Went into the bank other day to get some cash out but when I looked for the Cymraeg button on the new ATM it only offered English or Spanish and worse when I asked an employee of the bank why the option was missing he asked me why I wanted to use the Welsh button.
Great for all of the Spanish learners amongst us but not so great for us learners of our ancient Cymraeg 
ď¸:frowning:ď¸:frowning:ď¸
Shame really as its normally a great bank 
Would that be Santander?
I always use the Cymraeg option. I was actually freaked out in London that there was no Welsh option. I presume this is just the one bank and it was in Wales?
Wow⌠that sounds as though theyâre in serious need of an overhaul of their approach to customer support!
May I ask where this bank was please?
What? I may. Thanks.
Where was this bank please?
only one answer: âbecauseâ
It was Santander, probably Cwmbran.
Theyâve replaced their old machines with sensible user interface and tactile buttons with an awful touch screen based thing that often takes two goes to register what youâve selected.
Perhaps they left it in Spanish mode when it was shipped over from Spain.
Santander (and their predecessor Abbey National) have form for this. Around a decade ago I had to complain for months to get my local branch to address this. At the time Cymdeithas yr Iaith supplied some rather useful little bilingual stickers declaring that This Machine Is Not Working Correctly.
Iâve noticed that McDonaldâs* self-service machines have a Cymraeg option throughout the UK (alongside a few other languages)
*(disclaimer - not that Iâd usually choose to frequent such a place, but sometimes itâs a lazy option when on the move!)
Not quite on topic ⌠but sort of. The title of this thread is actually quite pertinent. I have heard rumblings that take-up of Welsh-language services has been disappointing, and that kind of thing gives fuel to the âno one actually speaks Welshâ brigade. So if you are able to use the Cymraeg option (obvs not those still on listening/speaking only!) please do, because it really will show support for the language. The cashpoint is quite a good place to start, actually, because you more or less know what itâs going to be asking you, so it doesnât matter if you donât understand every word. Websites are another good one - often itâs possible to toggle between the Welsh and English versions so that you can check youâve understood correctly. Itâs all good learning experience as well 
@sarapeacock, this doesnât actually work with Asian ATMs. They start asking you what sort of account you want to take the money from, and I really donât want to lose my card in the bowels of a foreign bank.
But in general, in Wales, absolutely it works.
Iâm always a big user of the Welsh options on the cashpoints and the Welsh option at Tesco, Morrisons etc on their self-service till.
I actually lodged a complaint with Tesco yesterday after a recent software update basically killed most of the Welsh that their machines say.
I donât think Iâve ever heard the machines in Tesco speak Welsh. Is there some kind of button you have to press to get it to speak any Welsh? (Same goes for in M&S).
Edited to say of course I mean self service tills not machinesâŚalthough they are machines.
Generally thereâs a âCymraegâ button on the first screen. Sometimes itâs there all the time, so you can switch between Welsh and English - handy if you hit a bit you donât understand.
Not seen an option on Sainsburyâs self service tills though.
Mind you, perhaps we shouldnât be too harsh on the machines - the poor dears can barely cope with a shopping bag placed in the bagging area, let alone something as complicated as changing some words on a screen.
I can now get through the self-checkout things without needing assistance sometimes (which is rubbish as I was a checkout boy for some years)! However, I used the Cymraeg option in Asdaâs and a big booming voice announced something like âRhoiâch item y y ardal pacioâ for every item and several people turned to stare at me. Later when i had the usual âunexpected item in the bagging areaâ the checkout lady after signing in, had to switch back to English to over-ride the unexpected item thing! Do it, but remember that you are quite exposed using the Welsh for this if you lack confidence.
I think when you switch into Welsh with these things it also activates some kind of super bass subwooferâŚ
I barely speak a word of Welsh, but I lived in Wales for a few years and always used Welsh on the cash machines. I like to make life hard for myself like that. One day I hope to move back there, and I expect to be able to continue to do so⌠although hopefully by then Iâll have learnt what Iâm pressing.
Iâd like to think they paid Bryn Terfel a lot of money to do the voices.
Yeah @Kimberley there is a Cymraeg option on most of the ones Iâve seen in Wales.
The machines used to say a lot more than they do now, theyâd match all of the English phrases (Put your bag on the scale, Search for items or have a browse, scan your clubcard, thanks for shopping at Tesco) etc.
However, a recent software update has pretty much rendered them mute, with the only thing they now say being
âSganiwch eich cerdyn clubcard i ennill pointiau clubcardâ Which my rudimentary Welsh translates something like âScan your clubcard to earn Clubcard pointsâ.
Bit of pot luck, but sometimes it does also tell you to put your bag on the scales, but Iâve found this only works sometimes.
I love nothing more than complaining, so I have lodged a complaint with Tesco 
until we get all of our old phrases back!
Perhaps worth pointing out other places where you can use Welsh in such a way.
Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, M&S are all superstores I know of who offer Welsh as a service on their self-service tills all to varying levels.
McDonalds offer a Welsh Language service on their self-service screens in their newer shops.
Most banks in Wales have a Welsh Language option on their ATMs.
Any others for 10?