BEFORE YOU COME TO GERMANY... HERE ARE 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST!

Germany is a beautiful place to be, but also one of the most uncomfortable places to be when you don’t know what to expect from the culture and the people.
Trust me, you’ll love it here! But make sure you’re well prepared before, or be ready for a seriously big culture shock! 🤭
As mentioned, learning a little bit of the language goes a long way with the Germans!
So if you’d like to learn via binge-watching films & shows, check out LiñgöPie.
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MY TIPS FOR LIVING IN GERMANY ✅
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00:00 - Video begins
00:12 - Intro Chats
01:36 - Speaking German | Prep Tip #1
02:26 - Sponsor Chats | LiñgöPie.
05:06 - Understanding Germans | Prep Tip #2
06:17 - German Honesty | Prep Tip #3
06:59 - Smoking | Prep Tip #4
08:09 - Customer Service | Prep Tip #5
09:31 - Cash is King | Prep Tip #6
10:51 - Renting a Car | Prep Tip #7
11:53 - Obeying the German Rules | Prep Tip #8
14:33 - Outro Chats
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ABOUT ME
Hey there, I’m Jenna! A Canadian who has been living in Germany since 2014. 🇩🇪
Like many, I had a difficult time relocating - all the paperwork, making sure I wasn’t getting scammed, finding a flat, a phone plan, a job, etc. So, I took it slowly, documented all my learnings along the way, and partnered up with expats in every field so that I could help others avoid making the same mistakes I did. Let’s look at it as… PAVING THE WAY FOR NEW EXPATS TO SAVE TIME & MONEY!
I built up www.lifeinduesseldorf.com to help expats make the best out of their lives in Düsseldorf, and then soon realized a lot of the content I was sharing was helpful for ALL expats living in Germany. SO I BUILT AN ONLINE PROGRAM THAT HELPS EXPATS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD RELOCATE TO GERMANY EASILY - WHILE ALSO HELPING TO SAVE THEM THOUSANDS OF EUROS! 🤑
... and now I’m bringing it all to KZbin! ♥️

[@XynxNet]

Customer Service: It is a different approach. Good customer service in Germany means nobody is bothering you, but if you need help or ask for it you get it. Your examples for good american customer service would be seen here as bad customer service. In fact it was one reason why WalMart failed in Germany.

[@Hanmacx]

Walmart: Shouting the Company name Germany: we don't do that here

[@alexanderzippel8809]

Walmart: „Lets completely ignore culture, break a few laws along the way and expect to outcompete Lidl and Co in their home country. WCGW?“

[@wora1111]

I like to smile at people - even though I am a German. And most strangers will smile back. Simple as that.

[@greenhorn6582]

The German honesty is not "rude" ... it's simply an expression of respect.

[@RickDistance]

I'm so happy about german's honesty :D

[@gospelfighter6548]

Then why do they have angry faces?? I don't believe that I know for fact that these people are one of the most miserable people and they can be very nasty when it comes to their country and themselves!!

[@soundofnellody262]

Jaywalking lol. When I was a kid there was a tv show called "Der Siebte Sinn".. an education show how to behave in traffic back in the 70s/80s. One episode showed a man running across the street because he wanted to catch the tram. Next you hear is: squeaking tires, car honking and a bang. And then the voice from the off: "Ist eine verpasste Tram das wert?" 🤣 .. I never forgot :P

[@indiramichaelahealey5156]

The reason some people yell at you when you cross the street on a red light is that you are a bad example for the kids. Parents teach their kids not to cross on a red light because it's dangerous and kids can't see as far as grownups and will likely get run over. Kids then see other people just doing it anyways and don't follow the rules anymore and get hurt.

[@karinland8533]

And German kids walk to school by them selfes as youg as 7 yers old

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

@@karinland8533 They still do? I did when I was that age, but it was my impression that parents these days have become so overly protective that they drive their kids to school. Well, probably not all of them.

[@swanpride]

@@imrehundertwasser7094 Not all of them. On my workplace there is a mother who's child started school this week. She is fretting a lot and the child made an absolute meal out of the fact that she couldn't bring him to school herself BUT the parents are building walking groups and the plan is that eventually the children will walk together without any of the parents escorting them. The hope is that the children will adjust to the concept soon. And honestly, you really exclude your child if you don't allow it to walk with the others.

[@toecutter3100]

I have seen this posts after writing my own. Fully agree

[@RickDistance]

German-example thing.

[@AKS-666]

Smoking inside of restaurants, bars or any official buildings is prohibited since 2008. 😉 If you want to smoke you have to go outside.

[@eisikater1584]

Not in every state. I live in Bavaria, where it's really prohibited, but when you step outside, you'll find an ashtray provided. I'm a smoker, and when at a restaurant, I used to have a cigarette after my meal, and then a dessert, a cup of coffee, or another beer. I'm not doing that any more. It's illegal to use a cellphone while driving a car, but smoking isn't.

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

It's still allowed at some types of bars or pubs, depending on which German state you are in. It's usually not allowed at the type of restaurant where they serve proper meals.

[@emiliajojo5703]

Not true in baden-württemberg I can still smoke in my favorite Bars,not food restaurants

[@emiliajojo5703]

Come to Baden-Württemberg!

[@karinbirkenbihl2053]

I don't know how it is in America ( US, Canada), but in Germany companies have to pay a significant amount for every time they accept a payment by credit card. And as everything is cheaper in Germany the amount of mony a shop makes with an item is quite small, so if you make 5 cents selling a bottle of beer, and the credit card company charges you 50 cents, you can imagine why they do not accept it. I guess as it is very common in America to use cards, these fees are just already included into each selling price. So we prefer having less expensive products. In the pandemic at least paying with debit-cards grew very common, even in small shops and on markets.

[@karinland8533]

Yes, true. German stores prefer the Europenen debit card system v pay formen EC due to much lower fees for them

[@soundofnellody262]

The smoking thing surprises me. I work in a company with 60 employees. I know only of 2 smokers there. Among my friends I know only 1 person .. In my family are 2 smokers. I know that doesnt say much because you dont know how many friends and family-members I have.. but I never thought of it as "many". 🤔 When I grew up in the 80s ..almost every adult smoked. Including my parents unfortunately.

