So, I had to see a medical professional last week--one that I had never seen before. It was a bad experience. I saw it coming when we drove up. I didn't say a word to my husband, but I knew what was going to happen.
We walked in and I was immediately impressed with the office decor. It was very nice. There were 2 people behind the front desk. My husband went up and announced my arrival. Wait--let me also say that my husband is a first generation, American born Cuban. Though Spanish is his first language, he is truly bilingual. If you heard him speak Spanish, you wouldn't think he could speak English without an accent. If you heard him speak English, you would never think Spanish was his first language. He is absolutely fluent in both. But I digress...
The receptionist gave me the expected "first visit" forms to fill out. I did so and returned them to her. She checked and told me that I had missed a couple places where my signature was required. She told me all of this in English. Then she said that the doctor would see me. She said this in English, too.
We all went to the exam room. The doctor was a gorgeous Latina. The receptionist was there as well. The doctor asked if I spoke Spanish, I said no. She asked if I understood Spanish, I said no. She asked both questions in English. And that's where the story gets bizarre.
From that point, NOBODY in the room spoke English, including the husband. All communication was directed to him, in Spanish. After every volley of conversation, he would have to tell me what was going on. If I asked a question in English, they would turn to him and answer in Spanish. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. I looked at him and announced that I was ready to go.
How can you run a business and refuse to speak the language of your client/customer? Was I being unreasonable to expect to converse in English with folks that speak English and know that I don't speak Spanish? Was it cultural--did they only talk to my husband because he's the boss of me? And even if that is so, why did they not speak to him in English? Please help me with this one...
Your comments--priceless!!
