Service Norwegian Style
‘Practicality first, politeness second’
You will quickly notice that Norwegians are not overly polite or correct. They do not have a word for ‘please’. Well, they do, but they do not say ‘please’ after every single thing said, and will rather use a grunt, ‘Hæ’, to say ‘excuse me’. Norwegians do, however, have a few fundamentally polite proverbs, and every one of them is cute. These include ‘takk for maten’ (thanks for the food) and the heartfelt 'takk for sist' (thanks for the last time we met). Really: how more polite can one get? These are thoroughly genuine, too. Another you will hear is voiced after you have been invited as a guest for dinner: 'Er du forsynt?' (were you provided with enough food?’) This is always a customary enquiry, even if you have consumed a whole elk, and gravy is dripping from your chin. Norwegians are certainly not impolite. They are genuine when they are polite, and they are polite when it really counts.
Norwegians have always heavily emphasised egalitarian principles, tossing in a healthy portion of common sense for good measure. They do not treat people differently based on wealth or rank, and they are as polite to men as towards women, as well as children (that goes without saying). Waiters may be there to serve you, but they’re nonetheless your equal. Of course, you could be forgiven for thinking Norwegians are rude: service levels sometimes feel as low as the fjords are deep, a wise man once said. But, if you believe you are not being properly served, try ‘pragmatic’ instead of ‘angry’, and think 'practicality’ before ‘politeness’. Life's too short for politeness when there's a door to be opened.