Rude People

Incompetent people are everywhere. Rude people are everywhere. New money arrogance is everywhere. Different people with different expectations and background and ways of communicating are everywhere. Live with it, you will meet some any place you go.

mum2girls, I agree with much about what you've said. Sometimes it feels like that's the case, or that you're judged differently when you won't tolerate complete cr@p because you happen to be well off. Having money can change the way people behave, and make them snotty whereas at one time they were not, but it's not accurate to make sweeping statements about people that do have good packages--like they are all insufferable, short tempered jerks. Just because you're well off doesn't mean you are okay with throwing your money away or not getting what you pay for, and like you said--it is hard when you come from a place where customer service and consumer rights are generally excellent. But, I guess one has to take the good with the bad, and try to focus on the good stuff here. My family nearly croaked when I told them what petrol costs here!! lol

Oopsiedaisy, I agree with you, I also have never met a rude service person here in Dubai, although I have met lots of disinterested, untrained ones here on a scale that I have never experienced in any other country I have lived in, so I guess that is limited to Dubai. On the other hand, friendly staff is not limited to Dubai either, live in the US for a few years and you will find staff just as friendly as here but who know what they are doing ! You really do have to fight your corner to get any kind of service here in Dubai. In my experience, in the US or anywhere in Europe, you purchase a service or goods that doesn't do what it says on the package, it's a no-brainer, the shop will replace without any hassle, in the US you would likely receive compensation for the inconvenience on top of the problem being sorted out. Here, dealing with something like that is absolutely impossible, not the assistants fault that they really don't care, not the managers fault who also doesn't really care about the faulty goods you just purchased either because he doesn't really have any authority do do anything other than wear the managers badge, but it's also not the customers fault, who is the one who has the biggest loss having paid way above the odds for said goods in the first place. Just because someone is a 'rich' expat on a big package does not mean they have to shut up and put up, walk away and say oh that poor guy only earns AED2000 per month, I will just buy a new one ! If screaming the loudest is the only thing that will help you get someone to listen to you, than that's what people end up doing. It's certainly not a case of self-entitlement because of their 'ex-pat packages' (certainly not among the people I know who have reached that point here in Dubai), just a case of having to fight for their consumer rights. I think I have rarely witnessed rudeness just for rudeness sake, but I have seen people frustrated here to a point that they are so angry they end up saying things they would never in a million years have said if they were not pushed beyond their limit.

Whether we like to admit it or not, society here is based on a class system and your worth and opportunity for advancement is measured by your passport, skin color, last name, and other superficial things. It is extremely easy to get caught up in this discrimination and not one of us can claim that we have never imposed this sense of self-entitlement on others. Within reason there is some truth to this statement. It is very true indeed. DH's office would not hire a woman from New Zealand as she looked Chinese and they are of the opinion that she was not 'really' from NZ.....

Whether we like to admit it or not, society here is based on a class system and your worth and opportunity for advancement is measured by your passport, skin color, last name, and other superficial things. It is extremely easy to get caught up in this discrimination and not one of us can claim that we have never imposed this sense of self-entitlement on others. Within reason there is some truth to this statement.

Whether we like to admit it or not, society here is based on a class system and your worth and opportunity for advancement is measured by your passport, skin color, last name, and other superficial things. It is extremely easy to get caught up in this discrimination and not one of us can claim that we have never imposed this sense of self-entitlement on others.

Newsflash ; It's Christmas time for many maybe we can have some nice threads rather than the normal I'm an expat woman droll? Okay, start one :)

So what if a sales assistant calls your DD a baby? Shes 4 years old not 40! They are only trying to be friendly. She is a baby! I would think a 4 year old that gets upset over this is copying her mothers behavior. You could always explain to DD that adults see her as a baby as she is [i'>only[/i'> 4!

Chips on shoulders? Rude people are rude regardless of where they reside, as usual a totally ott thread which appears every year or so, it normally says more about the posters than the society they reside in. Newsflash ; It's Christmas time for many maybe we can have some nice threads rather than the normal I'm an expat woman droll?

Money does change people, the way they treat service industry workers, have seen it all the time--but is this actually limited to Dubai? Or are people here just extra aware of what others are doing or saying, and bothered by it? And Wednesday Genius said it right, both sides of the fence! The difference is service industry workers are [i'>expected[/i'> to be able to deal with difficult people, and [i'>not[/i'> expected to be openly rude. I worked long enough in that industry to know--that's just the way it is.

Mum2girls, I have a totally different view. I have never encountered so many extremely friendly waiters as in restaurants in Dubai. True, they may not always understand you, but they mean well. And when I enter a shop I give the sales people a big smile and ask if it is oke to just look around. I've never been followed around. Most people I see shopping or having dinner wouldn't even look twice to a salesperson or waiter.

