English, please?

[Classyathome]

I am a Canadian living in Canada (born and raised), of Italian-English descent. My last name also happens to be a common East Indian last name, I've found out. More and more, I am having to ask salespeople who call my home (unsolicited calls) to speak english to me.

Their inital salutation is in an Indian dialect of some sort, and I have to ask them to speak english. Some refuse, either they don't speak it or they won't, some speak english poorly and are impossible to understand, some even berate me for giving up on my Indian heritage (of which I have none), and some just hang up. One argued at length with my mother over which city/region in India she must have come from, all the while insisting that my mother was lying. Lying!!!

If I ask for my name to be removed from their calling lists, their comprehension really goes out the window - I have not to date had one provide me with a toll free phone number as per the law to have my number removed from their lists (we have a law here that any companies that do phone sales MUST by law provide you with a toll free number to their head office so you can have your number removed). I don't subscribe to call display, and using the Bell *69 costs $ to find out they've blocked their number. I have no need for saris, long distance to India, or "special" financial consultation.

I get these calls at all hours - some as late as 10:00 pm (which really sets me off, and I do scream and rant at them, or anyone else that calls that late to sell me something).

Anyone else being assaulted by this form of marketing? Do my U.S. brother and sisters have a prob w/ hispanic or other languages being used when they do not speak or understand it, and what do you do about it? Internationally, do Belgians have to deal with Farsi callers? Do Iraqis get calls in Swedish?

 

[emmy75]

hi i thought i would put in my 2 cents. both my parents are from india. they came to california during the sixties. but i know how you feel about a stranger talking to you in a different language if thats what u mean.

the city i grew up in is now 51 percent chinese american. people call my parents number and start speaking mandarin. if i answer the phone i just tell them i don't speak chinese. if they can they speak english. if not the conversation is over.

im not at all bothered by the fact that they are speaking chinese to me. theyre never rude about it. i have a problem with rude people and telemarketers in general not the language their speaking.

i dont know maybe its because ive been fortunate enough to travel. in many countries all over the world, including india, people are speaking english, espcially the highly educated. in the states i think we are very fortunate to hear so many different languages. and just like the chinese in my city, where there is a large population of people speaking a certain language, if they see a name that is familiar they will assume that u speak the language. life goes on.

lastly english is not the national language of america, at least. and may i remind u that neither english nor french were the first languages spoke in north america.

 

[Classyathome]

hi i thought i would put in my 2 cents. both my parents are from india. they came to california during the sixties. but i know how you feel about a stranger talking to you in a different language if thats what u mean.

the city i grew up in is now 51 percent chinese american. people call my parents number and start speaking mandarin. if i answer the phone i just tell them i don't speak chinese. if they can they speak english. if not the conversation is over.

im not at all bothered by the fact that they are speaking chinese to me. theyre never rude about it. i have a problem with rude people and telemarketers in general not the language their speaking.

i dont know maybe its because ive been fortunate enough to travel. in many countries all over the world, including india, people are speaking english, espcially the highly educated. in the states i think we are very fortunate to hear so many different languages. and just like the chinese in my city, where there is a large population of people speaking a certain language, if they see a name that is familiar they will assume that u speak the language. life goes on.

lastly english is not the national language of america, at least. and may i remind u that neither english nor french were the first languages spoke in north america.

OK, well, ummm, I'm not really sure we are on same page (or continent) here, so...

I am being specifically called because of my last name appearing to be of a certain nationality. The callers are using a language that is foreign to me, that is not common in this country, province or city, castigating me for not understanding that language, and refusing to recognize and obey the laws that relate to their business practices. Do I hate Indians - no way. My last name is Italian - I have NEVER received a phone call from a salesperson speaking Italian. NEVER...

English and French are the officially spoken languages here in Canada - a person anywhere in the country has access to government services in either language.

The United States of America does have an official policy of providing services federally in English - some states (Cali., etc.) do have provision for spanish speaking peoples, as they are very close to Mexican border, but that is not Federal policy. Other languages are supported on an ad hoc basis, chinese being a big one, but that support does tend to be very local to the neighbourhoods where it is used.

