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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be offended by this review?

107 replies

dolgellau · 21/05/2018 21:00

AIBU to be offended on behalf of my staff.

I run a business in Welsh speaking Wales. It serves the public who are mainly tourists. Every single worker in the business speaks Welsh and all daily happenings and running of the business is through Welsh.

We have been left a bad review with low score as “staff speaking welsh between themselves”.

The only situation I can see this arising is if a customer orders in English (or French to some staff) staff will chat with the customers needs in English. Then to relay the knowledge to someone to work on the order will say it in Welsh to the other worker; the language that comes most naturally to them. This isn’t the case of excluding the customer but to just get the process done.

Even if the staff were gossiping between another;
How would said reviewer know that they weren’t discussing work related issues? Angry

OP posts:
helennnnn · 21/05/2018 21:03

If you run a business bad reviews are just a part of the job. Every business, good and bad, receives negative reviews. You need a thick skin if you work in that kind of industry.

JustGettingStarted · 21/05/2018 21:04

If I went to Spain, I would expect staff to speak Spanish amongst themselves.

YANBU

confusedlittleone · 21/05/2018 21:07

How do you know said person doesn't actually speak Welsh so knows what was being said? You need to have a thick skin if your a business owner so you are being a little unreasonable.

DesignedForLife · 21/05/2018 21:07

YANBU.

However are you sure they weren't gossiping? I had that once when I first moved here, I'm English but I live in Wales and understood enough Welsh at the time to know they were slagging me off. Never happened since mind.

Glumglowworm · 21/05/2018 21:07

Honestly I can see both sides. It’s great that you have a business using welsh and keeping the language alive.

But if you primarily serve tourists, presumably the majority won’t be welsh speakers, so I can see that it might feel a bit unwelcoming to have everyone speaking in a language you can’t understand (even though they speak English to you).

I’m English but have lived in wales for 14 years, attempted to learn welsh at uni and failed miserably as I have no head for languages. Where I went to uni it was common to hear welsh spoken in shops in town and I really liked hearing it, I think it’s great that the uni didn’t anglicise the town. Where I live now I hardly ever hear welsh spoken. So it wouldn’t bother me but I can see that it might bother some people (and some people will find something to complain about no matter what you do)

Original poster
dolgellau · 21/05/2018 21:10

My polite question would be, do you expect the whole establishment to switch language so one can nose in?

OP posts:
WeirdAndPissedOff · 21/05/2018 21:12

It could be a "normal" stupid review - look up bad reviews, and you'll see plenty of people who left negative reviews because there were too many "foreigners" in Spain, or complaining that the local language, food and customs aren't centred around British customs.

Loopytiles · 21/05/2018 21:16

It’s good that the customer gave the reason for their poor review, as readers may just be Hmm that the customer was surprised by welsh speaking when in wales!

Or might it be possible that the customer sensed inattention, gossip or even hostility from the staff?

DesignedForLife · 21/05/2018 21:19

You're ignoring several questions as to whether the customer sensed (or understood) your staff being rude in the assumption that they couldn't understand. Is that a possibility?

If you're sure the answer is no, then of course no one cares that you converse in the language of the country.

billybagpuss · 21/05/2018 21:22

I understand what you are saying and I love that the Welsh language is thriving, however as an English tourist who loves visiting your beautiful coastal areas I have lost count of the number of times I have walked into a business establishment the staff and customers were speaking English as I entered then immediately switched to Welsh.

I'm not interested in eavesdropping on private conversations, but feel that I'm being immediately judged by the swift change in language. It even happened in a bloody Tesco queue!

So the review may well have been from someone who has had similar experiences, In your case it is perfectly justifiable as you are a predominantly Welsh speaking region and as a PP said you wouldn't expect to be in a business in Spain and them not speak Spanish to each other, but as Wales is very much a multilingual country perhaps if you are dealing with an English speaking client the conversation should remain in English?

ErictheGuineaPig · 21/05/2018 21:22

Paid becs. Nobody will take any notice, it's such a ridiculous review. When we were looking on trip advisor at a place in Holland there were reviews from English people complaining about people speaking Dutch. I would write a really, really nice reply. Nothing highlights how much of a tosser somebody is when they write a ridiculous negative review - and the business kills them with kindness back.

