American reacts to USA vs EUROPE CULTURE SHOCKS!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2022
- Thank you for watching me, a humble American, react to USA vs Europe guide to cultural differences. This was awesome to watch. Subscribe for more videos!
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European here. (Dutch, to be precise) There is nothing wrong with being nice and polite but the excessive smilling by US waiters and cashiers seems fake and makes us uncomfortable. I don’t like the grumpiness of European staff but I would prefer it over the creepy smiling.
Honestly, Belgian perspective, the staff isn't even that grumpy. At worst they're a bit busy because they've got other tables who want things. But they're perfectly professional usually. US wait staff sound like insects, though.
It reminds me of '50s propaganda posters xd
as an american i can't stand the overly smiling thing either. when i worked customer service, i gave a small smile and a greeting, then after that i just pretended to look at something else, do something else until the person told me they were ready to be served. i still had to somewhat smile as it was part of customer service, but i would not give a huge smile everytime. a tiny one sufficed so i didn't kill my face xD
there is a great david mitchel quote, soething along the lines of "you are underpaid, work in a terrible location and are surrounded by idiots, of course you are in a bad mood." ;)
I don't think the staff is grumpy in the Netherlands, or any other country in Europe I've been to. And if one might be a little grumpy, well, everyone has bad days sometimes. Or it might be from a stress day at work or at home. We're human after all :)
People in europe often don't want that kind of service. When i go to a store, i want to be on my own. If i have a question, i gonna ask a salesman. But when a salesman starts giving advice without me asking, iam done shopping.
Same is true for eating out. Europeans don't rush and usually stay even after the meal is finished for some time. Constantly having someone around asking questions just reduces the enjoyment. They usually ask while clearing the table or when they see that drinks are empty. If something is not fine, i call the waitress and tell.
I once worked for a american boss in germany, and she pressed me to constantly talk to the customers. I remember her showing me "how it is done" and i could see the customers face looking at her while she didn't stop talking to him. He just wanted to check for himself and was clearly annoyed by her approach, but she didn't even realize. In my oppinion, this behavior is not about customer service, but to increase sells. And i think many fellow europeans see it just like me and don't want that.
I would have let her know to:,, Piss of ,,
What Americans views as service most Europeans will view as unwanted pestering.
I’m Australian and I think it’s the same here too.
could not agree more. I want to be left the F alone. If I'm looking at 2 jackets or video games or whatever, I am considering what I want, comparing etc. I do not need to be asked "do you need any help?" and I really don't enjoy you staring at me or hovering around me like a moth around a light bulb. Conscious of the eyes staring at the back of my head the whole time, now I wanna leave or hurry up and not feel pressured. I wanna browse, this is not a spectators sport. It has to be worse for introverts too who wanna be left alone more than normal. If I have a question, I will ask you "excuse me..... blah blah blah". If not, can I please shop alone?
When I'm browsing and someone asks me if I need help, it feels like they don't want me in the shop and are rushing me to buy something and get out.
Just a reminder, his video is called "Europe vs USA differences" but actually he is talking about Czech Republic
So a lot of europeean countries may not have the same differences
For example in France tap water is always free (it is the law) and beers are also really expensive compared to Czech Republic
everywhere beer is expensive compare to Czech Republic
@@KonstantinTrufanov belgium beers are not 😉
@@pubsapass1214 ok, I am buying a ticket
In France we don't tip too, and it doesn't really matter if we tip or not because the waiter is already paid by the restaurant they're working with... Which, i think, in the US if the waiter don't get tiped They won't have money
Yes a bottle of water is free in France if you order something besides. But some thirsty children are very clever when they are on their own : they just go inside and ask politely for a glass of water when they are on their own. And when they do so, everybody is glad.
"I'm not going to Starbucks... ill just go to McDonalds for a coffee" - I'm German not even Italian but hearing that gave me an instant heart attack. noooooo
I actually like McDonald's coffee, well specifically their caramel latte, but I am not a coffee lover, so anything that tastes less coffee-like is the better.
@@hayleysahara496 Premise, I love caramel latte and it's my go to drink when not having espresso. This are just a bunch of advice from my personal experience, it may not fit your preferences and absolutely not a judgement on your taste. Everyone can enjoy whatever they want without worrying about others opinions. Not knowing you I don't want to assume anything but most people don't like drinking coffee because it's generally way too bitter. The reason is in Eu and pretty much everywhere in the world, people adopted the italian way of enjoying coffee. If you go to the grocery store, on coffee bags most of the time there is written "dark roast" (rarely medium) and" medium or fine grind". This is what you want for a typical espresso and gives you the classical bitter coffee. Coffee doesn't need to be like that it can be literally as light as tea or as strong as gulping down tar (why, just why) without adding any sugar. if you want you can try to look for coffee shops that sells coffee made from lighter roasts and coarser grind size or even if it's rare try to look in your local supermarket for this type of grind or pods if you have a coffee machine. I'm also guilty of buying caramel latte at McDonald myself but I would suggest you to try to other places that serves it, it changed my world... Mcdonald coffee is generally even more bitter than a regular espresso because it's poorly made and this affect the end result even for caramel latte.
Same tho and I'm not even a coffee drinker. Poor Italians lol
Starbucks has such a dark roast it makes it undrinkable. If it's not McD coffee but Mc Café - it might be for sure be better.
Disclaimer: i love light roasted specialty coffee.
Well, what they call coffee, I call colored water. It's ok. Real coffee shops are less crowded as a result.
I'm Polish and my pov on the customer service is: when a waiter/bartender/barista is super chatty and friendly, I don't perceive it as good customer service, to me it seems fake and intrusive. Let's not pretend like you're here for any other reason than this being your job. Also, "How are you?" is too much of an intimate question to ask a stranger. We really only ask that if we actually want to know the real answer. When I was in the US, I felt constantly attacked by all the people greeting me with a "How are you?" WE ARE NOT FRIENDS, why would you do that?
"Hi, how are you?"
"None of your fucking business."
Coming to Apple store (Vancouver, BC)..."You have pretty good phone" (what?)
It’s because people here don’t want to know, but giving the illusion of caring is seen as polite. Just lying and say “good, you?” And you’re on your way. People in America (for some reason) like people checking in because it seemingly signals that they will get any concerns addressed and taken seriously and that the servers care about making sure nothing goes wrong with your experience. As an American, it gets so fucking annoying but nobody else seems to think so.
I also think that Ryan gets at an important part of this in US culture. As somebody who has worked in retail and lots of customer service roles, I'm stuck only speaking to customers for like 40 hours of my week each week... besides your co-workers in the back, they're the only people you're really socializing with for most of your day, so chatting with them (when they're friendly) can make your shift so much more enjoyable.
@@tokyomootsie Yeah I get it, but that’s the thing, you have a culture of small talk and smiles, you want to chat to strangers, nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t mean that other cultures have bad customer service. It’s good - for us. We show friendliness differently (mostly sarcasm and complaining about the govt, lol)
Nothing worse than a waiter/waitress asking if everything is ok when I have a mouthful of food. I don't agree with tipping as a norm, American employers need to pay their employees a living wage.
They do now, there's been introduced minimal wage and some of these employees got 2x/3x higher wages now... They still pretend they don't get paid tho
@@milansvancara It's crazy, because they're pretty much the only ones affected by increasing the minimal wage. Because all of that rigmarole is really about evading taxes. Which of course means that increasing the nominal wages tends to decrease their _real_ wages. Yet another reason why this ridiculous tipping culture needs to stop.
Actually, servers in the US still don’t get minimum wage across the country on their paychecks. Tips are factored in to reach that instead.
@@ACKennedy2007 That's sad
@@milansvancara federal mimimum wage for a server in the US is $1.05/h that is not a living wage and they're definitely not pretending
I actually quite enjoy the fact that waiters aren’t immediately overly friendly with you, it feels so much more genuine and the feeling when you become a regular customer and they recognise and respect you more is just great. I just think that I would rather a genuine person than someone who puts on a facade of friendliness
Yeah and at least where i live in europe the waiters are just professional they dont smile or look at you like you just insulted their family either.
My favorite story is about an American tourists who told off a tour guide about the age of European castles.
He reasoned that because America has only existed for about 200 years, it was impossible for Europeans to have 800 year old buildings 🤔
From Ireland: My favourite US tourist story is when the tour operator was asked why they built the castle so close to the expressway!
@@peggygraham6129 Yes, i've also heard that one, it is one of the most popular examples.
Or the families who bring suitcases full of Coke cans, because they believe we don't have Coca-Cola in Europe 😆
Castle that old 700-800 year it's not that old. We have even older.
Even Bosnia have beautiful castle Ostrozac from 13.century in small town Cazin.
Yeah, they're so barbaric 🙂. A favorite of mine is the American tourist who, upon seeing Neuschwanstein Castle, exclaimed: "Hey, they copied the Disneyland castle".
The thing about coffee is, Europe has an ancient coffee culture so coffee actually tastes of something here. Which means you don't need massive quantities or additives like pumpkin-mocha-apple to hide the dishwater taste.
Coffee in America is a grab and go drink. Here in Europe it's a sit and relax drink. Also here it is beautiful lol
At that point, you may as well not even have coffee, and just put in a scoop of caffeine.
@@JRCSalter while also eating raw sugar crystals
Getting a coffee in Germany is a break from your day - you can sit down in a nice, quiet atmosphere, you often can read different newspapers or you can people watch going in a street without cars.
We also have cafés that serve really good cakes (Konditorei) - but I will admit that other countries like France or cities like Wien would beat us.
The size of the coffee is really different - there's the Italian espresso, a normal cup is smaller than 200 ml but there are bigger "pots". A Latte Macciato - or a big milk coffee is double the price and double the size. Starbucks has creeped up in bigger cities - but you can go to bakery get takeout coffee that's as good for half the price.
In Italy espresso is the standard and it's really rare to find american style coffee.
