MBS Blog

Stuart Biddulph, an English teacher from the U.K. living in Ukraine writes:

 And you’re reading blogs to find out what it’s like here? It’s true that Ukraine is a harsh business environment. Corruption is a way of life, not just for official bodies, it’s ingrained in the mentality. But it’s no good complaining about it. There are historical reasons why it is so, it’s just a different system  and you simply have to work within the system. We’re the foreigners here and we can’t impose our ideas on them.

First rule, if you want to do business, find a local person to handle all the difficulties but be prepared to pay to navigate the system. To get anything done, a little incentive will always smooth the path. Accept that. In our society we have rules which on the whole are fair, sensible and consistent. Here the rules change on a whim but at least there is a way to bypass them and get what you want. We can’t do that at home. Ethically it may be unsavoury but that’s the way it is.

 Second rule is don’t assume you or your ideas will be welcomed with open arms. You might think West is Best, but they don’t. And why should they? They have always been told it wasn’t and they have some very good traditions, products and resources of their own. They simply have little concept of western life so you have to sell everything and convince them of the benefits. Don’t assume they understand the concept. Explain every detail and explain why they need to know.

 I’ll give you an example. You may have noticed how poor customer service is here. There are few help lines, few toll-free numbers for example, there’s no free delivery of purchases,  you feel you should be grateful for having the bus or taxi driver allow you to use his transport, they check your bag going in and out of shops and so on, treatment that would make us livid. But what you’ll notice on your first trip is your treatment in the bars and restaurants. Walk into any McDonalds in the world and you’ll find the same happy, attentive service, clean environment, clear menu pricing and rapid delivery.  Everywhere else here, restaurant staff have this amazing way of looking at you but seeing right though you at the same time, you’ll rarely get a smile or acknowledgement. We believe the customer is always right and we know it makes good business sense. They don’t. You can’t argue that you’re paying their wages so they should be more customer-focused. They think the boss pays their wages. They don’t wonder who pays the boss to pay them and that treating you well might actually secure their jobs and wages. They have their own problems to worry about. They think, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else. I’ve even had that response from the boss! So if, for instance, you’re thinking of starting a customer service training company, there’s great potential but you have to sell the idea and gear your courses to their mentality and perceptions, explain why they need it and how by making customer satisfaction a priority from the door through the kitchen and the table and out again will benefit staff, management and directors. You’re actually going to have to work much harder than you did in your home environment where pretty much everyone knows and plays by the same rules.

Third rule, don’t come in all bullish and assume your idea is going to work. Anticipate all the problems you might encounter and plan for them. Don’t ever rest on your laurels. Don’t boast about what you’re going to do. Just say, this is what I’d like to do, what I’m going to try to do but we’ll see. That’s not cynicism, it’s realism and a slice of humility. Otherwise, you’ll have one disappointment after another. Remain positive and focused but take off those rose-tinted glasses please! They can see you coming a mile off and they’re past masters at bullshit. They may seem impressed but they have their own agenda and they’ll exploit your weaknesses. So stay alert. Welcome to the real world!