Turkish services

I don’t know anything about the services quality in Europe, I just can compare the Turkish services’ quality with the Russian ones.

The first thing, which foreigners notice in Turkey, is, probably, hospitality of Turkish people. On a visit to their home, you’ll be amazed and even a little embarrassed by great attention and service. The same goes for the various restaurants and cafes, especially if you are served by the owner of the venue. Of course, there can be some unpleasant exceptions, but in most venues, the quality of service is always a pleasant surprise, especially if you’re new in Turkey. The Turks have a nice feature: have a casual conversation with them or just a small talk about the weather, and you become not a simple customer, but a guest. You may argue with me, but most of you, I’m sure, have experienced it yourselves.

The flexibility of the Turks in treating the rules sometimes surprises and even annoys, but very often, it can play into your hands. If some place works until a certain hour, you may still be served and they will not tell you to come tomorrow. The same way, you can call a plumber or a locksmith even at night or on a weekend.

I should also mention the public institutions. My rich experience of dealing with Russian bureaucracy has created a great fear of dealing with the official papers, as well as people who request and grant them, because these people have a power to grant or refuse granting a required document (which, in fact, is required not exactly by me, but by some other bureaucratic institution).

The first experience of dealing with the Turkish authorities I had about 7 years ago when I applied for a residence permit. That time, the police of Antalya has not launched their project called “They are our fellow townsmen”, and has not announced that they have to help the foreigners living in this region in all the ways. And the police officers at the Foreigners Department were the only “inhospitable” Turks you could find in here. I guess, they supposed to look like Fearsome Protectors of Order. However, after a few questions they turned from grim police officers into friendly Turks. Now the police is “allowed” and even ordered to be friendly and helpful, so that they will answer all your questions and help you solve the problems.

Recently, my friends asked me to go with them to the Mahmutlar Municipality as an interpreter to help with some paper works. I agreed reluctantly, comforting myself that I’ll just translate, and paperwork is not actually mine. When we came to Mahmutlar Municipality, a very friendly lady requested the necessary documents and immediately offered us tea. She made the copies of all documents she needed herself. In Russia, we would be asked to go to another room, where they make photocopies, or even sent to another place somewhere across the street. When tea arrived, the lady gave us further instructions: take your tea, drink it, take the papers and hand them in some office upstairs. At the next office, the other unhurried and friendly lady asked us to wait and went to find out some additional details of our business. After a very short time, our paperwork at Mahmutlar Municipality was finished, which made us very happy.

Now that I am a little spoilt by good Turkish service, sometimes I start to complain that I was treated wrong or they gave me bad service. That time I try to remember how it would be in Russia and realize that everything is just wonderful in here.

What do you think about Turkish service?

Have a good week.