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How do all of you deal with "Mexican time" without losing your minds or blowing your cool? I have accumulated many examples of Mexican time in my 3 1/2 years here. The latest is this:
A few days after moving to Queretaro at the start of December, I ordered and paid for Megacable Internet service in person at their local office. Installation was promised within five to ten working days; I would be contacted by phone. That did not happen within ten working days, so this Tuesday I went back to the office and was lucky to get an English-speaking customer service rep, who made a phone call and assured me that I would be contacted by phone and visited at my apartment "around 1:00 or 2:00 PM" today. Of course, that hasn't happened either, and today being Christmas Eve, I considered it a long shot at best. Naturally, I will be back at the Megacable office the morning of Friday, December 26, pleading my case yet again.
(Megacable, by the way, seemed to be my best option. I have heard that Telcel blocks Skype, which is a deal-breaker for me. I looked into Axtel, but they do not service my location. At least one other resident in my small apartment complex uses Megacable, so I visited them next.)
I have been in this sort of situation in Mexico quite a number of times; I hope that my luck has been worse than all of yours! I trust that I have learned to apply an automatic discount to any promised action or time-frame, but still, I get frustrated. Many times the only way that I eventually see results is to get more and more persistent and insistent. Of course, this runs the risk of making me look like a bullying American, but I have not figured out another method. Maybe bribes work? - but I feel awkward offering bribes.
In my case I have Cablevision in Mexico City, and most of times i get a regular service. The best service, according to some friends and relativs is Prodigy of Telmex.
In my opinion, i think that the service, of any kind, is pretty much better than other country in LATAM, but i think that in this specific area, we are still having those problems. Fortunately the goverment approved a ·reforma de telecomunicaciones" which now competence is widely openned to all the ones who have the enough more for invest, and of course give telecom services. That means that with more competence i hope that they will work hard for give a better customer service.
One thing about Mexico is the last two weeks in Dec is a "HOLIDAY FIESTA CON FAMALIA".
At least that is what happened to my Mexican wifes family. Get together every night for eating, dancing etc until the late hrs....or playing cards.....still together.
Friends I met were in the same boat.
Many small businesses will close down even tho they may not have much money....family and party time comes first.
As for Fri Dec 26th...buenas suerte...you will need it
I read it long ago: If you want something from a Mexican, be prepared to wait and chant: Punctuality is the thief of all time! If they want something from you, they want it right this minute!
I read it in a Latin American Lonely Planet guide one time: If you're invited to dinner at somebody's house some night at 8pm, best to show up at 9pm, or you'll never be invited back again!
Having a Mexican roommate for 15 years, I've grown to love Mexican time! Roommate says he's going to Mexico to visit family, says he'll be back in 2 weeks. Over the years now, I've learned to multiply that by 3! One time, I should have multiplied it by 4, as I thought he might have died down there, and I started to clear out his room for a new roommate!
As for Fri Dec 26th...buenas suerte...you will need it
I'm just going to make myself a pest, and keep going to the Megacable office every business day until I get my service. Although this is an annoying investment of time, it has worked for me before. It's sort of a "Make them want to get rid of the gringo" strategy. I don't LIKE it, and would gladly try something else...but what else is there?
I read it long ago: If you want something from a Mexican, be prepared to wait and chant: Punctuality is the thief of all time! If they want something from you, they want it right this minute!...Having a Mexican roommate for 15 years, I've grown to love Mexican time!
Even I will admit that there are times when the Mexican attitude forces one to relax. I don't hate the country, or I wouldn't still be here in my fourth year. But there are other times when a situation seems genuinely urgent to ME, and then I want to tear my hair out. I'm glad I've never had to deal with medical issues here.
In Korea, I liked the efficient "hurry up" culture, even though Koreans definitely pay a price for it in terms of their stress levels. But the country never would have developed as quickly as it did without that hurry-up attitude.
You may want to read "On Mexican Time" (by Tony Cohan) before you visit the nearby town of San Miguel de Allende. I think the author did his part into making SMA a high priced retirement mecca for gringos.
You may want to read "On Mexican Time" (by Tony Cohan) before you visit the nearby town of San Miguel de Allende. I think the author did his part into making SMA a high priced retirement mecca for gringos.
Thanks! I will add that book to my Mexico reading list.
I have resigned myself to the fact that, no matter how many years I live here, and even if my Spanish becomes substantially better than it is, I will never truly "understand" Mexico, although it is interesting to try to do so. After time living in Korea and Mexico, I have become something of a pessimist about cross-cultural understanding.
Oh no...sorry this is happening to you, OP! However, I am glad you were successful in your move to Queretaro! I know all about "Mexican time" when you need something done. But to be fair, I have also been pleasantly surprised on occasion when a service person shows up on the date/time agreed. Axtel has been particularly attentive. It's just their bill that is so confusing!
I feel I am just starting to scratch the surface on "understanding" Mexico, as you say. Have you ever had to get anything done at a municipal/govt office? I have, and it's a nightmare. You get different answers depending on who you ask, male or female, young, middle age, or older, etc. Even the municipal websites are unreliable. If you rely on the website for information--forget it--because when you actually visit the office to begin the process, the information actually needed will likely differ from what's on the website--and you have to start all over again. Highly frustrating to me! What I used to think was gross ineptitude is more or less nonchalance and disorganization to the Nth degree.
The service culture here is waaaay different than in the U.S. In the U.S., if you're in a service job, you're expected to smile, be quick, provide the service being requested as fast and as efficient as possible----it's drilled into the American customer and service agent, isn't it? But not here. There have been oodles of times when I've waited for service and the service clerk just ignores me and seems to care less if someone is at their counter. And this is not just the bureaucrats--I see it just about everywhere I go. Popular tourist spots in Mexico (e.g. beach resorts) may be better if they want vacationers coming back. The only place I can truly say they are more attentive is at small mom & pop shops where they are movitated to service and sell because it's their own business. But at corporate or government offices of any sort---forget it.
One last thought... My sweetie is Mexican born and raised, but he spent 8 years in the U.S. several years ago. So, he has seen and experienced both sides/perspectives. Just the other day, he quipped, "Why do Mexicans work so hard in the U.S., but in their own country, not so much?" Other than the pathetic wages paid here to the average Mexican, I don't have the answer. (Low wages = low motivation.)
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One time, I should have multiplied it by 4, as I thought he might have died down there, and I started to clear out his room for a new roommate!