"Latte" means milk so if you order it you will get just a glass of plain milk. If you want milk with coffee ask for "latte macchiato" or just say "milk and coffee"
Hot chocolate is melted chocolate with a bit of milk and it's completely different than the american one. The flavour is stronger and less sweet so beware. If you want something similar to the american version I guess you could ask for "latte e cacao" (cocoa milk) but I'm not sure 😅
Also don't order Cappuccino after lunch! We drink it only for breakfast and people would give you weird looks.
it is a common mistake for some people, especially Americans, to think that all Europe shares the same culture and traditions, in Europe you can find huge differences within the same country, or even region of the country. I am from italy and here for example you can find different accent of the same language just from one village to the other, it is very complicated to form a general idea or behaviour about the entire continent
The dude literally started the video acknowledging that.. and what’s crazier is that Europeans are even more ignorant and assume that every state in America doesn’t have its own culture
@edwin13398 there is an big difference in culture differences between completely different countries and differences within the same country.
Every country has some small differences in culture depending where in the country you are. That's not exclusively an united states thing. But it's not nearly as big of a difference as with completely different countries.
It's not that most Europeans are ignorant to small cultural differences between states in the US, but more that we think it's odd that people from the USA seem to think it's exclusive to them and that the differences are somehow bigger then with completely different countries
@@edwin13398 More than anything else, we Europeans have been stamping on each other's feet and snooping around in each other's houses for almost 2000 years, so for better or worse we know how our cousins "think", how they behave, what habits they have. our life has been practically merged with that of other European peoples since the times of the Roman Empire, so much so that it is practically impossible to separate the history of a country from that of its neighbours, whether for wars, marriages between rulers, or simple commerce... in short, we know how to study each other. We recognize even the subtlest nuances of our cultures.
And then on the other side there are the Americans.
Up until World War II, for Europe, the United States was just a place where people emigrated and went to seek their fortune, just commerce, very little link between cultures, literally another world; but since 1946 we have been "invaded" by what for us was only "American culture", without any difference whether it came from NY or San Francisco.
Said in a very self-evident way - and also a little racist, don't mind - American culture for us is like the face of Asians: in our eyes all a bit the same (and for Asians our Western faces are all the same, therefore we are even). only in the last few decades are we beginning to recognize Koreans from Chinese... and New York from Las Vegas.
Whenever someone does a "British 🇬🇧 accent" they actually just do an English accent 🏴 but the always say Scottish for a Scottish🏴 accent which I find really rude since England is just as important. Most people also just do the same stereotypical accent but in reality, here is England, there are over 30 different dialects that can sound very different 🥲😵💫
@@edwin13398Are you really comparing the staggering cultural, linguistic, historical diversity of european countries to the differences between States in the US? 💀
As an Australian, the idea of tipping at all is outrageous to me. Why should I be expected to pay full price and more for the waiter when the restaurant owner could just pay their workers a proper wage.
exactly, but then the regular prices would probably get more expensive.
Tipping is completely optional in Poland too. Rounding up or paying the exact price is very common. You only tip if you really want to, not the other way around.
@@mreggs3731 So? That's how businesses work. You set the price you need to make profit. If people won't pay, your business wasn't that good to begin with
agreed, American here.
Some of these seem quite specific to Czechia, rather than wider Europe. Here in Belgium, your drink isn't automatically replaced when you finish it. You have to ask for another one. In restaurants, waiters do often ask more questions about your order, like how well done you want your steak, which sauce you want, which side dish, fries or potatoes, that sort of stuff. Depends on the dish, but it's entirely normal.
Yeah, I've never had that happen in any country in Europe that I visited.
It even depends on type of restaurnat/pub/bar. Some here in Czechia do it, some dont. Mostly local pub/bar do it. And about menu and dishes, its same, some restaurants have fixed menu (mostly local ones), bigger ones have you pick what you want.
I don't think Czech is that different, at least compared to the Netherlands where I live now. Some differences stem from the lower income, but besides that it's very similar. I think his examples arent very represantive of the Czech Republic as a whole either, just what he grew up with. As someone who grew up there, I'd be upset if someone tried to force a new drink on me unless we had an "understanding" with the bartender lol. I do however appreciate when they keep an eye and approach when my glass is almost empty, thats something that doesn't always happen in NL and I hate having to wave at people or call them while sitting there dry...
This is the beer culture in the Czech Republic. You'll have to ask for a normal drink again. But unless you say you're just going for a few beers. Then the waiter brings you beer until you stop him.
I'm czech and I have never seen my drink to be replaced. Each time I ahve to ask, as is perfecctly normal. I think I'd reather find it alarming as well. I think it's those very specific beer bars
I'd call Starbucks a coffee-flavoured milk shake. I'm Czech.
Uh, i think i am slow. Is not that what they are and what they sell as? Do not tell me they advertize as coffee?
@@taisdoubt3045 they do actually advertise it as coffee, as good coffee, which is ridiculous
@@B.4.n.3 Haha rly?
Starbucks is known worldwide to be joke , overpriced drinks hardly resembling coffee
Ano, do Starbucksu se chodí na sezónní lattéčka a neříkáme jim kafe.
Tap water is free in restaurants in Norway as well. And while I don't accept rude service, I don't like when the waitress/service keeps bothering us. Hovering around our table. "Everything ok? You want a refill? You want something else?". I'll let you know if I need something! I'm out to enjoy a private conversation with my friends/family, not to have a conversation with the waitress.
Exactly!
-A Finn.
U.K. too in 99% of restaurants
You can get a whole jug for free in France as well
In Brno, Czech rep. (200km from Prague) it is really normal to get free tap water in cafés or bars but maybe not in pubs because when you go to pub you want to drink beer, not water.
In Germany you can get water in the bottle with or without gas.
But not free tap water - they make a lot of the profit from selling beverages - and often beer is cheaper than water.
Service is most of the time nice but not like in the US. More tourist places are a little bit different, but they're not dependent on tipping - you maybe tip 5 to 10%.
Our taxes are different for takeout than sitting down - so that's often cheaper. So there's till much packaging - like pizza boxes, coffee cups,...
I don't know if we're responsible for paper straws - we also sell them in glass or metal. But I simply don't use them - if I eat out there are cafés and beer gardens.
We even have beer gardens without service - you get what you want and sit down - often at smaller places where you can walk or bike to.
The excessive smiling is a cultural thing. In Europe, the more east you travel the more unusual it is to smile at/to people you don't know for no reason. Some consider it to be rude or even something like a possible mental disorder, or suspicious behaviour etc.
True. And we just prefer it this way - in my country there were some experiments in 90s, trying to follow American example, and some stuff was told to be all smiling and asking customers in shops how they can help them, approaching immediately. The result was that people stopped going to those shops xD
I'll take grumpy but honest over smiling and fake any time.
(plus I really appreciate being left alone to do my shopping on my own - if I needed assistance I'd ask)
@@Lola_in_the_Black you are from Germany right? Because I heard that here in Germany beeing the reason Walmart etc don’t operate here
@@ladylucia917 No, from Poland. Close enough and I think similar mentality :D
...so the French smiles more often then us Germans?....probably they do😂
The " thing" next to the loo, is a hygienic bin for used sanitary protection. It's supplied by a specialised company because used sanitary protection should never be flushed away
Coffee, for most Europeans - but not all, is a cultural thing. You sit down, often with friends and have a piece of cake while drinking it and it's served in ceramic. It's sophisticated and it's time well spend. Or you read a newspaper while enjoying your coffee or watching other people passing by or talking about the world. It's not something in plastic that you drink alone while being in a hurry. But times change. You will find more and more Star Bucks and Star Bucks-like shops in Europe now. I guess it's hard to explain.
Coffee can also be that thing at your industry job... The boy's put a kettle on and if you take the last bit you better start brewin' a new batch etc.
But yes I also like to just chill with a good latté or such and relax properly. Preferably at a idyllic café.
Or can be served in a tiny cup and drunk instantly in a single gulp whilst still standing at the bar, like the Italians do. Almost like there is not a single "European coffee culture" and each country has a different approach.
@@Basauri48970 to be fair a standalone shot of espresso is pretty common most places that serve coffee beyond the default Amerikano, latte, cappuccino etc.
In every country I've visited.
@@tysej4 I haven't seen the '1-second micro coffee shot and out of the bar' tradition anywhere else myself. However I agree that a quick expresso on the counter bar is also a common sight in other countries France and Spain, for instance. The difference is that over there it's served in small ceramic cups (as opposed to shot glasses) and that it's a 3 minutes affair, not an instant one.
Then you have traditionally tea drinking European countries, like UK or Ireland, with a newly acquired coffee culture that comes directly from America. This is, industrially sized, so called 'coffee' served in giant disposable cups, with heaps of sugar + added extras in order to hide the abismal quality. Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Costa Coffee, McDonald's etc are prime examples of this.
@@Basauri48970 not every country has a proper coffee culture but you can get proper coffee just about everywhere if you look for it. Whether that's a niche thing or common culture does not stop me from finding good places when I'm out.
Speaking of going out... anybody know a good place in Amsterdam? I'll be visiting in February.
When I'm in the States I feel horribly crowded by false niceness. Whether in a shop or a bar I don't want to be asked how I'm doing or whether I'm happy with the service. If I want help, I will look around and make it clear to the server that I'd like some of their time. It's not that us Europeans are grumpy or unfriendly, it's that we don't crowd each other, respect each other's right to privacy and mostly hate artificially happy service (done just for a tip). Or, why not just keep it real?
Yeah, I can't stand it either. It's probably why I don't have any American friends. I prefer people to be authentic
@@Sebulba2000 You do know that they don't always want a tip right? like when hanging out or just generally not at work lol
@@alexanderkrogh4076 yes, and that's my point, how intrusive they can be. Plus, their fake niceness, I dislike it
It seems it is mainly northern and Eastern Europeans who complain about this. Most of the world such as Africa, Latin America, the Pacific Islands, and most of Asia expect friendly interactions even with strangers, or at least a smile. People aren’t as cold as the European cultures!
@@patrickw123 people are not cold. We just really value our personal space
I honestly felt very uncomfortable by the positive service in USA. I like when people are nice, but they were too much and I felt it was often forced due to tipping.
I am from Poland and we just don't like to smile without a reason, I work in a shop and I am very polite towards people but doesnt mean certainly that I will smile just because I see a customer 😄
YES!! At 12:40, you TOTALLY nailed it on the head! Waiters in Europe aren’t dependent on tips to make ends meet. They are getting a salary that is not lesser bc the goverment thinks it’s okay to give them a less than a minimum wage bc the tips make up for the difference.
