By Ken, Teacher in Warsaw
Poland is a very fast-progressing country and has advanced tremendously in the last few decades. The IT industry has been booming and more companies are trading now in Poland than ever. It’s also extremely safe, clean, and the people are very respectful of others and their surroundings. I would definitely say that the positives far, far outweigh the negatives here! However it’s not all sunshine and delicious pierogi! In this blog I will be discussing what things you may have trouble with when you first move to Poland. Let’s start off with a topic that is very familiar especially to those who have worked in retail…..
Customer service
Just a disclaimer – Polish customer service is “bad” by more western standards, but actually it isn’t. Let me explain!
For those of you from the US or the UK and have worked in retail you’ll have been taught to be nice and friendly to the customer, be super attentive and above all, smile! Even if you’re on the phone at a call centre you’re taught to “smile when you dial”! Yes, cringe. Also if you’re working face to face in a shop you’re actively encouraged to make small talk in order to create a bond with the customer.
Take whatever I said and do a 180, and you’ve got Polish customer service! They do their jobs very efficiently and will serve you but NOTHING MORE. Normally no smiles, niceties, nothing. A hello, scan products take money and that’s it. They will most likely appear stoic and even slightly angry, but it isn’t personal, so don’t take it personally however it can feel intimidating. Also they don’t ask you if you need anything else, if your meal is ok etc etc. They will assume that if you have a problem that you will ask yourself, and asking if everything is alright and if you need any help is a pointless thing to do. Another disclaimer – this type of service is common especially in mainland Europe. It’s nothing like the west! I still sometimes get put off by it and I’ve been here almost 3 years. Thank the lord for self-service checkouts!
The language
In case you don’t know, Polish is ranked as one of the most difficult languages to learn in the world. I would argue that it’s the most difficult to learn (Chinese and Japanese are a walk in the park in comparison in my opinion) and it’ll take you a long time to get used to all the difficulties in the Polish language. I won’t get into them because we’ll be here all week! But be prepared for plenty of sh, cz, z, ż and rz sounds and words without many vowels and grammar that makes anything in English feel like child’s play!
If you really want to learn Polish I highly recommend getting a Polish teacher. Learning yourself will only get you so far and it’s very unlikely that you’ll learn to be fluent on your own. There are plenty of people in Facebook groups who are able to teach. In case you’re wondering, Duolingo isn’t great nowadays for learning Polish as now it doesn’t explain any of the grammar. If you have some experience of Polish I’d recommend Clozemaster. It offers a highly intensive course depending on your needs and also offers interactive activities to help you from beginner to advanced.
Making friends
Referring back to the west, it’s very common for people to make friends by talking to strangers and getting to know them through small talk and getting their contact details etc. Poles don’t do this!
A typical Polish person will only have friends from work or school, or in many cases not have many friends at all. In fact it’s very common for them to just spend time with their families and rarely see their friends. So going out to a random bar to make friends with random people is quite a foreign idea to many of them! But of course after everyone’s had a drink or 3 people loosen up. Poles tend to be reserved and introverted, but make a Polish friend and they’ll treat you like family. Again, this is a mainland Europe thing. Sweden also is very similar and people say that Swedish people are as cold as the weather until you get to know them.
If you want to make friends there are many opportunities and groups on Facebook to network and many people are happy to meet and/or help you with your Polish. Of course, it’s easier if you live in a big city!
The weather!
I’ve already discussed this on other blogs, however to reiterate It’s not uncommon for temperatures to change 20 degrees within a week, which makes choosing your wardrobe a nightmare! Temperatures during the Winter can plummet to -25 to -30, whereas in the Summer they can skyrocket up to nearly 40C, Thanks global warming! Also if you arrive in November you aren’t likely to see the sunshine until March or April so you have been warned! We have long Winters but glorious Summers and we actually get four seasons here unlike the UK!
Final thoughts
Don’t be put off by these warnings – these are seriously the only big things I think that you will have trouble with moving to Poland. If you’re struggling there is a big expat community on Facebook and other groups to help you also as a lot of people will be in the same boat as you. Just remember to keep an open mind and remember that you’re in Central Europe and not the west and you’ll be fine! And of course don’t expect to be warmly smiled to if you’re in a shop. If it happens, it’s a genuine smile and you really appreciate it!
If you’re interested in seeing what Poland has to offer you, why not reach out to us? You can find out more about our Poland program here!
