Isn't English our Official Language?

3

320Bob

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Nov 2, 2009
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AZ
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I use Quicken to pay bills online and manage my finances. One of the things I do every week is download my bank, brokerage and credit card transactions to keep track of my expenses and monitor for any fraudulant use of my credit cards.

Much to my chagrin were 2 transactions labeled "Renovacion Placas 2010" each for over $100. Suspecting a criminal element might be using my card illegally I called the number listed on the download only to get a recorded message in English "If you have a wild animal problem call during normal business hours." Obviously not the message I would expect from a your typical criminal so I went on line to American Express to uncover what might be behind the mysterious transactions. Much to my surprise, clearly in ENGLISH were the words "IL Plate Renewal!" Then it dawned on me that for the first time I took advantage of Illinois's license plate sticker renewal program using credit cards for a convenience fee.

Now tell me how many non-english speaking hispanics charge license plate renewals with an American Express Platinum card? Give me a freakin' break - Green card perhaps but not Amex. The only explanation I can come up with is this is a covert liberal conspiracy to give non-documented aliens legal status!:smt021
 
Please press 7 on your phone for english and wait 5 minutes. If you speak spanish, remain on the line or press 1 for immediate assistence.
 
Soon it will be, "Please press 1 for Spanish ... if you speak English, please hang up and try again."
 
my3sons said:
Unfortunately we have no "official language", maybe we should
Click to expand...

Actually, I don't think that's true.

It's just that too many companies (and the goobermint) put "customer service" over principle.

Have you noticed all the bilingual signs in your local home depot? They ain't doing it because the goobermint tells them to this. They do it because they believe this is "customer service" that promotes higher sales.

I have been thinking I need to learn a second language. . but I think it needs to be a dialect of Chinese. :huh:
 
Sort of related but not really - I whined abt this a couple of years ago either here or on SRO but here goes again:

Several years ago, NJ started an online registration process for vehicles. Log in, pay your annual fee and you're done. Worked out nicely b/c of cars, boats, dinghys, trailers, etc, it saved a lot of check writing. Couple of years later, I logged on to pay one of the fees and when I got to the final "Submit" step, there was a warning that there would be a $2 convenience fee for the transaction. WTF??? I aborted the transaction and wrote them a check.

The whole purpose of online automation is to cut bureaucratic costs - less "man hours" to process these transactions. Now that we're saving the state money and we get used to a system, they start tacking on a fee??? EFFFF THAT!

yeah, I know, I'm a maverick!!
 
Originally Posted by my3sons
Unfortunately we have no "official language", maybe we should

comsnark said:
Actually, I don't think that's true
Click to expand...

??? Did I miss something ???
I know at least at one time, it was one of the trick questions on the citizenship exam.
We're to darn worried we are going to offend someone if we have an "official Language". We're supposed to be a "melting pot" BLAH, BLAH
Someone correct me if I'm wrong
 
Rono007 said:
Soon it will be, "Please press 1 for Spanish ... if you speak English, please hang up and try again."
Click to expand...

Don't you really mean "Please press 1 for Spanish....Si hablaras ingles, no estaria una mierda de suerte?
__________________
 
An ever bigger problem is those in Washington can't seem to read english. A least not when it comes to the Constitution! :smt013
 
rondds said:
Sort of related but not really - I whined abt this a couple of years ago either here or on SRO but here goes again:

Several years ago, NJ started an online registration process for vehicles. Log in, pay your annual fee and you're done. Worked out nicely b/c of cars, boats, dinghys, trailers, etc, it saved a lot of check writing. Couple of years later, I logged on to pay one of the fees and when I got to the final "Submit" step, there was a warning that there would be a $2 convenience fee for the transaction. WTF??? I aborted the transaction and wrote them a check.

The whole purpose of online automation is to cut bureaucratic costs - less "man hours" to process these transactions. Now that we're saving the state money and we get used to a system, they start tacking on a fee??? EFFFF THAT!

yeah, I know, I'm a maverick!!
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more.

My credit union used to charge $5.95/month for online bill paying service. Didn't use it. They have now figured out that this is a cost saver. Now it is a free service. I use it EXTENSIVELY.
 
I just got off the with the CC company. Well I can tell you this !!!. :smt021
I'm ready to start stabbing myself in the neck with a screwdriver. :smt100
I could hardly understand what in the hell she was saying. :smt013.
 
You're right. I work at HD and the Latino signs relate to $$$. They are the only ones paying with cash!! Si hablo espanol, gratias senor(or if you're lucky senorita, muchas gratias!).
 
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