Also, depending on the country, tips are either not expected, not required, considered just as a gesture of goodwill, or considered rude. So make sure you find out what the custom is in whatever country you are visiting.
They are welcome in Portugal 😁
They're welcomed but not required in Italy
From my British perspective, if wait staff said; "no rush, here is the bill" I would interpret that as "leave now as fast as possible please".
Similarly in a shop we approach sales people not the other way around - unless you are very deliberately entering a shop which is so expensive that you expect personal service and you are intending on spending a sum of money so large that it won't even be discussed.
I'm portuguese and I feel the same way as you do.
From what I can tell as another british person in the UK the only time shop assistants approach you is if you are standing there looking clearly out of your depth and so confused.
@@jaydebolton6414 I'm Spanish and it's the same way here. And even then if you say "no, thanks I'm only having a look" they'll leave you alone until you ask or give a signal that you want to be helped.
I think it's also because in terms of international culture, american culture has a very low context, whereas most european culture have a high context; that means that an american would need you to tell him exactly the things as they are, whereas europeans (like french, english, spanish , any latin based countries, and some slavic countries for instance) would do things to make you understand something
Portuguese here, and that was exactly my visceral feeling. 😂
I'm a German
And I was a waitress for a long time
First time an American lady I never saw before called me 'darling' and asked me how my day was I was pretty much creeped out
I mean I told her I was fine and asked her how she was
But internally I was like 'who tf are you? Why call me darling?'
Asking how people are when you just want something to eat is weird, too !
The way which makes every German waitress happy:
"Good morning, I want ... Please. "
Or hello or such.
And then a thank you afterwards.
That makes it polite without making it weird and no one has to lie when they do NOT have a nice day.
And it also does not makes the conversation unnecessarily long.
As a fellow German waitress, I confirm this 100%! 👍
I agree and even as an Italian I would have been creeped out when working as a waitress if someone acted like that. Independently from the gender of the person, mind you.
"Hello how are you?"
"all fine. thanks.... you?"
"fine as well, thanks......what can i bring you?"
this is usually how those conversations play out.
@@notyourdamnbusiness8795 wouldn't work here
Germans LOVE to complain
If someone asks than the usual reply, especially if the asked person is a little older, is something like "my back really hurts these days and because of that I can't sleep and am tired. Otherwise fine."
If there is time for chatting I'd ask our regular guests.
And believe me. If work starts at 4:30am if I'd ask the customers I'd get the answer "Tired" a lot.
@@nayriacadera6048 i am german...basically every interaction i have runs like this.
i dont bother service personal with my problems.
"Wie läufts?"
"Es muss."
I once made a horrible cultural mistake and tried to tip in Japan. The waitress was surprised and blushing in embarassment. She hesitated for a while and then explained she can't take the money. 😂
Yeah, you basically told her the place is awful and you want to help them improve with your money. 😂
Yeah, don't ever tip in Japan
In Japan tip is included in the bill.
I tipped once in France in an Italian restaurant and the guy looked at us like we were aliens 👽 (visiting France from Germany). Since then I try to find out what is the norm in the country to try to not offend anybody.
You can tip im Portugal though and it's very appreciated 😁😂😂
I first came across the "endless beers" system in Bremen many years ago. While we were drinking our first, the bartender was already pulling the next round - because the head was so strong that he had to leave it a while to settle before he could fill the glasses. If you didn't want any more beer, you would either turn your empty glass upside down or put a beer mat (coaster) on top of it - and your next beer was sold to someone else. The waiters would mark a coaster with how many beers they had delivered, and use that to draw up the bill at the end - trusting you not to hide the coaster or to fiddle with his marks. It took me (a Brit) a while to get used to it, but I found it a good system.
This is exactly how it works in most of Czech pubs.
Was that during Oktoberfest by any chance?
@@TheSuperappelflap No, not Oktoberfest, just the ordinary, everyday system in my local Bier Keller
In many European countries we like things to be real, meaning that someone you've just met cannot really be so happy to see you. That person is faking it and we don't like it fake. So we don't mind serious, even lethargic waiters because they are real. We simply don't see it as impolite. We also don't smile to them if we don't feel like smiling or we're not regulars there and had already established some kind of relationship with that person. Key word here is: being genuine. And yes, here bartenders are usually working for a salary and tips are just a bonus.
I’m Norwegian and pretty happy go lucky when dealing with customers. I’m just being myself. Wonder how that comes across as such. I don’t smile all the time ofc, I get serious when I have to think or whatever, but when just coming up on a table, I’ll be smiling and welcoming.
Don't visit some tourist trap in Times Square New York that sees thousands of tourists go in and out every day and expect that to be representative, or comparable to the local pub in your hometown.
Very interesting. Here in America, it is rude if you don't at least smile at a stranger in say, the grocery store. If you don't look at the grocery bagger and at least smile at them, it is considered rude. It's showing that you don't care enough about other people to show them some care, even in the form of a smile. In the US interacting with strangers is supposed to have a level of respect and "joy". Not to say all Americans interact this way, for sure not, many are very rude. But when you encounter these people, everyone sees them as rude. At restaurants this is true too. Waiters are expected to be kind, courteous, and respectful. It is seen as a good thing if they are joyful and full of energy to serve you. And we will leave a larger tip for a more caring person. And as a side note, many people in the US are naturally this way, it is not always an "act". The South is an example. many people there are just bubbling with positivity even towards strangers. For many people, they go out of their way to be positive in their interactions with others in public. For many, including myself, behaving in this way is, key word: genuine. I think you don't understand that about us Americans, possibly. So in the end, it just comes down to cultural differences. Even if I'm having a bad day, I will still make sure to smile at the waiter or checkout person, and ask how they're doing. It's not bing NOT genuine if I do that, because I'm still making sure I show them that I care.
yea if people smile all the time it has no meaning . at least we know when someone is actuali happy to see us (or cares enought to pretend)
@@kalashydra9016 LOL Americans (and Asians and Latinos, who also smile "too much") can tell the difference between a polite smile to a stranger, and genuine elation. You have my sympathies if you're unable to do so.
I think a significant difference is that going to a restaurant or bar in Europe is more often a social gathering. And in those cases a waiter constantly harassing you is really annoying and makes your conversation feel excessively imprivate. So waitstaff over here operates on the "Be there when you're needed, be elsewhere when you're not" principle.
Also in Europe we don't talk to strangers like Americans. For me first few days in US I was annoyed by everyone speaking to me when I want to be left alone. Later I understood that it's the way they are and I have to put up with random people asking me where I'm from and then assuming that Poland is province of France
@@floatylog771 NA Education coming in clutch with that Masters in Geography
@@floatylog771 Europeans when humans are friendly instead of sad hermits 🤯
@@_pawzl bothering me and faking smiles isn't friendly, it's fake
@@_pawzl we just don’t give a shit about random chatting with a stranger with nothing interesting to say. Inconceivable, I know.
Hi, a Czech girl here, living in Prague as well as Janek from the video.
-We can customize the menu a little, but you have to ask VERY politely during ordering if its possible ( for example burger without tomatoes) and very often (at smaller local restaurants) you get the answer that they will ask the cheff if its possible but thats basically a "no" :D more touristy restaurants are more flexible usually :)
- with the Tap water - its a hygiene question, a lot of places here really dont have the official permit to sell tap water even when the water is fine, just to charge more :/ but in most brunch and coffee places you have a water available for free
- to the rude service at a restaurant :DD they are grumpy compared to US because they get paid for hours and are not reliable on tips, so they dont give a fuck about you, they are indifferent to how much you tip, you get tips as a bonus after hours and it gets divided between the whole group working that night - because not every server in czech republic can handle money, same as not all can pour a draft beer - you have to have a training for it :D
- in the toilet its a handle to help people with disabilities or older people to get up :)
- the means of transport - thats a tram - mini train, and you power it with electricity like a train, so those things is the connection to the electric line that gives power to the tram for movement
Great vid!
What is Prague like for celiac like me? Would I be able to get anything to eat?
heeya sister hello from slovakia (hehe now watch the americans confused why i just called a random person ''sister'' muhuhahahahaaaa)
@@vickywitton1008 I had to lock up what a celiac is. Seems you are one of the people who have problems with gluten. I have been to Prag and i also just checked online. You will find something to eat its a big city after all but maybe not easiest place in the world for you.
@@vickywitton1008 Most sit-in restaurants have at least one or two items compatible with common food intolerances, maybe except for pizza and burger-only places. Any major city has countless restaurants, so you certainly can find something to eat, but it may not be the first place you find on the street. Most nicer Turkish places will also have a variety Kebab plates, and you can ask for them without pita bread for a delicious gluten-free meal.
What’s so fucking difficult about NOT putting tomatoes on?!?!?
i'm italian, i know italians are considered to be pretty friendly and welcoming (and loud), so it might come off as shocking the fact that even i had found americans to be a tad too much.
i was in a restaurant with my family and the waiter kept walking up to us every 5 minutes asking if we needed anything and even speaking to us in spanish even though we are italian and we told them multiple times that we do not speak spanish.
i get why they did it, i really do, their wage depends on the tip the client leaves so the more polite you are, the better the client is going to tip you, but it just felt so fake? and it can't be healthy in the long run, being that subservient, that is. sometimes a customer is just rude and in the wrong and a waiter should have a right to tell them to piss off without having to fear that they aren't going to get payed. that is absurd!
The average waiter salary in Australia is $55,000 per year or $28.21 per hour. If a restaurant cannot afford to pay their staff a living wage they don't deserve to be in business. I have Never paid a tip because I know the staff get a good wage. I find it absolutely revolting the whole concept of just working for tips. An American tried that BS in New Zealand in the 1990s when I was living there, the staff went on strike, the unions got involved and took that American to court for not paying his staff their money, he lost the case and still refused to pay so the courts seized his assets and sold them to pay his staff their wages. Tipping is wrong as far as I am concerned, it is total BS.
Tipping is not in and of itself wrong in a high end industry.
But the Employer should never have a say over it.. And never should it effect their wage.
On the flipside though technically tips should also be taxed and that's a nightmare.
