Stupid pommy bastard!

[AussieTerry84]

Bloody hell! In Australia 96% of the time you greeted by another male you'll be called mate, its the respectful thing to do here, you see Australia is a single class country we don't really have an upper class/lower class thing going on like they do in England over here everybody's on teh same level, if your a millionaire you'll be treated the same as a janitor and etc.

Anyway i work at a supermarket and the other day this snooty posh pommy prick (in Aus people from England are referred to as Pom's, its not racist for those of you wondering its just our slang for them like how you call us "aussie's"), so anyway i get this snooty old pommy prick come through who must've just flown over from England or just took his first step out of one of the rich suburbs where the millionaires live e.g. Toorak.

Any way i go to address him so im like "Hi how are ya mate" to which he replies "excuse me do i know you? im not your MATE, how dare you call me that!" he then proceeded on with his wankerish tirade for the next minute.

I kept quiet for the duration of the transaction so i didn't tell him to F-off.

Bloody hell! the customer i served before him came up to me and said "you should've knocked him out". Its rare for an aussie to call you sir as it feels sort of condecending, so mate is usually the more respectful route.


Some bloody people i tell ya!

[RacerX]

Australia is a single class country we don't really have an upper class/lower class thing going on like they do in England over here everybody's on teh same level, In Australia 96% of the time you greeted by another male you'll be called mate, its the respectful thing to do here, if your a millionaire you'll be treated the same as a janitor and etc.

I did not know this, hmmm. Thanks, mate!

[RacerX]

(in Aus people from England are referred to as Pom's, its not racist for those of you wondering its just our slang for them like how you call us "aussie's")

Here's wiki's take on "pom" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alterna..._British#Pommy

[Endrik]

The overwhelming majority of English who come over here say "mate" a lot.
But from my personal experiences in England (mainly in London area, specially in posh places like Westminster and Chelsea), the customer service is usually extremely polite and formal with a lot of "sir" usage. Anywhere else in Europe the service most of the time is either friendly and rather non-formal or they just don't care about you.
But anyone who starts acting like a prince gets usually told to fuck off immediately, specially in Latin Europe where there's no such thing as "the customer is always right". You'll get verbally abused for that kind of attitude. For this (and for lack of interest in small talk and other bullshit) many North American tourists (except New Yorkers) call Europeans rude but really it's not rudeness, it's honesty.

[Pointy]

Don't worry mate, hater's gonna hate aussies' cool attitude! Never been there myself but I have the impression that you are having a good time down under

This is a hugely interesting subject btw. How does the US compare to Europe and/or Australia in terms of customer service and expectations, if anyone has had the experience?

[Endrik]

From my experiences the customer service in US is generally a lot more polite than in continental Europe.
My country has the worst customer service out of any country I've ever visited. The people are pissed off, hate their jobs and don't give a fuck about the customers. I've grown up with that kind of thing so anywhere else I feel like Louis XIV.
Customer service in poshy parts of London seems very formal but I imagine it's different in more industrial cities in central UK.
In Latin Europe the customer service can be friendly but like I said before if someone acts like everyone should roll out red carpets for him/her, the hell can break loose. Latin/South Europe is very chaotic of course. Time is a relative thing. In smaller cities, villages, rural places or in cities where the customers are mostly locals, you can wait in the line forever because the owner has a long, conversation with his pals. They keep their stores, restaurants and hotels opened the least amount of time as possible and no one is getting a special treatment. Although less formal than London, there are still a lot of places where you will be addressed as Signore/Monsieur/Señor/Senhor/or any other equivalent for Mister.
In big cities like Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Milano etc. the service can vary. It's never the most friendliest. Those places have a high population density, they are very overpopulated, full of tourists etc. Everyone is in contact with so many people every day that no one bothers to put on an act. If someone has a bad day, you'll know it. Unlike North America most of Europe is urban, overpopulated and concentrated to bigger cities, so there's less "fake friendliness".
Germany and Nordic countries are the least formal but the most professional. Big cities can be more chaotic of course.
In Eastern Europe you can be "served" by extremely miserable and cold folks yet some can be the most friendliest and warmest folks you'll ever meet.
The biggest factor is the environment, population and culture rather than "country". Folks who travel transatlantically a lot say that NYC is a lot more similar to big West European city, customer service and interaction wise than to small town in Mid-West which can be more similar to a village in South Germany.

A lot of the behaviour in Europe can be contributed to the fact that everything is squeezed in together. Extremely small continent, no geographically big countries at all, but very high and dense population which mostly resides in bigger cities.

[etepbbb]

I wouldn't let it ruin my day, blow it off. It pisses a guy off, but I'm guessing who'll never see him again, so why waste time hating.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I worked customer service years ago. Its my LAST DAY, and I honestly kind of hoped some asshole would come in so I could just tell him to go fuck himself...

About three o'clock I had a guy come in with his wife, and he wanted to buy some paint, and you know, they have the "good, better, best" paint and you pick your color deal.

So he says he wants "This" and shows me a color sample. I say, "OK do you want the good, better, or best?" and he says, "I want THIS!" and points at the color chip again, with this attitude like he's frustrated I don't just "get him what he asked for."

So I try to explain that we have "THIS kind, and I can make that color, and that is the 'good' and that is $9.95/gallon, or we have this.." and the guy looks at his wife, looks at me, and says...

"I don't have to take this kind of treatment. This is ridiculous. Why can't you just get me the paint that I asked for!!!!"

I said "Well I'm trying to, if you would tell me which of the three choices you want I can..."

The guy throws the chip down and says "We're leaving. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" and I said "It sure is. Have a nice day, sir!"

