jennifer rose
Oct 5, 2003, 9:26 PM
Post #16 of 18
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Ah, bureaucracy!
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Lisa, you and Martin have given some of the best advice ever about dealing with Mexican bureaucracy this forum’s heard in a long time. It does take time and patience to learn the lay of the land.
Remember, folks, sometimes gringo customers can be just as confusing to the person working behind the desk as he or she may seem to you. It’s a two-way street. Pleasantries, patience, and even asking about some continuing thread in their lives can go a long way. Sometimes I eavesdrop on foreigners’ dealings when I’m at the INAMI office, and I have a hard time understanding what they’re trying to ask for –in English. Imagine how the person who’s working there must feel!
How you’re dressed can make a big difference. Dress as if you’re there to do business, better than (or at least equally as well) as those who work at the office. I’ve been moved up to the head of the line at the driver’s license station just because I was dressed better than others standing in line ahead of me. This is a country where appearances really do count. Just the other day, a bureaucrat asked me about my Burberry purse, and after we discussed where the best deals on Burberry could be had, she softened her position.
Learn Spanish. Even if you never become totally fluent, at least try. Don’t go into an office expecting others to speak your native tongue.
Be patient, and be respectful. You may already know all the answers. Don’t come across like you do. Let the person behind the desk be the authority. If it reaches the point where you must challenge, do it rather indirectly. Don’t come on like gangbusters, whatever you do.
Never act like you’re in a hurry. Expect that there will be those ahead of you, and bring a good book. Allow plenty of time for a transaction, and in time you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Never, ever, criticize Mexico in any way, shape or form. Don’t compare this country to wherever it was that you came from. Foreigners are here as the guests of this country. No one, especially those working in government offices, needs to hear how the same procedure might be conducted in your homeland. Mexico sets its own rules, and it’s not a foreigner’s position to discuss how they ought to be changed, no matter how “helpful” you think a discussion about changing those rules might be. It’s your job to learn how to live with those rules and standards – not to enlighten those who live and work in this country.
Even when some of the steps and procedures may appear unnecessary to you, smile and do what you’re told. There’s a reason behind the way things are done here – even if it’s just “because that’s the way it’s always been done.”
The longer you're here, the easier it becomes.
(This post was edited by jennifer rose on Oct 5, 2003, 9:27 PM)
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