Queensland Rail Media release: Help on hand for non-English speaking customers

[ozbob]

http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/AboutUs/MediaCentre/MediaReleases/Pages/Helponheandfornon-Englishspeakingcustomers.aspx

Help on hand for non-English speaking customers

23/06/2011

Queensland's multicultural communities will benefit from a new Queensland Rail initiative providing non-English speaking customers with personalised customer service.

Chief Customer Officer Theo Taifalos said Queensland Rail's multi-lingual customer service attendants have begun wearing flag badges to identify which languages they can speak in.

"We have 1100 front line people who have lived, travelled or were born in countries all over the world," Mr Taifalos said.

"Some of our station staff are capable of speaking in languages from Brazil, Mexico, India, Phillipines, Vietnam, China and many more.

"Additionally, if your local customer service staff aren't able to provide assistance in person, we may have someone at another station who can be contacted over the phone who may be able to act as an interpreter. We have provided a database to every station, so at every point we will assist our customers in every way we possibly can.

"We are committed to providing personalised customer service to every customer across the City network, including those who may not speak English."

Mr Taifalos said the initiative was the latest example in Queensland Rail's commitment to its Customer Charter released last year.

"There are approximately 180,000 customer journeys across the City network every day, and each customer may not always speak English.

"Our station customer service staff may be able to assist with vital travel information, directions, which platform to wait on, or vital safety information.

"They are there to assist in any way they can, and now the process has been made much easier for those who may speak a different language."

[#Metro]

It doesn't matter what language you speak... the meaning is still the same unfortunately... 

The next train is in 30 minutes

Το επόμενο τρένο σε 30 λεπτά

Der nächste Zug ist in 30 Minuten

Le prochain train est à 30 minutes

下火车是在30分钟内

القطار القادم في 30 دقيقة

[cartoonbirdhaus]

..

[Golliwog]

Whats the problem with this? They're getting staff to wear flag badges. It probably costs a few $ per badge, and now customers get a much better experience. Even back when I could speak ok italian, it was still much easier to communicate in english, this is applying the same principle.

[cartoonbirdhaus]

It probably costs a few $ per badge

I guess it see it as a symptom of a greater problem, 'tis all. (BTW, I have no problem with there being, say, Japanese-speaking staff at Gold Coast stations, as that benefits tourism.)