Delta767

I have visited Greece 3 times along with other European countries and I have noticed that the customer service level is different in Greece.

How have you been treated in Greece?

bdemaria

I'm not sure how anyone will be able to comment on such a blanket statement. What is "different" to you? What are the other countries?

I can only state that I found the Greek people to be fabulously friendly and experienced nothing but excellent customer service throughout my time there - so if by different you mean superior to what I experienced say last time I was in another major European city, then yes. I guess it is different.

sushanna1

Best guess is that it depends on when and where you go. Off season it was great and Athens during "Greek Easter"--fantastic. Though it has been about ten years now.

Delta767

Sorry, I didn't want to lead the discussion down a path when I asked the question.

I just found the customer service in Greece to be very poor and the people there really rude. I was treated way worse in Greece than in other european countries.

I can go into tons of detail but some of the reasons are that I was not offered water when sitting down at dinner (the other greeks got it) and no museum guides helping me find room 32 at the Archeological Museum because they didn't know where room 32 was. Instead they just continued talking with their museum guide friends.

CAlex

After 4 years of going to Turkey, Thailand, Singapore and Tunisia for summer beach holiday, this year I went to Greece, on an island. The customer service level was lower than any other place, too much focused on getting the money from you by doing nothing, rather then pleasing/serving the customer.

There was nothing really bad, but overall I felt better in all previous places mentioned, with a big plus for Turkey, where we were always treated like kings.

TravellinHusker

I agree with the OP. I've had the great displeasure of having to do business in Greece and on 2 occasions I went there for a vacation. I won't go back. There isn't customer service, but instead customer disservice. The Greek people as a whole are very unfriendly and not hospitable at all. They look at you as nothing but prey to be stolen from. I've been to Patras to Athens to Thessaloniki to Crete to Rhodes to Santorini to Mykonos to Hydra. The only place I've ever run into a truly genuine and nice person was in Hydra and it was Greek Easter at an outdoor taverna. the old man grilling the lamb was actually pretty friendly even if we couldn't understand him. However, he might have called me a "mlaka" or "vlaka" and I just didn't hear it at the time.

uk1

Strange thread.

Is "customer service" an important criteria for deciding which new countries to explore or visit? And how does feedback from a handful of people help decide?

I've had good and bad service in pretty much every country I've visited and Greece is no different in that respect. As a generalisation (oh dear) places that attract tourists can be more blase than places that don't. And customer service has more to do with the demenour of the customer than it does to the physical location of the people providing the service.

Greece is a great place, and Greek people are hospitable. As with pretty much everywhere, smile at people and they generally smile back.

Roger

Well said, uk1.

If the OP wants a generalised answer to a generalised question, I'd say 'with open arms and a smile'.

bdemaria

#1: Part of what you describe as "very poor" service is a matter of different standards in different places. You were not offered water upon sitting down. You noted that greeks "got it" Did it occur to you that they ordered it, which is standard in most Mediterranean countries?

#2: museum "guides" Were they actually guides (at the front desk in the entrance) or were they guards? I can't recall the last time I was in any museum (and as an art historian I spend a lot of time in these establishments) and had a guard provide assistance of the type you describe.

I stand by 1st response: I find the Greeks friendly and extremely helpful.

uk1

Quite right. This type of exchange irritates. To me FT has always been about bridging gaps not widening them.

It is ironic that often the very same people that vociferously object to others making negative and sweeping and hurtful generalisations about their own nationals are quite content to do so about others. It often says more of them than the people that they generalise about.

Delta767

I've been to about 12 countries on 4 continents so I think I do know something about respecting and living with other people's cultures.

I believe that while in Greece I am treated more poorly than in the other 11 countries that I have been to. The experiences that led to my opinion happened over the course of 3 visits lasting a total of 6 weeks. I usually visit some friends who live north of Athens and then go out and see the sights and islands on my own schedule.

I have been treated well in Greece by some people. But unfortunately those kind experiences are the exception.

In the future I plan to visit other countries that I feel will treat me better.

uk1

And so you should if that's your criteria. It seems you had already decided not to vist again so your post is somewhat superfluous.

Perhaps you should see things from the other end of the telescope.

Doesn't your post typify your own problem? Evidently, the extraordinary culture, new experiences about the origins of culture and society - all those new experiences and all that it might offer in particular visitors from the rather newer United States visitor pale in to such insignificance compared to the perceived lack of service in a few debateable but to many others - trivial situations. Unless these countries meet your high service criteria then they are not good enough for you. Fair enough. Why on earth do you travel?

Using the national generalisations you are content to use, you will find that many Europeans based on their previous experiences of people from the US treat people from the US differently than they would others. In many countries in Europe, American visitors have generated a recognisable "national identity" and set of presumptions that you will undoubtedly feel are unjustified. They do however - I promise - exist. These charecteristics which cause many Europeans to brace themselves - possibly include "loud", "demanding" "rude" "arrogant" "insensitive" etc. Totally unjustified I'm sure. But equally just ludicrously generalised as are yours about all people providing service in Greece.

Perhaps you suffered from those "misconceptions" in reverse?

Roger

Gosh! Wow!

The problem with saying what you said is that sooner or later somebody will come along and say 'Mine's bigger than yours'. By the way, mine's bigger than yours - not only many more countries and more continents, I've been to more than 3x the number of US states than you have countries. So what? It doesn't prove anything.

Listen to uk1.

uk1

Thanks. Yes mine is also somewhat bigger than his.

I wonder if the OP speeks Greek, or tries to? Or French in France? Or German in Austria? Or tries to. A few words in the language you visit brings with it shed loads of goodwill. It shows respect and friendship and effort. And then perhaps failing those courteous attempts, perhaps the expectation is that the "rest of the World" should learn and speak in English?

The impression created in this post and sadly often before, is not that "I am forunate enough to be visiting another country which offers me the opportunity to learn and experience and will adjust and make allowances for those differences" - but instead I am suffiiently important (I am after all a customer) to expect them to change their ways and adjust themselves to me and my behaviour and my demanding requirements. And that I'm afraid says it all.

And to focus on the differences for a further moment. What about the experience of visiting a taverna for a second visit and being treated like an "old friend" with that special welcome only Greek taverna owners know about? And that free glass of Metaxxa or ouzo at the end of your meal? How do I compare that to the universally insincere "have a nice day" irrespective of the number of return visits I find when I go to places in the States?

bdemaria

IMO, A quick review of threads, such as this one or this one makes for interesting reading w/regard to this topic.