contemporaries who speak of Germany as a service desert, we strongly recommend a visit to Russia! Although different product listing of a Russian supermarket little from our usual, apart perhaps from a 500g cup fresh strawberries in the middle of winter - but for about 30 €!
opening times - at least to 22 clock every day, including Sundays, often around the clock - and enormous staff presence can be initially close to exceptional customer service. In each gear, several women engaged in Drappier the goods too pretty on the shelves, meat, fish and cheese counter with sellers crowded and behind the cash register tapes were young men out to pack up your paid purchases in plastic bags and (for We unfortunately do not contribute to any) car.
If you then simply goes through the supermarket and takes out what you want from shelves, you really only noticed at the POS that it is abroad. For here every Aldi cashier would turn green with envy, they would have to witness, scan with their Russian colleagues who comfort the goods without the extra time for friendly glances or even wasting a verbal greeting. Also interesting that this study can be used to ensure apparent only when it is positioned behind three cash a supervisor in elegant costume.
one should have to take while shopping contact with the sales staff, you feel as Western Europeans do not often hit on the head. The question of a fairly popular consumer goods such as matches will with a simple shrug answered.
Turning confidence to a supposed expert butcher shop assistant prepare to ask for fresh ground beef, which is not visible in the bar, but perhaps more in store, present, or even fast, is that the whole perplexity disclosed in the answer "Apparently not here." In general, one feels at the meat counter is not uncommon as an unwanted intruder, the only one who voluntarily turns to hate. Long, demonstrative and even indignant stand further shifting of the shopping cart help not there. Only a loud response of the vendor, who made calmly continue or meat products packed up, rather than serve the customers out - sometimes - for some attention. Here is just the odd Russian Title "dewuschka" (Girls), which itself can be used for elderly people obviously have. To speed up this process, I have got used to ask me in advance at one of the many supervisors, whether the meat counter "does not yet work. Then instructs usually a seller, to use me in the near future.
Much more typical than those established in recent years, supermarkets are for the Russian market, but the myriad of small stalls, called kiosks at each stop, and other prominent locations are present in large numbers. There is not only us from Hannover, popular magazines and beverage kiosks, but one can of batteries, DVDs and pens on vegetables, fruits and meats, to gloves, boots and underwear buy anything and everything there. Julius grew particularly the highly specialized and chocolate ice cream kiosks to the heart, which we run every day at irregular intervals after the nursery to check the current offer. a sales pitch on such a Büdchen does, however, some oddities with it. start early to even make eye contact with the most sedentary seller, you must stoop even I my upper body on a very uncomfortable level. The explanation for these national technical misconception I have been two versions Offered: They say you have originally planned to put the kiosks on platforms that allow sellers a comfortable seating position and the customers a shopping conversation at eye level. These platforms are then, however - simply been forgotten - in the heat of the construction for decades. Or so rumor has it, through the low window in the kiosks should the - not otherwise apparently successful end - to ensure prevention of the working class. Anyway, I put myself in the first summer friendly bent waiting outside the little window to a speech by the seller. Nothing happened. More than once I left the kiosks without having achieved anything, I wanted to but the poor woman do not interfere with the intense preoccupation with a crossword puzzle. At best, is an out-pressed "govorit" ("Speak!") Or "shto vam? ("What do you want?") Expected.
However, there are also pleasant exceptions. At the kindergarten nearest Eiskiosk an almost friendly relationship began with the seller, regardless of the wealth of their bodies literally crawled through the window, to Julius engage in conversation. Not infrequently, the adjacent owner of a mixed one Kazakh vegetable stand, which wanted a day to learn of new, where it is really better for now, in Russia or Germany? What can one say?
In winter, the stand-shopping is complicated by other obstacles to keep the heat of the little stove inside, close the window, the seller, but usually has a hand-lettered sign points to their presence ".! Open Tap". If one does this - with the appropriate bow - is also open, but the sales dialogue designed lashed with a fur cap over the ears rather slow, especially since the moves opposite is rarely the head near the opening speech. The desired product is then in sight, but not stored in the easy reach of the customer inside the kiosk, and patiently waits for the vendor with the transfer, until at temperatures around -15 degrees
has a glove pulled out and fingered the money from the wallet.
A convincing response to the Siberian climate are therefore in the subways and subway entrances located shops whose generous heated in winter and cool in summer courses an underground shopping experience possible. How pleasant it is that we are right outside our yard a small "mom and pop shop" have. From the outside, only the word "vodka and wine," said we entered it a few days after our arrival to see that here the whole range of everyday items to have. This Shops located in the basement of the adjacent building, with the result that the three women there in the change from morning 8 to evening clock 22 clock - even on Saturday and Sunday - Slide service, rarely get to see daylight. This does not Abruch but their friendliness. Of course, we were immediately identified as newcomers to the area and openly questioned. Meanwhile, the three are very well informed about our past and present life know to kindergarten, school and work activities, even our shopping habits to know exactly shocking ("your favorite wine we have today, unfortunately, not there"). Sometimes we sneak to the secret anonymous supermarket to our reputation by not the all too frequent purchases of alcoholic beverages to bring into disrepute. When Klaus recently in view of the forthcoming visit of a Russian family for the first time (!) Wanted to buy a bottle of vodka, even developed a talk with the other customers. Surprised by the small size of the chosen bottle Klaus recommended one, "but a larger purchase, otherwise you have to match again!" Whereupon noticed another buyer ". Why, does not matter anyway, he comes back, how big the bottle is too." He's right.
