The other night I had a midnight pancakes dinner with Cheb Khaled and a friend of his. Now, Cheb Khaled is generally a very polite - if somewhat paranoid - person. He opens doors, walks on the side facing oncoming traffic when we're crossing the street and always tries to stop me from paying my share of the tab. In today's society of pansy boys spending daddy's cash, he is a New York cop amongst Riviera sun worshippers. But whenever he speaks to a waiter or anyone serving him, he reminds me of a huge problem I have with Egyptian society as a whole.
Egyptians cannot be polite to anyone working in the service industry.
Now I don't know if this is a shared superiority complex, collective snobbism or just plain common indecency, but it is a rampant trend in our society and it needs to stop. The fact that someone is serving you in some way does not give you the right to snap your fingers, order them around, be dismissive, not look at them while speaking to them, be slouched in your chair as you speak to them, wave them away or treat them in any way that is demeaning or you yourself would find offensive.
If anything, treat them with respect because they are providing you with the comfort of being served rather than doing things for yourself. Say please and thank you, be polite when pointing something wrong out (i.e. don't curse the person out when they bring the wrong dressing with your salad) and always leave a decent tip; you may not remember who served you, but they'll always remember - and reward - a good tipper.
All of this is pretty basic but the memo seems to have skipped Egyptians. My first instinct would be to chalk it up to poor parenting. Mrs. Fallon is a great example of the benefits of good parenting. She is infinitely courteous and considerate to everyone who serves her, even if they totally mess her order up. But I know that Cheb Khaled comes from a good home as well. So why isn't he more like Mrs. Fallon? What do you think is the root of Egypt's inability to show some common decency?
This whole thing reminds me of the way Tom Hanks was treated in Philadelphia. He was treated with respect and even reverence so long as he was considered an equal at his law firm. The moment he was perceived as 'below' the partners, he was shot down, insulted and ignored. Good movie if you haven't seen it. Bruce Springsteen wrote a great song for the movie, as seen below.
Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen:
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8 comments:
I've worked in service-based businesses in the US for years. My dad used to own restaurants and he'd hire me over the summer. I also worked at Best Buy and Starbucks among other service-based business every summer during high school. Customers were nearly always kind and courteous, just as was also expected of the server.
Currently, I am the manager of an IT service company based in London that outsources their staff here in Egypt. While 90% of our customers are in the US and EU, we do also have a few corporate customers here in Egypt.
The difference between Egyptian customers and their Western counterparts is stark, just as you described. Even more shocking was the reaction employees had when I became manager. The old manager used to abuse them and boss them around like they were slaves. Being an American, that's not how I was taught to lead and I take on a more Western, professional approach. The first week, back in January, was incredibly awkward until they got used to it and realized that respect from all sides is just simply more effective.
Good post!
It's incredibly sad that being in a position of power is equated with being a plantation owner. What's worse is that the average server has gotten so used to this being the norm that they now only respond to being mistreated. It isn't right.
Thanks, Amr!
i totally agree
i always hate the way the people here trat their service providers like suddenly they become mean slave owners and it is shocking how many nice people become rude bastards when they speak to someone who either serves them or works for them or cleans for them and i realize they are not all the same kind of jobs. but damn it the waiter is not a slave!!!!
Are you all out of your mind??! I can have you whipped and lynched for that!!
'Egyptians cannot be polite to anyone working in the service industry.'
AMEN!
midnight carb raid! Boy you are brave!
granted in south Asian society 'thank-you' is not part of one's normative daily interaction. as it is one's duty to do good, hence one needn't be thanked for his ‘divine duty.’ [go figure, and for years i just thought they were just plain rude!....i know for a fact 'divine duty' does not factor in with us.]
everyone knows that a waiter/thespian/model (at least hear in ny) has the power to drop/spit/step on your food…but I guess they don’t do that in cairo or do they?
the same creatures cling on to appellations such as beck and pasha----gag me!
not to mention those who wear their professions on their sleeves 24/7 ie ‘call me engineer adel’ or ‘dohktor khaled’ --------4am on a dance floor! Ninja PLEASE!
Sorry I’m babbling---------- btw tx for the vote of confidence! kinda hard to snap photos of egyptians from a thompson street walk-up. Guess it’s on hold for now.
*here
sorry for the scatterbrained graffiti...that topic always gets me worked up! least favorite egyptian expression 'ibn/bent NASS.'
while i do respect everyone's deep insights above, i gotta say
"So why isn't he more like Mrs. Fallon?"
HAHAHA! damn if the whole world was like me we'd be on kickass planet!
or they could be like you. only we now know you get good service not because your courteousness to service staff.. rather because of you excellent ability to flaunt other... talents?
I take it you're referring to Dixie and Daisy! Useful buggers aren't they ;)
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