[@eisikater1584]

The "bad" customer service: I like it the way it is. I usually know exactly what I want, and don't want to be persuaded into something. If I need advice, I'll ask for it, and I'll get it. What we Germans honor the most is the freedom of our own decision, even if the help of a professional sometimes could have made me make a better choice.

[@MaskedBishop]

I'd be annoyed if someone asked all the questions she did as an example. It feels like "I'm not really interested in your wellbeing, but the company forces me to say that.", which is why I don't like buying at Gamestop, because they always try to sell me something I hadn't asked for.

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

I think many (if not most) Germans would find the North American type of customer service annoying.

[@swanpride]

@@imrehundertwasser7094 As a German who experienced it: Yeah, it is really annoying. I especially hate how much you get rushed in restaurants.

[@wora1111]

Eisi Kater: If you use the word "Freedom" to an American you also habe to add something like "weapon" "no mask mandate", "no vaccination" or "no public health care" in the same sentence. :-)

[@wora1111]

@Gleydson Mateus Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses...

[@HG-ru3nr]

Crossing as pedestrian on red lights is more usual in big cities (for Germany) like Düsseldorf or Cologne. In smaller towns it is better to use the green phase. In a restaurant ask for a recommendation on the menu. The waiter is still helping you. Not at a Diner. In german we say, nur fragenden Leuten kann geholfen werden. So, as a customer, you have to ask.

[@Thoringer]

Oh the smoking! I moved to the US in 2006 from Germany. I was just for 2 weeks in Germany. You are SOOOO RIGHT! Smoking everywhere! Oh, I hated that! It was the same in Frankfurt, Dresden, Berlin, wherever I visited with my son, smoking.

[@MA-zg2pz]

I grew up with two chain smoking parents ( in US) and I couldn’t wait to get away from it. Especially because I have asthma. And tired of smelling like smoke. But now…If I smell cigarette smoke as I walk by someone it makes me feel 🥰🥹. My brain just connects that smell to home somehow. But anyway haha yeah I also have 2 kids now and don’t want them to get any second hand smoke.

[@butenbremer1965]

In Frankfurt gelten rote Fußgängerampeln eher als Handlungsempfehlungen mit überschaubarem Dringlichkeitscharakter. Man gilt schon als verantwortungsbewusst, wenn man sich wenigestens vorher umschaut, ob Kinder in der Nähe sind.

[@Rainerjgs]

Vielen herzlichen Dank für Deine so ansteckende Freundlichkeit und Begeisterung! Deine klugen Hinweise sind sicherlich sehr hilfreiche für alle Ausländer in Deutschland.

[@lifeingermany_]

🥰♥️ vielen lieben Dank!

[@soundofnellody262]

lol, "customer service is kinda lousy here".. depends on perspective. When I was in NYC I HATED the customer service there. I wondered if they want to sit next to me to cut my meat and feed me.. They were constantly going on my nerves with their questions if I want this or that.. NO I WANT TO EAT IN PEACEEEEEE 🤣 aww... just gonna love different cultures

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Very true. I don't think that the tipping culture in Germany has got anything to do with it (though the tipping culture in the US may well have contributed to the development of the over the top service culture there). Waiters in Germany like to get tips, too, and at least classy restaurants (as well as well managed normal restaurants) will not employ a waiter for long if he gets grumpy or rude with the customers. We just have different expectations for service and the way American waiters are constantly bugging and pampering customers would actually annoy us. Reminds me of the classic skit with Dieter Krebs, in which he goes to a fancy restaurant with his date and the very polite waiter there keeps suggesting more and more alternatives to choose and Dieter gets more and more annoyed with him because he just wants to place his order and then be left in peace. He finally flips and yells at the waiter. His date is then angry and embarassed about him because he was so rude to the nice waiter and walks out on him. Dieter shouts at the waiter that his date had just dumped him because because of him and he says he is so mad he could just strangle him - to which the ever polite waiter then replies by asking him whether he would like to use his bare hands, a rope, or a shawl and if he should opt for a shawl, we could offer silk, kashmeer ... Though Dieter's reaction is over the top as well, a German watching that skit will usually consider that waiter's behavior crazy and emphatize with the annoyed customer. An American would probably be like "I don't get what he is annoyed about, that's just good customer service..."

[@Piretfreak87]

My thoughts exactly. I guess, I would go nuts. :D

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

maybe they want to force you to pay them to leave you alone

[@petereggers7603]

...and don't forget that you get the bill and supposed to leave when serving the dessert...THAT is NOT customer service!

[@marcuszaja6589]

​@@chrisrudolf9839 I agree. Personally I think customer service deemed as German is "on demand" and I like that, especially in restaurants. The other way, no matter where it may occur, to me is more like "harassment" :o).

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

Manual transmission = Schaltung or Schaltgetriebe more precisely, even that an automatic transmission is also a "Schaltung" but not referred to as such. Schalter is a term that refers to a switch, like light switch. Jaywalking: If you are more than 100m from a "legal" crossing you are free to cross the street. The reasoning is that it should not be beyond a reasonable effort to get there. But if you cross e.g. within 20m of a crosswalk or traffic light you might get fined.

[@ixiwildflowerixi]

Gosh, that poster hit me... My grandma was a gal from Derendorf and I so miss her. She build up her existence from scratch after losing her parents in WWII. She was so much more emancipated and worldsmart than most people of younger generations. I really need to head to the Nordfriedhof again to see her and the squirrels that accompany her most of the time nowadays. Kinda neglected it due to Corona.

[@wora1111]

Jaywalking reminds me of the saying "You need a village to raise/educate a child". We have a set of rules that we think everybody in a society should adhere to: You, me, my neighbor, the mayor or any other politician. As a general rule I would say this mindset helped us a lot in the last decades.

[@slidenapps]

Someone comes to mind.....

[@typxxilps]

And the fines for that are very high and you will loose the driver licence and any other licence as pilot or captain too for at least 1 months. The city here has extra pedestrian and bicycle police officers for this topic and the average fines they collect per day is over 500€ per police man in such duty, so the city is getting safer and the efforts pay off with 12000€ fines per month and police man

[@fitwithartin]

Thank you for putting a timeline under this video!

