Parastie
17 Aug 2011
Life / Have many Poles had enough of one another? [198]
I live in Poland currently and come from working in the US, and in the service industry. I did computer technical support, working for Gateway was my first job. I know what customer service should be.
In Poland, I believe that service is hit or miss. You often find that people working in the industry are accustomed to rude clientele that rarely is polite to the server. I live in £odz and you can quickly see at restaurants how differently servers will act towards foreigners and locals. Foreigners will typically tip, and servers have learned to be extra nice (especially waitresses as apposed to waiters) and quick. If they hear you speaking English, they'll be right next to you asking what you'd like with a big smile. Speak Polish, and you could be waiting awhile. The restaurants around Manufaktura are where I get the best service.
I think it really comes down to a sense of worth. In the US, I was taught from a very early age to take a lot of pride in my work, regardless of what it was. Here, it does not appear to be the same. It seems that everyone hates their job and most educated people I know are always looking for ways out (especially the doctors I know). In Poland the pay scale is still very low, so it's hard to take pride in servicing others when you're barely paid enough to buy lunch, much less the expensive meal someone just ordered. I sympathize with people here, but really if you want a better life you have to start with yourself. Take some pride, what little is to be had, and try to enjoy life a little more.
I live in Poland currently and come from working in the US, and in the service industry. I did computer technical support, working for Gateway was my first job. I know what customer service should be.
In Poland, I believe that service is hit or miss. You often find that people working in the industry are accustomed to rude clientele that rarely is polite to the server. I live in £odz and you can quickly see at restaurants how differently servers will act towards foreigners and locals. Foreigners will typically tip, and servers have learned to be extra nice (especially waitresses as apposed to waiters) and quick. If they hear you speaking English, they'll be right next to you asking what you'd like with a big smile. Speak Polish, and you could be waiting awhile. The restaurants around Manufaktura are where I get the best service.
I think it really comes down to a sense of worth. In the US, I was taught from a very early age to take a lot of pride in my work, regardless of what it was. Here, it does not appear to be the same. It seems that everyone hates their job and most educated people I know are always looking for ways out (especially the doctors I know). In Poland the pay scale is still very low, so it's hard to take pride in servicing others when you're barely paid enough to buy lunch, much less the expensive meal someone just ordered. I sympathize with people here, but really if you want a better life you have to start with yourself. Take some pride, what little is to be had, and try to enjoy life a little more.