Should Box counter staff be given language lessons?

[postypie]

The reason i ask this is quite simple....where i work at least.....the vast majority of our customers are Chinese,Afghans,Iraqi,Polish,Kurdish, Japanese,etc,etc.....as we have a large student and refugee population....i personally love trying to talk to these people,but there is a definite language barrier ...today a classic example...an Iraqi gentleman came down today with his P739 card...(with today's date on)..the poor bloke could not understand that he had to come in the following day to collect his item(which had 24 hours written on the back)...the gentleman just repeatedly asked in very broken English...you have?You Have??
I just thought that if RM could provide courses to accommodate this issue it would be useful....i know many will think that these people should speak our native tongue,but the vast majority are only here for a short while being students so i can hardly expect them to be fluent in spoken English?

[TeeferTiger]

The reason i ask this is quite simple....where i work at least.....the vast majority of our customers are Chinese,Afghans,Iraqi,Polish,Kurdish, Japanese,etc,etc.....as we have a large student and refugee population....i personally love trying to talk to these people,but there is a definite language barrier ...today a classic example...an Iraqi gentleman came down today with his P739 card...(with today's date on)..the poor bloke could not understand that he had to come in the following day to collect his item(which had 24 hours written on the back)...the gentleman just repeatedly asked in very broken English...you have?You Have??
I just thought that if RM could provide courses to accommodate this issue it would be useful....i know many will think that these people should speak our native tongue,but the vast majority are only here for a short while being students so i can hardly expect them to be fluent in spoken English?

OK so which languages do they choose? University towns/cities can have a vast array of international students, which languages do you choose? And if you're going down that route, why not learn the "home" languages first and teach everyone in Royal Mail the Welsh and Gaelic languages before the "foreign" ones?

Most foreign students will probably understand the concept of the word tomorrow and it might also be helpful to write down when they can come to collect i.e. 10am Wednesday for example. Some people might not understand the spoken but will recognise the written.

[spen]

i just give them sign language

[P13]

The reason i ask this is quite simple....where i work at least.....the vast majority of our customers are Chinese,Afghans,Iraqi,Polish,Kurdish, Japanese,etc,etc.....as we have a large student and refugee population....i personally love trying to talk to these people,but there is a definite language barrier ...today a classic example...an Iraqi gentleman came down today with his P739 card...(with today's date on)..the poor bloke could not understand that he had to come in the following day to collect his item(which had 24 hours written on the back)...the gentleman just repeatedly asked in very broken English...you have?You Have??
I just thought that if RM could provide courses to accommodate this issue it would be useful....i know many will think that these people should speak our native tongue,but the vast majority are only here for a short while being students so i can hardly expect them to be fluent in spoken English?

Maybe they should learn to speak English , if they are students how can they study here if they are unable to communicate properly

[north london driver]

they only understand what you say when they wont to.
very rare they open the door and if they do snatch the parcel and slam the door in your face.

[combo_king]

if you went to there country do you think they would care if u dont speak there lingo, we speak english in this country, deal wae it

[DGP1]

if you went to there country do you think they would care if u dont speak there lingo, we speak english in this country, deal wae it

'If you went to their country, do you think they would care if you didn't speak the language? We speak English in this country, deal with it!!!'
Well............some of us speak English

[Stormproof]

When in Rome..........

[krussel]

Maybe there should be other language instructions printed on the P739.

[Stormproof]

Maybe there should be other language instructions printed on the P739.

There is on some....Welsh

[dvbuk55]

When in Rome..........

Speak Italian?

[Stormproof]

When in Rome..........

Speak Italian?

No Latin

[TeeferTiger]

Maybe there should be other language instructions printed on the P739.

There is on some....Welsh

Everything has to be bilingual here anyway.

Like I said earlier, if you're going to put other languages on there, which do you choose?

If I'm visiting another country, I try to learn some of the lingo but I'd hardly be fluent. Unless it was France.

[ebbzie]

Maybe there should be other language instructions printed on the P739.

Please tell me your joking....................this is england ffs

[midegarelu]

Google translator on THEIR phone (unless yours is chained down behind bars) works every time!

:dcfo :dcfo