Podcast On Customer Service In Argentina

[Ferf]

Hello everybody, greetings from BA Cast, the Buenos Aires Podcast.

Last year we initiated a post asking you guys to share you best-worst customer service story to be included in a special episode on this topic.

http://baexpats.org/topic/24211-your-bestworst-customer-service-anecdote/page__hl__%2Bcustomer+%2Bservice

Various posts made it to the show, and here is the link to the program, for those of you who'd like to listen to it.

http://bacast.com/ba-cast-special-on-customer-service-2/

All the best and thanks for your stories!

 

[sergio]

Entertaining. The phone call to the cafe was amusing. When Potreños detect even the slightest accent they often act as though they can't understand a thing. "Eh"? I assume you recorded this anticipating trouble. Customer service in general is bad but you have to understand that there is little culture of customer service to begin with. Porteños tend to resent the idea of serving so their attitude toward customers is often negative. They really don't care about return business.

Restaurants... Maybe I choose restaurants where the service is decent (I don't care for trendy places in Palermo - prefer older, traditional restaurants) but I don't find restaurant service so bad. In fact I find that other than really good restaurants in New York, wait staff in the US are usually young and amateur with high expectations for tips. If there is anything that I despise it's the cute "Hi, I'm Judy. I'll be your server this evening". At least we are spared that in Buenos Aires. And we are almost never rushed which can happen in the US.

I think if you avoid the new trendy places and choose more well established restaurants you'll find the service faster and more professional. Speed, though, is seldom my concern. Food should be brought out at once, not piecemeal, but I am prepared to spend several hours dining when I go out with friends. One of the things that annoys me here, though, is not getting a bottle of wine to the table quickly. Sometimes I refrain from ordering food until the bottle has been brought to the table and served

By the way, I do wish the American in the podcast didn't have to use the "F" word every few seconds. It really is unnecesary.

 

[Ferf]

Thanks for the feedback, Sergio...glad to hear it entertained you.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Entertaining. The phone call to the cafe was amusing. When Potreños detect even the slightest accent they often act as though they can't understand a thing. "Eh"? I assume you recorded this anticipating trouble. Customer service in general is bad but you have to understand that there is little culture of customer service to begin with. Porteños tend to resent the idea of serving so their attitude toward customers is often negative. They really don't care about return business.

Restaurants... Maybe I choose restaurants where the service is decent (I don't care for trendy places in Palermo - prefer older, traditional restaurants) but I don't find restaurant service so bad. In fact I find that other than really good restaurants in New York, wait staff in the US are usually young and amateur with high expectations for tips. If there is anything that I despise it's the cute "Hi, I'm Judy. I'll be your server this evening". At least we are spared that in Buenos Aires. And we are almost never rushed which can happen in the US.

I think if you avoid the new trendy places and choose more well established restaurants you'll find the service faster and more professional. Speed, though, is seldom my concern. Food should be brought out at once, not piecemeal, but I am prepared to spend several hours dining when I go out with friends. One of the things that annoys me here, though, is not getting a bottle of wine to the table quickly. Sometimes I refrain from ordering food until the bottle has been brought to the table and served

By the way, I do wish the American in the podcast didn't have to use the "F" word every few seconds. It really is unnecesary.

Might that "American" have been a Canadian? Why don't we just call the speaker in question an "uncouth individual" or, alternatively, a "pinche gringo?"

 

[sergio]

Eh? I didn't detect any Canadian accent.

 

[TehDeej]

I haven't heard the podcast yet, but I wouldn't say all the customer service is bad. I have had excellent service once I've visited a place several times. I've had a few others where I was a regular and it never got better.

I know Dan, one of the producers of the show lives in Cañitas. I don't know if he will read this but There are two cafes on Arce that are the exact opposites in customer service and corners of the block. He may know the cafes and it would be interestingfg to know if he feels the same.

Ocio has the friendliest staff ever. I've been invited to dinners and to hang out with the staff on several occasions. Tonno on the other hand has friendly people behind the counter, but the staff hardly says a word even when you get to know them. There is also a pizza restaurant there that is generally friendly and a couple other bars.

I would say in general it is different from the states, probably not as good. I still hate it in The States when a waiter brings the check before I ask or tries to be my best friend.

 

[TehDeej]

And I still find it amusing when being asked for a bill "mas chica" and you say you don't have one and they make a general scowl and walk off looking for change. I understand the cash situation (I probably had a smaller bill but needed it for a taxi) but it's almost like they would have prefered not to have sold you something than to break a hundred.

 

[Ferf]

Hola TehDeej...there are positive examples of CS in Argentina, and I certainly present a non-American perspective on the subject on the show. But the meat of the show are the rants by you expats, .