Thoughts on Russia - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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Thoughts on Russia
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Posted by: GentleGiant

Hi Everyone,
Ria has asked me to write to her about how I found my visits to Russia and the companies I have dealt with there; levels of service etc, especially via email; and what I missed most from home; things I usually use but could not get in Russia.

If anyone else would like to post their feelings on this subject I will gladly include them in my summery for her.
She DOES want this for work though, so I will understand if the moderators decide to remove this thread as a commercial outing.

I may have mentioned this before, Ria, owns and operates a small Holiday/Tour guide business in Kostroma and she is looking at ways to improve and expand her services.

Thanks in advance for any offerings.
Ian

Posted by: GentleGiant

Opps!! my bad; she wants it for her COURSEWORK, not her work :-) Need some help with her Degree.

Posted by: AkMike

Does she mean JUST Russia or could it be the FSU countrys in general?

Posted by: GentleGiant

The text said Russia, so I presume she just means that; although I cant see a problem in mentioning the other FSU countries as long as it is noted which country you are talking about.

Posted by: EasyTarget

Quote:

Originally Posted by GentleGiant

Ria has asked me to write to her about how I found my visits to Russia and the companies I have dealt with there; levels of service etc, especially via email; and what I missed most from home; things I usually use but could not get in Russia.

Customer service skills are really lacking when dealing with buses, trains, and planes. I seriously think they give a personality test to all of the bus terminal workers, and if they score a 1% on the exam, they are overqualified.

Coming from the USA, electrical adapters was a nuisance.

If you are emailing a remote company in Russia, you want to make sure everything is legitimate. Constant, timely feedback from them, even if it is just to tell you we got your message and we are still researching it, is a very good idea. REAL customer testimonials speak louder than the company's marketing material.

I think the stores / malls have everything you could need or want from Western world. The Korean and Chinese companies have done a serious invasion in the consumer goods market.

Apartments unless they were recently renovated, are really NOT up to Western standards. Showers / lack of hot water, shoddy plumbing were the real issues. The water in Russia tends to have huge amounts of chlorine and calcium in it and causes havoc with old and new plumbing. They need CLR.

And for the life of me I couldn't find any

Try as I might.

Posted by: GentleGiant

Hot water was my biggest issue; a brand new hotel (well very new); good quality rooms, excellent service, NO HOT WATER!!

I moved to an old Soviet hotel used by locals and paid a 1/4 the price for a basic (Youth Hostel type) room and facilities and had all the hot water I wanted; although the shower did leak all over the bathroom floor :-).

The dire electrics in any building over a few years old; the obvious lack of maintenance of public vehicles and the lack of seatbelts in taxi's are the only other things I can think of; oh and the potholes !!!

Actually, the taxi's I used DID have seatbelts --- they just lacked anywhere to fasten them!!!

(How do you make a 30 year old Lada drive at 200kph??
Stick a "Taxi" sign on the roof)

Posted by: Testman

When I went to Kharkov, Ukraine, I stayed at an apartment. To my surprise, they had absolutely outstanding plumbing and water. It had a really new looking tank-less water heater, meaning there was endless hot water. And the water pressure in the shower was like nothing I had ever experienced before. But that could have been due to the fact the USA government won't let normal shower heads be sold in the USA. They all have flow reducers in them now.

Posted by: I/O

Quote:

Originally Posted by GentleGiant

levels of service etc, especially via email;

Email responses have usually been fine from Russian based organisations if they have the facility. However, one thing which is growing among Russian net assisted businesses, but does need to be much more widespread is a variety of language toggles on their sites. I do understand just a little of the software behind some sites and I also understand it is not always simple, but IMO it is a "must do" for Russian tourist or tourism connected businesses.

One I would point to as a good example of where I think they should go is S-7 (Siberian Airlines). It is a relatively easy site to navigate around for a non Russian and responses are usually timely. Nevertheless, they have one basic (Seeming) policy which is, if they don't know the answer, they don't answer.

The other thing I find a bit frustrating sometimes is the lack of e-com facilities with some companies. IE: Direct online payment facilities etc. I don't see a lack of technical capacity in this area but rather a seeming lack of will to move that way.

At a bigger picture level, the two things I would like to see shaken up big time in Russian systems are visa processing and banking. (I doubt it'll happen for a long time).

I/O

Posted by: deccie

What most frustrated me about Russia was just seeing the government interference and attempt to regulate everything out of sight.

As I see things this government regulation is what gives the opportunity for corruption.

My FMIL is a business woman with multiple small businesses. She only got things done because of contacts. If it weren't for them she would have been regulated out of existence.

Posted by: DKatz

During my trip to Moscow, I thought it was incredible how courteous people were to me considering how poorly I knew the language. Granted, it may have seemed a little cold and distant compared to what I'm used to in the US, but if I didn't speak English, I'm sure it would be an absolute nightmare here.

One thing I didn't care for was the way the taxi drivers swarmed around me when I stepped out of baggage claim. I must have stuck out as an easy mark for them or something. It reminded me of a trip South of the border in Tijuana years ago. Except in Mexico, it was little kids trying to sell me Chicklets and counterfeit jewelry.

Posted by: Pin Boy

funny someone mentioned customer service...when i was teaching business english last summer in kiev, one of the chapters was about customer service. we joked that we should just skip it because customer service doesn't exist in ukraine. along the lines of the same topic, i had a significant disagreement about the way my apartment rental agent handled some things and i told her i was going to complain to her supervisor, and she matter-of-factly (and truthfully) said, "no one will care."

silly me thought when a person said they were a real estate agent in ukraine that they were schooled, passed exams, licensed, and monitored by a supervisor or governmental agency. actually, anyone who prints up business cards and knows someone with apartments for rent and is employed by an "agency" can be a real estate agent.

pin boy

ps i was able to negotiate some money back because i was not told the apartment would not have hot water for two weeks and also the washing machine was broken for 8 days and i had to wash clothes in the tub. boy, was that a lot of teeth pulling!! i also learned from that situation that once ukrainians have money in their hands, the odds of you getting any of it back are very, very small.

Posted by: AkMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pin Boy

once ukrainians have money in their hands, the odds of you getting any of it back are very, very small.

I don't think that is strictly a Ukrainian trait PB. Everywhere everyone is like that!

Posted by: Raspberry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Testman

When I went to Kharkov, Ukraine, I stayed at an apartment. To my surprise, they had absolutely outstanding plumbing and water. It had a really new looking tank-less water heater, meaning there was endless hot water. And the water pressure in the shower was like nothing I had ever experienced before. But that could have been due to the fact the USA government won't let normal shower heads be sold in the USA. They all have flow reducers in them now.

In Sumy, my apartment had its own dedicated water heater, in the kitchen, and not depending on any main source. Very similar situation as yours.

Posted by: Raspberry

Quote:

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

Apartments unless they were recently renovated, are really NOT up to Western standards. Showers / lack of hot water, shoddy plumbing were the real issues. The water in Russia tends to have huge amounts of chlorine and calcium in it and causes havoc with old and new plumbing. They need CLR.

In Belarus, there is next to nothing, as far as local-made plumbing supplies. Quite often, sinks, pipes, etc. have to be special-ordered from Finland.