Maybe they think that something will grow

Loving the France Telecom guy that I talked to for a half hour this afternoon--he insisted on speaking English with me and after a formidable rant on my part, he said, “Wanadoo, zey are part of our company and I really should not be saying thees, but zey spread sheet everywhere.”

Comments

[Ana]

Gotta love it..:)

[lee]

That's awesome. I was surprised once to learn that my call to France Telecom was re-routed to some English-speaking sub-section of their help line. When I asked the very nice English-speaking man how on Earth I ended up talking to an Anglophone, he said, "Oh, they just automatically send foreign people to the English-speaking operators. Saves time." So my question is, how did they know I was foreign? My last name is a little funky, but otherwise? And the really bizarre part? My boyfriend, who is foreign (but from French-speaking Congo) ALSO gets automatically re-routed to the English speakers. Note: he hardly speaks any English. What a weird system, non? Didn't sound like you got an English speaker, though, obviously. Your last name must pass the standards for Frenchness.

[Jillian]

This reminds me of being on the Isle of Capri this summer and the HOT gelato guy serving me a scoop of nocciola gelato and saying the followig, "haha, it looks like a moon, i mean, a butt, si?"

[April]

is there something fundamentally different from my southern cali tongue and the parisian tongue? I can't do that "R" (the way you'd say it in musee d'orsay) and my french relatives say their th's like z's. do i just need to gargle more scope?

[Pat]

Priceless!! LOL

[Lauren]

My friend I were just commenting on how the french "ouvriers" have no problem bad mouthing the company they work for. In front of customers. Where's the pride...

[la.dauphine]

Too cute! :)

[R J Keefe]

Can you still get a Minitel if you want one?

[maitresse]

wanadoo's a walk in the park compared with noos... the bastards owe me over 200 euros!

[Neil]

That was so funny, especially as I sit here working on a "spreadsheet."

[Athena]

Adorable. I guess the customer service calls are not monitored as much in France as they are here. Also, as for April's comment about the "th". The French rarely have it, and when they do (théâtre), it doesn't sound like our "th" which is why they can't ever pronounce it. My friend French-Canadian grandmother says "tootpick" instead of "toothpick".

[ludivine]

I love France Télécom guy too, now. <3

[Paulo Patrício]

Just love your blog and this post is hilarious!

Have you ever read "One Year In The Merde" by Stephen Clarke??! Think you would like it a lot.

Best of luck and keep posting!

[wiLLoØ]

I need an explaination. I didn't understand this joke...

-spread shit ?

[Paulo Patrício]

Something is wrong with comments, this is my comment:

"

Just love your blog and this post is hilarious!

Have you ever read "One Year In The Merde" by Stephen Clarke??! Think you would like it a lot.

Best of luck and keep posting!"

[Coquette]

Yes, wiLLo, only we wouldn't really put it that way in English.

Paulo, that is totally on my list of things to read.

[Anne]

Do not talk to me about France Telecom. I assume that you were on hold for five hours before you got a chance to actually speak to anyone.....