The
facts are quite disturbing, according to research, Brits have been revealed to
be a nation of whiners, with the worst moaners spending 10,168 minutes a year
blowing off steam. Ouch!
Research
has shown over half the nation (56 percent) admit to a daily groan and one in
five (19 percent) moan more than three times a day, resulting in 1,016 moans
per year, for 169 hours.
When
Brits aren’t complaining about the weather or relationships, it’s the workplace
which takes up much of the moaning time, with annoying colleagues coming out on
top (30 percent), ahead of work mates not pulling their weight (28 percent) and
rude clients (24 percent).
Despite
our love of whinging, we have no tolerance for others that do the same as four
in ten (40 percent) Brits hate having to listen to someone complain and one in
four people (24 per cent) have admitted that they even moan about others
moaning.
The ‘whinging
pom’ in Australia
The
Winjin' Pom (the name is a pun on the "whinging pom", an Aussie
expression used to refer to a person of British origin who constantly complains
about things he has to face)
The
urban dictionary defines this as, ‘A person of British origin who will consistently
complain about any situation that they may face. They are emotionally unable to
deal with any sort of adverse condition without commenting negatively about
it’.
Not just
Portugal
Complaining
isn’t limited to Portugal, one English newspaper, The Scotsman, reported on one
visitor’s complaint regarding a Spanish hotel, “The entertainment in the hotel
was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go
somewhere else for their holidays?”
A
Twitter account on holiday complaints lists some classic complaints, these are
apparently genuine. “My financé and I booked a twin-bedded room, but we were
placed in a double. Now I am pregnant”.
Another read, “They should not allow topless bathing on the beach; it
was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax”.
Ask
any travel company and they will probably tell you that the British are the
source of most complaints. There is a school of thought, encouraged by the UK
media, that complaining might get you a discount, refund, or some other
advantage. The forgoing complaints from the holiday complaints Twitter account
probably didn’t get them a discount. It’s called ‘trying it on’.
Is it just
the Brits who complain?
Looking
through readers responses to online articles from The Portugal News, it does
seem we do tend to complain a lot. Last week I wrote about customer service.
Needless to say, this resulted in a lot of comments, nine out of ten were
negative. As I read through them, I found myself asking, are we in the same
country, let alone the same shops? I have rarely encountered the problems and
perceived rudeness that many readers complained about. I have found the staff
in shops to be helpful and polite, usually very friendly. There will always be
exceptions, but these would mainly seem to be in the service industry rather
than retail establishments.
In
every country there are some risks dealing with the service industry, but it’s
easy to check out a company you plan to do business with. Personal
recommendation is always good or simply Google the companies name, you will be
surprised how much background information is available online.
It
simply isn’t the nature of the Portuguese people to be rude or unfriendly, they
are, by nature a very warm and welcoming people. Back in the eighties we
commissioned two Gallup Polls, and both years, the number one reason people
were considering moving to Portugal was ‘The Portuguese people’.
Personally,
I have travelled extensively, and I have never encountered a more welcoming
people. I have lived in Portugal for 49 years, so I believe I can speak from
some considerable experience.
Are we the
problem?
For
the vast majority of readers, these comments are not for you. However, some
people do approach local people, in shops, cafe’s etc, with what I might call a
negative attitude. I must admit I have seen this and thought, this isn’t the
way to get good service.
Many
Portuguese readers respond to online complaints with the simple response, if
you don’t like it, you have other choices of countries to move to. Nobody is
forcing you to stay here. Although many people don’t agree with me, let’s face
facts. It’s a privilege to live in Portugal, we are guests, and should not
forget it. If we are not born here, we are guests. You have plenty of choices
of other places to live, though I doubt you will find anywhere better. Surveys
bear this out, Portugal is a top location for expatriates. The welcome we get
is warm and genuine. Frankly a lot better than SOME people (not you of course)
deserve.
Some
people have said to me, we pay our taxes, so we have every right to complain. I
beg to disagree. Paying your taxes doesn’t make you the ‘owner’ of the country
with a right to complain and insist on your rights. If you go to a restaurant
and pay after your meal, it doesn’t mean you own the restaurant! If you didn’t
enjoy the meal, go somewhere else. We pay our taxes in return for the services
we get, and if you don’t feel they are good enough, go and find somewhere
better.
That
might be a bigger challenge than you realise.
Resident in Portugal for 50 years, publishing and writing about Portugal since 1977. Privileged to have seen, firsthand, Portugal progress from a dictatorship (1974) into a stable democracy.
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