Mõni aeg tagasi kirjutasin järjekordadest Rootsis. Tõestuseks sellest, et ma pole enda kirjeldustega liiale läinud pakun lugemiseks artikli The Localist, mis vahendab Rootsi uudiseid inglise keeles. Seega mõned näited artiklist Stockholm Syndrome: The Waiting Games:

As I write, I am waiting on the phone, on hold to an electricity company. A very gentle and not unattractive voice has just informed me that I am number 73 in the queue and that my call will be answered shortly.
* * *
Yesterday lunchtime as I popped into Systembolaget the red counter flashed 130. I took my ticket. Number 191 – 61 people before me.
* * *
Today I decided to give in to my wanton desire and made a beeline for the balloon-festooned outlet at the end of the main station hall.

There were seven people in the queue for the only till which was open. The sleepy teenager behind the counter was unenthusiastic about her job, rolling her eyes every time the Italian tourists at the front of the queue changed their minds.

Someone who seemed to be slightly more senior – judging by the lack of eye contact with the customers, an acquired skill among reluctant serving staff – loitered behind the burger racks.

The Italians drifted off and the queue, which by this time had built up behind me, shuffled forward. It was all happening in slow motion. Even the McMusic was slowing down.

Autor on muide jõudnud põhimõtteliselt samadele järeldustele kui mina:

Of course, the real solution would be to cut the cost of employing people and get them working harder to keep their jobs, but we’ll leave the politics to the editorial page.

Lõpetuseks väike soovitus kõigile, kes kavatsevad mingit suuremat äri Rootsis avada:

When operating in Sweden, the labour costs mean you’ll never be able to afford to give good service. Indeed, Swedes don’t even expect good service.

But what they do expect, more than anything, is that your bad service is distributed equally.