Why does customer service here suck?

[pauper]

The Spanish ¨culture¨ is very similar in many ways to that of the Argentine.

How right you are Dani. Indeed, like the porteño, it seems the Spaniard is also unable to detect humour.

 

[eschal]

I also disagree it's mostly "cultural differences". "Sing in harmony with them?!?!" haha. More like "sing in agony with them". It all has to do with lack of consequences for acting rude,littering, laziness, dog poop,theft, etc... plus the rewards they get out of it...like not being able to get fired, or feeling superior to the next guy, not having to show up on time. etc.

Add all that to do a deep inferiority complex (but too proud to admit), lack of education they also are seeing their own country being more and more run by rish union owners and dictators. Also, granted alot of it is frustration of living amongst people that act this way. I see it very similar to the African Americans in the US.

 

[Philsword]

How right you are Dani. Indeed, like the porteño, it seems the Spaniard is also unable to detect humour.

You are a stinker!

 

[pauper]

You are a stinker!

You are correct Phil, you are clearly spun from a more resistant moral fibre than this humble correspondent. How remiss of me to fall into an example of one of the very cultural misunderstandings to which I was referring. Whenever I am in such a sticky situation I find it helps to ask myself 'What would El Tano say?' and without exception the answer appears.

And lo, El Tano his mind a well of eternal wisdom, has come to my rescue again, Dani please direct yourself to 5:36 of that venerable gentleman's video and this little mixup will surely be straightened out.

 

[dani28]

You are correct Phil, you are clearly spun from a more resistant moral fibre than this humble correspondent. How remiss of me to fall into an example of one of the very cultural misunderstandings to which I was referring. Whenever I am in such a sticky situation I find it helps to ask myself 'What would El Tano say?' and without exception the answer appears.

And lo, El Tano his mind a well of eternal wisdom, has come to my rescue again, Dani please direct yourself to 5:36 of that venerable gentleman's video and this little mixup will surely be straightened out.

i didnt mean to put a damper on your post if it was intended with humour and in all honesty didnt see the full link to the video. I have just been a bit sensitive to the whole accent/culture thing as many Argentine friends have suggested that by hearing mine (Spanish from Spain) most will automatically assume I've got plenty of bucks to frivolously blow here, in restaurants for example, being as the peso-euro conversion is quite good, and I hate to have a chip on my shoulder, but it really seems to be the case, as I have had waiters get noticeably insulted and look at me like I have two heads when I say no to their lavish but done so casually (tricky perhaps?) you would think they were suggesting a bottle of water, wine recommendations (3700 pesos for a bottle of Argentine wine at Las Lilas-REALLY??!) and opt for a more reasonable 160 peso Malbec, for example or when I ask how much something is and then dont start throwing the money at them like it were some must-have bargain buy.

 

[pauper]

You are correct Phil, you are clearly spun from a more resistant moral fibre than this humble correspondent. How remiss of me to fall into an example of one of the very cultural misunderstandings to which I was referring. Whenever I am in such a sticky situation I find it helps to ask myself 'What would El Tano say?' and without exception the answer appears.

And lo, El Tano his mind a well of eternal wisdom, has come to my rescue again, Dani please direct yourself to 5:36 of that venerable gentleman's video and this little mixup will surely be straightened out.

i didnt mean to put a damper on your post if it was intended with humour and in all honesty didnt see the full link to the video. I have just been a bit sensitive to the whole accent/culture thing as many Argentine friends have suggested that by hearing mine (Spanish from Spain) most will automatically assume I've got plenty of bucks to frivolously blow here, in restaurants for example, being as the peso-euro conversion is quite good, and I hate to have a chip on my shoulder, but it really seems to be the case, as I have had waiters get noticeably insulted and look at me like I have two heads when I say no to their lavish but done so casually (tricky perhaps?) you would think they were suggesting a bottle of water, wine recommendations (3700 pesos for a bottle of Argentine wine at Las Lilas-REALLY??!) and opt for a more reasonable 160 peso Malbec, for example or when I ask how much something is and then dont start throwing the money at them like it were some must-have bargain buy.

Not at all Dani. In fact, after reviewing the posts I think I may have erred again. I did not at any stage wish to give the impression that the inability to discern humour was the exclusive trait of certain nationalities. Indeed, as such esteemed contributors to these pages as va2ba, eschal, and others have been kind enough to articulate, this is a characteristic which transcends culture and country.

 

[nlaruccia]

You do not like us leave us . We are proud of our culture and do not need some expats to tell us how to behave. You north americans are so false with cheesy smiles all for tips or other benefits.

You're proud of your culture? Is that why no one celebrated Independence Day yesterday? In my class in UADE the other day, one of my Argentinean school mates actually said that there's nothing to celebrate. It made me sad to think that no one takes pride in their city or their country. All my Argentinean friends complain about the customer service too. I don't think they're proud of the bad customer service or rude people pushing on the subways and buses, throwing trash out of their cars, and those that let their dogs crap on the sidewalks. People are bitter because no matter how hard they work here they can't get ahead. So of course they're rude to customers. I think it's more logical than cultural.

 

[Davidglen77]

You do not like us leave us . We are proud of our culture and do not need some expats to tell us how to behave. You north americans are so false with cheesy smiles all for tips or other benefits.

Ok so I've decided that this post deserves and insult to it's writer. Cabrera you are a DORK! Nobody here insulted Argentina's culture. To clear things up an insult to your culture would be if someone said, "the chacarera dance is stupid" or "lunfardo sounds dumb" or "milanesas are gross" OKAY?? What people are complaining about here is the lack of deserved and expected service when you are a paying customer. It's unforgivable and only makes people's (already poor) opinion of this city worse. Why are you considering this an attack to your culture? Is Argentina based on poor treatment of people? I don't think so.

 

[cbphoto]

Cabrera is part of the problem. A false sense of pride in what once was. A person/people that unfortunately cant get it together. No solutions, apologies, or anything constructive to offer... a need to project his/her/their own denial and insecurities on others/nations,peoples ... with all the ignorance his/her/their existence can muster. Quite sad. One can not blame Cabrera as an individual. It is a sickness, created through years of a societies (Argentina) lack of belief that their is a "tomorrow"...that will be better than the near past. That once again Argentina can be a nation truly proud of it's history..what it once was...100 years ago. It has failed for so many generations... that anyone alive today...has not lived when Argentina was actually as great as they "remember"...

 

[tomdesigns]

You do not like us leave us . We are proud of our culture and do not need some expats to tell us how to behave. You north americans are so false with cheesy smiles all for tips or other benefits.

Uff this is a heavy thread!