Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
Dec 13th 2010, 8:43 am
#1
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Ballarat
Posts: 7,005
Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I work as a HACC coordinator for a welfare organisation and have support workers who go into clients homes to clean or provide personal care. Im having a great deal of difficulty with a few support workers who dont understand spoken English enough to communicate either with me via the phone or directly with clients. Ive suggested to my manager that we ask the support workers to attend the free migration classes to improve their English abilities. However one support worker has complained to my manager that im racist.
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
Dec 13th 2010, 9:07 am
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I'm probably sticking my neck out here, but I've never had much luck understanding the people on the other end of the line when I phone call centres in Newcastle!
There's something about the Geordie accent/delivery that I just can't get - it's embarrassing having to ask them to repeat time and time again: I use the excuse that it's a bad line in my direction!
There's something about the Geordie accent/delivery that I just can't get - it's embarrassing having to ask them to repeat time and time again: I use the excuse that it's a bad line in my direction!
Dec 13th 2010, 9:23 am
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Perth
Posts: 2,237
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
Mandy, I've sent you a pm.
Dec 13th 2010, 11:14 am
#4
Not actually a squirrel
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: England
Posts: 3,446
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I work as a HACC coordinator for a welfare organisation and have support workers who go into clients homes to clean or provide personal care. Im having a great deal of difficulty with a few support workers who dont understand spoken English enough to communicate either with me via the phone or directly with clients. Ive suggested to my manager that we ask the support workers to attend the free migration classes to improve their English abilities. However one support worker has complained to my manager that im racist.
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
Dec 13th 2010, 12:36 pm
#5
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
Respond with bursts of random Spanish.* 5 minutes of this should get them suitably enraged, at which point you say in polite cut glass English: "There, you see how frustrating it is?"
* If the other person is Spanish, use Basque.
* If the other person is Spanish, use Basque.
Last edited by Vash the Stampede; Dec 13th 2010 at 12:38 pm.
Dec 13th 2010, 12:51 pm
#6
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I work as a HACC coordinator for a welfare organisation and have support workers who go into clients homes to clean or provide personal care. Im having a great deal of difficulty with a few support workers who dont understand spoken English enough to communicate either with me via the phone or directly with clients. Ive suggested to my manager that we ask the support workers to attend the free migration classes to improve their English abilities. However one support worker has complained to my manager that im racist.
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
No advice, sorry except that you're obviously not racist. If they're being offered the free language classes, why would they not take them? 
Dec 13th 2010, 8:20 pm
#7
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Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Northumberland to Maida Vale Perth
Posts: 972
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I work as a HACC coordinator for a welfare organisation and have support workers who go into clients homes to clean or provide personal care. Im having a great deal of difficulty with a few support workers who dont understand spoken English enough to communicate either with me via the phone or directly with clients. Ive suggested to my manager that we ask the support workers to attend the free migration classes to improve their English abilities. However one support worker has complained to my manager that im racist.
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
Keel
Dec 13th 2010, 8:20 pm
#8
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Northumberland to Maida Vale Perth
Posts: 972
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I'm probably sticking my neck out here, but I've never had much luck understanding the people on the other end of the line when I phone call centres in Newcastle!
There's something about the Geordie accent/delivery that I just can't get - it's embarrassing having to ask them to repeat time and time again: I use the excuse that it's a bad line in my direction!
There's something about the Geordie accent/delivery that I just can't get - it's embarrassing having to ask them to repeat time and time again: I use the excuse that it's a bad line in my direction!
Keel
Dec 13th 2010, 9:34 pm
#9
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
[QUOTE=keel;
Keel[/QUOTE]
Bloody backwards vegetable!!!
Keel[/QUOTE]
Bloody backwards vegetable!!!
Dec 13th 2010, 9:39 pm
#10
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I work as a HACC coordinator for a welfare organisation and have support workers who go into clients homes to clean or provide personal care. Im having a great deal of difficulty with a few support workers who dont understand spoken English enough to communicate either with me via the phone or directly with clients. Ive suggested to my manager that we ask the support workers to attend the free migration classes to improve their English abilities. However one support worker has complained to my manager that im racist.
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
1. Ensure that your Manager supports YOU
2. Do not let this turn into a silly racism debate when it is simply a communication issue, by feeling nervous about it you may already be playing into their hands
3. Ensure that you make this a business issue, if customers and staff cannot communicate this will lead to loss of business and thus revenue and eventually closure of business. Get the support workers to buy into this and find out who they follow, the ringleader, and pressure them into realising that it is for THEIR benefit.
Finally, get evidence of complaints/feedback from customers where it highlights the issue and use that to reeinforce your proposal.
Dec 14th 2010, 3:16 am
#11
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Ballarat
Posts: 7,005
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
Thank you everyone for the support and advice. Ive asked both my area manager as i get on very well with her and my line manager (who i find to be a bit odd)to have a meeting with them tommorow so i can sort this out. Im going to go through my system plans tommorow before the meeting to highlight areas where problems have occured. Thanks Paddyo for that suggestion.
I try where possible to treat everyone as equals when i speak with them so having this communication problem to deal with is frustrating to say the least. Makes me laugh when some of the clients phone wanting to speak to me and ask for the lovley English lady and not the geordie one lol like what i had in the UK when i worked down south.
