Vietnam - The Basil Fawlty of Asia?
- spitthedog
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Vietnam - The Basil Fawlty of Asia?
Hello Bongs,
Customer service can be pretty bad here compared to the rest of the region no?
Did they get this from the French i wonder?
Is it why 95% of people dont return to Vietnam, and visa exempt for so many countries?
Do Viets get the same level of wild hit and miss service?
When we cycle toured here , we never came across this level of grumpyness out in the sticks. Quite nice actually.
In Vinh a restaurant owner walked up to me, looked at me blankly and said hello to me in German. The whole city was flattened during the war and was rebuilt with the help of East Germany evidently.
The barking minibus driver from Lak Sao to across the border had to be the most miserable i've ever seen.
We went in a locals rice shop yesterday and the lady seller was barking orders at everyone. She was badass. The place was popular though and it was funny to watch as she didnt come across as nasty. Just erm....different. I could easily imagine her dressed in all black with an AK-47.
Later on we ate at some random place and the family were lovely. The owner didnt speak hardly any English but she put out her arms and made a hug gesture saying "Vietnam". It was almost like she was trying to make up for something.
Danker shern.
Customer service can be pretty bad here compared to the rest of the region no?
Did they get this from the French i wonder?
Is it why 95% of people dont return to Vietnam, and visa exempt for so many countries?
Do Viets get the same level of wild hit and miss service?
When we cycle toured here , we never came across this level of grumpyness out in the sticks. Quite nice actually.
In Vinh a restaurant owner walked up to me, looked at me blankly and said hello to me in German. The whole city was flattened during the war and was rebuilt with the help of East Germany evidently.
The barking minibus driver from Lak Sao to across the border had to be the most miserable i've ever seen.
We went in a locals rice shop yesterday and the lady seller was barking orders at everyone. She was badass. The place was popular though and it was funny to watch as she didnt come across as nasty. Just erm....different. I could easily imagine her dressed in all black with an AK-47.
Later on we ate at some random place and the family were lovely. The owner didnt speak hardly any English but she put out her arms and made a hug gesture saying "Vietnam". It was almost like she was trying to make up for something.
Danker shern.
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
Although I can't speak for all Viets, only having worked with mostly Southern Vietnamese, they ones I know come across as incredibly loud, angry and obnoxious, until you realise that's their "normal voice" and many of them are really quite "pleasant".
When they're angry, you know they're angry!!
When they're angry, you know they're angry!!
- spitthedog
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Could be that we came from incredibly laid back Laos beforehand.SlowJoe wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:36 amAlthough I can't speak for all Viets, only having worked with mostly Southern Vietnamese, they ones I know come across as incredibly loud, angry and obnoxious, until you realise that's their "normal voice" and many of them are really quite "pleasant".
When they're angry, you know they're angry!!
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
- Hanno
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The low return rate is for many reasons, not limited to poor service. Though I would contend that service in Youn land is better than in Cambodia or Laos. Sure, they are friendly in those two countries but inefficient like heck.
Even Thailand is hit-and-miss.
Even Thailand is hit-and-miss.
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Generally speaking I have a lot of respect for the Vietnamese, very clever people and very hospitable, in my experience.
This shouldn't apply to the OP, but hell knows no sound that can match the wailing banshee of a Hanoi hooker who has just been captured stealing money. It drew a small crowd in the lobby who immediately started betting on, presumably, my chances of making it to the door.
This shouldn't apply to the OP, but hell knows no sound that can match the wailing banshee of a Hanoi hooker who has just been captured stealing money. It drew a small crowd in the lobby who immediately started betting on, presumably, my chances of making it to the door.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" - KiR
My experiences have been very Jekyll & Hyde - mainly as decribed above (barking orders to the tune of an AK47), but also on the other hand extra friendly to the point of crossing a busy road to express friendliness up close & personal! There didn't seem to be any middle ground.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
- Stokely
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The other day I showed up early for my appointment with a Vietnamese prostitute, but she took me anyway.
She loved me wrong time.
She loved me wrong time.
"Now, then, in order to understand white supremacy we must dismiss the notion that white people can give anybody their freedom." Stokely Carmichael
- spitthedog
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Spigzy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:09 pmMy experiences have been very Jekyll & Hyde - mainly as decribed above (barking orders to the tune of an AK47), but also on the other hand extra friendly to the point of crossing a busy road to express friendliness up close & personal! There didn't seem to be any middle ground.
