My first Spanish lesson… and how laid back can a Spaniard be?

Whoopppeee! I am finally embarking on getting some Spanish lessons with a tutor. It's well needed… Whilst I find the Spanish are extremely willing to help communications if you at least try to speak their language, I must say we're hitting barriers more and more often now.

The good old pointing and spurting a few unconnected Spanish words is no longer feeling 'right' for me so I'm taking the next step.

This topic on Spanish living is also giving me the opportunity to say that I am flabbergasted at how little need the average Spanish business displays for attracting new customers. (That's not a negative comment towards my new home nation, it's just a reflection of the reality that is found almost everywhere.)

We walked into a mobile phone shop today to try and get a Spanish pay as you go simcard, and without even moving an eye in our direction we were told by the shop keeper to come in tomorrow… unfortunately the lady behind the counter couldn't explain why! Granted, we couldn't speak her language, but she didn't even try to ask us…

Right, rant over!

My point is though - in a competitive market no one can afford to ignore opportunities for potential customers. I come from an ex communist country and know all about complacency can creep in at the site of a guaranteed paycheck, but sooner or later the need to differentiate your business comes out to bite you in the proverbial butt cheek.

And if you don't rise to the occasion, you WILL be swallowed by the competition. I've always been quite fond of the comforts of customer service for selfish reasons, as much as carreer fascination. And to this day consider it to be the second most important part of a successful business (the first being an excellent product).

So is it a fact that the Spanish market place is still on its way to saturation? Or could it be that the laid back attitude to life in Spain has prevailed over the 'rat race' culture of the west - haha! Here is a philosophical thought for you to ponder on…

Can laid back attitude thrive in a competitive environment, without inflicting a 'rat race' culture?