Customer Service

One of the things about Ghana you should know is customer service. Western societies have highly pleasant and high customer service expectations. The waitress is merely performing their job, but we consider their crooked grin and hesitant "have a great day" to be the bare minimum of civility. In Ghana, things are a little different. That isn't to suggest that Ghanaians aren't wonderful people who care about whether you have a good experience when dining, shopping, or anything; they just don't place as much stress on the social cushion as Western consumers may.

When it comes to cultural blunders with service, some public humiliation is possible. For example, if you request "spaghetti" for supper instead of the local brand of noodles at an outdoor market, you may get a range of answers. One incident may result in simply a pause and a grin, whilst another causes everyone from the cashiers to the chefs to bust out laughing at this "hilarious" misnomer. You may be left to wait for your noodles with your cheeks on fire, but you'll get better and the noodles will be tasty either way. Please keep in mind that the concept of customer service in the United States has been completely lost in translation.

Note! When ordering food at restaurants, it’s likely that everyone will receive their food at DIFFERENT times. Please be patient.