$28? Bruh i get paid $4.50 here in Greece 😭
@@patsauri4459 There are a huge amount of Greeks living here in Australia, 92,000 were born in Greece and 500,000 identify as Greek Australians. The cost of living is high, but so are wages. I don't know what the migration laws are now, but Australia has been welcoming to those who are prepared to work hard
@@patsauri4459 και απο τους τυχερούς είσαι. Δουλευα και εγω σερβις εκτος Αθήνας με 5 ευρω και με το που μετακομισα λογω σπουδων δεν εχω δει ατομο να δινει πανω απο 3 ευρω
tipping is fine but should never be mandatory. i like to tip for good service or if the waitre/ss is friendly
Imagine to ask, here in Italy, to customize a recipe in a restaurant! 😂😂🤣🤣
🤌🤌🤌
I've been to Italy way many more times that I wanted to, the food is terrible!
@@georgeprout42 De gustibus non sputazzandum! 🙄
@@georgeprout42 Which Italy have you been to?
@@georgeprout42 wtf?
Regards from Finland concerning service. When it comes to tipping, we don't do that, it's mostly considered rude to tip since it's like a gesture towards "your job doesn't pay you enough to survive without tips" and waiters and such here are all neutral. stone faced and rather stiff but they always know the correct things to say especially regarding the food. Also even if you do tip a waiter here, your most common result is the waiter saying 1 of 2 things, "excuse me sir, you forgot your money on the table" and just a smile and polite refusal.
And since I do seem to be ranting I'll add about retail. Cashiers do not bag your groceries, we do not want anyone else bagging them for us, it's unnecessary and holds up the line way more than could be excused. "efficiency over customer's comfort".
Also with the bagging, like for me Im particular and I want the eggs on top but to the point that they are not going to fall over. Or I might put cold stuff together, plus equal weight if I have two bags to fill.
So easier to just do it on your own than get squished food.
Portuguese here. When me and my brother went to the States we didn't know about the tipping. So we stayed over at the Marriot in Washington and we had dinner at 11.30 pm. We paid with card because we didn't have any money on us, and we didn't give a tip. The waitress was so mad at us and we couldn't understand why. Then a guy that came with us from the airport told us that you are expected to always tip in America because salaries are so low and waiters rely almost solely on tips. That was so shocking to us that we immediately felt bad for the waitress. We also didn't want to tip her a few coins out of pity, but man. Anywhere in Europe you aren't expected to tip at all, only if you find the service really good and the waiters really friendly. And even then, maybe you would only tip about 10%, but really people usually just tip anything they want to tip, there isn't an expected amount.
In the Netherlands, if you go to a restaurant, or have a bunch of drinks at a bar you are expected to tip a little bit. Lets say your bill is 57 euro for the evening, you round up to 60. Of course, only if you can afford it.
With younger people, the staff usually dont even ask how much you want to pay, they just bring the portable pin machine over with the number already punched in, so I have to tell them sometimes to round up because I can afford it. If you are older or dress in very expensive clothes, you will be expected to tip more than that.
And I worked a bit in service myself. I can tell you, just getting 2 or 3 euro tax free tip here and there makes the wage a lot better. Some evenings half of the money I made came from those small tips.
If I go on vacation to a country with lower wages than here, which is basically everywhere else in Europe, usually there is also an expectation from the waiters that I will tip a bit more than the locals. Then again, everyone knows the Dutch dont like spending money :)
Dude! I honestly enjoyed and loved your reaction to me blabbering :) Will make another video on this topic soon, as I am just about to go to the US. Thanks again! Ahoj Janek
Nejlepší byla reakce na Týnský chrám , prej že Hrad 🤣
@@Hellmood_CZ To by ho asi kleplo kdyby viděl Pražský Hrad :D
You're everywhere, man. Just popping up in videos that I get to through via routes entirely unrelated to Prague
@@Hellmood_CZ Jedná se o gotickou stavbu, gotika trvala asi do 16. století. Ameriku začali Evropané osidlovat až potom. My jsme tedy v Evropě velmi zvyklí vídat gotické kostely, chrámy atd., ale Američani ne, protože u nich v podstatě neexistují. Naprosto tedy chápu, že mu to přijde jako pohádkový hrad.😁Ale jo, je to takový roztomile vtipný.
Čau
Hello, a native Czech here - replying to your question regarding the super nice, open, friendly, and talkative US waiter/waitress vs. the usually grumpy and rather reserved Czech waiter/waitress:
Short answer: a difference in the two nations' mentalities.
Long answer (warning: REALLY long): I think this is something that can be explained, at least partly, with the use of the sociolinguistic concepts of the so-called "positive politeness culture" and "negative politeness culture". This basically means that different countries across the world have different understandings of what politeness is and what it means to be (im)polite towards other people. "Positive politeness" (in simplified terms) means that when you're addressing another person and want to appear polite, you're trying to make them feel belonging, feel like part of the group, be liked; therefore, if you're conveying positive politeness, you'll employ the type of language - both verbal and non-verbal language (including your facial expressions and body language) - that expresses closeness, friendliness, (even exaggerated) approval and interest, seeks agreement (rather than disagreement), asserts shared common ground, and can include joking. So in a culture in which positive politeness is perceived as the default type of politeness, such as in the US, people, when they want to be polite, they smile, joke, are talkative, engage passionately in small-talk, compliment the addressee, and express interest avidly (cf. the typical American phrase "I love your [everything]"). Appearing grumpy and emotionless in such a culture would be probably considered impolite in most cases.
In contrast, "negative politeness", perceived as the default politeness type in countries such as Czechia, Poland, Germany, Finland, or the UK, means that you as the addressee don't want to be imposed on. You want your actions to be unimpeded by others; you want autonomy, you want independence. You want others to respect your privacy. You want others to leave you alone, just mind their business as you mind yours, and you can accept others addressing you only if they have something really pertinent to say; you are not interested in small talk. Therefore, if you want to convey negative politeness to someone, you employ language - again, not only verbal, but also non-verbal - that expresses deference, maintains the social distance between you and the other person, respects the addressee's privacy, doesn't rely on small-talk or compliments, and often involves indirectness, hedging, and/or formality; it's inherently an "I'm-so-sorry-I-have-to-bother-you-but-please-(...)" approach to interaction. So, while addressing a customer, a Czech waiter/waitress keeps their distance (which is related to the typically rather serious or reserved facial expression), doesn't ask any private or irrelevant questions and instead only asks what is needed for the service because the former could be easily perceived as an undesired encroachment on the customer's privacy and autonomy, and therefore impolite behaviour. Closer, more friendly, and more talkative behaviour is reserved for friends or acquaintances, not for strangers. It may appear "cold" in comparison to positive politeness, but that's just a point of view; it's simply a different conception of politeness than in positive politeness cultures - from the opposite perspective, a person from a negative politeness culture might say that the US-style politeness seems exaggerated, insincere, and overly disruptive to the addressee's personal space and privacy (which, again, is just a certain point of view).
(Please note that this all is of course just a generalisation - as the guy in the video said, times are changing and you can come across a restaurant whose staff's predominant style of addressing customers is that of positive, rather than negative politeness, much like in the US; I personally met such a waiter a few weeks ago and it was very nice. ^^)
Another relevant sociolinguistic (or, in this case, perhaps pragmalinguistic or sociopragmatic) factor involved in the above behaviour of typical waiter/waitresses in Czechia may be the so-called "negativity norm" that I think is prevalent in this country. I've only read a study about this phenomenon in relation to the Polish culture, but it seems to be very much the same case over here in Czechia, also because the Polish and the Czech mentalities have a lot in common. The study was called "I complain, therefore I am: On indirect complaints in Polish" by Andrzej Kurtyka (2019), it's available e. g. on ScienceDirect or ResearchGate. In short: in the Polish (and presumably also Czech) culture, the prevalent mentality norm is that of negativity. One of the main cultural pillars is pessimism, but at the same time also sincerity and straightforwardness of expression of your views and emotions, which is why you don't usually try to mask or hide your pessimism or discontent of any kind; and it is a cultural norm to complain a lot, and about everything, even about trifles (complaining helps to vent your emotions as well as make the world at least seem more understandable and predictable for a while, and it also contributes to building rapport, solidarity, and mutual understanding with other members of the society). However, while in public, the Pole/Czech may appear super cold, grumpy, and reserved, in private - such as with friends - they are usually much more open, friendly, and emotional; therefore, you can make a distinction between a "public Pole/Czech" and a "private Pole/Czech". So, once you get to know your waiter/waitress better, it can indeed be the case that they start to be much friendlier than before 😉❤
Very thorough! You are so right about "positive politeness" vs. "negative politeness".
Polish person here, and I think you're spot on. Of course there's also the added nuance of "positive impoliteness" in countries like Poland which had a few decades of communism where you basically didn't have to try at all. That resulted in a lot of the service sector being actually rude, they feel like the customer is just bothering them. Which is not the same as negative politeness at all :-) Luckily this attitude is now disappearing and is substituted with what I consider a golden mean: people will give you a smile and talk in a friendly way, but without bothering you all the time with their "helpfulness".
nice analysis...I agree
we feel angry, grumpy and unfriendly to americans and americans feel fake, insincere and manipulative to us
One more note for the distinction of these two: in our region, positive politeness culture has its place too...but it's limited to sales people trying to strike a deal with you, not a service providers and in my experience, all scammers will exclusively uses this approach....
that brings stigma to this approach in our region and it may be further reason why we dislike it so much
i think we can also apply this to slovaks, even if they are a little warmer...
Pl here: complaining is our small talk. If you want to get a connection with someone start with saying "oh I hate this..m because.." or talk about some shitty thing that happened to you recently
Building wealth involves developing good habits like regularly putting money away in intervals for solid investments. Financial management is a crucial topic that most tend to shy away from, and ends up haunting them in the near future… I pray that anyone who is reading this will be successful in his or her life!!!
I’m celebrating a $30k stock portfolio today. I started this journey with 6k. I have invested on time and also with the right terms now I have time for my family and the life ahead of me
Wow, really. I was able to make my $25k on investment
@@geralyncainglet2626I’m looking for something I can venture into on a short term basis, I have $15k sitting in my savings
You’re right but a lot of people remain poor due to ignorance
Not because of ignorance, it’s because of the high rate of unprofessionalism in the cypto market
Omg, thanks so much for Honest Guide to be part of your videos. I love their content ;)
German here, this tipping culture in the US has been grinding my gears a lot. For example the bill you could see with about 185$ or so, I would consider paying 200$ in total a great tip. But since it's less than 10% american waiters would probably feel offended. And I've heard customers being confronted by waiters then "sorry, but service is not included". It's so weird that you as a customer are supposed to pay the major part of their wage
I live in Germany for 30 years : Germans are very geizig
American here, I agree, I feel as though waiters and waitresses should just be paid more so we don't have to worry about tipping, however as for right now it's just how it is. Though in a few years I am actually moving to Germany :), there are many reasons, but one of the more minor reasons is that where I live in the U.S., (Florida) it is extremely hot even in the winter. I need cold weather to survive lolololol.
