"English" phone prompt on automated service calls

Good luck getting someone out to service your appliances. I suggest
you buy some basic appliance repair books and start reading them.

Seriously? I really can't wrap my mind around sentiments like this.
People don't appreciate how hard it is to come into a country and not
speak the language... Honestly, immigrants have to work extremely hard
to support their families and there's no valid reason for them to be
ostracized. I think it's wonderful that businesses have the curtesy to
do this, even if their intent is obviously to be accessible to a wider
market. Even if there was a huge wave of letters like this I'm sure
Sears would be unmoved. Surely the non-English-speaking customers
vastly outnumber the anti-"vistor" customers.

There's no immigrant agenda to overthrow America. I don't understand
the principle of you being difficult and condescending.

I wish I could press "1" to speak to an english speaking person
instead of someone with a thick accent in India. I recently called to
get my cell phone set up and spoke to someone with such horrible
english (from India) and wished I could actually speak to someone in
ENGLISH!! At least Sears gives you the option of using the english
language!

Sounds like a win-win for the service center. Anybody that has an
issue with the simple act of pushing a button or saying a word will
more than likely have issues with things like answering questions.

I actually thought this was kind of funny and sad at the same time.
English is not the native (or official) language of America (Or of
multi-national companies, of which most big companies are) by any
stretch of the word.

We are a nation of visitors. I can probably guess that 100% of the
bloodlines of your ancestry are not native to America.

It takes you a second to press a button to get help in a language
convenient to you. They offer it as a courtesy for multiple language
speakers, not to spite you.

I don't see the point. I understand the whole argument behind the "Why
should I have to press one for English" argument, but I also
understand that they are trying to appeal to their customers by
offering a choice of languages. Not every Spanish speaker is a
"visitor", I'm sure many of their customers are natural born by legal
parents, or even naturalized citizens. If you were born in the US, but
were raised by Spanish speaking parents, how is that their problem?

Well if they do that and you need service, you're out of luck...and
it's less work for Electrolux/Sears - so I honestly don't see the
point of this letter - you already purchased the products...you're
just saying that if you have to press a button for English when you
need service you'll hang up - why should they care?

"My issue is: I will hang up on ANY service call (unanswered) from ANY
vendor which requires me to press a button, or say the word "English"
for an English phone message"

I agree. That IS an issue.

Just push the button.

I thought about the implications of this for just a moment, and I got
as far as one would have to wait on the line for English, but I failed
to realize the ultimate consequence that it would take longer. .

The Spanish speakers do have to press buttons. Do you listen long
enough to find that out?

Unfortunately there's a few things to consider

1) The government still won't declare English to be the official
language

2) Most companies have a percentage of customers who speak a
non-English language more fluently.


The company cannot cut-off an entire portion of their customer base
just because someone else is "offended" that the company serves
non-English speaking people.

cutting off one's nose despite their face!

As has been said before: if you hang up, your service request does not
get made meaning Sears does not have to expend any money to fix your
new appliances.

Without even trying, Sears found a way to keep some of its customers
from using their warranties.

when i was in japan i was very thankful that there were services
available in english.

i knew a few words of japanese but not always enough

...how are you going to get anything fixed if you practice this? They
aren't going to change their phone system just for you.

And people, you wouldn't believe how many customers come into my store
around here and complain about this sort of thing like *I* have any
control over the phone systems. Would you rather it say, "Para el
espanol, prensa dos" without the prompt for English?

Spanish is becoming another dominant language of the United States. It
happens. I mean, a hundred years or so ago, a lot more people spoke
German and other European languages and eventually learned English.
The same thing might happen in this case.

Our nation is changing. It'll be okay.

I actually wish more automated systems gave me the option to push 1
for english. It is simply a fact of life that there is a business
need to offer services in spanish as well. It doesn't bother me, but
since that isn't the option I need, I wish I could just hit my numer
and avoid listening to the instructions for the spanish options,
spoken in spanish - which I don't understand.

If you want to discuss your service needs, you are kind of cutting off
your nose to spite your face, aren't you?

Espero que usted comprenda que estamos en una economía global ahora


Día Bueno

I am confused...I've called several companies where there has been a
two choice system such as "for English, press one, for Spanish, press
two (said in Spanish)". Was this the message you received? If so
that's pretty standard....English and Spanish are the two predominant
languages in the United States, so it is reasonable to offer both to
phone customers without a default. Are you mad that the call didn't
default to English to begin with? It's really not that hard to press
a button, its a lot harder to try to fix an appliance by yourself
because you are being stubborn.

Who exactly are these visitors of which you speak?

I'd say you picked the wrong brand of appliance if you now plan to
hang up every time you have a service issue. How will you get the
service that you need?

You could have verified the service company for the appliances was run
by the right kind of people before your purchase. It sounds like this
company is too inclusive.

thrilled if the phone was answered in the Native American language of
your region.