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Putting your expectations in cultural context

  • Kara Holm
  • Jul 22, 2016
  • 5 min read

Do I expect too much? I found myself asking this questions many times last week.

Last week after exiting the Hamburg Airport we found the taxi line up. The taxi driver got out to help with the bags but walked by me without opening the door. I have come to expect this basic courtesy, so I was irritated. My annoyance was compounded when I learned that the driver would receive cash only, no credit cards. He was unapologetic. Does it seem unreasonable to expect an airport taxi in an international city, population 1.7 million, to take credit cards? I mentioned the issue to the woman who checked me into the hotel; she was decidedly unmoved by my frustration. German cabs do not take credit cards she said, shrugging.

I was reminded by my travelling companion that Germany has more of a cash culture than Canada. Many businesses have pin card machines but they are not used as often as they are in Canada for small purchases. I was not able to tap or use Apple Pay once on this trip. As a business traveller, I love using my credit card. I get points for purchases and it makes it really easy to track your spending. I also worry about losing cash or making a mistake with unfamiliar foreign currency – these worries disappear when you’re using a card.

Prior to our arrival in Hamburg we spent a few days in Vienna, Austria. One afternoon we walked into a café in a museum to avoid a hail storm. We were greeted in a friendly manner by the fellow at the bar. Rather than taking our orders, he spent at least five minutes washing dishes while we sat at the bar and waited. The bartender seemed surprised when I called him to over to take our order; I had become frustrated with waiting. My expectation was that customers’ orders should have been taken and filled — before the employee continued with his or her other duties. Obviously the glasses must be washed and dried and put away, but only after you determine that your customers’ needs are met. Earlier that day, after asking for our lunch bill three times, I walked up to the server and insisted on paying, much to his frustration.

These employees, in one way or another, had the idea that the customer was not the most important part of their job responsibilities. It is a different way of organizing things. On the positive side, there is typically real care and attention to the presentation of food and drinks. In Vienna, I loved how coffee was served on an individual silver tray with a glass of water on the side. In shops in Hamburg and Vienna I noticed that parcels are beautifully packaged – the staff members don’t feel rushed and they take time to make the purchase feel special.

These experiences – and others – reminded me that there is a very different attitude on the Continent than there is in North America, reinforcing an impression I had from previous visits to Germany, France and Spain.

Part of the pleasure of travelling is experiencing other cultures. Despite being interested and curious, it can be hard to shed our own cultural biases. In the Basque part of Spain and France I have enjoyed the long lunch breaks, but only because eating lunch was my only objective at the time. No doubt it would have driven me crazy that nothing was open except restaurants for two hours, if I were trying to get my shopping done. I struggle with set menus, common in Europe, because I like to choose my own food. My aunt was frustrated in Paris when we visited a couple of years ago that the petit crème (a coffee, similar to a latte here) was small and they expected you to sit in the café to enjoy your drink, rather than taking your coffee to go. A friend once asked me why I spent so much time telling waiters what I wanted – how I liked my coffee, or looking for detailed information on how a dish is prepared or trying to substitute something on a menu. His view was that I should just say “coffee” and the person at the counter will give me the right coffee for that time of day. This is a decidedly European view that is difficult for people like me to get my head around. I am the customer, shouldn’t I get what I want?[1]

In Vienna shops are closed on Sundays, even in areas that cater to tourists. This decision seemed unbelievable to me since the thousands of tourists milling about the Innere Stadt on that hot Sunday would have loved to spend some money in the shops. As a business person, I was focused on the lost revenue opportunities. Our host, an expat Canadian and 15-year resident of Vienna, explained with pride that the Viennese refuse to conform to European Union expectations around Sunday shopping. It seems to me that this decision does not reflect a rejection of consumer culture. I passed Hermès, Chanel and many other luxury shops while in Vienna. Perhaps it is a reflection of the importance the Viennese I met, place on family. A charming feature of their culture, in my opinion.

I later discovered that many cabs in Hamburg do take credit cards, and decided that our airport taxi driver was simply a man with bad manners, which was why he failed to open the door for a paying customer. Sadly, we have lots of people who fail to extend basic courtesy to others living in Canada too. At home there are many shops, restaurants and businesses that miss important opportunities to offer great customer service because they have not trained their employees to put the customer first. However, the culture in Canada and the United States suggests we should expect care and attention from the businesses that want our money.

The advice for today:

  • Make it clear to your employees how they should prioritize their tasks, ensuring that meeting your customers’ needs are at the centre of their day. Even employees who do not directly interact with customers they should understand how their jobs contribute to the customer experience.

  • Establish service standards so that employees know what is expected of them. This sounds simple but I am still surprised by how many businesses do not have service standards.

  • Ensure you train your employees to fulfill all aspects of their job. Make sure you reinforce the learning by celebrating when they are meeting expectations and correcting when they do not — before bad habits are formed.

  • Look for opportunities within your business to show customers that you care. The beautifully presented coffee and carefully wrapped packages make a difference.

What we expect is coloured by our experiences. I think it is okay to expect to be treated as a valued customer in exchange for your business. Businesses reap the benefits when customers feel valued because then they return. I like that part of my culture.

[1] My friend would argue that I should not get what I want, rather I should accept the wisdom of the expert in the business. This argument is interesting but I do not think it is something I can support in the modern North American context. In the past when all types of service roles were treated as professions, not jobs, his argument would have been more credible. I do not want the hipster barista in the local café determining the most appropriate afternoon beverage for me in between Snap Chats about her latest tattoo with her friends.

 
 
 

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This blog includes content produced by the founders of Play the Field™, Kara Holm and Thomas Curran..  

 

We are focused on developing technology-enabled solutions to address clearly defined business issues, rooted in entertaining consumer experiences. We bridge the gap between customer experience and actionable business intelligence by helping our clients engage with a highly desirable psychographic segment of the population. You might call them Millennials, but the opportunity is broader. 

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