I am become really sick when I go to cinema and besides paying for the movie ticket they made you pay for the toilet. How come? it is almost for sure you will need to go the toilet when you are in the cinema!!!
Interestingly, even some many cinemas let you out of the building directly after the end of the movie, without even giving you the chance to go to the toilet again withoug walking around the whole building.
Is that service? are they treating us like cattle? .....well in my opinion yes.
Luckily I discovered a cinema where the toilets are for free!!! yes amazing. But the down side it is Mons, not really next to Brussels. http://www.imagix.be/cinema-imagix-mons
Well done IMAGIX!!! you are light years ahead of your competition.
There was even a paper written "Les toilettes sont desormais gratuits" including a smiley....very funny indeed. Sorry I could not take a picture of this time I would of course have posted it here.
May the force be with you when you go to movies!!!!
I ask myself this question very often, I have many theories but I do not see the evidence for any of those. In other words, I don't understand.
Today I found this interesing video, and I am not sure whether I should cry or laugh after seeing it.
Good luck!
From Tuesday 1 June 2010 to Thursday 30 September 2010 The shopkeepers "welcome" you every Thursday until 8 pm in the Dansaert area, around the Grand Place, the Vismet and St Jacobs. Instead of kicking you out at quarter to seven, they will kick you out at quarter to eight. Unbelievable right? Take a look on the website to see all the animations, contests, practical information and the 750 participating shops.
Learn more about this:
Indeed one the things in which Belgians are the best in the planet is not "frites" it is BILLING.
However, why the hell should they care for 2 euro ??????
Even worse, I received this bill begining of april, and this bill is from a "service" I had 25 of January. And actually, I already received a first bill concerning the same service, but months ago.... I don't understand.
Only the paper and the envelope propable cost more than the amount due. But this is as real as sureal is Brussels. Maybe that is why they send it on paper, for you to believe it.
Outdated laws are unfairly restricting your right to buy and sell goods freely. Even if you are reselling something you have already bought you could be targeted by brand owners for alleged illegal behaviour. This also impacts small businesses and can result in higher prices for consumers.
Take 60 seconds to watch this video about why you should support this campaign for consumer choice.
Brussels, rue Montoyer, does it sound familiar??
P.S. Apologies for not being very active in this blog lately. I have to find the time, it is not because I don't have the contents!!!
As you can see a very standard one, rather very common type of key.
Well, he was charged 6.95 eur for one single copy of the key. Can you believe it???
The funny think, and I told my friend, is that in Mr. Minit, if you make two copies of the same key, you get one extra for free!!!! ....Hilarioius!!!!
One year ago I started my adventure creating www.serviceinbrussels.info
I Have created my profile in FACEBOOK.
I have also created the facebook group SERVICE IN BRUSSELS
This is what I saw the other day in the DELIRIUM TREMENS bar in Brussels.
Delirium Tremens, besides of a beer brand, it is a nice bar in the center of Brussels. It has the most extensive beer menu of the world. More than 2000 beers on the list. Yes, two thousand, simply amazing.
It is then a mandatory stop for any beerlover. But it also reflects the kind of service you should expect in bars.
After three years living in Belgium, I believe less than 5% of the times I have had table service in bars (Excluding hotels of course).
What else can I say?
Cheers!
TODAY I CRY OF SO MUCH HAPPINESS!!!!!
Yes, because sometimes, just a small and tiny thing can make you so happy.
Today I sent an email to the Customer Service (Service Apres Vente) of the company CHAFFOTEAUX. It is a company that belongs to the big international group MTS.
The main business of CHAFFOTEAUX are all kind of WATER HEATERS for domestic applications.
They replied to my email just a few hours later and solved my problem. Isn't it that great?? Where can you find better service here???
A big applause for them!!!çI am so happy when things just work as they are supposed.
et Merci!
First of all, I am really glad you read my blog Zacharia, you must be the only one so far, I am grateful and happy for that. But….did you really read it? Or just had a quick look?
Zacharia
Monsieur,
Votre blog et les commentaires que j’y ai lus m’ont franchement choquée et n’a fait que conforter l’opinion souvent répandue des expatriés travaillant dans les institutions internationales (et je suis loin d’être la seule) et dont les plus jeunes squattent les 4 coins de la place du Luxembourg : incapacité à s’adapter aux belges et à la vie bruxelloise, qui abondent en critique sur le bruxellois et/ou les belges qui sont soi-disant d’une grande froideur mais la plupart de vos congénères sont incapables de se faire un seul ami bruxellois et ce même parfois après avoir vécu 10 ans à Bruxelles, persuadés qu’ils ont tous les droits pour être désobligeant ou dénigrer le personnel dans les magasins ou les administrations bruxelloises sous prétexte qu’ils travaillent à la commission ou qu’ils font partie de l’élite des fonctionnaires européens, etc… et je sais de quoi je parle
That is a very long sentence, but allow me to react. First please let me quote the subtitle of my bloc, which I think you did not read.