Portuguese here. Here we don't have a big tipping culture. We can always round up the value, some places have tip jars that gets split between workers, but mostly it is the owners of the restaurant the ones in charge of paying their workers. But it is a fact that foreign costumers will almost certainly leave a tip that we'll look at as really generous.
French here, and we're not used to tip a lot either. Maybe my generation (30 and younger) more, thanks to the internet? But my mom is 55 and she'd usually just leave a 2€ tip, because tipping is OPTIONAL and means you appreciated the service, not a key part to the employee's paycheck. My sister and I, however, lean more towards 5-10€ I'd say, our bills rarely exceeding 100€.
I don't feel too bad about my tips because I know waiters don't depend on it to live. It's a nice bonus, but they don't technically need it.
@@Capyrate French here too, and I only tip when I really enjoyed the service. Unless (if it's normal customer service) I often don't tip. It maybe because I'm a student and I don't have a lot of money but still, I rarely tip.
In Germany I think it's considered annoying or rude when you want to change many things about the meal you order. Some restaurants are super polite and they will costumize it but in some they won't so whenever you want to change something (like no onions please or no cheese or whatever), we feel very self-conscious about it bc the thought of annoying the waiter or the chef makes us uncomfortable.
Same in Belgium. I have a milk-intolerance and I always feel very uncomfortable to ask, e.g., not to put cheese on the pasta. Most of the time, I just ask what I can eat that has not milk in it. Asking to customize a dish for no "real" reason (dietary or religious) is considered as selfish and rude.
@@veroniquejeangille8248 yes very true. I am vegan and I mostly go to vegan restaurants because going through that process of asking them makes me often uncomfortable. Greetings to Belgium 🥰
true that lol. My personal rule of thumb is I tip anyway unless the service is actually bad and when I want to change something in my meal I tip more than I would usually and thank them again for it.
I actually sometimes work in a restaurant. It is pretty normal to have your meal customized.
The funniest customization I got, was: Do you have fried noodles? Yes. Oh I will take fried noodles, but please can you replace the noodles with rice.
(We also had fried rice on our menue ;) )
@@LisaMaierLiest Haha thank you :) That puts me at ease a little bit. And the noodle/rice story is funny ^^
In Spain tap water is free everywhere, is obligatory to serve free tap water in bars and restaurants, but also in other places like cafes or almost any shop that sells some kind of food or drink. And it can come from the normal tap, a tap especially for drinking water that is potable or a water bottle that is for serving water (mostly for cold water, but also for room temperature water)
Same thing in the UK. Probably across a number of other eu countries I'd expect?
@@bionicgeekgrrl correct, they usually try to sell you the bottled one (or at least ask bottled?), but just tap should never get you a 'we don't do that' unless the reason is it's not safe for consumption
as someone who works service: It's less that we're not polite, we just don't act like we're best friends and thank you for gracing us with your presence. it's a job. My job is to serve food, or drinks, depending on the place - not to act like i'm with royalty. We're professional,and genuine, and depending on the situation we can very well do smalltalk and open up. But because it develops in this way, not because we have to. And yes tips are nice. But again, we don't sell our soul for this. I had people who tip 2-5€ and think they own me or i'll be their best friends. I'm not. I'm working.They're customers. My bosses customers, mainly. In a bar it's actually straight forward - you get better service if you tip. So more or less its the other way around.
European here (Spanish to be precise). The coffee thing is one of those things that makes me mad in the US. People in the States add 20 different vanillas, caramel flavours, cinamon and more stuff to their coffee and they call that "a morning coffee".
With all due respect... If you have to add all those things to enjoy your coffee, maybe you don't like coffee. Maybe you just like that sort of coffee drink, but not real coffee.
to something they call 'morning coffee'?
huh, starbucks sell normal coffee in europe no?
@@JeroenJA They actually sell more normal coffee and their european variations than drinks with coffee.
It's because their coffee is aguachirri.😂😂😂
It's random crap with a bit of coffee added.
@@QoraxAudio agree
Its not the size of the coffee, its the taste. These small cups of coffee are called Espresso in Germany. Normal Coffee is not as strong and served in bigger cups here in Germany. Never in plastic cups. In southern countries this is a typical coffee. Strong and tastefull.
a "normal" coffee in Slovakia would be a lungo- just put a bit more hot water in the espresso. I live in Japan and they don`t know it here, so when they have espresso on the menu (which isn`t often) I would ask them to bring me some hot water separately.
@@momosaku16 In Belgium, the norm is also the "lungo". But espresso has become very common too.
We all know that in Europe Italy makes the best coffee (hence all of the coffee terms being in italian), but I'm really glad that the standard of coffe is becoming higher in all of Europe!
@@frafrafrafrafra Ehh... Best? I mean they make good coffee but other countries such as france have some very good blends and offerings.
Personally I'm always caught between a Cappuchino (Italian) and Brevé (American/Italian)...
Actually nevermind it's all Italy.. Even the Brevé was Italians in the US. xD
@@tysej4 I've had coffee in France multiple times, it sucks to be honest. In Italy there is a massive culture around coffee and italian torrefazione is the best. Outside of Italy only South America makes amazing coffee.
24:17 That, sir, is a garbage bin. For tampons and pads. Instead of flushing them, which is an enviromental problem, since they clog the sewer system and the purifiers at the end of it, they get thrown to the trash.
A big difference I’ve noticed is student associations in Europe (specifically the Netherlands) here they are often about party and drinking. Sometimes they have special evenings where the beer is free or only 25 cents and people often just go to simply get wasted. When I told this an American they were very shocked and said that’s illigal here because you’re not even allowed to drink alcohol at the age you go to college and rarely have events like that. I as a European can’t even imagine how boring college must be for an American when the opportunities to have fun and meet new people are so much slimmer.
My grandmother from the UK would visit us every other year for the summer, in New Jersey. Every time we went to dinner she was SHOCKED at how rude the servers were. They talked to us as if they knew us. They 'interrupted' our dinner conversation to see how the food was or ask if we needed anything. They should stay quietly at the side until they were needed! And they spoke so LOUDLY! Everything we thought of as 'friendly' and 'relaxed' she thought was extremely rude. It's different depending on the culture...
I'd consider asking the waiter to tone it down a little (& tell them not to worry about the tip)... Like jikes, being asked all the time sounds tiring 😅
That's how I felt when I lived in the US. Just let me enjoy my meal, I will catch your eye if I need you. I understand why waiters are like this, they need you to tip well to make a living, but it is just jarring for those who are used to a more discreet and non-intrusive style of service.
@@markjacobs1086 Normally, a waiter will serve the meal and return after a few minutes to make sure everything is to the customers standards. For example, is the steak cooked to your specifications, etc. Then you won't see them for a while unless your glass is empty and you need another drink. I remember being in Europe and having my plate of food plopped on the table and I didn't see the waiter again until the meal was over. I was not happy because I was trying to signal the waiter for service and was just ignored.
@@braemtes23 I'm european and i experienced this a lot too. The standard is that a waiter goes into the room and looks around, you make eye contact, say "excuse me" or maybe raise your hand - they come and you can order further drinks, liquor or whatever. In reality the reataurant often hasn't enough waiters so they don't have the time or seem to ignore you and you have to wait for ages until you get another drink. I'd love the middle ground between european and american service: Friendly staff who is looking after you once in a while so you have the possibility to order drinks or ask for something but without interrupting your meal or conversation every time or pretending to be your friend.
Ok thats very british but, i like it. its a Form of Service i like mire than get asked a lot.
American here, now living in Germany. I remember the first time my husband ( german ) and I visited my family in the states. People asking him "How are you?" disturbed him. Food proportions disturbed him. The beer, I could tell, killed bits and pieces of his soul. But the tipping was what sent him over the edge. He rounded up, which caused the lady who waited on us to develop a sudden attitude. Let´s just say that was an interesting moment. Lol. Also, the many churches gave him the creeps. 15 years later: Husband is still complaining.
as a Croatian, i can totally understand him.
I feel for that husband... I understand him fully. As a dutch guy.. Also... what is it wit that many churches? it is kinda creepy.
This might sound harsh and selfish but I totally don’t understand tipping culture in the USA. I know this might sound harsh but it’s not my responsibility whether waiter is getting paid enough or not, that’s up to their employer. Why should I be obliged to tip a waiter like 20% eventhough I just paid for the food and services? And if I go there more of then I will receive crappy attitude just because I didn’t tip for their mediocre food and service? I’m from Europe and I tip when food and service is really good. I often round up if I pay by cash but why should I give extra 5 dollars in some average highway restaurant just because I have to eat and just paid for overpriced food on top of that? So yeah I understand your husband for sure.
@@thecevi9179 It isnt harsh. It is what most europeans thing about US tipping culture.
Adam ruins everything from tru TV has a good video about it. How it came to be ect.. It is rally abhorent.
Just... ad the wages to the price of the food. Simple. If it is too expensive. Then the restaurant has a problem. Not the customer.
@@TheSegert So do I. Lol. TBH, I don´t know why american´s over-do it with their churches. Never questioned it until my husband pointed it out. "There´s a church? Oh, there´s another church. And another one. Did you just see that church? Do you realize we just passed 6 churches on the same street?!" The same happened with Fast food chains. It did put a lot into perspective for me. I was glad we got back to Germany.
As a local swiss teen we go to the local restaurant after training and we usually round to the next full franc or if close to the next 5 francs smth like that as a tip and if everyone does that, after 2, 3 or 4 beers and some food for all of us that comes up to a goot tip for one table so thats what im used to
I currently live in Canada but I was born in Portugal. Tipping was a huge thing to get used to because in Portugal you just don't tip at all. In Portugal, minimum wage is applied, by law, to any working person, regardless of what industry you work in.
