I'm frustrated as non-spanish speaking service worker with Spanish only customers, Am I overreacting?

💼work/career

I (19 f) work at a public pool in a suburban area. We often have people who drive out from the major city I live nearby to use the pool. Lately Ive become greatly frustrated with the Spanish speaking customers. Majority of our staff doesn't speak Spanish or only speaks very little broken Spanish. My family immigrated from Ireland so I have very very little to no experience with the Spanish language despite being fluent in English, Gailge, and a bit of Polish. So while my coworkers are able to interpret a bit of what they're saying im a deer in the headlights still trying to decipher their accents. There's been more times then I can count where Ive felt like I was pulling teeth just to ask them to use a translator app. Im so relieved and overjoyed when customers use apps because I feel like then I won't be wasting their time but the apps aren't perfect. I just am frustrated with people who have been regulars at the pool for years who know we have little to no Spanish speakers on staff and never come prepared with a translation app or have never bothered to learn basic phrases. My father learned English when he moved to Ireland and then here. I just dont understand why they dont also put in the effort to learn English? I won't move to Mexico and refuse to speak Spanish? People would call me a jerk and rightfully so! But from what ive seen online I feel like im being a jerk for not understanding Spanish for a country I was told I had to know English alone for. Am I overreacting?

Posted Jul 29, 2025, 6:10 AM UTC

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