Russian culture question

[tricours.livejournal.com]

One thing that I've remarked several times when reading the blogs of Scandinavians or other westeners who've spent some time in Russia, is that they comment on how Russians don't smile. I've read lots of "I went home for the holidays and once again I was met with a smile when I went to the store to shop" etc. etc. Also one girl commented that some railroad personnel at a station where trains come in from Finland greeted her with a smile because "that's what they know westerners expect as good service". Do clerks and shop personnel in Russia not smile? As a clerk in Sweden or Norway it's practically written in your contract that "YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SMILE AT CUSTOMERS" ;)

At the same time, I met this Russian travel agent who's lived in the Caribbeans for the last 10 years and who thought service in Norway was completely awful. But perhaps he was comparing it to that of the Caribbeans, and not to the Russian one?

Comments

[gdy.livejournal.com]

>never thank them
This is not exactly true

[acuzena.livejournal.com]

This is not exactly an answer.

[gdy.livejournal.com]

I've seen this many times. It always seemed a bit strange to me but it looked quite natural. Just another kind of people, sort of subspecies.

[acuzena.livejournal.com]

I've seen people saying thaks to the driver for having stopped in the most convenient place for them or smth like that. But "Thanks. Have a nice day!" - never ever. I've tried to familiarize our drivers with it but was always treated as a weird afterwards, so I gave up :

[gdy.livejournal.com]

I've seen people saying thaks to the driver for having stopped in the most convenient place for them or smth like that.
Yes, it's a much much more common case.
My impression was that ones saying 'Thanks' to marshrutka driver with no apparent reason were just expressing themselves and not trying to achieve any goal. That may be wrong impression of course.