Ever since I have worked at this office we have subscribed to a service called Language Line. Language Line (LL)is a resource a person or organization can use to take phone calls from callers speaking other languages. Language line is a great concept but it has never worked for us. The LL is cumbersome at best to work effectively. When a non (in my case) non speaking English person calls, one must first realize that the person speaks no English then convey to this person to wait, put that person on hold then find the LL toll free number, ask for a whatever language interpreter and then put that interpreter on hold then integrate the first caller into a “three way conversation”. I think I have had maybe five calls in the eight years I have been on staff and of those five calls only one caller has still been hold when I finally got back to the caller with the LL interpreter.
This summer as we were preparing budgets for the new year and more accurately trying to figure out where we could trim costs the Language Came up. Actually, what really happened to provoke this “trimming” the billing of a number of multi-hundred dollar calls that LL was trying to charge my program with. I immediately held a meeting with my executive director with our bookkeeper/accountant letting them know we never had made such calls and then suggesting we cancel the “service”. The bookkeeper/accountant’s said he would call LL and take care of the the whole thing. Great! The book keeper/accountant ‘s office is right next to mine and I was able to over hear him beginning the process. I figured he was on top of it and that was that.
The bookkeeper/account moved on to another position in State a couple of weeks ago and sure enough a bill from LL landed on my desk. I hate bombs like that. I first wanted to lash ot at the departed bookkeeper/accountant then had to hold off. I did hear him at least talk to LL so he must have been trying. But he has been known to drop things before,(was that malicious?) Like I said I just hate being sucker punched. The new boss took up the ball his time and is running with it. Sounds pretty good so far. She even called the past bookkeeper/accountant and got him in on the foray. If nothing else this should be entertaining. We are talking only a couple hundred dollars but still the principal is involved (no pun intended).
The clouds have been massing all day. All day yesterday all the weather forecasters have been yammering it up about a “monster storm” headed our way. Strom warnings in place from 3:00 pm to 3:00 a.m. I just checked Weather Bug amd the bug calls for heavy “now warnings”. I even drove my van in today anticipating poor commuting conditions form my evening’s return. Oh well I should be thankful for being able to drive home on dry roads.
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