Avoiding written communication

That's the way it is in Portugal because

1. Employees don't care (they prefer texting their friends on the job) and

2. Because they are lazy.

That's why things don't get done in this country. Very frustrating....

Electronic Complaint Form: This is the most effective method in Portugal. By law, companies are required to respond within 15 business days. In addition, the complaint is sent directly to the sector’s regulatory authority.

@juliajonesjy,

Most of the time, the problem lies not with the employees but with mediocre middle management, driven by personal interests and friendships. If these employees were to emigrate and work in Germany or Netherlands  they would certainly be much better off because they would be more valued and better paid.

This country still lives in a post-revolutionary culture, 52 years later, in which it is impossible to implement labor reforms that would increase productivity and wages (!) The left-wing unions, with dwindling membership, continue to play a decisive role in blocking any labor reform and do not approve of any changes in the employer-employee relationship. We are witnessing this right now, with a general strike already scheduled for June 3....

https://sicnoticias.pt/especiais/pergun … --fa7ddc70

https://www.sabado.pt/portugal/detalhe/ … 3-de-junho

@JohnnyPT

.......and Austria still uses Fax machines. I had to collect my blood results from my doctor, they could have sent them to me for €1 by fax 😂

They are still slow to comunicate with emails expecially government organisaions, and must be written in German although English is spoken, but quite right as German is the national language.

Customer relations are mainly handled over the phone, because calls are recorded and serve as evidence. Email is only used to follow up on a process initiated over the phone or in person. The company provides a case reference number, or initiates the process by sending an initial email. From there, the customer contacts the company via email. This is very common with insurance companies. In the case of utility companies, such as water, electricity and telecoms,  contact must always be made by telephone, because calls are always recorded.

In clinical testing, from my own experience, the laboratory responsible sends a SMS saying that the tests are complete on a specific date and time; usually  the analyses are done in the morning and they are ready by 3 pm.  The customer chooses whether to receive the results by email or on paper. If by email, the results arrive in the email on the same day. On paper, they arrive at the end of the day or the following day.

In conclusion, email is basically used after an initial contact between the customer, either by phone or in person. This is not a matter of ‘lazy’ employees, but rather company policies.