About Finnish customer service

Greetings from Finland!

Today I want to tell you about the Finnish customer service. I won't go too deep into that, even if this is a subject I could write lines and pages about. This time I will give you one example only.

I was at a kiosk at the railway station here in Helsinki. I was thirsty and my sweet tooth was aching (and don't you dare to mention the dentist!) so I bought a bottle of water, a lemonade and some chocolate. I got everything I wanted even though by watching the lady behind the counter yawning at my face and answering my questions with a really bored voice, I was worried for a while she might fall asleep in the middle of this customer service situation. Lucky me, she stayed awake and I managed to get my shopping done.

So, shopping's done, my drinks and chocolates are waiting on the desk and yes, the lady behind the counter is clever enough to offer me a carrier bag. BUT does she ask if I need a bag? OR if I would like to have a bag? MAYBE how about a bag? PERHAPS if I want a bag? NO! She looks at me with her sleepy eyes and says: "You don't need a bag?!"

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Suomennos: Suomalainen asiakaspalvelija huomaa, että asiakas saattaisi olla vailla kassia, johon pakata ostoksensa. Niinpä tämä asiakaspalvelija toteaa: "Et sä kassia tarvi?!"