Open letter to Donald Tusk - Prime Minister October 2007
Take a look at the photograph on the left - a queue of people walking through the park in an orderly manner in pairs or threes.
We noticed it first in the children, the school and youth groups all walking neatly in pairs and thought how well-behaved the children were - something schools in Britain would be truly envious of. But on observing the same behaviour in adults, it becomes a cause for concern.
In shops, in offices, we have observed people waiting patiently in queues whilst the staff ignore them and do their own thing. I was at the council offices this morning trying to sort something out. There were four people waiting outside, the lady inside had the door open and was arranging her social life on the telephone.
At the supermarket on the meat counter, there was one lady serving, the other cleaning the counter. I waited patiently thinking that the lady cleaning would stop, serve me and then return to her cleaning, but no, she calmly ignored me and carried on. Needless to say I decided not to buy. In Britain we have a policy of the customer coming first - customer service, in Poland they have no notion of this concept (except for Polish phone company TP).
We come across the attitude all the time in Poland and that is why companies from outside Poland will be able to come in and take over.
Lots of other instances: I tried ordering window blinds this week and arranged for a salesman to come to the house to measure up. The appointment time came and went. I phoned them and was told that someone would appear a little later. I had to chase them yet again before someone turned up and this was for a large order worth almost 75% of month's salary for a Pole. An efficient company would sweep the board. OK, certain trades people in the UK like plumbers also have a bad reputation but it's the lack of business sense here that truly amazes me. The pursuit of money does not appear to be the rule.
To be able to compete in modern Europe Poles need to acquire business acumen and management skills. The importance of customer service needs to be emphasised. A lot of comes down to training. The people need to learn how to complain and demand better levels of service - there is too much of this waiting subserviently in queues. It might be an easier life for teachers and parents but how on earth are these people going to learn to challenge and improve their systems. Compliancy and dynamism aren't good partners.
Poles may talk about respect, but respect means giving people in queues your attention and being efficient.
