Slow waiters, by Karoline Nelson

One huge cultural difference I have experienced since being in Spain is that of the restaurant industry. My first night in Spain, my friends and I decided to go out for some drinks and food. The entire time we were there, the waiter did not smile once, and was very slow to bring us our food. I remember saying to my friend that I thought he hated us and was probably annoyed by us. However, at the end of the night he gave all of us free shots! I left being very confused, as I had assumed the whole time he was annoyed with us. I then began to realize that this is pretty typical in Spain. Servers do not work for tips, which is a factor in why they do not feel the need to be fake nice to people. In the US, most servers have to be extremely nice to customers, even if they do not want to, in order to get tips. Many of my friends only get 2 dollars an hour, and the rest of the money they get is through tips. In Spain, they receive a salary, so they are not working for tips. Also, in the US speed is very much appreciated when it comes to food. In Spain, it is normal to stay and eat with friends for several hours, therefore it could appear they are intruding on the customers time if they were checking in a lot.

In class, we learned about different mindsets in different cultures. The US has an individualistic mindset, and are always on the go and working. This represents the competitive nature that is seen in the US. Therefore, the best waiters are rewarded through tips. In Spain however, they have a collectivistic mindset. Waiters are not working for tips, and it is not seen as competitive. This leads to the very different ways in which servers act in Spain compared to the US.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/spain-server-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN219_KO6,12.htm

https://www.tripsavvy.com/should-you-tip-in-spain-1644349

Here is my friend and I at the restaurant!