved it 2 918

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 30 671

You deserved it 3 438

By tumblrinas_at_work - 02/05/2015 08:04 - United States - Woodland Hills

Today, I had to go to a boring, never-ending "sensitivity training" session, all because my douchebag coworker filed a complaint against me last week after I apologized for being tardy. Apparently I was insulting people with mental disorders. Or as she put it, "differently-abled" people. FML

I agree, your life sucks 30 816

You deserved it 2 992

Working here sucks

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 32 399

You deserved it 2 525

Some people don't belong in education

By Panagiotis - 01/10/2022 18:01 - United States

Today, we had a substitute teacher. She was taking attendance and had trouble pronouncing my last name. When I corrected her, I heard her mutter under her breath about, “Goddamn Mexican immigrants…” I’m from Greek ancestry, born in the USA. FML

I agree, your life sucks 1 582

You deserved it 147

d j mom 9

Thursday 17 April 2025 12:20

maybe you have asked him his language first?

dreams2383 18

Thursday 17 April 2025 16:35

never assume. ask where they are from. you look like an ass when you assume.

Comments

d j mom 9

Thursday 17 April 2025 12:20

maybe you have asked him his language first?

dreams2383 18

Thursday 17 April 2025 16:35

never assume. ask where they are from. you look like an ass when you assume.

tiptoppc 19

Sunday 20 April 2025 16:14

He sounds racist. Doesn’t like the spanish I guess. Offer an Italian translator, and offer they are basically the same at yelling insults anyways… (For those that can’t tell sarcasm, we all can’t be over dramatic like Guiseppe, the translator….)

Rake 17

Monday 21 April 2025 14:15

When you have an FML you don't need to check the country of origin of. In other countries a simple sorry, I mistook the language would have been enough. Especially, when you were just trying to help.