Customer Service

Joe at Cape Lopez - just outside of Port Gentil

Customer service in Gabon is really one of a kind.  Sometimes it's just outright laughable.

Let me explain...

{A}

I notice my fuel light comes on in my car so I head to one of the small gas stations not far from where we live.  I see other cars pulling out so I pull into the proper lane, shut the car off and lean down to open the fuel door.  When I sit up, there's a young man standing in my driver's side window staring directly at me with neither a smile or a frown and waving his finger back and forth.

There was no "I'm sorry but we're out of fuel" or even a "We're closed."  Just a finger wave and a cold stare to reprimand me for even driving in.

{B}

Joe and I decide to go out for dinner and we choose a 'nice' restaurant we've eaten at dozens of times.  We enter and sit down at a table for 2 and await the server to bring menus and to take our drink order.  After several minutes, I glance around and catch the attention of one of the women working and motion that we'd like to order.  With a scowl, she shuffles over and stands beside the table.

There is no "Good evening" or any exchange of pleasantries.  In fact, there is no "Would you like something to drink?"  She stares at  us, paper and pen in hand, scribbles down our order and leaves.  Not a word was exchanged.

Later on, she returns to take our food order.  I commence in French, choosing something off the menu but pause to make sure she's got it.  When I look up, she's shaking her head at me.  I ask, "Non?" and she continues to shake her head at me.  I choose something else.

{C}

At the airport in Libreville, Joe and I have to pay for extra baggage weight at the airline counter.  There are 2 women sitting behind the glass partition on computers and no one else in line.  We approach the counter and wait to be acknowledged.  Minutes pass, nothing happens.  I slide the receipt through the deposit area and continue to wait.  Without addressing us, one agent asks the other agent to help us.  She refuses and they argue back and forth about who should do it.  I catch a glimpse of her computer and she's playing solitaire.  

After several minutes of this, the one in front of us finally breaks down and grabs the receipt to process it.  She tells us the amount we owe, we pay, she returns the receipt and she goes back to her game of solitaire.

{D}

Joe and I head to the hardware store on a Saturday morning to search for a couple of things needed around the house.  After perusing the store, we can't seem to find what we are looking for.  We find an employee sitting behind a counter and proceed to explain in French what we are looking for.  We aren't acknowledged.  "Excusez-moi?" we ask again to which the employee looks directly at us, turns, and walks away.

..........

At first, this lack of customer service used to really bother us.  I mean, we come from Canada where people are generally pretty friendly (and occasionally over friendly.)  In fact, I used to hate going out for dinner because it just felt like we were paying to be treated badly and to eat mediocre food.  After 2 years in Gabon, it's fairly run of the mill and this is a fairly common occurrence.  You just couldn't live here if you let it get to you.  Now, we just laugh as it's so ridiculous - and probably one of the myriad of reasons that tourism has yet to take off in Gabon!