Day 22 - Efficiency for Dummies

I am seriously forced to wonder where the Germans got the worldwide reputation for efficiency.  Having been here for 22 days now, I can personally attest to the fact that my experience has shown the opposite to be true.  My recent foray into the German banking system has included numerous hurdles.  The staff at the bank have been friendly and as helpful as possible, the issue is that they just can't do anything.  My current issue is specifically with the bank card.  

Imagine, if you will, that you've gone to the bank in Canada and want to take out some cash from the bank machine.  You slip in your card and realize the card doesn't work, so what do you do?  You go to the teller, tell them your card is broken and they give you a new one, right?  Well, not here in Germany.  Here, they have to send it to you in 3-5 days, followed days later by a whole new PIN, so that the entire time you have absolutely no way to get money or pay for things other than with cash withdrawn from a teller in the bank.  A bank, I might add, that has terrible hours and is hotter then the 9th level of hell due to the disturbing lack of air conditioning.  A lack that seems to effect the entire country which scares the hell out of me with the summer coming, but I digress.

So, our first cards never arrived.  Germany's addresses are dependent on names, not apartment numbers.  So, as a result, if the name is not on the mailbox, they just don't deliver it.  That's just bloody mind boggling.  The identity theft implications alone are staggering with the names of the residents on display, right there beside the address.  We did not know this, so we had to go into the bank, again, and get another set of cards sent.  

Next, our PINs arrived, followed days later by the cards.  We went to the bank machine and tried my card, the PIN didn't work.  I figured it was because the PIN was for the original card, not the new ones we received, so we left.  A few days later, because of yet ANOTHER German holiday, still no PINs.  We decide to go to the bank and try again, thinking maybe I used the wrong PIN or whatever.  I tried the one PIN, no go.  I tried the other, to be sure, and the machine happily informed me that my card was now inactive since I used the incorrect PIN 3 times.  Guess what that means...yep, you guessed it.  Now I need a whole new freakin' card along with a new damn PIN, another almost 2 weeks and my 3rd card and I still have yet to even use a machine.  Efficiency MY ASS!  I do not get it, how is this good business?  I plan to default my card indefinitely, just to make them keep paying to send me an infinite supply of cards over and over and over until the end of time.  

There are all sorts of stupid things like this in Germany.  It took Cary almost a month to have his internet installed.  Imagine that, a month.  Another thing that I can't grasp is services.  Cary bought an expensive TV and paid for installation and wall mounting.  These "professionals" showed up unprepared, with wall plugs and no stud finder in evidence, and after poking holes, they calmly stated they were unable to do it.  In Canada, someone would have been fired over that.  There are many more examples, but just typing this is making me extremely annoyed, so it's best I wrap up and go finish the bottle.

Lesson for the day, if the above was not already clear enough, is simple.  Reputations are worth exactly shit.  Judge for yourself rather than assuming what you've heard has merit.  That being said, it's a safe bet that my reputation as a writing phenom is well earned.  ;-)

Don't let the bed bugs bite...

Ian