The rest of the Americas are either Spanish or Portuguese - with English as a second (or 3rd) language.

I have no issue with other languages or nationalities - I have family and friends that look like a Benetton ad. The objection is not with their country of origin, nor in the speaking of Indian dialects. What I have issue with is the
manner in which this select group of marketers target and treat me, and their refusal to acknowledge my requests to stop the calls.

I loathe telemarketers - but some are decent, they speak with respect and are courteous. I can say no thank you and thats it. These specific companies are neither polite, nor respectful. They are all using Indian speaking people, and those people are all incapable or unwilling to desist. And I'm sure that some or most of them do have at least a rudimentary grasp of English - it's just more convenient for them to play stupid, ignore my requests, and make their next call. The conversations always go south right when I ask for the toll free number to have my name removed from their lists. The calls are made from Canada, not India, and as such they are thumbing their noses at my civil rights. On purpose.

That pisses me off.

Oh, and hindi and chinese weren't the first languages here either. Hell, they weren't even the first languages spoken in India or China. Not really sure what your point was there.

 

[Pops]

Have you ever thought of just hanging up. Works for me.

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

lastly english is not the national language of america, at least. and may i remind u that neither english nor french were the first languages spoke in north america.

If it's not English, then what is it? The idea with an official language is that a country (or federacy) can organize communications, intel, roadsigns, hospitals, whatever makes a society work. If there is no 'common' language, then that society will be way more chaotic than one that has one.
You can still have minority cultures in the country that speak their respective languages, as long as they also speak the official language.

Which is why, when you move to another country, you learn the official language spoken there. That's the intellectual effort you SHOULD make, if you want all the benefits that comes with living on foreign soil. I've lived and worked in many different countries, and today I speak five languages fluently. It is a great advantage in life, socially, economically and culturally.

My neighbour across the hall is from Sri Lanka. When I moved in here six years ago, he didn't speak a word of French. A couple of months ago, he knocked on my door. He bought his wife a new washing machine, but since he still doesn't speak French, he couldn't read the manual and was unable to install it, even less operate it. So he wanted me to do it for him.

I don't know if he realizes it, but he's living in a bubble, a ghetto. I don't know him since we don't communicate that well, but he probably works in the Sri Lankesian community, have only Sri Lankesians as friends, he only speaks his language with his wife and kids. He's intellectually handicapped in this society, like someone that doesn't know how to read and write.

It's true that English wasn't the first language spoken in America (It wasn't even the first language spoken in England), but that's beside the point. Which one of the hundreds of Native North American languages or dialects do you think should be the official language? Languages come and go, one replaces another, but we need one common language in order to communicate between eachother.

So tell your phone marauders to learn the lingo.

 

[Guest]

I just hang up.If english isn't America's "national" language could you hip me as to what is?

 

[Stay Puft]

"I wish to be placed on your DO NOT CALL LIST and I request that you send me a copy of your DO NOT CALL policy."

Ask for the company name and the employee name if they haven't hung up already.

 

[Guest]

Ustjay angha upa ooofballgay.

 

[RED145]

Most ALL company's phone help is now out sorced to third world countries.Call the dell hotline,your callin someone in india,call at&t again,another country.Christ,call an operator....another country.They get paid like 12 bucks a month and its a better life for them.Pisses me off but its good for them.We have become spoiled by high wages and the major companies save billions and create work for them.

 

[Classyathome]

"I wish to be placed on your DO NOT CALL LIST and I request that you send me a copy of your DO NOT CALL policy."

Ask for the company name and the employee name if they haven't hung up already.

Great idea - problem is, as soon as I get the words "I wish to be placed on your DO NOT CALL LIST and I...", the line either goes dead, or their comprehension drops to zero, they start muttering, and then they hang up.

Seriously - this is driving me nuts. I'm getting 3 or 4 calls a week, at all hours of day and evening, and the routine is getting stale. My parents are getting them too - like I said, the one called my mom a liar repeatedly because she told them she wasn't indian, or from india.

I know it's one of them right away - they start talking immediately in whatever dialect it is - if I ask for english, or start with my request for my name to be removed, etc., they feign ignorance, or just hang up.

