"The little room remains the same": Poor customer service entrenches itself in the businesses of Cienfuegos

Despite decades of complaints and reports, poor customer service continues to be one of the most entrenched issues in Cuba's commercial spaces. This is portrayed, without euphemisms, in a recent article published on the website of the weekly 5 de Septiembre, where a journalist expresses her frustration at what she describes as “the never-ending story.”

The text -signed by Leyaní Díaz Hernández and has resonated strongly with Cienfuegos readers- captures several everyday scenes where what should be a simple and smooth process, like shopping at a store or a micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise, becomes a frustrating experience.

The author recounts in the first person how she had to wait more than ten minutes for a cashier who, instead of attending to customers, was busy rearranging products in the perfume section. Despite other employees witnessing the scene, none intervened because "it wasn't their place."

The problem is not new, but it remains the same or worse. As the comment rightly points out, it is a journalistic practice to avoid being the center of the narrative; however, when it comes to poor public service in Cuba, it is almost impossible not to get involved: everyone is a victim, everyone has a similar story. And the most alarming part: nothing changes.

A systemic and normalized evil

Beyond the anecdote, what overshadows the lines of the report is a deeply ingrained culture of indifference, slow service, and apathy toward the customer. In another scene described by witnesses, a young employee at a small business didn't even look up from his cellphone when a customer asked for a bag. He only responded when he was called out loudly. "It's not healthy to have to ask for service almost shouting, when it's much simpler to respond promptly," the author laments.

It is a structural issue that affects everything from state markets to private businesses, regardless of the economic model. While many workers might claim low wages or excessive workloads, the truth is that the disdain for the public has become so normalized that it has become invisible even to those who practice it.

Money isn't worth anything if it doesn't "convince."

A third story depicts what might seem like satire, but is real: a customer was rejected for attempting to pay with 10 CUP notes. The cashier refused to accept them simply because they were of low denomination. It was only after the man was recognized as an "agricultural seller" by a third party and received a phone call that he was told to return… and then, he would be served.

The journalist questions: "Isn't ten pesos money?" And the reader finds themselves asking the same question. To what extent has commercial attention become so distorted that it no longer matters whether the customer even has the means to pay?

An exception amidst so much indifference

As a final incentive, the article acknowledges some workers who still champion a friendly, approachable, and professional service. However, they are few, and that is precisely the problem. Courtesy, efficiency, and customer orientation—values that should be the norm—have become the exception.

In a country where obtaining products is already an odyssey, having to "ask politely" to be sold to, with decent treatment, makes everything worse. As the author succinctly puts it: "Fortunately, I hold no grudges and am practical: I don’t go back to places where I am not treated well."

Frequently Asked Questions about Customer Service and Economic Issues in Cienfuegos, Cuba