“This blog is dedicated to all those individuals/private companies/institutions/public administrations/services/etc. who do not understand the meaning of two words:”service and clients”.In particular in the area of the capital of Europe (yes,I said THE CAPITAL).This blog will channel my anger, my rage and my will to change things in this respect, and I invite anyone to do the same here. This is the best way I’ve found to do it between an absolute lack of interest from those mentioned.”
This blog is not against anyone or any country. The purpose is to channel and disseminate my testimony (an others that may contribute) of experiencing bad quality of service in general in Belgium. I want to write what I think, because it is my right to express myself, and let the others know about that. You have no idea where I am from, where I work, how long I have lived here, and how many Belgian friends I have. That is none of your business or anyone else, and it is useless in this blog.
. Je travaille et j’habite tous près de la place Schumann et j’ai déjà assisté à plusieurs reprises à des scènes à la banque, au bureau de poste où chez l’épicier où j’étais horriblement gênée ….. J’ai pu aussi constater que quand on discute avec un de ces expatriés (et j’en ai souvent l’occasion) on peut constater après une petite vingtaine de minutes que votre interlocuteur ne connaît ni le nom du premier ministre belge, ne sait pas que la Belgique est un royaume, etc… un désintérêt total pour la Belgique et les bruxellois.
So you have been testimony of other people frustration…interesting to know I am not the only one. Again, and even if it is not my case, living in your expat’s bubble has nothing to do with the purpose of this blog and the quality of service.
Tout ceci peut vous sembler très stéréotypé mais j’ai eu la même sensation en lisant votre blog. Moi j’achète et consomme en permanence en Belgique et je n’ai pas rencontré toutes les difficultés que vous énumérez mais bon .... je comprends en général très bien ce qu’on me dit au téléphone (en NL ou FR) et de manière générale je ne pense pas que l’herbe est plus verte ailleurs.
So you talk of stereotypes? I think you were trying to put me inside one of yours, only having a glance to this blog, and without knowing anything about me.
Please tell me where did I say it in this blog « l’herbe est plus verte ailleurs » ?? where did I compare Belgium or Brussels to other cities /countries ? Again….that is not the purpose of this blog. …..Of course if you live in the dessert for several years, your body get’s used to it, that is what I discover when I discuss this topic with beilgians.
Heureusement tous les expatriés ne tiennent pas le même genre de propos que vous et j'ai pu en rencontrer qui possédaient une large ouverture d’esprit, curieux de rencontrer l'autre.
I agree, fortunately all expats are not doing the same blog.
Pour terminer, Monsieur, voici une petite phrase à méditer d’un sage monsieur et qui s’adapte tout à fait à votre cas : « Qui n’a pas quitté son pays est plein de préjugés » (C. Goldoni) ou vous pouvez toujours visionner l’excellent film de Cédric Klapisch « L’auberge espagnole ».
…so, who is stereotyping me here?
How many times have you heard that response when you were in a Bar/hotel/café/pizzeria or simply a shoe store????
They just love it. They use it mostly when you ask something that is not on the menu (like pizza without one of the ingredients), or when you ask for a “special” treatment (like splitting the bill in two)
No my friends, these kind of small excesses are generally not allowed in Brussels. You must use all your power in order to get these small things. In other words, you must insist twice or more, you must ask to talk to the manager, you must go behind that person all the time and double check they don’t mess it up because probably they will, or you must even threaten them somehow. This makes me mad.
One thing I experienced to the maximum extent in this country is that everything, from the smallest redundant detail to the most important issue, can go wrong. You cannot ever count on anyone or anything, even your lawyer, your notary, your bank, or your insurance. The lesson here it: YES, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
So next time you hear from someone “c’est pas posible”, be sure they probably are wrong and what they truly mean is “I don’t give a shit bastard, leave me alone”.
Honestly, what do you see when you look at the picture below???
You probably see a bunch of dumbs! and that is definitely the first thing I saw when I looked at the picture for the first time. But, what you probably don't know that these people are actually the board of MICROSOFT CORPORATION in 1978.
What I am trying to demonstrate here is that, no matter how you look like, you are not a dumb!!! Although in Belgium, I certainly have been treated many many times like a dumb by people that only see what they want to see. You must stand up and complain in this situations, SPEAK UP!!!!!
