Life /
Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]
Absence of personal responsibility? It'd be interesting to hear some examples as I think I know exactly what you are talking about. I remember having to wait for a staff member to come and open the door so I could get in and prepare. She strolled across the market square as if she was on holiday and casually walked up the stairs. When I got in, I put the kettle on and started to photocopy my notes. The problem was that she arrived one minute before my class was due to start. I was frantically getting the notes together and it was already 3 or 4 mins into the class, thanks to her. I hung around as the sheets were getting photocopied and kept looking across at her for an apology. Nothing! Then I went and started putting the sheets in order whilst sipping at my coffee. I was doing it fairly quickly and she even had the feckin gall to tell my boss that I was just cruising as if I had had my feet up.
What's more is that it has happened 4 times and never was there an apology. The same was with my other school. Rather than risk losing my temper, I got my wife in to sort them out for lying and pretending that they hadn't said certain things. She really gave it some and the school backed off.
I call a lot of people here 'the never wrongs'. I've seen it in so many offices too but I think I've made my point.
Although I guess that I prefer to see the positive sides of life here more than you do (I don't like presumptions generally), I know what you are saying. When they say goodbye it's like they are saying feck off. I just get what I need and go and to hell with their grumpy crap. The females tend to be much worse. Pent up and stuck up little princesses. I can't think of a female who has smiled when serving me.
Where I'm from, Scotland, we have our problems with customer service in places but the level is noticeably higher. More so in Edinburgh I'd say. Scots are proud but if I am to be fair, I really heard very little bragging in my 24 years there. It hit me immediately here how they assume that Polish food and beer is automatically better. The thing is that I have travelled to 21 countries in the last 8 years and it has been my priority to sample beer in all those countries (I don't drink that much, just taste them). Although I like Polish beer, it is not in the top 10 of the 35 or so countries I have tried beer in. I say 35 as I have obviously tried beer in countries I haven't been to (Belgian, Singaporean, Chinese etc etc). When I tell Poles that, they are visibly displeased but it's just preference. I prefer the Japanese look, for example, and they can't accept that either. It really struck me initially but now I just shrug.
Oh yes, and somehow they believe that doors are held open. My confidence was restored as one actually did but 9 times out of 10 they don't. At least here anyway.