One call, no probs. 2 calls - I'm annoyed. This is months and months of the same crap. Hanging up is what I do - but it just won't stop.

 

[greenhead]

Caller ID & unlisted number seems to work alright.

 

[Classyathome]

Caller ID & unlisted number seems to work alright.

And they both cost $ that I really do not have.

I'm thinking of getting an air horn, and the next few that call get a ruptured eardrum.

Think they'd sue me? Hope so.

 

[its just sky fi]

"Most ALL company's phone help is now out sorced to third world countries.Call the dell hotline,your callin someone in india,call at&t again,another country.Christ,call an operator....another country.They get paid like 12 bucks a month and its a better life for them.Pisses me off but its good for them.We have become spoiled by high wages and the major companies save billions and create work for them. "

Why what you said my be true for alot of companies, but as far as I know... at&t has a call center where I live, and they pay good wages. My realtor actually started working for them full time and sells houses on the side now...

From what she told me, they are very strict. Everything is very effecient, your not allowed sick days, you miss a day in your first 90, fired before you call in sick/late.

But starting pay was like $640 take home a week, then after your 90 day induction, you have a quota to meet each day (# of calls/sales etc) and if you meet that number for one pay period (which over 90% of workers do) you get a $350~ bonus (PER WEEK).


Before my last raise I was making $12/hour... where I live minimum wage is $5.15 I think. After taxes for a 40 hour week at 12/hour I bring home $358 and some change... now her starting pay to be a telemarketer has almost double the take home pay that I do... and when you add on the bonus...

Im in the wrong buisness lol

 

[R03]

I'm courteous with them, I know they're trying to work, and it's a hard job. I rather they work, then be poor, steal, be on welfare or whatever. People are very rude to them, So I either appologize and say i'm just on my way out or I tell them "please, take me off your list".

From what I've heard, those are in fact the magic words. "Please, take me off your list".

If you're rude to them, I'm pretty sure you'll get more calls. People counter with whatever they get from you. Someone comes screaming in my face, I am polite, and smile. They calm down and smile immediately, and become very polite in return.

People are stressed out these days, not like they love what they do, people have problems.

 

[st0fr]

That would get really annoying really fast

 

[Classyathome]

Hmmm - the friends of telemarketers meeting is about to start. plse take your seats...

To be clear here - I am not raging against phone sales - sure, they are a pox, but yes, people do have to make a living.

My problem is with non english speaking calls, targetting me because of my last name, that refuse or are unable to properly converse with me, and that refuse to stop calling me or give me a way to have the calls stopped. They are discourteous, illegal (in the land which they have decided to come because their countries are killing each other), and they simply will not stop.

What is so tough about understanding this?

 

[sam6655321]

I understand what you mean. I would say use the air horn on the ones that get rude with you and don’t use it on the ones that are nice. If they get their ears blasted enough they stop.

 

[its just sky fi]

I understood what you were saying too. I just had no input about it, yea it sucks. The reason I quoted red, was because I was making a comment about what he had said.

 

[R03]

Alright lol, with your case. Airhorn might work, but I say get yourself a Fox-40 whistle, it works.

 

[PoppinFresh]

i think your case sounds a little extreme from the other side ya know. i get that shit all the time with my name. but i've never had someone refuse to speak english to me unless they can't speak english at all! that's always funny because the only words they know in english is "do you speak spanish?" LOL.

here's a funny one.. this guy in a cab stops next to me to ask directions but his spanish accent is so thick i couldn't understand him. so, i asked the cab driver what is he lookin for. the cab driver's spanish accent was just as thick as the passenger. i just said, sorry, i can't help you. i hate it when people say, YOU SHOULD LEARN SPANISH! umm, no. if i go to live in a spanish country then i will find that viable. but im happy with the spanglish i know lol.

anyway enough of me ranting. lol. first of all, STOP GETTING MAD. you're wasting your energy because these people, telemarketers, do NOT give a **** either way! next, just record these calls from the company. it will show how they are disrespectful and won't remove your name. get about 5 calls and take it to court for harassment. you might be able to get some weed money out of it.

the only other thing i can tell u, outside of legal recourse, is to change your number or just hang up when they call!