I ve been working in Poland for a year now. The thing I cant stand the most is, Polish people never keep their promises.
You can have fun together, and you are like their best friend when you are drinking together.
But they never keep their words, doesnt matter he was drunk or not. They promised you something, but when it happens, it totally depends at that moment he want to do it or not. Promise it self is nothing.
I like to keep my promises, if I said I ll do something, I ll do it. Then I just get ****** off and ****** off again and again.
I realized its very common in Polish standard, its not a big deal if the friend didnt keep the promise, After breaking the promise many many times, they can still be good friend.
People intend keeping their word, but something happens and they forget. This is the same in all societies. It maybe also because they do not want to appear rude/ungrateful and say something straight to your face. It is easier to say...'I will ring you', instead of ' No, I do not want to see you ever again'.
I haven't experienced this among friends. Perhaps you should choose your friends better. I have, however, many many times been let down by workmen, like builders, electricians, plumbers, etc. They say they'll do the job next week and then disappear for a month. I know there are flakey, unreliable tradesmen everywhere, but in Poland it seems that they just don't care about their reputation. Behind my house there are two pallets of paving bricks for a little terrace a builder promised to make. They've been there all winter. That's just one example. I could give dozens.
I m new here so I was just trying to make friends.
until this moment, I ve only met one Polish person who is reliable and I consider him my friend.
Only one!
But I ve met at least a hundred people personally already, not including colleagues at work. colleagues at work are even worse.
So generally speaking. Been not reliable is more like they dont care. They dont care is from selfish.
In another way I should say they are the most selfish people I ever met. But they are not selfish when comes to alcohol. They are always happy to buy vodka shots for you.
This is the part I really dont understand.
How come people can act like not seflish at all when you are hanging out together. But when you really need their help for something or some promises. You ll never find them.
I have noticed that too. Very often Poles which whom we are in the best of terms simply disappear overnight and it's impossible to reach them by phone, mail, etc... Someone (a Pole) explained to me that Poles are on the whole not used to talk their minds (because of communism?) and therefore prefer to disappear and play dead rather than being honest and tell truth. It's annoying in social relationships and a real pain when business relationships.
I have, however, many many times been let down by workmen, like builders, electricians, plumbers, etc. They say they'll do the job next week and then disappear for a month. I know there are flakey, unreliable tradesmen everywhere, but in Poland it seems that they just don't care about their reputation.
We can't ask as much as we want so don't care about our reputation. Thank goodness I escaped myself to the office finally. Several times changed my phone number to drop my moaning "clients".
I,ve got used to tradesmen, they give you a date don't turn up, we give them one call and give them a week to make good their promise.... then give the job to someone else......they usually turn up a month later moaning that you promised the job to them!!!! Worst of all is markets and shops especially markets and country fetes......told a girl I would buy a large piece of goat chees that she had.....put it under the table for me, I'll be back in an hour when I,ve seen all the attractions! came back in half an hour and she had sold it? she said people never come back so I did not believe you. I had to explain that she had just lost herself a customer who would take a kilo or so a week...!!! Was in T K Maxx the other day, had bought several bags of goods and asked the girl to put it behind the counter for us, so we could pop out for a coffee,(knew we could - did it a couple of weeks ago) The girl behind the counter informed us that they don,t do that sort of thing in Poland!!! until her colleague turned up and showed her that they do....just apparently not many (just us) take advantage of it. Our village friend who was with us asked what we were doing?? looked shocked!! and said it will all be gone when you come back, we showed her the receipt...but she still looked dubious........ hopefully,things will change in time.
A kilo of goat's cheese a week? That's a serious cheese habit you've got, K. I thought I had it bad.
give the job to someone else
The trouble is that round our way they're all the bloody same, so we'd be let down by the next gang. Instead we just grit our teeth and let them get on with it when they eventually arrive. Once we got a quote for some external plastering. When they finally completed the job they wanted more. I reminded them of their quote. "Oh, that was months ago!" Christ on a bike!
Re business, several times, I was offered employment, everything settled, signed and things were about to start and potential employers just disappeared like thieves and impossible to get hold of them. I must say some years ago it was rather common. Now, when it happens to me, I don't care any longer as I know Polish mentality but when I know I'll never need them, I just tell them off because I have so dignity. It seems that Poles cannot say "no" and when things don't turn out like they had expected, they simply vanish. Now, I don't believe anything until they have become very concrete.
Such a behavior is of course not acceptable and accepted in the West but in Poland it is ... normal so we need to put up with the local custom ;)
This is not a standard, I know many Poles that don't act this way. Unfortunately this behavior is popular and, even though I'm Polish, this drives me nuts as well. I even have some of the family members acting similarly... I typically try to avoid any repeated contact with such individuals and in case of family...they show up when in need of something.
