Journeys in Germany: Customer Service

An outlook shown through short stories about food, culture, travel and humor.

Supposedly America has bad customer service, but this all comes down to who you are and the situation you’re in. Germans are known for their very bad customer service, but in my opinion it’s been a good experience. When I have to call any 1–800 number or speak to a representative, whether it’s about my train being late, a health insurance question, I am always met with a patient and friendly person on the other line. I don’t wait minutes or even hours on the phone to get in contact with someone. It’s super efficient in my opinion. Or another example, when I go into a store wanting to buy clothes I am not followed around by an annoying aggressive salesperson asking “How may I help you?” or “Have you found what you are looking for?” I can instead have a quiet, peaceful shopping experience and find what I need. The only negative experience I have with customer service people is if I do actually need their help in the store. Sometimes then, I will run into a person who acts like they’re having a bad day (it’s the easiest way to describe the attitude I am usually given). They’re sometimes unkind, not helpful and not friendly, with no smile on their face. Maybe it’s because they’re having a bad day or don’t like their job, who knows? But overall I would say customer service is pretty good in Germany.