“The customer is always right” is a
phrase used often in the United States to encourage excellent customer service
and continued satisfaction. However, our tour guide warned us that in Europe
the customer is not always right.
This proved to be true and I quickly learned that Europe has a very different
style of service than America. I noticed this cultural difference in the retail
stores, restaurants, and even supermarkets. Culture grows out of the way people
interact with each other so it is no wonder that different areas of the world
have different shopping styles. The interaction between people while they shop
is fascinating to analyze. Many aspects of a nation’s culture can be well
depicted through its shopping experiences. Attitudes about businesses,
overworking employees, and the importance of profit also vary around the world.
Given the vast amount of time I
spent shopping in France and London I was able to pick up on a variety of
trends that make shopping different in Europe. While shopping in the United
States, you are greeted by an air-conditioned building and enthusiastic
employees who are excited to share with you the deals of the day. In Europe
however, I never once was greeted upon entering a store. For me, this was
fantastic! I could finally shop in peace without being pestered by store
employees. Yet, in the beginning it was difficult to get used to. Accustomed to
being greeted upon entering a store, I often felt that the employees were being
rude by not welcoming us. I quickly learned that it was just a small cultural
difference from the United States and adapted my thought process. In the end I
came to enjoy the independent shopping experience.
Further, I saw a cultural shopping
difference while visiting the supermarket. I was astounded when I was asked to
pay for the plastic bag to put my groceries in. I couldn’t believe it! In
America, stores do anything they can to make shopping experiences more
convenient for the customer. “Paper or plastic ma’am?” Well not in France,
that’s for sure. The supermarket viewed the plastic bag as an item of
consumption just as the groceries I was purchasing and therefore charged me for
the bag as well. This goes to show European stores will not bend over backwards
to cater to the needs of their shoppers. Rumor has it that paying for plastic
bags is a practice that we could begin seeing in the United States as well. But
in our case, it is to encourage environmentally healthy habits. For now, enjoy the luxury of carrying your
groceries to the car in a free shopping
bag.
Lastly, a peculiarity that struck
me is another fact our tour guide Cornelius shared with us. He claimed that the
most popular ice-cream shop in France shuts down every year for the month of
August. Excuse me, August the hottest month of the year? Yes! It appears that
in Europe business owners have personal values that are more important to them
than money. In the U.S. nearly every business decision is made to maximize
profits. Not in Europe. It makes sense that the ice-cream storeowners want to
enjoy their “holiday” and choose quality of life over personal earnings.
Additionally, I found that many stores in Europe were not open at all on Sundays.
This is yet another way that businesses allow for employee relaxation. I can
also infer that European employees are treated better than American employees
for this same reason. Business owners in Europe value time away from work while
American stores stay open on holidays and keep their workers away from their
families. U.S. employees often report being overworked because of their long
and frequent shifts. Moreover many American employees who work retail cannot
tell you the last Thanksgiving they spent with their families because the
preparation needed for the infamous “Black Friday.” Americans could learn a
lesson in work-life balance from the Europeans.
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