Monday, October 26, 2009

No e-speake spanish

Ok I know now in this day and age we all should probably learn 2-3 languages. That however is not my issue.



This is the issue: I work in clothing retail... at the sawgrass mall. (And for those of you who don't know, it is a tourist mall, its a destination for them-kinda like Disney). Now I (generally in a bad mood) hate everybody, but at work I loathe the Spanish-speaking (pick a country, I'm not bias).
These are a few of the people I have encountered:

1. I greet them, say "Hello, do you need help finding anything"
my response. "......." ::Silence::

2. Greet them "Hello do you need help with anything?"
response: "I'm sorry I don't speak English" (in PERFECT English no-less)

3. Greet: "Hello"
response: Hola ::politely nods head::
me: ::rolls eyes:: (thinking) greeeeaaaat....

4. Greet: "Hello"
response: Mirar ::points to eyes then clothes::

and my favorite
5. Greet: "Hello, do you need help finding anything"
response: ::all in Spanish::
me: ::blink blink:: ::shrug shoulders:: ::shake head::
response: ::still in Spanish now with big arm gestures::
me: ::more shaking of the head:: NO Spanish! (no yes I do realize I know how to say that exact phrase in Spanish, but I'm not caving in)
response: ::waving hands at me and walks out::

actually there is a tie for another favorite:
6. Greet: "Hello, can I help you with anything?"
response: Speak-e Spanish
me: ::shakes head no::
guest: ok.... (in perfect English again) I am looking for..... (fill in the blank)
me: ok ::I show them::
we get to check out
guest: You should learn Spanish
me: ::politely giggles:: I know very little
guest: It is good to know Spanish.
me: ::getting irritated now:: well maybe..
guest: ::pushing the issue more::
me: Look when I visit your country I will learn Spanish, in the meantime while you are in the USA you can speak English. (My actual response once)
guest: takes bag and leaves

And that is my major complaint right there. If I go to some other country, be it Spain, France, Italy.... I will attempt the language and bring a little guide book. I will NOT go over to that country and EXPECT them all to know my language.

Here's another one that rubs me the wrong way:
7. Greet: "Hello"
response: ::silence and walks by::
they've been in the store a while so I have to check up on them
me: "You doing ok?"
guest: ::broken English:: we fine.
me: ok great ::walks away::
comes to check out, and I ring them up
pays with credit card
me: ID?
guest: ::show ID::
A FLORIDA DRIVERS LIENCSE!!!!






Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Just a little rant

Now this happened a few weeks ago, but I've just been so busy I haven't had time so it is going to lose some of that "rant omf" but it still needs to get out.

I work at the mall and a kids clothing store at that. Outside in the main walkways are the kiosk that sell the more random things. Directly in front of our store is a Miami souvenir shop. The owner of the shop is some old hag that had has 1 too many plastic surgeries and we rarely see her any ways. Now he "charming" son we see quite often. "Charming" here is has a very dirty potty mouth. (Now so do I when it comes to certain things just not in the place of work). Let me also reiterate at this time that I work at a CHILDREN'S store. He is OUTSIDE the store in the main hall dropping F-bombs like no tomorrow! I'm standing in the middle of the store which is a good yard more away from him and I can hear him clear as day. Finally after one F-bomb going off as a family with 4 kids all under the age of 7 walk by.

Side note: I have a temper like no other when I get pissed off

Now I walk up to the front of the store and POLITELY ask him to watch his language please this is a family environment and I just saw a group of little kids walk by.
I figured I'd get "Oh OK, I'll try"
OH boy was I wrong!!! He turns to me and starts yelling at me, that he can basically due whatever he damn well pleases. That he has been opening store longer than my "existence" (I'm 23, he look late 30s)
So of course my mind and mouth worked to slow when I realized I should have retaliated with "you look good for 50". (but of course it did not play out like that, only in my head).
I asked him again slightly more irate to just please watch it, its inappropriate and that this is again a family environment.
He continues to cuss me out and drop a million more F-bombs. At that a guest walks into my store seeing this whole debacle, so I excuse myself from his berating and help my guest then run to get the portable phone from the back. I was going to call Mall Security (not that they help much), but one my way back out I had a stroke of nice-ness and decided to give him one more shot, if I heard it again I was calling. Well I guess my little interruption sparked something cause I didn't hear anymore curse the rest of the day, so either he stopped or said it under his breath, either way I was happy. But fuming from the incident with him. So the next couple days I worked with the store manager, and told her about the altercation and she called and told the Mall Management people (the people that can pull his lease). They were excited to GET a complaint ABOUT him, apparently HE has called on many other stores for music being too loud.
As for now no more altercations with "Charming" and I hope it stays that way, otherwise I will call security and mall management