Customer service in Spain, Germany & Barbados
March 18th, 2010 | by Shaun |Just for the record, my Twitter account is ShaunBelding. See you in Tweetland!
Barbados: B+
Like most of the Carribean isles, Barbados makes a living in tourism - and because of that, most people are very attentive to their customers. As @TarikB wrote on Twitter, though, ”Depends what you define as customer service. If time is a factor Barbados is in trouble, but if sincerity counts for anything.” There is no sense of urgency, and no concept of going ‘the extra mile.’
Spain C+
The Spaniards rival the French in their willingness/ability to ignore their customers. They are a little better than the English, who can have little compunction to be rude at times, but if you catch them in the afternoon when many are shut down, they can be downright grumpy. When they are good, however, they are great. It just doesn’t happen as often as it should. I still remember a restaurant maitre d’, who clearly felt that his primary mission in life was to scare people away from the outdoor patio…
Germany A-
Germany has a reputation of being methodical, precise and somewhat cold. Like in France, I honestly did not find that the stereotype held up. My experiences have been of a people who genuinely care about their customers, and are willing to do what it takes to ensure they are happy. The Germans like to have fun, and it rubs off in their customer service.
