Before my arrival in Germany, I had a romanticized view of the country and its culture. Being a German minor at Rollins, I developed a passion for the language and ultimately thought that I would succeed in Germany without too much culture shock or home sickness. During the past few months in Munich, however, I have been confronted with cultural misunderstandings and frustrations which I never would have considered about Germany before studying abroad. Stereotypes about the German people tend to revolve around a supposed cold or aloof demeanor, generalizations in which I tried my hardest to steer away from. Unfortunately, I caught myself thinking in terms of these stereotypes while dining at the Hirschgarten, the world’s largest Biergarten. The German waiter who served a friend and I would not make eye contact, or even look at us while taking our order. He seemed generally disinterested in acknowledging us, which I found slightly disrespectful based on my cultural background of dining in the United States. I notice that German employees often appear unfriendly to me, but my feelings are simply an example of cultural differences manifesting themselves. As a service worker in America, I was taught to smile at every customer I served and be as polite and friendly as possible, in short, I was trained to believe that “the customer is always right”. In Germany, work culture and customer service are very different because work is simply viewed as a task, not as an opportunity to befriend or appease customers. When I encounter German service workers, I acknowledge these differences and try not to let these interactions get to me on a personal level. I also respect that Germans do their jobs properly, though there may be cultural differences surrounding the idea of service. I believe that work culture in the United States could benefit from the German approach to work, which may reduce the stress of workers.