"There's gotta be some naturaly happy people in Europe." - Yes, but we are pretending that we are not because we do not want anyone to get any terrible ideas like... moving here. :D
Also, if the bartender smiles at you as you walk in and he remembers your name, it means you are local in that pub, almost part of the family, and that's a huuuuge achievement.
I agree!!! Europe for europeans
Yeah we pretend to be sad so we don't look American
Much nicer where you are part of the family the moment you walk in the door. Who wants to enter a pub/bar and feel like you're not welcome?
@@tobystevens3109 It is not a sign that you are not welcome...
On Top of that its the same in Poland. Try living between Germany and Russia and smilling to them->they gonna instantly want to fk you and not in the pleasant way.
Generaly in that pub/bar you can be yourself you do not need topretend you are funy if you are not but also you can smile and no-one will be thinking that its just a mask.
@@tobystevens3109 Well, you have to deserve that first and be a customer that pub owner will sincerely be happy to see here. We don't smile without a reason. Only sociopaths do that. :D
in europe, we do not smile like a fool about cheese to strangers. it is suspicious.
What about smiling just because?
@@alexandraalbertz1442 Why would you smile just because? Only ppl smiling "just because" would be people on drugs :D
@@jakubblaha4904 and also me. I am not on drugs and I like to smile. To the world, to myself and to others. Is a beautiful thing
@@alexandraalbertz1442 No, it's not, smiling for no reason it's just you having a habit... it's not beautiful, it's not normal...normal is to act normal, not have just a smiling "default" face.
@@xvoidgamer i prefer that default than others. Is a choice
The facial expressions from both the Czech guy in the video and Ryan definitely carried this clip for me 😅
About coffee culture to be precise i would say that that coffee cups are for espresso or small strong drinks, but Latte or something like that more likely to be served in a glass, because it has larger capacity
The point about water isn't true across Europe. In some countries (eg France, UK etc) it's a legal requirement to provide tap water free if requested. They might try to sell you bottled water on the menu but it's common to ask for tap water and it's certainly not a problem.
They can charge you a glass hire fee, at least in the UK
Used to be bar staff, my management saw the value of not charging a hire fee. Customers are very happy to come back as they see it as you've been nice to them and given them drinks for free, we were very popular with people with non-drinkers, designated drivers and the health conscious
@@BabyWil88 I'm in the UK, always ask for tap water and never has anyone tried to charge for a glass hire !!!??? That would be the last time I would ever go there again... Who tries that?
@@stewedfishproductions7959 Normally it tends to be the places that are expensive and supposedly "posh", apart from that nearly nowhere charges. Like I said, most places see the value of not charging for glass hire (i.e. customers returning because they trust they won't get ripped off and therefore bringing in money rather than being charged and not returning etc)
Absolutely - if alcohol is served then there's a legal requirement to provide water if requested - free. Also legal requirement is to display the full cost of goods. In fact it's a criminal offence not to . Pretty sure this applies to all of the EU as well.
the water issue is quite czech specific, beer is always cheaper than water in the pubs here. There are some pros and cons to this historical weirdness :)
I'm from Spain and Starbucks is considered more like a soda or refreshment, even when it's hot. I think it has to do with the ridiculous amount of sugar in most of the drinks
I once went to Starbucks because a friend wanted to go and I was so overwhelmed by the flavor and spices joices that I just went for a cappuccino. And it wasn't even every good but expensive as hell.
It isn't very good, for sure, Too much sugar and stuff, it doesn't taste like coffe.
Starbucks coffee is like average at best. For the price of your kidney.
As a romanian living in Spain,i only say this: ,,dejate de tonterias y ponme un cafe con leche como Dios manda'' hahaha
@@draculakickyourass y con esa expresión, caballero o señora mío/a, se ha ganado la ciudadanía honoraria si no la tenía ya de antes
OMG Im Czech living in Prague and I love the Honest guide guys... great to see you reacting to them 😀
In the UK, things like drink selections in pubs are much greater than what he describes in the Czech Republic. You can typically choose from various lagers, beers, ciders and various other things like real ale or bitter etc. Plus of course lots of spirits options. Where choice is perhaps limited is soft drinks, typically water, lemonade (-British lemonade is different from American), cola, and others as well as various fruit drinks.
One other thing, all restaurants and pubs have to offer tap water. It is free, but they will typically prefer serve bottle water if you are not having anything else. Quite common to get a jub of cold water in restaurants when in a group.
I don't think it's happiness Vs grumpiness, there's just less pressure for bar staff to be overly FRIENDLY. Good service in Europe is considered quick and efficient, rather than happy and what could be considered 'fake'.
they think we are grumpy, but that's just us being happy in our own way. it only LOOKS grumpy to them. everything has more than one perspective.
Just as a small correction, as an American, it's not being "fake" most of the time, thats just how we do things. Showing a bit of care for even strangers is just the norm. And often, waiters and strangers are GENUINELY caring for you, it's not necessarily fake. It's just different from European cultures. And if you don't want the interaction to be long, literally it just goes like this: "Hi, how're you today?", "I'm doing fine, how're you?" "What can I get you today/" and done. it's not fake, it's just how we do things. And often, it is the happy bubbly people who get hired at these kinds of jobs, because they are seen as polite and caring. I think people are calling it rude, because they are picturing their European waiters who are not that caring, as putting on an act. No, often it is happy people that are serving you, and if they are rude, they don't make good tips, they aren't hired, or they are fired.
@@braedynhoward3644 What really freaked me out in the US is the forced smile, and callings like "honey", it's just too much. While I usually enjoy conversing with the waiters, or asking for their opinion on a dish, over friendliness is uneasing. It's not that we don't appreciate kindness, it's just that we can't put it as geniune, and when their salary is our tip, that's understandable.
@@themissakura599 Seriously... Last time I went to NYC, the restaurant host asked me where I wanted to sit, and afterwards said "Good choice!" and slapped me on the back (I'm not making this up) - I found it very startling to say the least!
To be fair, people in Europe are generally much more reserved and private and we not only don't expect to be engaged like this by strangers but most people would actually find that uncomfortable. Besides, a grumpy old barkeep is something of a national folk-character so in a funny way we like it this way.
Lmao Yeah
Wish it was that way in America
I HATE SMALL TALK just get to chase with me, coming from a German-American (American with German ancestry)
@@lordryan_rblx4576 Must be difficult to endure it man, good luck!
@@laputaindepestenoire9492 tell me about it lmao
@@lordryan_rblx4576 You mean you go to a bar to sit in the corner and get drunk alone? So sad.
My first impressions of coming to the US (Florida) from Europe as a 11 year old was that everything was concrete everywhere, everyone had carpets covering all the floors and everything in the supermarkets was really big. Oh and palm trees, I was hyped on those. That and a lot of driving to get virtually anywhere.
Spanish person here!
I live in southern Spain and there's some differences with the video too, tap water is free here, you can choose bottle beer if you want and we are suuuuuper sweet with all, is so common being called "corazón" (heart) or "cariño" (honey... Kinda) by the bartender
Any Amercian coffee I ever had was... not coffee imo. Even black. It almost tastes like someone reused the grounds. Also traditionally in Europe you don't drink coffee to-go. Good coffee is expensive. It's only right to serve it in a nice cup - and to enjoy it by taking your time. Also if possible you will not drink coffee by yourself. In Germany the coffee in the afternoon is a time to have a small chat with your colleagues or to sit down with your family and/or friends. The social component goes so far that they came up with caffe sospeso in Naples. Says it all, I think. (edit: typo)
Coffee afer a meal in the UK is the same. Small proper coffee cups.
In Greece we sit at coffee shops at least for 2 hours with our friends and coffee is of very high quality. Americans have no idea what a proper coffee is, Starbucks is overpriced mudwater.
In Finland ordering coffee gets you a strong black coffee. You can get optional milk or cream to mellow it down.
In some places you can also choose small/medium/large cup for it. But the large isn't a bucket like in US...
If you want espresso or cappuccino you have to specify them by name.
We have to-go cups here, but more commonly people sit down by a table and grab a bite and relax for a bit.
It depends on where you are in the U.S. In the Pacific Northwest, coffee is taken very seriously and it is top quality.
the reason why coffee is to go here is because most Americans have to wake up super early, and on their way to work they grab a coffee to help them wake up. when i worked, i had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning as i was a main opener at the store i worked at. across the street from my job was a dunkin donuts so i would pop in there, pay for a coffee and something to eat so i could drink and eat while i worked
As an American who moved to Czech when I was 11, I also noticed that people are generally more grumpy. After understanding the culture a little more, I understood people don’t fake how they’re feeling and don’t waste energy trying to act joyous all the time. People mind their own business and don’t get involved unless it’s to be polite (eg. give a seat for an old person, help a person get the stroller off the tram, and other normal human desceny).
Furthermore, beer on tap is usually 42-65 kc, but if you get it from a supermarket you can get it for 9-25 kc (24kc ≈ $1) which is literally cheaper than water sometimes.
Another thing that really surprised me is ketchup and other dips not being free, especially in fast food, and only KFC and Burger King allows for refills.
We mind our own business but also pay attention to others. So if you need help with stroller, in most cases you don't even need to ask, somebody (usually young man, around 20) will help you and very often say nothing, except "wanna help?" and then will disappear. Similar thing is with the beer. Usually when you are about to finish, waiter will look at you and you just nod and new beer will be there just when you will put down the empty glass, but if shake head, new beer will not appear. But talking? No, that is not our thing.
@@simonspacek3670 😎
And even that is pretty expensive, in small towns is beer like 30 czk
KFC allows a refill? In Russia only Burger King allows it lol
@simonspacek3670 Pravda. For you English speakers True.
A big difference is that in Europe waiters have a union salary, which is quite good. And it is included in the price of the food. My impression is that in the USA the waiters do not get more than an absolute minimum, and the rest depends on tip.
2140 What I think he is saying is that in Europe (and also in Latin America) coffee is stronger (concentrated/thicker) while in the USA it is watered down, hence the reason you serve coffee in a small cup in Europe/Latam whereas you get a HUGE cup in the USA.
PostScript.... same goes for beer.
The "castle" as you described it is pretty much any church in bigger cities 😂 At least from what I've seen😁 I'm from Austria 🇦🇹
Yup but it was like in 16 - 18 century and america was not even know outside america.
