Sunday, February 17, 2008

I Speak English...What About You


Math has always been one of the hardest subjects for me to grasp. I've never been an x=3 type of guy. English has always been one of my stronger points. I figured if I wanted to run my mouth all the time then I might as well do it a high level. I'm frustrated at the companies, schools and other people who hire "people who don’t speak English" well. Our country is built on immigration (Whites, Blacks, Mexicans...etc), so I have no beef with people who have a different background or dialect. My beef lies in the fact that I have to talk to people who don’t speak English well on a “CUSTOMER SERVICE” line for a company that’s in “America”.

Customer service is a key component of any company. It sustains and builds relationships with the buying public. Why would you jeopardize your company by putting someone in a customer service position that doesn’t speak English well? It angers me to no end to see and hear people in customer service positions that don’t speak English well. I find myself asking “what did YOU say” and “can you repeat that” more than my original intent, which is CUSTOMER SERVICE. I understand companies try to save LOTS of money by hiring overseas help, but why let consumers like me be frustrated by hiring this type of help. It’s nothing against these people that are hired because I’m sure my St.Louis “right thurrrr” accent throws a lot of loops in the game. I pay too much money to go to school to have to translate what a teacher says. I want to learn more about math in my MATH class but it feels like I’m in Spanish 302.

I hate to pick on the human race like this because computer automated systems are worst. How many times do you call the 1-800 number and you end up talking to Mr/Mrs Computer 5000 that has 5 responses to your million wants/needs? I get tired of pressing one and star to go back to the home screen. I get so mad when I have to repeat myself because the machine can’t differentiate between representative and help. Companies are just lazy nowadays. I’m scared of what life will be like when I’m 60. I might be able to walk into McDonalds and they will know my order because of my past history. What if I change my mind and decide to have a McFish instead of McFlurry.

In conclusion I would like to say that I’m not discriminating against people who don’t speak English. There are jobs for you, but customer service is not the correct position.

In the words of Sean Diddy Combs to an aspiring artist

“If I put you up there on stage like that, people would be laughing their ass off….don’t get mad because you can’t dance.”

*Diddy’s a millionaire who understands Customer Service*

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

you are so right! I have had this problem so many times...

Unknown said...

LOL I feel you on this bruh, was a complete dolt in math class and a whiz in english.

This trend is a function of cost minimization. It's cheaper to outsource to india and bangladesh and hire people that have a sub-standard command of the english language. Good customer service has in many instances become nothing more than a wistful memory of days gone by...

DARTHOUSE ADVISORY said...

Yo, I'm a brother who holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, and speaks English quite fluently. In fact, as my math got better, my English writing skills improved greatly!

No disrespect ... but being a "complete dolt" in math class need not be concomitant to being a "whiz" in English.

We Black men are judged by how we speak way before anyone pays attention to what we say. So let's not underwrite such a false compartmentalization. Rather, let's foment an inclusive thought nidus to foster both abilities in tandem.

For as you well know, to be a Black man requires functionality at the meta-level; the math deconstructs, while the English reconstructs.

In kind, let us also hold white people accountable for the insidious and inimical institutional inculcation of their ignant azz minimum standards! Our adoption of their low expectations has decimated our Community!

Back in the day, Black folk knew we had to be better than whites to get in the door. Now, it seems we've forgotten this ...

And thanks, Daunte, for reminding us we have the right to good (and appropriate) customer service! Earlier this afternoon, some random white woman receptionist felt it appropriate to cut me off in mid sentence, roll her eyes, and sigh before answering my question. I didn’t deserve her insouciance, so I later called her back to say her point-counterpoint was confrontational rather than professional, and to tell her it left a bad first impression with me as a prospective applicant to her math graduate program.

This white woman got so quiet, you could hear a mouse piss on cotton ...