Florida Taco Bell employee FIRED for refusing to serve English speaking customer

A FLORIDA woman was left stunned when she was turned away from a Taco Bell drive-thru because she didn’t speak Spanish.

In the bizarre stand-off at the restaurant in Hialeah, Florida, Alexandria Montgomery was refused service by an employee who only spoke Spanish.

She was later fired by the chain.

When she drove up to the window, the worker told Montgomery no one in the restaurant spoke English and she would be unable to help.

In the video, a puzzled Montgomery asked: “Nobody here speaks English? Nobody in the back speaks English?”

When she was told no one could help, she snapped: “So you can’t take my order? You won’t understand what I’m saying. But you speak something though. I want to order food!”

The employee replied in Spanish: “Honey, I have a car behind you”, before closing the window.

She then threatened to call the police, adding “This is Hialeah, I’m sorry.”

Hialeah is considered the city with the largest Hispanic population in the United States.

The worker, called Luisa, also suggested Montgomery could go to another Taco Bell where she might be able to order food in English.

A second worker then appeared at the window - but also offered no help.

Montgomery told them: “You’re telling me I can’t order food because you don’t speak English, that doesn’t make any sense.

“This is Hialeah, this is America, y’all don’t take over the whole population. This is not right.

“Don’t completely shut me out because you don’t speak English…that’s not fair.”

She then had to leave without any food.

The incident occurred at the Taco Bell store at 785 E. Ninth St. in Hialeah on Wednesday night around 10.30pm.

A Taco Bell spokesman said the incident “did not meet our customer service expectations”.

They added: “We have worked quickly to resolve with the customer to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

They later said the worker had been fired.

In a Facebook post, Montgomery accused the chain of racism, adding that the "lady understood what I was saying but didn’t want to take my order talking bout she doesn’t speak English".

She told NBC 6: "I understand everyone in Miami doesn't speak English, and that's fine, but if she was willing to work with me, I think the outcome would've been different."

Montgomery was offered a $100 Taco Bell gift card by way of apology.

She said: “A gift card is not gonna just solve the problem, it’s not gonna give me justice.

“Don’t try to like sweep it under the rug.”

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[bocca-]

As a Latina, I just wanted to say that we don’t claim her.

[djJackMF]

Employee: "No habla Inglés"
Customer: What's your name?" Employee: "Louisa"
Customer: "I'll be here tomorrow" Employee: "Okay"

[dulcediaz]

Horrible, she thinks because she is in Hialeah she doesn’t live in the US. She deserves to be fired.

[KantusKid]

That lady knows damn well she speaks English. She's responding to English questions in Spanish. As a Hispanic, this woman is a disgrace.

[babiijean]

She understood everything this lady was saying and was responding accordingly.

[leebrenner]

She don’t speak English, but she sure did understand it.

[mills]

As a person whom is familiar with Hialeah and South Florida in general, I can tell you that this is a real thing and there are many places in Miami Dade that if you do not speak fluent Spanish you will be totally lost. But this lady was definitely pretending she couldn’t speak English.

[v.b.]

If she didn’t record this, I wouldn’t have believed it. UNREAL

[alemlobo]

She understood enough. She just didn’t want to serve them

[miket]

Both the menu and the computer are in English. that's why they fired her ass. She spoke english just fine.

[cesarbravo]

"Sí lo entiendo, no quiero"...So she does understand. That's pure discrimination.

[aceboogie]

She's literally responding to the customers English in Spanish....she understood EXACTLY what was being said.

[edgargomez]

I'm Mexican I'm glad she got fired that was rude and unprofessional. I hope she learns english on the unemployment line

[shape]

After two minutes of this, would you really want to eat anything they give you?

[jareemisthebest]

When I used to work at McDonald’s I had a few people come in the only spoke Spanish and I never turned them away I sat there and I was patient with them so I could figure out what they wanted. We’re all human here and everyone has a right to service. Even if I have to pull up google translate on my phone I would never leave anyone hanging.

[shAmbuO]

I am a Spanish speaker and I have run into this a few times. I play the game for a bit and then switch to Spanish and eventually find out there was more English understanding than originally claimed. Not everyone can rattle off in fluent English, but basic things like cashier small talk and taking food orders were there the whole time.

[raquellobaina]

Hear the video at 2:19 after the gentleman says "the menu, el menu" - the taco bell employee tells the other employee "Si la entiendo, no quiero" that means "I do understand her, but dont want to"

[ariannasalcedo]

Her behavior was unacceptable. The second lady tried telling her that they could read the menu and she replied "I don't want to" in Spanish. She sounded entitled, as if she was the queen of Hialeah and could refuse people that she did not approve of. She should not be working with the public.

[CaliJose]

I love how they are understanding eachother perfectly 🤣🤣

[Chris-uhnm]

I experienced the same thing when I was in Florida. You don't speak Spanish, you don't eat. The same thing here in Houston at Michoacana. Why is that so hard to have a bilingual worker at the location to serve English-speaking people?