And this one was a church too.
in germany we have such big churches even in smaller villages.
in my village we have a round about 600 year old gothic style church which is as big as our castle which is located right beside it. and we only have a population of 2000 people with all even smaller villages arround. and even those villages sometimes have a big old church.
@@deformiertergolfball4847 In my home village (12 000 ppl) we've got a church which was first built by the Romans about 2000 years ago and then remodeled around 700 years ago to be a Basilika.
@@LlartyVoz yh, the date i acknowledged also is just the first date which she was written down to be repaired. no one knows the 100% history about it. but still, its a beautifull old building. but thats what i mean actually, germany has tons of those churches or other old buildings in most likley every corner. and even if there are only 7 people living in a village, there might be something very old hidden there.
Most toilet stall doors in Europe have a visual indicator whether it is in use as well. Usually when you turn the lock on the inside of the stall, there's a small sign that shows up that's either color coded red or green to indicate if it's open or closed, or it litterally has the text open or closed.
i think he was asking about the trash bin sitting at the right of the toilet x'd but maybe i'm wrong who knows...
@@lolHyperactive This was a comment on how they peak through the crack of the door to see if someones in there, not the one about whats on the right of the toilet.
@@lolHyperactive Why would you think that is what he was talking about?
#engaged 😂
That's the same here in Australia. Thank goodness!
I feel like the niceness bordering on assault by American waiting staff is still underplayed.
When I was there A waitress pinched me in the arm and told me „I like your skin a lot“ that seemed so creepy! Also telling you their names, kinda weird, because you don’t say yours back so you just sit there like you have a maid who you can Adresse by her first name but she can’t
Please note that this actually about cultural differences between US and Czechia (Czech Republic), not the whole of Europe! ;) As many European countries differ markedly from this, esp. on beer prices (and especially mine, Finland) ;) Although, tipping is the same - we simply do not tip in Finland, it's just not the custom.
The box standing next to the toilet is a bin for sanitary products. (Pads, tampons)
A general cheerful or happy person being friendly is fine, its not what most of us are complaining about when we talk about "too happy". What we're complaining about is forced, big smiles, forced conversation and forced 'customer service' friendliness. Its unsettling, disingenuous and feels invasive. It makes us nervous. We can tell the difference. No-one should have to fake themselves to that extreme. Everyone is entitled to have bad day or be a generally reserved person.
That put me on the deffensive mood.
I check my wallet and go.
So I was born and raised in Australia but moved to America 6 years ago. Story time. Last year my dad died (he was still in Australia) it was 3 days till his funeral. I already took the next 4 days off to go to his funeral. I ended up not having enough money to go. Then a coworker asked if I could cover their shift. I was so happy, and jumped on it because I thought need one more sift to pay for my ticket. Last table of my sift, and even if they gave me a $3 tip on at $75 something dollar bill I could by my ticket. When I picked up the bill on the tip line it just said try smiling. No tip for waiting on a table for an hour. Just because I didn't smile. I know smiling is an important part of the job. I was graving my father, who I didn't get to see in his last days because I didn't have the money. And all I needed to go to his funeral was one table to tip me less then 5%.
About the Straws: Yes the paper straws is probably coming to many places because of the EU and i also dont like them to much. BUT in many places here in Germany, like cafes, they now have Straws made out of metal or glass that they clean and re-use. I love the combination metal straw that is also a spoon but that one is rare. So please note, its also the fault of the business owners if the waiter gives you paper straws.
How many people actually use straws at home???
@@johnp139 When I was a kid in the 90s my mom had some colored hard plastic straws that were reusable and put those in drinks for us. They lasted until we were old enough that we didnt want straws anymore. Probably less environmental damage than single use paper straws for close to 10 years.
Here in Poland there was a bistro run by an American couple that I knew (one of them was American of Polish descent) and while being able to have a chat with the bar staff if I was on my own was great, the table service was just... argh no. The servers were Polish but they were clearly trained by the owners to provide "American" service, which was coming over every 5 minutes to ask if we're okay. Here I am, in the middle of an intimate conversation with a friend, and I'm forced to stop mid-sentence all the time just so I can reassure a stranger that yes, I'm fine.
Same with shopping: I appreciate the staff smiling and noticing me when I enter and letting me know they are there if needed - but I do NOT want to be followed and asked if I need help all the time, it always makes me leave without buying anything because it feels like they're pressuring me.
As for free tap water: it's becoming a standard in Warsaw and maybe some other bigger cities, but apart from that people might stare strangely haha.
your omment on shopping just reminded me of this scene, can't help it... th-cam.com/video/FjwvovxFII4/w-d-xo.html
:D :D :D
I can imagine that :D
Fake Polish US service "Do you need anything else?"
Customer´s brain: "KURWA SPIERDALAJ" :D :D :D
Actually out loud: "Nie"
@@GTrivia mniej więcej! 😀
Oh, that free water getting more and more normal is definitely a good thing. Though I've been in Warsaw two times this Summer and I live near Katowice and I've never seen it in any restaurant.
@@olekzajac5948 sometimes it just stands there and sometimes you can just ask for it and they say "of course" 🙂
For me (I'm from Germany) it's very rude to say that someone is from the middle class or higher or lower. You simply don't say that to anyone and never.In America, it's normal to hear that on TV, which is terrible!
It's all based on money, over there.
That's more like a thing that Germany stands apart from the rest of Europe.
I'm from Belgium and here that's okay to use as a reference of someone's financial well-being. However it speaks for itself that you use the necessary caution not to be rude or use "lower/working class" in a derogatory way.
In the Netherlands we usually only talk about class in general/group terms, it's rude to say about an individual. You might say you grew up in a middle class/richer/poorer neighborhood. You might also say a person is 'rich' or 'poor', but that's usually by your own standards or compared to their peers, not a class thing.
Similar in Sweden. It's rude to boast, but even more rude to gloat.
20:18 It would be so amazing to see Ryan and Janek doing a collab video in Prague! 😍😂🥹
24:41 The thing on top is called a Pantograph. It‘s there to get the electricity from the power line above into the tram and make it move. This system is also used to power almost every train across Europe. In some cities a similar system is also used for busses. Those are called trolley busses.
In US it is normal to be friendly to people that you do not know. In Czechia if someone is this friendly (over friendly) to you, it means he wants something from you (usually money). So, people are distrustfull of this kind of behavior. And the ussual normal grumpy uncle behind the bar is preffered. And also, Czech don’t want to talk too much to foreigners if they don’t know them.
In Spain everyone is quite friendly to be honest. They don't even need to put on a fake smile. Sometimes even they forget what they're doing because they ended Up in a great conversation with a random asa customer
Here in Portugal 🇵🇹 is the same thing , in the northern cities we are more friendly than the south
@Lobo Cruzado here in Portugal we do the same , also we are very direct people , when we don't like the person we say that in front of the person instead of talking bad abt the person behind
Thing is in the US they usually want something from you, too.
Here in Italy what we mean for "coffee" is what you call an "espresso". I work at a restaurant as a waitress and when I serve american customers I always have to warn them that if they ask for a coffee here, they'll just get that tiny little cup. In fact, here in Italy, saying "one espresso" or "one coffee" is basically the same thing.
I watched a add in the US
Icecream
Gelato
As diferent things.
Of course gelato was more expensive
Same in Portugal.
The american costumers at the place my mom worked at constantly sent the coffee back or looked like they were drinking liquid cocaine lmao.
As I overheard one Canadian say in Italy: "Italian coffee: You don't *drink* it, you *take* it."
Edit: Corrected, I first mis-remembered it.
@@tohaason and that is the literal translation in Italian. ;)
@@tohaason lol but also in Italy you don't "take" a shower, but "make" a shower.
Hello Ryan, the "thing" on top of the tram is called a "pantograph" and is used to take the electric current from the overhead cable (the trams run on electricity, not gas).
Overall the american "Coffee" often aren't even allowed to be call "Coffee" in some european countries, it'd be called something like "Coffee drink" / " Coffee slush" / "Coffee mix".
Because it contains too little ammount of coffee and too much suger and other ingredients often.
Example up in Sweden, Finland, Netherlands we consume about 3,5 times as much coffee beans as USA per capita, BUT we drink only HALF as much "coffee" liquid.
Basically usa drinks water with some drops of coffee in it that makes it murky and brownish, + lots of suger or cream, it's not like we don't drink coffee with milk or cream or sugar in europe, but it's typically not that much.
I live in Prague and maybe it's simply because I'm used to it, but I'm glad the waiters aren't friendly or chatty, I don't see it as rude at all. I'd be caught off guard if they asked me how I am. Please don't hoist unexpected social interactions at me, let's both just play the parts we're expected to play :D
😂😂😂😂😂 It's because your country is very poor and broken by years of communism, so professionalism doesn't exist. Sorry 😂😂😂😂😂
"How are you?" Is just a way of saying hi. Every country has a greeting phrase that isn't an actual question
@@aidanaldrich7795 If you ask a Czech "How are you?" we'll mostly likely take it as an actual question, not a "hi", so really please don't :D Want to say "hi"? Say "hi" ;)
@@Potkanka Do you not have a greeting phrase there that is a question you don't actually answer? Like Que Pasa in Spanish or Tu de bang in Portuguese?
@@aidanaldrich7795 Not really, I can't think of anything. I asked my sisters and they didn't know either, one even said something like "just say hi if you want to say hi" :D
About the tap water question (as a french person)
They are not allowed to sell tap water specifically because it's free. Additionally, not only can you ask for free tap water at any time, restaurants must give you a bottle of tap water with your meal and most centers (like museums, cinemas etc...) must all have readily available tap water fountains to drink from.
In France, tap water is such a common commodity that it's basically seen as abuse of business to sell it
YESSSSS (french here) and during my 'college' (12-15ans) there was a quick(fast food) in front of my school, and i usually got there to get free water and free wifi lmao, and sometimes i bought something to eat, it was fun.
Here from Croatia, as far as i'm aware most restaurants/cafe's give you tap water if you just ask for it (unless it comes hand in hand with something, for example coffee- then you don't even need to ask for it unless you want more) and it's always free-
Surprised not all of Europe does this, i have to stand on USA's side on this one🤷♀️
The tap water issue seems like a Czech issue and not shared by the rest of Europe as I am also used to free tap water everywhere.