[@berndhoffmann7703]

ups 9:49 - actually that is regulated on the community level. Drinking in public could be restricted to certain areas, or at certain times. Most municipalities do not. have regulations on drinking in public, therefore it is generally allowed. Where it starts to get out of hand (like the Binnenalster in Hamburg, or inner-city areas of Stuttgart) there are usually residents who start complaining and regulations will be put in place. In Bavaria, well known for its beer gardens, it is common that they stop serving outside at 10pm.

[@settlingingermanywithmarle9866]

Thank you very much for the entertaining video and sharing your experience.

[@sarahmichael270244]

great job! as always👍😍

[@vbvideo1669]

Sehr interessantes Video! :)

[@cemikhael]

I also struggled with the lack of customer service when I first moved to Germany but now I kinda accepted it how it is and I don’t expect any worker to go out of his/her way to meet my request. And no, I don’t only mean at restaurants or shopping stores… everywhere! However, I must admit that after the lockdown, the approach towards customers has significantly changed, people who work with customers seem to be happy to have work again and appreciate having clients and try to meet their needs/requests, as opposed to the “take it or leave it” attitude before the lockdown 😅

[@lumina9995]

They do "go out of their way" to serve you, though. One has to ask, of course. When I am looking for something at my supermarket, the server takes me to where it is. What more can you expect?

[@gilliantracy7991]

Great video. Thank you! Just found your channel. Liked and subbed.

[@berndhoffmann7703]

7:49 all regulations regarding smoking in public are regulated at the federal state level. Therefore it could well be if you change the Bundesland (federal state) regulations are completely different. Overall in most federal states smoking inside is not allowed, usually smokers have to go outside. But as I've said that differs from fed. state to fed. state - personal experience could be different.

[@elliespr4185]

I‘m from Berlin and I always cross at the red light, we just do that here 😂 but I also noticed that in other parts of Germany people really get pissed at you for that 😂

[@tasminoben686]

Moin Jenna.. Hier kenne ich, was das Lächeln auf der Straße angeht die Redensöeißheit: 'Ein Lächeln ist das Kleingeld des Tages' Alles Gute für die Restarbeit bei eurem Umzug! Bin schon auf ein Vid über eure neue Bleibe gespannt! LG Ben

[@khumbulanimakombe493]

thank so much

[@arctix4518]

From my perspective it's dependent on the number of people around. In back streets or industrial areas it's completely common to jaywalk, similar to roads with little traffic in this situation in general. But if there are waiting more people at the traffic light or especially kids, then germans can be very strict and wait, even if it is a small street or low traffic. Kinda a good example for group dynamics in Germany :D

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

I think that describes it rather well.

[@hanneloreueber5413]

@@imrehundertwasser7094 LP

[@Osmone_Everony]

When Germans tell you they don't smoke a lot it's because we smoked much more before bars, pubs, Discos and restaurants all became a non-smoking area. Iirc it was a few years before you moved here.

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

2007/2008.

[@worldhello1234]

@1:53 It is even worth in France. They don't even try to ease the transition by speaking English.

[@petereggers7603]

If you survived customer service in France, you'll be prepared for Germany. Btw: changes to a dish on the menu - what some people from north america really like to do (quite an obsession) - is considered as a personal attack on the chef. ;-)

[@peaksandpaws]

I love that you have learned how Germans tick and still appreciate them. ;) It is a pleasure to watch you talk about our culture and our habits because you don't just laugh at us (even though there are enough opportunities for that... Haha), but you also explain why Germans are the way they are and we are not just rude and mean as everyone thinks. We are just different. I do have to agree on Germany being a "Servicewüste" (service desert), though. There would be some room for improvement. ;) I am a German who has been living in the US for the past 12 years by the way. So it is very interesting to see things the other way around.

[@lifeingermany_]

Thanks so much for the awesome comment! 🥰

[@janpracht6662]

@@lifeingermany_ If some restaurants/stores should not accept credit cards (they have to pay 1,5% "Creditcard Disagio" from your customer's bill if you pay by credit card. Some companies do not want to take the costs), usually they accept EC card, with only about 0,2 % Disagio, clearly cheaper. Actually, I do not know any restaurants/stores here in Hamburg where you cannot pay either with credit card and/or EC card.

[@gospelfighter6548]

You germans love to boss people around and humiliate them This anger and hatred is in your blood You germans believe you are the super race!

[@sofiaagosti4089]

I have actually lived in Vancouver for a couple of years now and I have never seen someone Jaywalking, which I found strange because in Italy everyone does it and I loved that Canada was more “civilized”

[@flauschiger_keks]

It‘s not because it is a rule, but because children could be around and see you cross the street on a red light. It is kind of a common agreement that adults should be a role model to children in terms of road safety.

[@davidgolojuch615]

And cars with 50km/h are easy in a few seconds at the crossing where you still slow walk in the middle of the road.

[@karimnabil1851]

I'm trying to choose between Canada and Germany and it is really hard to make a decision

[@JaquesGermany]

Wahnsinn, wie oft „actually“ fällt. 😂🤣 Davon werde ich bestimmt heute Nacht träumen. Lach

[@aguadejamaica1]

Your crying at 13:14 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Piretfreak87]

Well I guess if you're frpm North America, the costomer service appears to be bad (and some Germans might agree) but I don't think so. If I don't want ice cubes in my drink, I tell them. If I want ice cubes in my drink, I tell them (which isn't very common, because personally, if I order a Coke I want the Coke and not 20% of the actual drink and the rest filled with ice cubes). I would be super annoyed if the waiter would come to my table every few minutes to ask me if I want something else. If I want something, I'll order it. No need to bother me with questions. So no, I don't think that the costomer service is bad here in Germany. They just don't bother you.

[@MA-zg2pz]

It depends on the American restaurant. Chain restaurants have actual quotas for how many times they must visit your table to “ensure quality service”. But nice restaurants have more tact and their waiters are in tune to humanity not quotas.