Exactly Maroosh ! and by asserting that people who are on lucrative expat packages are rude because of said expat packages is a very unfair sweeping statement. Well it is partly true. It's called self entitlement. I have money so I can treat others as I please. And there is no excuse for it.

OopsieDaisy, not complaining just adding a different spin to the reasons people may appear to be rude, not necessarily because they have 'forgotten where they came from' or because they think they have money, or more money than others. I have lived all over the world, in countries where I did not speak and could not understand the language, and honestly, I have never encountered the frustrations I have encountered here in Dubai. I can see how people who live here long term can get absolutely jaded from the day to day frustrations of trying to do simple things.

I find expats become so sensitive and particular about everything when they come out here. So what if a sales assistant calls your DD a baby? Shes 4 years old not 40! They are only trying to be friendly. She is a baby! Its only natural for kids to get uppity when their called babies you dont have to get in a hissy fit with an adult over it. So many over sensitive expats wanting the whole world to be 'their way'. The laughing at her is also trying to be friendly? When she is crying? And I dont see anyone getting in a hissy fit?

I guess the way a thread about rude behavior towards people in the services industry changes into a thread where EW complain about those same people just says it all!! Not the ladies here are evil. You must admit that some of the people hired for the service industry is simply 'empty' or rather 'this is what i must say and will not use my brain to think logically'. like yesterday, I went into McD at 10.58am and I asked if they were still serving breakfast. The guy at the till said no you can order burgers now. When I proceeded to order my quarter pounder meal, he interrupted me and said only chicken available. I calmly repeated what he told me he then said 2 3 minutes. I didn't understand what he was trying to say. When the manager stepped in, the situation was somehow turned to make ME the bad person when it was a puppet actually serving me!!! My point is I am sure us EW ladies don't come into shops and literally scream at service staff without a valid reason. I have been in the service industry and the ones here are trully appalling.

I find expats become so sensitive and particular about everything when they come out here. So what if a sales assistant calls your DD a baby? Shes 4 years old not 40! They are only trying to be friendly. She is a baby! Its only natural for kids to get uppity when their called babies you dont have to get in a hissy fit with an adult over it. So many over sensitive expats wanting the whole world to be 'their way'.

I guess the way a thread about rude behavior towards people in the services industry changes into a thread where EW complain about those same people just says it all!! True.

Exactly Maroosh ! and by asserting that people who are on lucrative expat packages are rude because of said expat packages is a very unfair sweeping statement.

I guess the way a thread about rude behavior towards people in the services industry changes into a thread where EW complain about those same people just says it all!!

There are people who are rude by default for various reasons. There are people who get "unfriendly" when they have reached a point of no longer being able to be polite for also various reasons. There are service employees trying hard and being treated badly, and there are service employees without any filter and are just plain rude and cross the line in many ways.

I saw an expat male at an electronics store the other day, being extremely polite in the face of the most unbelieveable stupidity by a group of about 3 staff (who left the other customers stand in line to all give their opinion), he finally snapped and I can tell you it was only when he got aggressive that they finally conceded to give him some written proof that he had returned the goods and his CC would be credited. He was explaining so nicely and very clearly why taking the assistants 'word' that his credit card would be credited was not really good enough, he explained in simpler and simpler terms and the message was still not getting through. When my turn came, I met with similar stupidity and was left standing there for close to 30 minutes while they discussed what code they needed to input so I could use my credit-note. During this time they would serve other customers, come back to trying to sort out 'the code', finally I lost it too. I left the store absolutely fuming, blood pressure at an all time high, and did not have one-nano second of patience for the next untrained person I met. Really, in two years in Dubai I have come full circle and really never pass judgement anymore when I see the frustrations of people paying good money for services / goods. I too absolutely hate being shadowed in shops by the shop assistant ! every day occurrence here, lol. What about the calls to service providers, the calls with delivery people etc etc? I have NEVER started off rude with any of them ever, yet the parting words are often not my politest. I am not a rude person - but we all have a boiling point. I try to walk away when Im close to reaching mine, but sometimes you cant! I had a delivery man a few weeks back, I sent him a MAP, then had him on the phone guiding him for about 30 minutes, yet in the end my husband had to go get in the car and find the guy because he was lost. And someone had paid for that delivery! I also cant stand being followed around shops, and my daughter hates hates hates all the assistants, yes all. She refuses to talk to them, because at close to 4 they all still call her 'BABY' and laugh when she gets upset, I have snapped back at a few saying 'Please dont call her baby she is almost 4', only to be told she is much to small , and she looks like a baby yada yada yada. So yes, I agree with the last few posters, some of us may seem rude if you only get the end of a 'scenario', but what you see may not always be the full story. I am going shopping now and I will try to remember my breathing and pep talk my 'big girl' so she doesn't get upset. <em>edited by Purple on 23/12/2012</em>