ThistleAmore · 21/05/2018 21:24

I'm a native Gaelic speaker - technically, I'm bilingual, although I count it as my 'second language' these days, as my OH doesn't speak Gaelic and I work in an English-speaking environment, so I don't use it every day. However, it's my 'childhood language', and it's the language I use when speaking with my family and GS friends.

Be proud of keeping your heritage and culture alive. As PPs have said, while it's polite to use a customer's native language if you can when attending to them, you wouldn't expect Spanish/French/Italian shop staff to suddenly start talking to their colleagues in that language just because they were around.

ErictheGuineaPig · 21/05/2018 21:25

How strange Billybag. I've lived in Wales most of my life but have inherited one of my parents English accent so I don't sound Welsh. I have never ever experienced anybody 'switching' to Welsh from English and neither has my English husband - or indeed my English parent.

AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 21/05/2018 21:27

Welsh can be a selling point IMO... we live in a world in which everyone is watching the same films, following the same news / celebrities/ fashion, everyone speaks English etc so finding something different and unique with a lot of history behind it can be very attractive.

Just saying that this "bad" review is a reflection of the customer and could have a silver lining for you.

chavtasticfirebanger · 21/05/2018 21:31

They should have stuck to Pontins in Prestatyn then.

MikeUniformMike · 21/05/2018 21:32

Beware of customers who seem to not speak welsh but understand it.
They exist.
Some brits think that nobody speaks welsh as their main language.
I uncomfortable speaking in English with someone with whom I normally speak Welsh.

LionAllMessy · 21/05/2018 21:33

Review: Staff speaking welsh between themselves.

Response from business: Business is located in Wales.

The end.

moofolk · 21/05/2018 21:36

My Grandad used to think it was rude when Welsh people spoke Welsh.

I can't imagine going to a country and being annoyed at people who live there speaking their own language to each other, rather than being grateful (and slightly embarrassed) that they spoke my language to me!

SensoryOverlord · 21/05/2018 21:36

I have lost count of the number of times I have walked into a business establishment the staff and customers were speaking English as I entered then immediately switched to Welsh

I've lived in Wales all my life and travelled all over it and I've never experienced this.

I think it's far more likely that what you've actually experienced is people speaking 'Wenglish' - basically a lazy form of Welsh because some phrases are easier/more descriptive in English.

It's funny to hear - someone will be speaking fluent Welsh for a full minute and then pop in with 'And I said no bloody way!'. Then Welsh, Welsh, Welsh...then 'and it was a fabulous night!'. Then continue in Welsh.

It would be easy to misinterpret if you enter a room on an English bit of a Wenglish sentence though!

chavtasticfirebanger · 21/05/2018 21:37

I thought most of Wales spoke Welsh by default? The road signs and names of establishments are usually in Welsh.
It is a beautiful language to listen to, my Grandma was Welsh, but impossible to learn imo.

PatchworkGirl · 21/05/2018 21:37

"I have walked into a business establishment the staff and customers were speaking English as I entered then immediately switched to Welsh."

How strange. I have lived in one of the areas you describe for many years and have never heard of nor experienced this. I can't imagine why someone would do it either. If it is to stop your eavesdropping, I wonder how they know that you don't speak Welsh just by looking at you?

Aika · 21/05/2018 21:39

LionAllMessy

Review: Staff speaking welsh between themselves.

Response from business: Business is located in Wales.

The end.
**
Well said. Nothing further to add.

There is nothing wrong whatsoever when people speak their own language to each other.

billybagpuss · 21/05/2018 21:40

Its bizarre Eric, I've been visiting Wales very regularly since I was born and as the No 1 on the day you were born thread proved I'm one of the older members here. We tend to go round Pembrokeshire but I also found it up in Snowdonia. I do remember my Grandparents saying the same thing.

Maybe I'm just paranoid Grin I am quite comfortable switching between European languages though so I do notice the change, but maybe its as OP said for many its more natural to speak Welsh and they may have been speaking English to tourists previously. I'm sure there's nothing malicious about it I've just noticed the switch.

PatchworkGirl · 21/05/2018 21:41

chavtasticfirebanger "I thought most of Wales spoke Welsh by default? The road signs and names of establishments are usually in Welsh."

Unfortunately, there are some parts of Wales (mostly in the south) where very little Welsh is spoken. Having said that, there are some areas where Welsh is still the first language.

tillytoodles1 · 21/05/2018 21:42

I've lived in Wales for almost 40 years and don't speak a word of it. Most people can speak English, but if Welsh is their first language then why shouldn't they speak it?