[@gospelfighter6548]

And I can tell you that in Germany people are afraid to ask question or speak to one another, because they might get a very blunt and cold answer and that is very true Germans are too too much close-minded They really know how to humiliate one another when it comes to their privacy Many germans say Americans are so patriotic and love their country Germans love their culture and rules so so much that almost everyone will act like a police and I mean in a very very unfriendly way, because in Germany everything is about Germany and germans I know things are changing now but still there need to be more immigrants and foreigners in Germany

[@toecutter3100]

I would like to "give my mustard" (german saying: seinen Senf dazu geben, means say something to a certain topic): Almost every American/Canadian semms to believe, not to jaywalk has its reason i the german passion for following rules. Sorry, this is not the real reason. Some of the visitors or immigrants noticed, that in Germany kids make their way to school or even to Kindergarten independent in a real young age. If you bare that in mind you maybe understand, why many germans don't like adults to give the kids a bad example. If i imagine a kid sees me cross the street on red light, do the same and gets hurt by a car i wouldn't have a happy second in my life.

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

I live in Colorado & most places now have their cashier machines set to 25% tip… I wish it was set up more like Germany / most other countries honestly! (And minimum wage is around $11 here so the tipping culture seems off.)

[@Rainerjgs]

Trinkgeld ist ja doch in aller Welt freiwillig - und deshalb darf niemand gezwungen werden ein solches zu geben und daran sollten wir uns öfters mal wieder erinnern!

[@fiesehexe8133]

Concerning the smoking in restaurants: inside it's prohibited. Outside a lot of people don't smoke if a family with small kids is sitting close by. As for the customer service: in high class restaurants the staff will give you an overview over today's specials, but often also in written form (by bringing a chalk blackboard, very cute). So you can take your time to pick... And you can utter any preferences you might have, and in most places people will do their very best to fulfil your special needs or wished. (as a vegan with a number of stupid allergies I do tgat a lot, and often the chefs even take it as a challenge and come up with great solutions). I wouldn't call that "lousy service". It's just that the average German customer would feel pressed by too much servitude. As for the jaywalking: the clue is the presence of kids (again). If there are any, just set a good example and wait. We as adults can judge if we put ourselves in danger by crossing a red light. Kids don't yet have the necessary overview.

[@silmuffin86]

I've seen people smoking at playgrounds, and no one ever cared not to smoke next to my baby and young daughter outdoor in restaurants or cafes. They smoke sooo much everywhere. And I come from Italy, where it's more common than in North America where I also lived

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

@@silmuffin86 Many smokers, in my opinion, are actually quite anti-social. They think of themselves as being super-social (because their drug tampers with their brain functions), but in reality they don't realize (or don't give a shit) that non-smokers feel pestered by the toxic fumes they produce.

[@eisikater1584]

I'm a smoker, and I think I'm a very social smoker. It's obvious that you don't light a cigarette when there are kids around. But I won't kill a half-smoked cigarette at a bus stop just because some kids are walking by. Jaywalking isn't necessarily just crossing a red light. I sometimes deliberately cross a street some meters away from the red light when I see there's little or no traffic. I know kids can't judge speed and distance as we adults do, and you can never be sure whether a kid doesn't watch from a window, but how probable is that?

[@fiesehexe8133]

@@eisikater1584 True.

[@jimgeiser487]

Should have mentioned the price of gasoline. It is a lot higher than it is in US and probably Canada.

[@lifeingermany_]

Much much higher!! 🤭 USA is also quite cheap compared to Canada, just depends on the overall oil prices!

[@javiermarcialcespedesberne8575]

Hola, que tal?, como van?, Los mejores y más cordiales Saludos desde puente piedra, lima, Perú, ojalá que puedas venir en algún momento a mi país y que disfrutes mucho de todo por aquí, con la familia y los amigos; felicidades por tus vídeos.

[@houghi3826]

Cash is king for different reasons. The most important one is not the stores, but the people. They do not want it, because they see it as a risk to their privacy, because they think then the credit card company and/or the bank sees what they are buying and they do not want that. This has changed a lot during Covid. Larger companies and supermarkets know that cash also costs money to handle. Especially supermarkets would love to deal less with cash. It needs to be counted, brought to the bank and what not. That time is spend that you do not have with cards (either credit or debit). Percentages paid in the US for cards is often higher than what sores would pay in Germany. Especial for the debit (bank-)card this is the case. The amount in Germany is the same as in other European countries where card payments are way more common. And I say card payments as credit and debit can be treated the same way. It is also a fact that way less people have a credit card. It is often seen as a way to pay for more expensive items, not for your coffee or single beer. Contactless payments are on the rise. Mainly due to Covid, but not as high as in several other surrounding European countries. e.g. in the Netherlands paying with card is so common that when you want to pay cash in a cafe, they need to go back for the wallet. Smaller stores often are against cards, because it will all show up in the books. The more cash there is, the easier it is to 'forget' to mention it as income. Concerning the Customer Service: It isn't bad. It is different. Eating in Germany (and Europe) is more of a social event not just because you where too lazy to prepare food. That means you want to talk with your friends or family. That means you don't want to be disturbed every time by a waiter to ask for whatever. I am an adult and I can speak up if I need something. It also means that you are not pushed out when you are done with your meal. The customer decides when he is done with his or her dinner, not the waitress. Even in an almost empty restaurant not anywhere near closing time in the US you get the bill without asking. At that moment it is "Money and go away' and all customer service ends. In Germany I can sit and order another drink and another and another and talk with friends and they make more money by me ordering. If they have a double booking for the table, they will tell you up front when you have to leave and you can then decide if you are ok or look for an other place. They will also tell you if you are the last customer and they want to close.

