For discussion:
Service culture. How does it differ among the cultures of this world? In terms of the major global players, a line could arguably drawn from one extreme to another, with East Asian cultures representing a "high" value placed on service, America in the middle, and Europe on the other extreme. Sure, Europe's culture is not necessarily anti-service, but it's MUCH more hands off, and that's what I'm talking about.
Compare the fact that in a Vienna coffeehouse I had to strain and make multiple attempts to get a waiter's attention to SPEND MORE MONEY against the lap of luxury that customers allegedly lie in when travelling Singapore Airlines. I'm not making a value judgement, as in certain circumstances, like if I wanted to read an entire newspaper while drinking my coffee (which many do), not being disturbed is a wonderful thing. But different.
Now, where do the cultures of the Islamic world, India, Latin America, and Africa fall? My travels in Latin America are not really enough to go on, but I'd say that it's reasonably close to the experience one would have in the United States or Canada.
1 year ago
4 comments:
Steve. Usually you make good points, but here I'm going to have to totally disagree with you. East Asian cultures definitely do not value service as highly as North America. It's all about the tips, and the possibility of tips or being paid well. Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are top tier airlines that I imagine pay their staff very well for the service they render. However, I'm yet to be anywhere in Asia (China, HK, Singapore, Thailand, Macau, etc) that focuses on service that you'd be getting in restaurants, shops, etc - and I believe this is because there is no tipping culture here. There is typically a flat 10% service charge, but tipping above that is not the custom. Thus, service employees do not go out of their way to serve you because there is no possibility of more for them. Even little things that we as Americans are accustomed to, like "how is everything" five/ten minutes into your meal, is lacking here. The customer is definitely not always right.
So, unless you're looking at only the very highest echelons of service, I would say that North American is on top because of the incentive to serve. Comments?
Corrections are always welcome. Thanks for the insight. I'm actually definitely coming to a position of kinda enjoying a world in which the customer is not centric and always right...because so often they really aren't. Still, it DOES make smart business sense....
Well Steve, your friend over in DC needs to procrastinate (that's me!) so here I am commenting.
Coming from my perspective, I think you are trying to make a comparison that can't be made at all.
Think for a sec. Who in India, let's say, might be able to afford a airline flight? Percentage of the population? Their socio-economic status?
And compare that with American flyres....
I suspect you will come to the same conclusion I have.
Amazing how the shortest posts get the most dialogue. And exactly how unclear I can be.... Shamit's point is an interesting one, although I didn't mean my example of pampered airline service to stand as the test.... I guess what's more what I was grabbing at is the nature of ANY provided service...but then Shamit's point still remains quite relevant as I am sure a dinner on the town is also a rare luxury--perhaps beyond comprehension--for many Indians and the rest of the developing world. What I was trying to get at was more related to the concept of the guest, so what type of service you would receive in someone's home would ALSO be a factor but at that point I think Europe and America would be more equal and I can't speak on Asia at all.
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