Are the Dutch simply the rudest and least professional people in Europe?

[dikkertjedap]

Just wondering ....

I find the treatment of customers in many shops simply shocking. Shop assistants seem to have to chew gum and are attached either to their mobile or chatting away with other cashiers or a friend and will let you wait quite happily. If you dare to say 'Excuse me ..' they will actually tell you 'I am busy, I will help you when I have time'.

For many personal services you have to pay, even if you cannot make it or they cannot make it. For example, if swimming lessons fall on Christmas Day or New Year's Day, there won't be a lesson but you still have to pay. If you want to cancel because of Holidays, you still have to pay. This seems with all sports, at least where I am based.

If faulty goods (or no goods) are delivered then it is the customers' fault. BY DEFINITION. It is never the provider, NEVER EVER.

People seem to be full of themselves, think they know a lot, whereas in many cases it simply makes you cry or laugh. Many pretend to have qualifications and it turns out they don't. So you pay a premium and then find out they are fully unqualified. Clearly no inspections whatsoever.

If a child falls of a climbing frame at school, it will take a considerable time for a staff member to come over, stroke the child over the head and tell it: 'So, now all okay, go and play'. No checks for bumps, no ice, no letter to parents.

Many parents to not seem to use car seats/booster seats (I thought it was EU law?). So at childrens' parties they are all bundled in a car, 8 on the rear seat, no seat belts, no seats.

Mind you, at my local Dutch Ikea store you can get tampons or sanitary towels, in case you need them, but don't forget they are called: female hygiene napkins. Don't dare to point out that this is slightly incorrect, because they will laugh in your face and tell you they are fluent English.

Not what I expected.

Rant over.

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

Grüezi Kakapo!

[kakapo]

Gruezi Bin where are you? We're close(ish) to Zurich.

[whistlestopcafe]

Jlip v.

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

Just outside Basel!

of your single figure tax percent though!!!

[scrablet]

Wish I was in a small German speaking village in Switzerland right now. Sounds lovely.
Sigh.

[laptopwieldingharpy]

Gruezi! Grew up in the berner oberland.
It is all "Heidi" in the prairie in my memory.

[whistlestopcafe]

I didn't post on this thread.

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

And don't forget all the Emmental Laptop!

Berne is so breathtaking. I really wanted to live there but the commute was too much.

[laptopwieldingharpy]

Why? You been deleted for some harmless comment elsewhere?

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

I'm glad I'm not the only one hating living in the Netherlands, some things I like but I think the Dutch are the rudest people I have come across. I nearly had my ds at 2 month knocked out of my arms by a father and his sons taking my dd to school luckily I caught him as they pushed past me and then thanked me for allowing me to let them push past while I nearly dropped my baby.

The kids in my dd's school push past me all the time when going into the school which I have to in the morning, the bash into you, hit you or your baby, no apology from either them or their parent who only cares about their child.

I was told if a person knows you they will be polite but if they don't they will be rude, this is my experience and this includes children.

I don't know how many times I have given up on being served waiting 20 minutes for the two people in front of you to be served is absurd.

I try to speak Dutch but as soon as people hear my accent they change to English, this I think is due to the part of the Netherlands I live in but it certainly does not help you learn the language.

[whistlestopcafe]

Is that to me laptop?

This thread is showing as threads I'm on and there is a comment by me, but I didn't post it.

[suburbophobe]

Only food can't be sourced online.

What do you mean by this? Albert Heijn delivers.

www.ah.nl/appie/over/bestellen

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

I did wonder what the strange comment meant, whistle?

[suburbophobe]

If faulty goods (or no goods) are delivered then it is the customers' fault. BY DEFINITION. It is never the provider, NEVER EVER.

This is rubbish of course.

Maybe you just need to brush up on your Dutch.

www.consumentenbond.nl/juridisch-advies/

[dikkertjedap]

Thanks suburbophobe, the consumentenbond - you actually have to become a member (approx 7 euros per month) to get advice. I don't need anyone to tell me how to write a complaint to a company, I am perfectly capable of doing that. The problem is companies don't respond unless you take them to Court which is a costly business. There is nothing like the UK small claims court system as far as I am aware of.

I am fluent Dutch BTW, does not make a shred of difference. Again, checked with my Dutch friends who seem to have similar problems, goods not turning up (Dutch postal services have been fully privatised and since then seem to have stopped working more or less, lots of stuff gets stolen by the part-time untrained posties (apparently many of them are students, every time I see somebody else delivering my/my neighbours' mail - they seem to outsource the last bit of delivery to me as I have now received mail for nearly all my neighbours) or simply thrown away in the rubbish) or goods damaged/not working.

From now on, I intend to just buy stuff from Amazon and other non Dutch retailers. Likely to be cheaper and better service.

All of you in the UK who think that the UK can be bad, well, think again.

[DolomitesDonkey]

Ally heijn doesn't deliver south of Utrecht (where civilisation ends). I'm waaaay zuid Limburg!

[DolomitesDonkey]

There is a small claims court.

[dikkertjedap]

Thanks DolomitesDonkey, I have just discovered that I can start a procedure through the 'kantonrechter'.

All this definitely makes shopping a less than pleasurable experience!

[ethelb]

I quite enjoy the directness of the Belgian and Dutch.

However, the hyper freemarketism (word?) in the Netherlands is really hard work. I just feel I am being ripped off the whole time I am there and probably am.

You realise the nice, socialist 'european' image we all have with regards to the continent doesn't really exist north of Alsace. It's like being in the States imo.

[ethelb]

Oh yes and the only nationality I have ever seen behave worse than the Brits when drunk were Belgian. TBF beer, chips and rowdy behaviour makes me feel like I am home

[natation]

People can call it directness or rudeness, but for me it's plain wrong to say things to someone you wouldn't like someone saying to you. Do they not have a conscience? How can they sleep at night knowing they have deliberately humiliated or angered someone else.?

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

One of my colleagues used to tell me to dye my hair, yes I know my roots were white but it only takes 2-3 weeks and I am not dying my hair that often. Plus I kept getting told to get a tan, go out the sun, your too pale. I don't want skin cancer thanks.

[MordionAgenos]

I frequently travel to the Netherlands for work. I have spent a lot of time there over the years. I love the Dutch. My Dutch colleagues are, by far, my favourite colleagues. They are not rude. They are honest, they are also generous, kind, helpful, have a sense of humour.....I have never had a problem with language in the Netherlands, so many people speak such perfect English. It's a beautiful country, the people are lovely and compared to the shitholes that are France and Belgium it's paradise.

[splintersinmebum]

I thought the Dutch liked us Brits cos we liberated them from Nazis occupation. Please say they do; everyone else in Europe hates us