[@rishiraj9131]

🙏

[@Apankou]

Apparently customer service is the 'controversial' topic here, so here goes: Both the tipping and the 'we don't like fake friendliness' reasons are true for Germans. I never heard a waiter deny a request for a modification though. My parents *always* order their food altered (extra spices, extra garlic, without a certain ingredient) in restaurants, and they always do it. If you ask for more (like extra bacon on top), you might have to pay an additional sum though. Lovely video again though, with all German honesty. :)

[@boyciecat2514]

It's not faking friendliness, its being polite, barbarians wouldn't understand. :-)

[@gospelfighter6548]

It is so funny and sad that germans think other friendly races are fake These people don't wanna do small talk because its a waste of time, but they have all the time to stare at you and examine you Theses people are one of the nastiest people I've ever experienced Germany is one of very depressed countries You will see it when you see angry and sad faces and they almost have no feelings Germans are like programmed robots They do almost everything according to rules not of their own accord

[@gerdpapenburg7050]

09:58 - did I hear it right? Fastfood at a Greek restaurant - maybe a Döner or whatever. This exactly shows the superficiality of Northern Americans which is really not appreciated in my country. Nicht bös gemeint, aber es soll Dir zeigen wie einige Deutschen ticken.

[@felixfrings4743]

Well they get paid enough to live with the money they earn. So they don’t need to fall over to make the customer happy. Also I’d say there isn’t any problem for Germans with that. We simply like it the way it is, I wouldn’t call it lousy…

[@chrisrudolf9839]

If you greet a stranger with a big smile on your face while passing them in the street, you even might weird them out. They will probably rack their brains whether they have met you somewhere before and just can't remember right now, because when a German does this, it would probably be because he knows you and was happy to meet you.

[@azurednawellness4470]

🎏Sehr interesant

[@yxnsoong735]

Hi, I just saw your ad for Lingopie and noticed that they apparently use people who don't speak proper German. I noticed that there were many grammatical mistakes....have you used them? What did you find? Thanks

[@thomasp.5057]

• About smoking: I stopped smoking 16 years ago and I am very proud that I got rid of that addiction.But I still try to not become on of this kind of extreme non smokers who complain all the way when they are confrinted for smokers. Isn't it also a matter of freedom? Both North America and Europe are on the way to have less smokers, I think the U.S. and Canada are further on that way than germany or europe. AFAIK smoking is prohibited in german restaurants, or clubs/bars. So I guess you must have been searching for a very long to find somebody smoking in a restaurant. :-) In the first years, when the german politics started do work against smoking in public, restaurants invested some money to divide their premises into a smoking and a non smoking area. But a couple of years later the smoking areas have been closed at all. There are still some arguments to close even separated smoking areas mainly to protect the employee from the smoke. As I told already, I do not smoke for over 16 years now, but I think this was not OK. • About customer service in germay: I do not visit starbuck's or subway restarants too often because of the endless questions about what kind of bread, salad, sauce I would like wir my sub are driving me nuts. 😂 • "Schaltwagen" = "manual car"? (not automatic car): The germans prefer manual cars because thy think to have more control over their car, I also prefer manual cars, but I know that in future time the offer of manual cars wil get less and less... • Jaywalk: you not might only become yelled at it you do that. If a police office catches you, you will have to pay 5 Euros or even 10 Euros, if you cause an accident. Psst ... don't betray me, I did that sometimes also 😏

[@christinesattelmayer2025]

If you are in Germany and want to cross the street on red lights, make sure that there are no kids around. German parents teach their children to stop at red walk at green and it is a safety measurement which makes sense to me. Giving a good example is important.

[@JorlinJollyfingers]

Is Düsseldorf even part of Germany? Greetings from Cologne ;)

[@rolandscherer1574]

I hate it when a waitress comes to the table every 2 minutes to ask if I want anything else and if everything is perfect. I want to eat in peace and talk to my friends without being constantly disturbed. I find it polite that waiters only take action when they are called or beckoned.

[@gospelfighter6548]

Because you are so much occupied with yourself This is a typical German thing You don't want people to come close to you because you love yourselves and think about your own selves too much Germany is a country of robots

[@rolandscherer1574]

@@gospelfighter6548 To have a close conversation with my frinds while eating and not wanting to be interrupted is robotic? Well...

[@Hermes1976]

Where in Germany do you live? I want to move BUT I don't want to buy a car. Where or what city/town can I do this ?

[@lifeingermany_]

In any city in Germany, you won’t need a car! I live in Düsseldorf and had no issues. There are also even better cities with transit like Berlin and Munich! 🤩

[@nordwestbeiwest1899]

Jenna I have to tell you that I was a smoker until 2 1/2 years ago but had to quit after my heart attack. Since then my taste has come back, I taste so different things again that I enjoyed in childhood. God I am glad that I no longer smoke because only now do I smell how it stinks when someone smokes . This is so gross. Never smoke again because since I quit I can breathe again!I've smoked for 40 years, why didn't I quit earlier? I ask myself that every day now. So Jenna, if a North American rents a gearbox, then he must have got his driver's license on the car, that is, on a gearbox. And in most cases it is not! Because in Europe, the one who has not got his driver's license on a gearbox has a driving license for it because only those who have got their driving license on an automatic gearbox can be overwhelmed in Europe with the mass of traffic signs and rules and still change gears Most North Americans not without damaging the gearbox. So if you have your driver's license on an automatic gearbox, you can only drive an automatic in Europe. It can be expensive if you are stopped by the police at a traffic control and they then notice that you do not have a driver's license for the vehicle because in Europe everything on the document states which vehicles are allowed to drive with the driver's license. If you don't know Jenna but cross the street at a red traffic light, if you are caught by the police, you will be fined 20 €.

[@salamchannel3440]

I want to move to Dusseldorf because my small children are there with my ex wife. my question is can I find job with English only? thanks lot.

[@EHonda-ds6ve]

Yeah, a few words German would at least give people a smile but most younger people speak English

[@chrstiania]

Yes, we don't tip as much. But than again, if we had the same tipping system as in the States the waiters/waitresses disrupting you constantly would make the lowest Tipps. What you consider shitty service, we prefer.

[@gospelfighter6548]

Because germans are stingy They are never großzügig

[@arnodobler1096]

AmEx is not exceptet (too expensive) since 30 yrs Visa and Master Card in Hotels and Restaurrantss are okay

[@wernerharms4833]

Best customer-service is when nobody gets on my nerves. Just keep away with stupid questions like May I help You. If I had a problem, I'd tell You.

[@gospelfighter6548]

And that shows how weak nerves you have it is like a small spoilt child Chill out and don't be so so sensitive

[@berndhoffmann7703]

12:45 one should at least watch out for the police, if you jaywalk they will impose a penalty, they will check the passport in that situation as well. If you do not have one with you it will higher your penalty payments.