Mandy
I try where possible to treat everyone as equals when i speak with them so having this communication problem to deal with is frustrating to say the least. Makes me laugh when some of the clients phone wanting to speak to me and ask for the lovley English lady and not the geordie one lol like what i had in the UK when i worked down south.
Mandy
Dec 14th 2010, 3:41 am
#12
Social Grenade Thrower
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
Thank you everyone for the support and advice. Ive asked both my area manager as i get on very well with her and my line manager (who i find to be a bit odd)to have a meeting with them tommorow so i can sort this out. Im going to go through my system plans tommorow before the meeting to highlight areas where problems have occured. Thanks Paddyo for that suggestion.
I try where possible to treat everyone as equals when i speak with them so having this communication problem to deal with is frustrating to say the least. Makes me laugh when some of the clients phone wanting to speak to me and ask for the lovley English lady and not the geordie one lol like what i had in the UK when i worked down south.
Mandy
I try where possible to treat everyone as equals when i speak with them so having this communication problem to deal with is frustrating to say the least. Makes me laugh when some of the clients phone wanting to speak to me and ask for the lovley English lady and not the geordie one lol like what i had in the UK when i worked down south.
Mandy
Dec 14th 2010, 10:18 am
#13
aussie married to a brit!
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 302
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
communication in a job is important...if communication lines get crossed,mistakes get made, and some times,in some jobs, that can have dire consequences...
communication is important... there is no reason for people to refuse to improve their language skills, if it is causing problems..you would have no problem with someone from x who speaks fluent english, but are complaining about problems with some one from x who is not fluent...therefore it is not a racism issue..if you had a problem with ALL people from x whether they were fluent or not, then that may be a different matter...
if we went to europe, then we should be expected to improve our language skills to be understood clearly by any collegues we may work with too...otherwise, really, what good are you in a job if you can't communicate effectively with collegues and clients?
tell them to toughen up, stop whingeing and put some effort into learning the language of the country they wanted to live in, and pledged to learn as their requirement of entry!
communication is important... there is no reason for people to refuse to improve their language skills, if it is causing problems..you would have no problem with someone from x who speaks fluent english, but are complaining about problems with some one from x who is not fluent...therefore it is not a racism issue..if you had a problem with ALL people from x whether they were fluent or not, then that may be a different matter...
if we went to europe, then we should be expected to improve our language skills to be understood clearly by any collegues we may work with too...otherwise, really, what good are you in a job if you can't communicate effectively with collegues and clients?
tell them to toughen up, stop whingeing and put some effort into learning the language of the country they wanted to live in, and pledged to learn as their requirement of entry!
Dec 14th 2010, 11:18 am
#14
FREE TIBET
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 18,840
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
Couple of things:
1. Ensure that your Manager supports YOU
2. Do not let this turn into a silly racism debate when it is simply a communication issue, by feeling nervous about it you may already be playing into their hands
3. Ensure that you make this a business issue, if customers and staff cannot communicate this will lead to loss of business and thus revenue and eventually closure of business. Get the support workers to buy into this and find out who they follow, the ringleader, and pressure them into realising that it is for THEIR benefit.
Finally, get evidence of complaints/feedback from customers where it highlights the issue and use that to reeinforce your proposal.
1. Ensure that your Manager supports YOU
2. Do not let this turn into a silly racism debate when it is simply a communication issue, by feeling nervous about it you may already be playing into their hands
3. Ensure that you make this a business issue, if customers and staff cannot communicate this will lead to loss of business and thus revenue and eventually closure of business. Get the support workers to buy into this and find out who they follow, the ringleader, and pressure them into realising that it is for THEIR benefit.
Finally, get evidence of complaints/feedback from customers where it highlights the issue and use that to reeinforce your proposal.
Dec 15th 2010, 1:35 am
#15
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,374
Re: Frustration of working with people who have poor spoken English
I work as a HACC coordinator for a welfare organisation and have support workers who go into clients homes to clean or provide personal care. Im having a great deal of difficulty with a few support workers who dont understand spoken English enough to communicate either with me via the phone or directly with clients. Ive suggested to my manager that we ask the support workers to attend the free migration classes to improve their English abilities. However one support worker has complained to my manager that im racist.
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
I dont think i am racist but getting very frustrated at poor communication skills of some of my workers.
Any advice you can give me on how to procede with what i feel is an important issue for the environment im in.
Mandy
Are you sure its an English problem, is just you they have trouble understanding. do they have diffiuclty with clients and other colleagues! They may simply be so tuned into aussie accents and probably even american ones. Mandy i have had terrible issues with my accent and being understood, it does get better with time because am sure they are having great difficult with your accent, you will adapt your accent a bit and they will get to know you., I have happily been plodding along at work recently not worrying too much about my accent as i am getting to know peeps quite well. However alll the frustration, hurt and anger came rushing back to me yesterday when an English person told me i had a very strong accent and she found it difficult to understand me and that to speak quieter as my voice carried too much
, she also throw in another few insults for good measure, little did she know how much it has taken for me to get to this stage with my accent (including counselling), as some of your work collegues also may be attending due to the traumas they are having in thier lives and trying to settle, so am sorry Mandy but i sympathize very much with your work collegues, if someone suggested free migration classes too me, i think i would've landed them one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by Margaret3; Dec 15th 2010 at 1:52 am.