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  3. Government / Politics

Oficinas de Atención la la Ciudadanía

English translation: Citizen Services Offices

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Oficinas de Atención la la Ciudadanía
English translation:Citizen Services Offices
Entered by: Kate Major Patience

14:42 Jun 27, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics
Spanish term or phrase: Oficinas de Atención la la Ciudadanía
This is the location where you would hand in certain forms when applying for certain licenses, etc. according to a council website informing the general public on how to complete various procedures such as applying for grants, licenses, and so on.


En el Registro General de las Oficinas de Atención a la Ciudadanía (OAC), o en qualquiera de los órganos de las Administraciones Públicas que prevé el artículo 38.4 de la Ley 30/1992.

I have found a surprising number of hits for "Citizen Attention Office" which to me sounds horribly literal and of course only gets about 100 hits from within the UK. I don't know whether this is more like "Citizens' Services" or something (perhaps too easily confused with current discussion in the UK of "Citizen Service" - something quite different).

Anyway. I would be very grateful for your help.
UK Eng.
Thanks in advance.
Kate Major Patience
Spain
Local time: 15:27
Citizen Services Offices
Explanation:
My suggestion, there surely will be others.
Selected response from:

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 07:27
Grading comment
I actually agree with patinba's comments on "citizens", after some thought. It makes it clear what the relationship is. Given the lack of context in places on this website, I think it works best. Thanks everyone.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7Customer Services
David Ronder
4 +4Citizen Services Offices
Henry Hinds
5Office of Citizen Services
JenniferBurg (X)
4Citizen Care Office
swisstell
4Customer Service
Peter Collins
Summary of reference entries provided
citizen/customer
patinba

Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Citizen Services Offices


Explanation:
My suggestion, there surely will be others.

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 07:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 661
Grading comment
I actually agree with patinba's comments on "citizens", after some thought. It makes it clear what the relationship is. Given the lack of context in places on this website, I think it works best. Thanks everyone.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  liz askew
7 mins
  -> Gracias, Liz.
agree  Martin Boyd: This is what I always use
8 mins
  -> Gracias, Martin.
agree  philgoddard: Or departments.
59 mins
  -> Gracias, Phil.
agree  patinba
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Patinba.
neutral  AllegroTrans: Good for USA but not UK, we are all "customers" here since the start of the PC era
3 hrs
  -> I can see that. We ceased being subjects centuries ago and are now "citizens"; still well-armed too.
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Citizen Care Office


Explanation:
Virtual Citizen Care Office The Virtual Procedures Office has two types of information on the citizens ...
www20.gencat.cat/docs/OVT/Static/Ajuda/.../ovt_Ajuda_06.htm - Spain

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 15:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 43
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Office of Citizen Services


Explanation:
I also believe the original terms you are looking for was:
Oficinas de Atención al Ciudadano.


    Reference: http://www.madrid.org/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1109266068869&...
JenniferBurg (X)
United States
Local time: 09:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
Customer Services


Explanation:
As advertised.

Two local examples, with apologies for the north London bias:

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/contact/customer_services/o...

http://www.barnet.gov.uk/







David Ronder
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Simon Bruni: my local council here in Exeter calls it the Customer Service Centre
1 min
  -> Thanks, Simon. I was struggling to find a Welsh example specially for Kate, but Exeter is definitely in the right direction.
agree  Evans (X)
11 mins
  -> Thanks, Gilla
agree  AllegroTrans
38 mins
  -> Thanks, Allegro
agree  liz askew: for GB, yes
58 mins
  -> Thanks, liz
agree  James A. Walsh
1 hr
  -> Thanks, James
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos
3 days 11 hrs
  -> Thanks, Muriel
agree  Kim Metzger
8 days
  -> Thanks, Kim
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Customer Service


Explanation:
Over recent decades there has been a move to apply more business-oriented terminology to government offices and I am fairly sure that Customer Service is used generally in this type of context.

Peter Collins
Spain
Local time: 15:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
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Reference comments


2 hrs
Reference: citizen/customer

Reference information:
Even for the UK, I would prefer citizen. It makes the govt/people relationship clear, whereas "customer" just confuses it with something M&S might offer. The translation is only meant to be read in the UK, it is not as if the agency was being set up there.

patinba
Argentina
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 272
Note to reference poster
Asker: I agree. I think citizen is preferable here for the reasons you state.


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
neutral  David Ronder: I would prefer citizen too. My answer is based on what is commonly used in the UK.
59 mins
  -> Thanks David (and apologies for putting this as a reference when it was meant to be a discussion entry) However, as I said, unless one is being opened in the Uk, I don't think a UK reader would have any problem with Citizen.
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