[@peterkoller3761]

I consider it good customer service if I am not pestered all the time to eat/drink/buy more - to Germans/Austrians, American style "customer service" comes across more like: "if you don´t want to eat/drink more NOW, you better get your sorry a.. out of here!" Perfect waiter service here is a waiter who doesn´t come to the table every 5minutes and interrupts you conversation with your friends to urge you to get some more, but who leaves you alone and is at your service immediately if you look for eye contact or sign them over.

[@Joungblood666]

hi, i know, and im german ......so i cant hold it back,

[@lifeingermany_]

It’s so very true unfortunately!

[@gospelfighter6548]

I am so sorry but when I worked at clothing store in germany we also learned to be friendly to customers even if we were not in the mood Please stop being hypocrite It is not only in USA Germans love to be friendly and flatter when they wanna get something and i have experienced it myself

[@berndhoffmann7703]

13:40 of course they mean it, they are mean per se

[@Groffili]

The thing - the attitude - with the "Germans smoking" annoys me a bit. It displays a bit of a crusader mentality. Not that this doesn't happen in other cultures - including Germany - as well... but it seems to be very pronounced with the North Americans, and here with the U.S. Americans. When I was young, smoking was a lot more prevalent than it is today... and it was an "American" thing. Advertisements in cinemas? The Marlborough man was cowboying through the prairie. Western, crime shows, comedies, love stories on TV? Hollywood creations of course... and everyone smoked. It permeated culture... and the "culture" that was of most interest to the young people was... the USA. And then America changed. For good reasons, surely... but with the culture changed the attitude. And suddenly the thing they had promoted for decades became a big no-no... and the Americans became angry when someone dared to not follow their most recent trend, as if it was some sort of personal affront.

[@lifeingermany_]

Interesting perspective! But you’re entirely right! 🤭😖

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

Yeah Americans finally learned how unhealthy smoking is & most people do not like the smell now. Thankfully a lot has changed since the 1960s.

[@shabbasi9159]

Yeah, it's easy to blame the Yank. I left Germany many years ago, I remember the schools in Germany. Kids as young as 14 were allowed to smoke in designated smoking areas. Absolutely disgusting, something impossible here in the UK.

[@Groffili]

@@shabbasi9159 Something impossible in the UK today... or "many years ago"? Because today, smoking is strictly forbidden in schools in Germany. But back in "many years ago", it was still allowed. In Germany, but also in the USA and I would guess in the UK also. And not only in schools... smoking was everywhere. Smoking was cool. Smoking was "mature". Just take a look at basically ANY movie made or set in the 1900's... and somewhere, there will be someone smoking. Casually. Without judgement. It was normal. It was advertised. It was promoted. And the thing that promoted it back in these days was... Hollywood and the rest of american culture that was dominant for "the West". It's undeniable. Now, I don't defend that. I have never smoked, and I think it is neither healthy nor appealing. But my point wasn't the promotion nor the rejection of smoking. It was aimed at the - overwhelmingly American - culture of "What? You don't do what we do? You must be crazy or evil!"

[@rumpeldrump]

If you have a driver's license, it can cost you a month to go through a red pedestrian traffic light with your license being withdrawn

[@TheRomy22ify]

minute 4:20, most of the translated german words are wrong, sorry to say that 😇

[@PalmyraSchwarz]

Hi Jenna, I wonder a little bit that "Wegbier" is really a part of your Germany preview. O.k. nobody gets trouble, if you drink publicly a beer on the street, but you may be placed in a corner that you don't want to belong to.

[@lifeingermany_]

Maybe it’s different from city to city, but in Düsseldorf, it’s okay to grab a Wegbier on a Saturday night and walk down to the water with friends! I don’t do it myself (wish I could occasionally haha - but I have a little one at home ♥️)

[@PalmyraSchwarz]

@@lifeingermany_ Maybe it's also a generation thing. Nobody yells at young people at Friday night, when they "vorglühen" (pre-glow) and drink publicly a few beers, because anyone expect, that young people do this, but when I see people in the forties in the same situation, that gets another flavour.

[@alexanderroth1427]

learned something new so "good" costumer service = straight being anoying to the cusomer...germans take there time going out for dinner wich means they sit sometimes 3 hours and enjoy there time. this culture compared with american "costumer" service can´t work because xou would get pissed off getting ask something by the waiter every 5 minutes. sooo..its not "louwsy" its erfect for the german restaurant culuture wich is not like sit..eat..leave..like in america :)

[@gospelfighter6548]

Olaf Scholz is the best Chancellor for Germany and we need more immigrants and foreigners

[@gospelfighter6548]

What I have learned in Germany there is almost no encouragement if you do something that's good, but Woe to you if you make even a tiny mistake All hell will break loose, because germans make a huge failure out of a tiny mistake and they know how to use harshness They are only friendly to you when they need something desperately from you

[@JohnHazelwood58]

Well, as I am german I don't own a creditcard and I am not sure if I know anybody of my family and friends who owns a creditcard...!? o_O Like the Germans say: "Nur Bares ist Wahres!" :-)

[@kolli7150]

Oh yeah. German here who is definitely annoyed by native English speakers who „expect“ me to adapt and speak in English to them. More than once was I interrupted in the middle of a conversation by native English speakers who just decided to end the conversation in the middle of me saying a word by starting their own conversation out of the blue just because they are there and want to speak. I don’t care if they kindly ask to interrupt for whatever reason. Not at all. I am happy to help out if I can. And I am always there to teach anyone German who is open minded enough the best I can as well. But I really do not appreciate this interrupting nonsense behaviour...

[@sonyphotoguy6601]

Why would you set a rule if you don't follow it? Then it is no rule. It's only a recommendation.

[@Kessina1989]

5:30 Oder vielleicht doch, wer weiß, was die unter der Maske machen!

[@capricorn1970i]

Crossing red lights as a pedestrian is just a No Go when kids at any age are around ... 😇

[@MaskedBishop]

I was shocked when I first went to London and almost everyone seemed to ignore the lights.