[Nightbat]

I kept quiet for the duration of the transaction so i didn't tell him to F-off.

Here's a golden tip for next time

[Hellbat]

Yup, when he was leaving you should have said in a very earnest fashion, "You have a great evening mate!" Unless your manager is an ass that would take his side on a complaint.

[AussieTerry84]

told the front end supervisor about it and she was like "WTF? you were just trying to be nice".

haha, imagine if i had've said to him "catch ya, cunt"

[RacerX]

Yup, when he was leaving you should have said in a very earnest fashion, "You have a great evening mate!"

That's what I would've done!

[Rsmacker]

It's OK chaps, I'll handle this one. Tally ho!

Right, you uncouth colonial sheep tupper, listen here.

Bloody hell! In Australia 96% of the time you greeted by another male you'll be called mate, its the respectful thing to do here, you see Australia is a single class country we don't really have an upper class/lower class thing going on like they do in England over here everybody's on teh same level, if your a millionaire you'll be treated the same as a janitor and etc.

Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the downtrodden, shat-upon, second class citizens who had the country stolen from them, without even a hint of an apology ie. Aboriginals. Or one of those nice chaps near Bondi Beach you were rioting about, not so long ago.

Anyway i work at a supermarket and the other day this snooty posh pommy prick (in Aus people from England are referred to as Pom's, its not racist for those of you wondering its just our slang for them like how you call us "aussie's"), so anyway i get this snooty old pommy prick come through who must've just flown over from England or just took his first step out of one of the rich suburbs where the millionaires live e.g. Toorak.

Would these be the same rich suburbs where apparently everyone treats everyone exactly the same? If so, explain....

Any way i go to address him so im like "Hi how are ya mate" to which he replies "excuse me do i know you? im not your MATE, how dare you call me that!" he then proceeded on with his wankerish tirade for the next minute.

I kept quiet for the duration of the transaction so i didn't tell him to F-off.

Come on, admit it, he used some big words and they were taking some time to get through the hat you wear with loads of corks dangling from it, right?

Bloody hell! the customer i served before him came up to me and said "you should've knocked him out". Its rare for an aussie to call you sir as it feels sort of condecending, so mate is usually the more respectful route.

"Mate", like "Pal" can be taken in a good way, or a bad way, depending on whether it is being aimed at you whilst you are helping prop up the local economy at the supermarket, by some slack-jawed mouth-breathing Ocker standing in a pool of his own piss, holding up a sign that says "i wil cary yer shoping to yer Ute, mate".
The Englishman was obviously a well-balanced individual, I'd have chinned you. Or rather, Jeeves, my butler would have engaged you under the Queensferry Rules, whilst I cheered from the sidelines. (We don't do any punch-ups any more, it's a class thing, donchaknow.)

It's the same with "my friend". Don't call me "my friend" unless you ARE my friend, otherwise it sounds patronising or the prelude to a physical assault. In which case, best to get your retaliation in first and lamp the bastard. And then kick him in the nuts for good measure. (And Englishman will stop at that point. Our antipodean cousins, on the other hand, will take his wallet, flip him over and sniff his bumhole too, just in case. In case of what, who knows?)

Anyway, matey, next time you encounter one of your social betters, ie. some lobster-red thug in a Union Jack t-shirt and a knotted hanky on his head, show some deference. You might like to explain, via the medium of mime and dance, why exactly your ancestors were transported to the colonies, and whether you intend to make the time-honoured trek back to the Mother-land to seek your fortune, as have so many of your countrymen. You are welcome too, we ALWAYS need more waiters and barstaff. Think, one day you could draw a picture, maybe even colour it in, and send it back to the folks back Down Under (which actually refers to "the sweatiest bit underneath your scrotum"), explaining how you have reached the dizzy heights of Bog Cleaner Manager, McDonalds in Staines.

God Save The Queen! (Join in now you Paul Hogan-like peasants, she's still YOUR Queen too!)

PS. You should try to be a sophisticate, like Vit G, with his Black Water Experience Theme Park (Motto - "If the Crocs don't get ya, the Bull Sharks will"), and Wolf Creek Hotel complex.)

[AussieTerry84]

It's OK chaps, I'll handle this one. Tally ho!

Right, you uncouth colonial sheep tupper, listen here.



Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the downtrodden, shat-upon, second class citizens who had the country stolen from them, without even a hint of an apology ie. Aboriginals. Or one of those nice chaps near Bondi Beach you were rioting about, not so long ago.

Our ex-PM made a formal apology to the Aboriginals in parliament few years ago actually.
And that riot was looked down upon by everyone in the country was just a bunch of stupid drunk bogans.

Would these be the same rich suburbs where apparently everyone treats everyone exactly the same? If so, explain....

That's how life is in Australia champ, our national identity is based on a word we invented "mateship", maybe you saw it in the news after the Queensland floods where people would have 50 strangers turn up to help them clean up there property just cause!

Come on, admit it, he used some big words and they were taking some time to get through the hat you wear with loads of corks dangling from it, right?

No bud, he was being a complete tosser, so much so that the previous customer told me he would've thumped him!

[VitaminG]

PS. You should try to be a sophisticate, like Vit G, with his Black Water Experience Theme Park (Motto - "If the Crocs don't get ya, the Bull Sharks will"), and Wolf Creek Hotel complex.)

fuck you and the pimply arse you rode in on, you pommy prick. We've just opened a new, family-friendly section of the park - Welcome to Woop Woop Land. It's right over by the Bad Boy Bubby Colonic Irrigation & Holistic Wellness Centre.