I saw an expat male at an electronics store the other day, being extremely polite in the face of the most unbelieveable stupidity by a group of about 3 staff (who left the other customers stand in line to all give their opinion), he finally snapped and I can tell you it was only when he got aggressive that they finally conceded to give him some written proof that he had returned the goods and his CC would be credited. He was explaining so nicely and very clearly why taking the assistants 'word' that his credit card would be credited was not really good enough, he explained in simpler and simpler terms and the message was still not getting through. When my turn came, I met with similar stupidity and was left standing there for close to 30 minutes while they discussed what code they needed to input so I could use my credit-note. During this time they would serve other customers, come back to trying to sort out 'the code', finally I lost it too. I left the store absolutely fuming, blood pressure at an all time high, and did not have one-nano second of patience for the next untrained person I met. Really, in two years in Dubai I have come full circle and really never pass judgement anymore when I see the frustrations of people paying good money for services / goods. I too absolutely hate being shadowed in shops by the shop assistant !

I guess sunglow, people who treat others with disrespect and arrogance, eventually will get what they deserve. Sooner or later:)

The attitude of people over here towards other human beings (and I say that as I so often think they forget to realise this fact) has appalled me from day one. I have witnessed such rudeness from fellow expats it disgusts me. However, I always think just one thing....Back in 2007 I had a 'friend' here and we went to the supermarket one day and she refused point blank to fill her own shopping bag - just one bag may I add. She did not work but her husband was on a lucrative contract here. Sadly for them he was made redundant and they left with a huge amount of debt. From what I hear, they have only just got on their feet back in the UK with a completley downgraded lifestyle than they had before they left let alone compared to here. The moral of this story is that whenever I witness this behaviour here now which I do all too often, I simply think to myself that we are just a contract away from a very very different life......people need to remember where they came from and that when they return the designer handbags and memories of champagne lifestyle will mean absolutely nothing. What does matter is how we live our lives and treat people no matter where we are or what our circumstances. <em>edited by sunglow on 23/12/2012</em>

DH worked in the service industry here for a little while and he was not able to handle how his juniors were treated. As the Op's Manager he was very nice but firm also with his staff. If they done well he was happy to reward them, give them incentives to work towards- even if the reward was as simple as lunch on him. But DH's Senior Op's Manager was very much against DH's way of working. They insisted that DH needed to make sure he doesn't get them too big for their boots. On slave labour salary working 14 days straight at times and 12 + hour shifts I'm not sure how big their boots could have become. He would barge in once every few weeks, totally disregard everybodys hard work and just barrad them all on how useless and insignificant they all were. He would say things to the junior workers like 'I'm going to break your neck next time you do this' and 'Is your dads f*****ng company?' and just lots and lots of belittling comments and threats infront of all the other staff. It an awful negative place of work and I have stopped shopping at this store every since. Let me just add this was a 'new to Dubai wealth' British gentleman treating his staff in this manner. Disgusting.

If they are on commission they aren't doing themselves any favours. I invariably walk out they lose the sale. I've also had it pointed out to me when I was pushing my five week old in a buggy that 'I hadn't lost the baby weight yet' and even worse, had another sales assistant ask my four year old son why he looked like a girl. When he didn't answer the brainless cow turned to me and said 'why doesn't he talk to me maaaam, why does he look like a girl?' I agree, I get annoyed as well and just walk off. Some of these sales people have no filter whatsoever! But I still just walk away and save myself the hassle of getting into an argument.

If they are on commission they aren't doing themselves any favours. I invariably walk out they lose the sale. I've also had it pointed out to me when I was pushing my five week old in a buggy that 'I hadn't lost the baby weight yet' and even worse, had another sales assistant ask my four year old son why he looked like a girl. When he didn't answer the brainless cow turned to me and said 'why doesn't he talk to me maaaam, why does he look like a girl?'

Daza, not making excuses for sales assistants, but they are on commission here. I get a bit annoyed sometimes, but I also see mainly GCC nationals liking the assistance. I do agree that when you make it clear you don't need their help they need to back off.

Whilst I agree that there are many people here who for some inexplicable reason seem to think that they are better than staff in the service industry and treat them awfully, there is also seems to be a higher proportion of extremely annoying behaviour by people in that sector working here. I've never been followed around a shop in my home country by a shop assistant who ignores my polite comments that I don't need help yet it happens frequently here. Beauty shops are the worst. In one shop the other day a shop assistant was closely following me suggesting items. I politely told him five times that I was just looking, I didn't need help etc etc. I ended up telling him to leave me alone and walking off. If someone had seen just my final comment they'd probably assume I was upstart expat treating him like dirt. If a shop assistant had behaved in the same way in my home country I would have reacted the same, if not worse. The difference is it's never happened there.