@@znail4675 agreed - in UK most restaurants have free tap water - usually a jug or bottle on the side to help yourself
@@znail4675 Well apparently, you do have to pay for water in Italy. A few years ago, just after graduating from lycée (French high school), I went on holiday in Milan with my best friend. We didn't have much money, so at the restaurant, we just ordered a pizza each and "some water", as it was very very hot. Eventually, the bill was much higher than expected, and almost half of the price was for water, since we asked several times for it. Very frustrating and unexpected 😅
Only one beer? That is so odd. I am german, also I have been to prague and don't remember that either...
The beer thing is true though, but they don't pour a beer and just bring it out, they usually check in with you. They only start pouring another beer if you sit at the bar and you look like you want another one, and they usually quicly ask "another?" at the end of your current one.
The water at the table one is weird, too. I can't confirm taht either. You don't get water just like that on the table like the us, so mcuh is true, but if you ask for tap water they can't refuse it. In fact, I don't think they're even allowed to refuse it.
Honest guide!!!! Great guys!
Just a small difference (uk atleast). Pubs are a different kind of thing to a bar. Here, pubs are like the central hub of the community, on your lunch break at work, on sunny days, holidays, to see friends friends and family, interact with the community, to celebrate or go if your feeling down. People often joke that what a church means in the US, pubs are central to our culture in a similar way. It’s like a pillar of the community, super important. We say we go to THE pub rather than let’s go to A pub which is a good example of the difference between them and bars.
Yes. And rather than tip the bar tender, we say something like' Have one yourself' when ordering, and they will take a couple of pounds from your change. But usually only done if you've been there for a long session.
@@judithrowe8065 we do the same here in Italy, I didn't know it was also a British thing
@@frafrafrafrafra It probably came from there tbh, their pub culture is way older than ours
@@demoniack81 and they just stole it from the irish ;)
@@tommerker8063 I mean...what British people DIDN'T steal? :D
As an Italian, I find the part about coffee very funny, because the first thing we do when we come back in Italy from abroad -- literally the first thing when we arrive in any Italian location -- is order an espresso. Coffee abroad, even in other European countries, is always too watery, except for some unique Italian bars.
Woah, really? I mean I’m from Menorca and lived in Barcelona for a long time, and I also visited Italy. I didn’t find it so different 🤔
Of course some places here have better coffee than others, but they’re fairly easy to spot. Just take a look at the coffee machine, the brand of coffee and you basically can already tell…
Although I have to admit, the best coffee I ever had was from my mum’s Italian coffee maker, the one you put on the stove (I don’t know the English name for those😅). Simply amazing!
I've lived in Italy and Denmark, and I prefer coffee in Denmark. The quality of the coffee in the Italian "bar", is very mediocre and decent at best. But maybe I just order the wrong kind of coffee
@alex Alex a cortado is with a splash of milk in spain though, an espresso is simply a "black coffee" (café negro). As far as I know, I could be wrong!
@alex Alex ho acabo de buscar ràpidament i es diu “cortado” per la forma en que la llet “corta” (talla) l’intensitat de l’espresso, disminuint l’acidesa però mantinguent el sabor del cafè. Normalment es 1:1 llet:espresso.
(Segons google, ja que jo mai n’he pres de cortado) 🤔
Un cafè negre és un espresso aquí, un cafè llarg es un espresso amb més quantitat.
Un cafè amb llet porta més llet que cafè, i la tassa és més gran.
(I didn’t know that about cortados, the more you know! 😅)
When we were in London we spent an absurd amount of money to get a real espresso, we found it in Sant Pancras Station, there was an talian boy working in a bar that hearing us talk answered in Italian, he understood perfectly well how we wanted our coffee😁that was amazing.
In the Netherlands, you usually don’t tip. If you really want to, you can, but most of the time you don’t tip. And it’s also not considered rude to not tip, as it’s more like a reward for a really good waiter/waitress.
As a Czech person myself, Prague is in itself very much culturally different, for example the tipping is the way he explained that his father did it, also the beer is more like 1-2$ in the rest of the country
In Sweden we usually don't tip. Every body is getting a good salary here. But I have never experienced bad service because of no tipping here.
And if we tip it's usually in bars and then it's often made with some humour :-) Like a plastic mug standing on the counter with a note that might say "Because Darth Vader has asthma". Otherwise they can have a bucket standing and you can try to throw coins in it. You can also include tip when you pay with card.
Tips don't increase customer service. Their impact mostly decreases the quality of service, increases abusive behaviour by the patrons and kind of hurts everyone involved... except the owner of the establishment. It never had anything to do with the quality of service.
Ironically, it was an _European_ "custom" originally - back in the day where the people working in a pub weren't paid a wage at all. They were usually employed by taking care of most of their living expenses, usually as part of some apprenticeship (not necessarily in a pub, mind). If you didn't have a place to live, working in a pub was a pretty common thing to do. In contrast, in the US tipping was seen as extremely rude and un-American - restaurant service was a _professional_ job, they were paid a wage, how _dare_ you bribe them with your stinky money to attempt to get preferential treatment? It also always had some pretty strong racist and anti-poor undertones.
Same 🇨🇭
In Sweden (where I live), emotional outbursts are considered childish behavior. Mature behavior is to show restraint, which also involves neutral facial expression while in public (think catwalk ;) ).
A waiter that is smiling at customers can be considered to be smarmy - and not courteous. It quickly backfires. That behavior is seen like the behavior of a car-salesman. A smiling stranger can be seen as a creep or even insane. Not-smiling doesn't mean that you are grumpy or not-courteous - we just judge that behavior differently. Small-talk by waiters can also be considered smarmy.
And as the Check guy said. If I've been at the place a lot, then maybe the waiter can small talk and smile. And even then, they need to check if it will be accepted by the patron, because not everyone is after that personal touch. Many are just after the service to be efficient.
As I said, it's a cultural difference. We can consider smiling and small-talk to be rude, because they are crossing the personal boundaries we have. And also waste time. (And yes, loud, too friendly, smiling, small-talking, Americans who do a lot of emotional outbursts.... are considered childish, weird, obnoxious, and even creepy)
As a Eastern European I mostly agree, but smiles differ, too. Wide, "stereotypically American" smile can definetely be considered smarmy. But brief, tight-lipped smile, especially when a waiter is greeting the guest is just a sign of politeness.
Same in Finland.
A little smile and a nod is pleasant, but a wide grin and a loud "Oh hooow can we serve our loooyal customer today?", ie obvious fake politeness is frowned upon.
I agree about the emotional outburst, but why is smiling a bad thing? I also live in sweden and I see a lot of people that work at resturants smiling a bit and look very positive, I was taught that smiling is always a good thing and it can make people more positive.
I mean there is the ”creepy smile” that exist, where the smile just looks fake, but there is also a smile that looks real on a person and he/she is actually positive.
Spot on. We have the same approach in the Czech Republic too.
the thing at the end was a tram which is basically an electric bus going on rails it has springy brush that attaches to the wires on top and powers it like those bumper cars in the amusement parks which coincidentally corresponds to their behaviour since they won't stop for anything except a traffic light or a station
24:40 These are electrical, and that thing on top connect's it to the grid.
I'm Czech and when I was in UK, the waitress in a coffee shop asked me: "How are you? How was your day?". I was so scared and surprised. I looked around to see if there is someone behind me. She was acting in the same friendly matter as my close friends do. However, thanks to my knowledge of British culture, I saved myself by talking about the weather. It worked. Even managed to ask her how she was doing afterwards.
"How are you? How was your day?" totiz neznamena jak se mas nebo jaky mas den...je to jen jina forma pozdravu.... Melo by se to do cestiny a jinych jazyku prekladat jen jako ahoj :)
UK here. It hardly ever happens and if it does nobody expects a detailed response. Just say "alright thank you" or "and you" and we move on. I never say anything.
@@ilariabarnett8700 It is about culture differences. If somebody put effort into asking whole question then whole answer should be given. We here (at least CzechoSlovakia born) have shorts too. "Howdo" or "Hi, does it go?" or "Hello, areyou?" or simple "Ahoj" "Hi" "Hello" (translated very roughly word-by-word-ish).
I was working with a guy from other Slavic nation a we were talkin ih English an he asked me (as greeting) "Hello, how are you" and I replied "OK, well and you". And he "No, what is new, how are you ..." I said to him "How are you is not a real question".
(same with other idioms and phrases - some are spread worldwide, but many is culture specific without any meaning to other cultures if they are taken literally )
@@stanislavbandur7355 yes, I understand what you mean, however here nobody expects a reply. I didn’t make this unwritten rule but that’s how it is. In Italy for example, I lived there for a long time, if they ask you how are you, they mean it and they will tell you all about it.
@@ilariabarnett8700 that is a point, here and there. Simply culture differences. I do not complain that you do not await answer, it is as it is, but other cultures do it differently. (that story of other culture and English language - that automatic using it your way)
French here. In France, the service is included in the price of the meal and tipping is only given out if we found the meal/service EXTRA good. So, waiters aren't being weirdly, creepily nice for that 20% tip.
Out of big places like Prague I see it the same. I round up the number or something small. I def will not go all out for anything, unless i know you and like you adn even then I don¨t ruin myself.
Yeah or you just round up from lets say 57 euro to 60 and then they get a 3 euro tip, its a polite thing to do if you can afford it.
Is it still accurate in france that people don't like smiling at strangers, even less than in other parts of Europe?
I did experience that especially in more rural areas, but I'm not sure if it's still that much of a faux pas to smile at strangers in the bigger cities/tourist hot spots
at the tram, "whats that thing on top of it?" - a wiper to get power from the lines above
9:15 in france all the restaurant are illegal if they can't provide free tap water, even if you dont buy anything they are obligated to feel your bottle of tap water
I think in Europe the chefs are more likely to be offended with customizations to the dish. They're probably there thinking, I spent a week designing this dish to perfection and here's John coming in, without his culinary arts degree mind you, telling me they don't think this goes with that
LMAO YEAH
In France, by law, restaurants(and any place serving food) are obligated to serve you tap water if you ask for it.
Displaying the price without tax is actually illegal over here in the Netherlands... unless it's a business to business (web)store.
Also, you often can get free tap water or low price for it in Prague now. But a lot of places have beer cheaper than water still....