That's basically what we had yesterday ;
AK-47 lady for breakfast, and Mother Thereza lady for lunch. We said we'd go back for dinner and beers tonight at the latter.
Had some more erm.....differentness last night. Was sitting near Walking st, Hanoi on the stools by the side of the street, and there was a Spanish man having many laughs with a young Viet lady next to us.
Out of knowhere a group of about 7 or 8 drunkish Viet men came and sat opposite and seemed to constantly stare at the both of them whilst grinning. In the end the couple got up and left.
One of the Viet guys next to me asked where i was from, and i told him England. He expressed with his arms that England was a high status country. Cheers mate. They looked friendly, but fark, hard to read.
I'm confoozed.
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
- Hanno
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Mistake right there. That's like going to Palma de Mallorca and using the folks encountered there to judge all Poms and Krauts.spitthedog wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:53 pmWas sitting near Walking st, Hanoi on the stools by the side of the streetSpigzy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:09 pmMy experiences have been very Jekyll & Hyde - mainly as decribed above (barking orders to the tune of an AK47), but also on the other hand extra friendly to the point of crossing a busy road to express friendliness up close & personal! There didn't seem to be any middle ground.
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
I really hope those guys didn't give you a squirrel grip like I got - thankfully from a pair of the fairer sex!spitthedog wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:53 pmSpigzy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:09 pmMy experiences have been very Jekyll & Hyde - mainly as decribed above (barking orders to the tune of an AK47), but also on the other hand extra friendly to the point of crossing a busy road to express friendliness up close & personal! There didn't seem to be any middle ground.
That's basically what we had yesterday ;
AK-47 lady for breakfast, and Mother Thereza lady for lunch. We said we'd go back for dinner and beers tonight at the latter.
Had some more erm.....differentness last night. Was sitting near Walking st, Hanoi on the stools by the side of the street, and there was a Spanish man having many laughs with a young Viet lady next to us.
Out of knowhere a group of about 7 or 8 drunkish Viet men came and sat opposite and seemed to constantly stare at the both of them whilst grinning. In the end the couple got up and left.
One of the Viet guys next to me asked where i was from, and i told him England. He expressed with his arms that England was a high status country. Cheers mate. They looked friendly, but fark, hard to read.
I'm confoozed.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
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The Vietnamese are incredibly friendly people as are most of the countries in SE Asia . a bit hard to read at first but I always give them the benefit of the doubt and its always usually worked out.
- spitthedog
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Yeah,Spamogulater wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 7:21 pmThe Vietnamese are incredibly friendly people as are most of the countries in SE Asia . a bit hard to read at first but I always give them the benefit of the doubt and its always usually worked out.
It's just the stroppy customer service thing that took abit of getting used to. (Vihn, Hanoi).
Although the population in general has a face like a smacked arse, no?
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
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Like the rest of se Asia the Vietnamese are pretty tolerant with us long noses, particularly as some of us behave so badly here.
There is a certain way of doing something and that is it. End of subject.
The also do daft stuff like you order a cafe sua da and get a coffee and a can of soda water. Plus they can’t get on/off elevators. Shit like that.
They are totally inflexible but generally pretty friendly.
There is a certain way of doing something and that is it. End of subject.
The also do daft stuff like you order a cafe sua da and get a coffee and a can of soda water. Plus they can’t get on/off elevators. Shit like that.
They are totally inflexible but generally pretty friendly.
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Also they have different service customs in restaurants. If you want service they expect you to shout for service - EM! etc.
If you just sit there politely waiting to be served they will assume you aren’t ready to order and won’t come until you shout for them.
They will also often charge more if you are white. If you bring this up and demonstrate you know the correct price they usually react with good humor and laughter.
I didn’t have a problem with paying a little extra for some services, like a xe om for example. I accept that I am the guest and I am richer than most of them by the luck of birth. But it really winds up some expats.
If you just sit there politely waiting to be served they will assume you aren’t ready to order and won’t come until you shout for them.
They will also often charge more if you are white. If you bring this up and demonstrate you know the correct price they usually react with good humor and laughter.
I didn’t have a problem with paying a little extra for some services, like a xe om for example. I accept that I am the guest and I am richer than most of them by the luck of birth. But it really winds up some expats.
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