[@enimaroon4631]

My mom likes to say that people that walk around smiling for no apparent reason are either suspicious or crazy. Of course that's just a joke but also a little bit true.

[@lifeingermany_]

😂😂 I swear I’m not crazy!

[@robertzander9723]

Good morning Jenna, With all these weird north Americans and their crazy channels on KZbin, I'm quite surprised that people still like to come to Germany and don't turn around immediately. 🤭😁😉😜 Hihi, just kidding 👍 I'm happy to have you here in Germany 🍻 For smiling and laughing, we mostly like to go to a secret place called the basement🤭😂😂🤣

[@slidenapps]

Hahaha

[@typxxilps]

Why ? no kidnapping, no public shootings, multiple times safer streets, far better environment protection, free education and cheap health care, children get the best they can get going to school by feet or riding a bicycle, far higher efficiency and a social net that works in case of desaster like flood fire or pandemic better than in the US. Check out how many people have learned to swim in the USA and germany cause this is part of the culture and education here but not in the USA. The likelihood to dy in traffic in Germany is multiple times lower than that in the USA even though you can drive a lot faster, but the americans like to ignore the rules and the amount the rules they have is a lot lower cause our safety rules have increased and been adopted while the US have 50 states with up to 50 kinds of how to drive right.

[@robertzander9723]

@@typxxilps Ich hoffe doch sehr das auch sie als wahrscheinlich deutscher Landsmann verstehen was ein Scherz, ein Spaß ist? Noch mehr Emojis kann ich nicht mehr darunter setzen. Falls sie es nicht können ist das definitiv ihr Problem, aber vielleicht lernen sie irgendwann damit umzugehen, wäre wünschenswert. Ansonsten noch ein schönes Leben.

[@robertzander9723]

@@typxxilps und in Sachen Flut ist in Deutschland leider aufgrund der Bürokratie noch gar nichts passiert, zu dem haben sich jede Menge Versicherungen geweigert etwas anzubieten, da sie natürlich die Risiken kannten und die Leute in NRW stehen vor dem Nichts.

[@johnveerkamp1501]

The Germans immediately find the Dutch to direct. The Dutch 94%. Speaks ENGLISH.

[@JS-iy4zb]

Why don’t you have a Canadian accent? 😂

[@typxxilps]

If you arrive with english only you are stupid and running in a lot of issues cause you will feel lost sooner or later for simple legal reasons. J walking is serious - you will loose your driver and pilots licence if a police guy watches you and the fines are pretty high even over 1000 €. If you will be fined twice or even a third time you can not even get a licence test cause your driver licence will be invalid for 1 month first, then about 3 months and the last time for 6 months but in that case you usually will have to do a mental health and habits examin called MPU which checks if you can recognice mistakes you make and behave better. It is mostly used to check addicted (alcohol / drug) if they learned to change behaviour and it costs each time about 500€. The average guy needs several attempts and trainings to make it through that examin and that takes them a year or more and finally 5000€ just to get a licence back. Best idea to ignore a red light and walk a second later onto the street. If you start crossing after 1 sec of red light or later then driver licence is gone - and of cause you can go to caught and pay for the judges decision which will end in a no mercy decision cause he will look into your domestic regulations for car licence if you can start crossing a red light or not. Do not forget that any issue with a driver licence will cause issues with your pilots licence or captains patent. One gone, all gone. And that is good for everyone in a society, therefore people are yelling at you and if you start a discussion they might even call the police cause the police will listen first and then tell you only once what can happen - and they explain that to you at a child level that you can not misunderstand it - and what you will have to pay now or in the future, but they will write a notice that you had been warned. We had masses of refuggees and visitors that tend to ignore most of the basic rules and now the shelter and tourism offices warn everyone that fines are high, have to be paid and that driver licence can be lost for 1 to 6 months and in case of repeating pattern forever. Same for driving drunk, regardless if motorbike or car or even bicycle. Yes, the judge can forbid you to even ride a bicycle after you had 3 serious cases of driving drunk a car or a bicycle cause who pays for your mistakes and the injures your misbehaviour cause. Landlords are not happy and employees of any agency are reluctant or even forbidden to help someone and switching to english cause in case of misunderstanding of 1 word they will have to pay the price - at least if things go to court. So any german must be stupid to speak in english or foreign languages if that finally can end at court due to the complexities involved who is responsible. Therefore our major has stopped employees to listen or give advices in foreign languages cause it can harm the major cities interests and result in high costs. Simple rule is that the foreigner has to speak german or to bring a translator or friend to translate. Simple, easy and works quite well. If the foreigners loose time this way it is simply their own issue not being prepared right. And it is easy to communicate cause it needs 1 sentence to explain: be prepared to speak german or bring a translator Since then the employees are a lot more happy cause they can not make a mistake by translating things not perfect and the pressure on them is gone, the foreigners also learn to learn the language or come back again with a translator they will have to find and pay for, not the public. Recently a foreigner had purchased an EV and applying for 6000€ grants but she had made a mistake and claimed that the agency clerk had given her a wrong advice in english cause in this case the agency was not part of the majors towns but the county. And the lady will never get those 10.000€ but wants to go to court cause she the employee had explained it to her wrong where he pretends that he did not tell her to buy a used car but a new one from the manufacturer or dealer only. She bought used and from a dealer, but a car for which the previous owner had already gotten grants, and therefore you can not get a second time any grant. The federal agency rejected her wish for 6.000 € grants which was right. The local county agency told her to buy new to avoid any risks, but she bought from the dealer a 7 months old car and claimed that she could get grants, but: the dealer said at court that he had of cause told her that she could not get any grants for this car. She can pretend that the agency employee has given a false advice, but that was called a ly cause the dealer had explained to her and written in the contract that she can not apply for these grants. Do not know if the judgement is final or she will spend another 5000 € for the next higher court. And smoking in restaurants is forbidden for over a decade, the figures of new smokers are stalling and the others reduce it due to exploding prices by high fees that increase. Also smokers have it hard to get a job and find an appartment cause landlords do not wanna have smokers in their appartement which can also cause a lot of trouble in the neighborhood if it is a 4 or 8 appartement block for 2 reasons: * smells ugly and everywhere in the house * higher risk of fires The smokers have usually a lower education profile and income, the quote has also raised due to the fact that the quote of smokers among the foreigners that moved in has been a lot higher then the german population. Here we have 1 smoker in our family and circle of friends who is smoking 1 package - per year, so 2 each months. The other 2 have died by cancer and covid, but with 35 and 47 they did not get that old. No one else is smoking anymore.

