MILAN VIA CORDUSIO
Close to the Duomo, close to the world
One of the most frequently spoken words at the ‘Edison’ Post Office in Via Cordusio, 4, in Milan is ‘sciè’, meaning ‘thank you’ in Chinese. The Post Office is situated a stone’s throw away from the Duomo and Piazza Cordusio, in the financial heart of Milan. This area is increasingly on the radar of international investors, where businessmen and tourists from all corners of the world come and go. A Post Office with a multilingual staff is therefore essential. Manager Mariolino Filizzola explains that “Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, English and of course Italian are the language spoken by the desk clerks. Customers can refer to staff knowing that they can count on their help to overcome language and cultural barriers.”
In via Cordusio there are six desks, as well as, a consultation room and printed information on how to fill out forms in several languages. The queue is organised by the choice of foreign language as opposed to directing clients based on the nature of services required. According to Federica Lanzetta, from Milan, class of 1989, who was hired by Poste Italiane after receiving her degree in Modern Language Studies and having lived in China, “many clients are shocked when I answer them in Chinese. They don’t expect it. Then they ask me how I know Chinese and if I have ever been to China.” Federica is happy and satisfied because she is helping people and hopes that her future will be with Poste Italiane. “I love my job and I love the Chinese language. I am positive that we are offering excellent customer service and that we are a point of reference for the community. Clients often ask us things not pertaining to the Post Office and we become their confidants.” According to Federica, the secret to the success of the Post Office network that falls under the Poste Italiane‘s Multilingual Project is not only fluency in another language. “There is much more. We respect their culture and this is much appreciated.” In the via Cordusio Post Office, an Ecuadorian desk clerk, Lisette Betancourt - 29 and resident in Italy for 10 years - shares her experience with affectionate and generous clients. “I always greet my clients with ‘Buenos dias. Como estas?’ and then I introduce myself. I think it is the best way to begin to understand one another better and to welcome them. Many ask me about insurance policies and savings. The majority of my clients are from Ecuador, Peru and Argentina whereas the majority of student clients are from Mexico and Colombia. They come in with a map of Milan with the location of our office highlighted. We are especially useful to young students who often struggle more with bureaucracy once they arrive in Italy. I give them a lot of advice. People are constantly searching for someone who will listen to them and for someone they can trust.”
At the Post Office in Via Cordusio there is also a Romanian-speaking desk clerk, Michele Salvatore, born to a Sardinian father and a Romanian mother in 1985. He has always lived in Milan, “foreign people are completely disoriented in Italy because of the bureaucracy. Life is so much easier when everything is explained in your native language. That makes a difference.”
