Doodle Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi all,This is going to sound barking I know but is there such a thing as a translater for french to english telephone messages. In this age of being able to do almost anything I rather think there must be. I ask because I have a message that I just can't understand, I've listened to it over and over and can only manage to get his mobile phone number and although I have asked him to send an email he insists on using the phone and he doesn't speak any english and he knows my french is not good and over the phone I find it really difficult.Thanks, Mrs KG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 There is an Android voice translator, they might also do an Apple version. Quite basic but it is free so worth a try. Difficult to believe but there are still people out there who are not connected to the Internet and do not have email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I don't know about a translator, surely you would have to make a recording of the message?This has happened to me several times too. If I think it's something important I ask my french neighbour to come and translate for me, or at least put the message into french that I canunderstand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 knee gel, it isn't as if I haven't had this problem, I have. I always called back, and ask them to speak slowly, apologising for my french....... and then as soon as they have said the first bit, go over it, to make sure I have got it. This sometimes would take quite some time, going over and over. I was never ashamed of doing this, they had something to say and I had to understand. And when I'd got the first bit, then onto the next bit........ and the same again. And I got there and ofcourse it improved my french.Translator, well, what if they get it wrong, your brain and your ears are the key to this. Here is a lovely translation, that isn't:Piment de terre ........................means nothing in french, although it sounds 'french'.the product was 'ground pepper'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Knee gel, are you even sure it's an important message? Could be a cold caller; that's all I seem to get on my landline these days - though when I reply, there is often silence to start with (a real giveaway).Sometimes they sound very authentic, such as saying they are partners of EDF when in reality they are trying to sell you some expensive solar energy collector or some such.Good suggestion above to get a French neighbour in to give you a clearer version of it.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I'm besieged with cold calls especially since starting the business, I screen out all the with-held numbers but its still several calls per hour.Not replying at all is the best, a genuine caller will speak, the autolated systems will drop the call, I can no longer do this but the delay does indeed always indicate a démarcheur, I have to disagree with claiming to be a partenaire adding authenticity or calling on behalf of.......... or charged with the responsibility of contacting............. by XYZ organisation, those are all the cues that make me hang up and dial *351*# to forever block incoming calls from that number.I know that I am pi55ing in the Wind though, the volume increases day by day as do the Spam E_mails.On the latter subject I blame Quillan, he said I should register my business with Google to get on Google maps, I did so, they dont show me but the spam immediately increased 100 fold, most of which trying to sell me SEO services whatever they are and all of them coming via the G-mail address that I had for 5 years without getting a single spam message until Google handed it out to the world. I am blocking on average 50 E_mail addresses per day which probably accounts for 30 minutes alone plus all the disruptions to my day with the phone calls from the démarcheurs and it is rising exponentially, pretty soon I will no longer answer the phone and will have to either change e-mail addresses or give it up altogether, Q said that its amazing to think that some people dont use E-mail, I think they are the Lucky ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Chancer, if you are not showing up on Google maps then you have not configured it properly or you have not completed the registration therefore your email address won't be displayed to the public. To deal with spam emails we use MailWasher Pro which uses standard 'blacklists' used by ISP's etc and will remove spam automatically. I prefer to use mine manually so it shows me what is spam and it is deleted or bounced with one click. Remember I am running ten email addresses so it is worth my while using this program which I have had for years.http://www.firetrust.com/en/products/mailwasher-pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Registration completed, they sent me a letter with a code but there was some problem (always is with me) so they phoned me and activated it then, I spoke to them some while after to say I hadnt appeared and they said I needed to do some things to increase my ranking, thats when all the Spam offers of CEO services started coming in, I'm still not showing on Google maps (I'll have to check again), the registration was with Googlemybusiness which is what came up when I searched on hos to get on Google maps, I wouldnt mind but they show a business in ly road that was liquidated a decade ago and which never even had a computer let alone e-mail or a website.Like i say, I wish I could undo the registration [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Just had another try, still not showing when I look at Google maps, the closed business is ,as is a landscape gardener however if I Google my business name plus "Google maps" it brings me up on the map, if I Google just the business name it doesnt show anything, not even a map of our area.I just get depressed with the ever increasing amount of time I spend on inanimate stupid computerised things for no result whatsoever, in fact quite the opposite, I am now bouffeing my brin for having done so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Thanks for all the replies. I have heard your suggestions and have now forwarded the voice message to a french neighbour who is always very helpful - (he spent three years working in London) it's just that I don't want to be a pest!It's a company that is going to do a repair for me and I've been waiting for him to contact me for some weeks. My original email asked him to communicate via email and the lady who usually answers the phone does so although I can actually understand her on the phone it's him that I can't. Yesterday he left his mobile number and I think in his message he was apologising for not coming sooner and that his shop was be amenager? but then I lose the thread as it goes on and just managed to pick up his mobile number.Thanks again, Mrs KG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Chancer, I googled your establishment by name, and then clicked on Google maps when the results came up, and there it was - I presume in the right position.Ange,a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 The major benifit is for those in your local area who have a mobile phone. When they ask for acomodation it will display a map of where they are and whats around them. But then you need a 'smart' phone to see that or a tablet, both with the GPS turned on of course. It also shows bars, resto's and shops arounf you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Angela, thats what I did but its rather defeating the object to have to know of my establishment by name to find it on Google maps, I thought, naively perhaps that someone coming from far to work at the Airbus factory opposite would first locate it on Google maps and then could see what accomodation, bars, restaurants etc were in the locality zooming out if necessary, in that respect we are as invisible as ever.Good point Quillan but if you search from far, like my customers from Canada who complained that they only knew of me by walking/driving past would my place show up on your smartphone? It certainly doesnt on Google maps unless I am doing something wrong.I'll send you a PM with the factory name so you can try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I have a Trip Advisor app on my phone, and if I was anywhere near your place I could ask it for the nearest hotel, B&B or whatever and it would come up with a list. Hopefully that would include yours, but I have no way of trying it out as I am several hundred kms away...Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 That was another frustration, on 3 occasions i spent the evening trying to become listed on Tripadvisor and it either lost everything that i wrote (several times) or told me that i didnt meet their criteria, all messages and e-mails sent to them were ignored. 2 customers also tried to list me with tripadvisor and got the same result.I think they are part of booking.com so maybe I will appear on the searches, TBH if I dont get on their review site I wont lose any sleep.I am mostly booked now till the end of August and one of the flats is already rented for 10 months to a student at the Aeronautique Lycée before they have even sent out their accomodation list, the other will get snapped up quickly enough, had to turn away three 6 month lets to a company yesterday so come September I wont actually want to be findable until next June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Poor Mrs Knee Gel. This thread has become a hijack of epic proportions!Maybe the rest of you could get a room? ?Chancer has some for rent, apparently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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