[@MoDKoP]

What are you talking about, j walking and the fines you mentioned? Looks like you are confusing the fines with those for running a red light with a car/motorcycle! Ignoring closed railroad gates as a pedestrian costs 350 € and gets you 1 point in Flensburg and this is the most expensive fine for pedestrians!!!! Plain j walking costs 5 € and 10 € if you cause an accident by doing so!

[@animalhealthonline]

Crossing the street on red light is a bad example for children!

[@frankh.4421]

If you stop at a red light in Germany, you want to be a good role model for children. You never know when children will watch you and the cooler you act, the more they will want to imitate you. Unfortunately, small children are less able to assess traffic situations and the speed of cars than adults. In addition, children with us often go to school alone, also to train their independence. Walking and cycling are generally more widespread in Germany. If you are abused by older citizens while jaywalking, they are probably thinking of their little grandchildren. I think it's a shame that this behavior is dismissed as a quirk of the Germans who supposedly love prohibitions and want to comply with rules. We Germans have enough other bad qualities. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people in Germany are behaving in an exemplary manner.

[@raistormrs]

me walking somewhere, random person: smiles at me, looks happy. me: must be some good weed that one is on. ... Also, our customer service in restaurants isn't lousy, american customer service is just totally annoying :P :P :P here is my typical thought process.... get out of my face goddamnit i don't care about your specials and if u ask me one more time if everything is fine i flip that damn table into your face... :P :P :P

[@sonntagskindlein]

Wow, the Lingöpie site has some serious bad German! „Schlüssels“? „einiger“? Like 4 or more errors alone in the few examples you showed. How to learn good German from them?

[@AV-we6wo]

I could be that they show the German words as they were used in the original sentence e.g "...die Größe des Schüssels..." or "... die Mängel einiger Sprachlern-Apps ..." 😉, but it's really hard to tell. And if they do, it would be better if they showed the "Grundform" (don't know how to say that in English) too.

[@claudiakarl7888]

But aren’t North Americans vapouring a lot?

[@lifeingermany_]

More now than before! But in general, not a lot of people smoke/vape/etc. in public

[@HH-hd7nd]

7:15 I'm a German and I think that smoking in general should be illegal. You're absolutely right, waaaaaay too many Germans smoke. Even a single person smoking is one too much. Smoking is unhealthy not only for the smoker him/herself but also for everyone around him/her (which means that smoking in the presence of other people should actually be treated as assault under criminal law). And on top of that - it stinks. Literally. About customer service - US customer service is not god. It is actually very, very bad. It's not ok that the waitress creeps around you all the time like a stalker, not letting you eat in privacy or having a conversation without eardropping constantly. That's extremely rude. Jaywalking...well there's a reason for that. Young kids tend to copy what adults around them do. If you give a bad example and jaywalk all the time then you might cause small children to do the same because they think the red light doesn't mean anything - but unlike adults they have much less of a sense for potential danger and might jaywalk when there's cars nearby.

[@klauskruger6187]

Yes pretty woman, and my culture shock is when somebody speaks very loud without making a break to breath and smiles all the time.

[@boyciecat2514]

Yes, everyone knows being happy and sociable is against ZE ROOLS

[@gospelfighter6548]

Because you live in you own created world The real world is full of human beings who are friendly and loud

[@ThomasKossatz]

Yep, Germans hardly jaywalk. Not because they like rules, but they don't like to be killed on the road. That's why Germany had only 2800 traffic fatalities in 2020, the USA however had roughly 38,680. Why do they all stop smoking if they kill themselves on the roads anyway? Honestly, I do not understand what's so funny about that. But all in all you gave a very good overview what to expect in Germany. And you know: If he's German, he means what he says 😁😁.

[@boyciecat2514]

Dang, the "cold hard" Germans sound awful, no place for a cheery North American

[@susannewitt6112]

Why do you want to be a bad role model for children? Do not jaywalking! It's so simple.

[@pranavpisupati4953]

Getting routine Jenna. Try something new

[@lifeingermany_]

I have some good ones coming up soon about my house renovations 🤭🤩

[@pranavpisupati4953]

@@lifeingermany_ glad to hear :)

[@pppetra]

Customerservice is great. American customerservice is Just crazy. A red light is to be obeyed. Really dont have a minute not to die? Cars may drive 70 km An hour ... You Will not make IT. Also you scar a person for LIFE. And you set a bad example.

[@silmuffin86]

Yeah no, customer service is horrible, and I'm Italian not American... Germans always come out as rude and annoyed at you

[@pppetra]

@@silmuffin86 IT is not rude. They are not annoyed. They Just do not lick the floor you walk on. No miss. Sorry we can not do that is Just honest. Not rude. You order a coke. You get a coke. Depends on the place if IT is Just cold of iced, maybe lemonslice. I often are people order. As if they are superior to the waiter. As a customer be polite. There is a person in front of you. Would you like to be serving you? I want a pancake, glutenfree, lactose free, eggless with a free salad in 5 minutes. No? Rude. Bad service. No wrong place, bad attitude.

[@silmuffin86]

@@pppetra who told you I'm not polite? And no one asks for a red carpet, but a smile and a thank you go a long way, instead of looking bothered by clients all the time

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

@@silmuffin86 People actually _expecting_ "a smile and a thank you" will have a hard time in Germany.

[@silmuffin86]

@@imrehundertwasser7094 yup I know... I loved living in Germany for many reasons, but it's hard to get used to those mad faces all the time, and also also the all closed no noise allowed on Sundays (and consequential mad house on Saturdays everywhere you go)

[@kessas.489]

Stell mir gerade vor, wie du unter der Maske lächelst...

[@gospelfighter6548]

You live in your own created fake world That's the issue with you germans, that you always perceive friendly people as fake They are not fake, they are normal human beings