[:es]It has been a good summer here in Chile. No disasters to speak of; plenty of sunshine (some much needed rain as well) and lots of foreign tourists from both near and far. And with a strong dollar many Chileans chose to vacation at home.

So, what did we learn? Chile is a destination of great natural beauty; a paradise for every kind of outdoor activity, a monstrous coastline, good wine, some wonderful cities, towns and villages and generally very nice people. But, where is the service? It occurs to this scribe that we Chileans demand good service but are not inclined to provide it. In many of establishments the good service is provided by non-Chileans, normally immigrants (temporary or permanent) from other South & Central American countries or young entrepreneurs. Service does not seem to be in our DNA.

Some recent experiences:

I traveled on a zip line at high speed only to find, upon arrival at the end of the line, the brakeman had gone to “take care of business”. So I slammed hard into a thin mattress nailed to a tree. Nothing broken except my pride and the brakeman was, annoyingly, most amused…

I sat in a very reputable Café in Santiago and waited 10 minutes to get served. Finally I waved at the 3 waiters chatting in a corner & one slowly came over, I asked for a coffee but was told the individual responsible for my table was, Yes!, “taking care of business”! I didn’t move tables I moved Cafés…

I went to my health insurance provider to file a claim. After taking a number I sat patiently for 15 minutes. Finally my number was called. I approached a very angry looking “service provider” who said “Yes”… I sat down & asked if she was upset about something and she replied (I swear!) “No, I always look like this”!! My advice that perhaps a smile would be very inviting was greeted with a further narrowing of the eyes…

I took a city tour in English but the Guide spoke with such a thick, strong dialect and I can only assume he had learned from watching old mobster movies… I also discovered I knew a lot more about Lord Cochrane than he did!

You all know the “there is a fly in my soup” story where, after being informed by a diner, the waiter goes to all the other tables to check on their food and returns to the diner and informs him he is very lucky because no one else has been privileged to get extra meat… I had the “fly in soup” experience and the waitress was horrified – to the point of grabbing my spoon and retrieving the fly before it drowned…!

I have often experienced the American “Have a nice day” salutation (“Y’all have a nice day” in some southern states) and I like it – but only when sincerely delivered. My travels in far off countries have made me realize that always expecting a “please” or a “thank you” is self serving; a nice smile and pleasant eye contact works better.

In Chile I think we confuse service with servile and this is blatantly incorrect. A desire to serve well has nothing to do with being, or perceived to be, servile. Good service is pride, an honor to demonstrate how good we are.

I am, of course, generalizing as there are plenty of examples of good service. A friend of mine managed to leave his briefcase in the back of a taxi. He was busy talking on his phone and trying to pay the driver. Being male he cannot do more than two things at once… With both tasks completed he walked away and then “clicked” and turned back, but the taxi was long gone. He had no idea of the taxi’s license plate or driver’s name. All was lost -meeting notes, wallet (with cash, cards, etc.), passport- all gone. He was furious with himself and started to make the necessary calls… Imagine his surprise when late that evening, at home, the bell rang and there was a taxi driver with his briefcase and with profuse apologies for allowing him to leave it in his taxi. Everything was there and the driver refused any reward. “How did you find me”? “The address in your passport”…

Live to serve – it is wonderfully rewarding!

I remain your servant, but never servile,

Santiago Eneldo
(Volunteers for next adventure write to [email protected])

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