Prague Post: The customer is always wrong
In September, I posted an article I wrote about Czech culture. In it, I very briefly mentioned Czech customer service and Czech envy.
The Prague Post put up an article the other day that delves into these concepts more fully, providing insightful commentary on how the shadows Communism still linger in the new service economy:
The customer is always wrong.
The Prague Post put up an article the other day that delves into these concepts more fully, providing insightful commentary on how the shadows Communism still linger in the new service economy:
The customer is always wrong.
Labels: Culture, Czech Republic
posted by Lauren Nemec at
11:45 AM
2 Comments:
My travels to Poland revealed the same thing. When my Polish friend in turn visited the United States, she was often offended at the greetings and what seemed to her to be intrusive attentiveness of salespersons in the U.S. She had little concept of customer service.In contrast my experience in Poland was wrought with cold indifference by sales clerks.
Hi! Thanks for reading and for your comment. I suppose it's similar in many Eastern European or former communist countries.
My most memorable experience with this different attitude toward customer service in Prague happened at our local hypermarket. My husband and I were shopping on a Saturday afternoon, and we stopped at the butcher's for a certain cut of pork. When my husband asked for it, the butcher lady put her meaty fist on her hip and barked "If you want that kind of pork, you need get here at 7 in the morning on a weekday!"
But I think I can understand your Polish friend's offense. American customer service can probably seem insincere- that they're only being nice and attentive to get money out of you. And that is probably more offensive to a Czech or Pole than cold indifference.
Still, I miss that smile and "Hi, how are you today?", no matter how insincere it may be.
Anyway, thanks again for reading and for your interesting comment :)
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