5 Facts About Customer Service in Dubai

It's been 5 working days since I've come to Dubai. That's 5 days worth of taxis, hotel stays, restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores. It may not seem like much but I've already learned a lot about the customer service culture here in Dubai as compared to Los Angeles:

1. Dubai's version of 7-11 has customer service comparable to LA's fine dining restaurants

I have never seen someone more genuinely pleased to greet and serve me. Big smiles, full attention and the knowledge that they will do their absolute best to satisfy my whimsical wants are conferred upon me at the entrance.  

2. The division between Dubai's ultra-elite, generally affluent, and working poor accounts for this level of service

Oil money. America has the Walton family (Walmart), celebrities, and politicians constituting the wealthy and the rich. The United Arab Emirates has Sheiks. Architecture, real estate and tourism are huge in Dubai, so the Sheiks hire people from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka to perform jobs in construction, transportation, food service/FMCG, and hospitality. Sheiks take advantage of the conditions in those countries to offer the workers low wages in exchange for this physically exhausting, emotionally tiresome, or downright boring work. America is guilty of similar practices, but at least in America the idea of mobility is more alive. 

3. Tipping is Optional

Arguably, tipping is optional in the US as well, but there is usually more pressure placed on people to tip (~15%), especially as some employees literally survive off their tips. In Dubai, some cafés don't even provide a jar for you to tip while convenience stores comparable to famima!! do. My opinion, as someone who has worked in food service: tip when appropriate and possible. Don't take advantage of the relaxed tipping culture to jip your servers out of a well-earned tip. 5 dirhams (UAE money) is less than what you would spend on a bottle of Coke in Los Angeles.

4. Some People Will Try to Take Advantage of You

Some people will try to take advantage of you by not giving back the right amount of change or taking a long time to produce your change in the hopes you will just let it go out of embarrassment. Count your change. Ask them in advance if they can break a 50. 

5. Customer Service = Sales

At first I didn't even realize I was being sold to; everyone just seems so pleasant, friendly, and eager to help! Earlier this week I stopped by a pharmacy to pick up some cold medicine when the pharmacist  asked me about the symptoms I'd been experiencing. I mentioned 3 symptoms and he brought out 3 meds instead of an all-in-one treatment. I was suckered into buying 2 of the 3 when I otherwise would have purchased just an all-in-one med. Every person is a salesperson.

In short, take time to enjoy the wonderful service while being cautious of aggressive sales tactics. Most staff are friendly but the occasional taxi driver might try to cheat you. Recognize why service is the way it is and tip well. Most importantly, remember to thank those who thank you.