Yeah I know it. In principle I know it. I live for 2 years here and I should get used to it. In a way I did. But it is still so strange…
Well, those who live in Estonia also might already guess what I talk about: Service in Estonia.
It was a nice evening with a friend in Nimeta Bar yesterday, the only bar that showed the Championsleague game of my favorite team FC Bayern: my team won 3:0, great match, fun to see.
But this is not why I write here. I arrived exactly one minute before the game started, sit down at a table close to the bar and watched the game. The waitress passed me many times, but it took her exactly 45 Minutes to find the time to ask us if we want to have something. I would not mind if the bar would have been so crowded that they had no chance. Or if she would have been alone in the bar. But we could see the 4 waitresses sitting and chatting and laughing the whole evening.
Since I live in Estonia I realised that service is something the Estonian waiters are not trained in. Of course I understand that these people earn so small that of course they are not very motivated but still: it is annoying for a guest to be ignored totally.
Remember, boys and girls who you work as waiters: Service is a reason to give tipp! 
Best,
Erik
hm … What could be the reasons for bad service in Estonia?
- when dealing with employees or business partners you easily bump into people with find the attitude: “hey, before I do anything or a bit more, you need to pay me far more. In the US by the way people with my qualification earn 4000 $ a month.” Well, doesn’t it usually work like this that the party that renders a service (as employee or service provider) FIRST needs to do a good job and AFTER it is rewarded?
Bottomline, I see an upside- down view of how reciprocity works as one reason for bad service.
- Effects of Soviet Union. In Soviet Union nobody really cared how well you did something, since everything belonged to the state. “Taking away” from the state was considered a normal attitude as I have heard.
Bottomline, “I don’t care” attitude form Soviet Union.
- Too small population. Let’s face it – Estonia has too few inhabitants to strongly promote professionalism through mere availability of work force and competition within.
- Easy available credit. Through a deadly spiral this led to an increase in salaries without the necessary increase in productivity.
my question to erik is: why would you wait 45 minutes without approaching them?! if you’re unhappy with the way they’re doing their job, why not show some initiative?