I don't often wash my car but when I do I usually go to one of the numerous "hand car washes" that have sprung up in some parts of Britain. Many of these washes have been started up by Poles, Kosovars and other Europeans over the past four or so years.
The car wash that I usually go to has hitherto been manned by a mixture of Poles, Kosovars and Romanians. They are hard working, meticulous and deliver excellent value for money. Above all, they are super-efficient and manage to clean an extraordinary number of cars at a fantastic rate without cutting corners or in any way compromising on quality.
Last weekend I took my car to be washed at the usual place. However, instead of the usual continental Europeans, I found two Englishmen. There were no other cars in the queue: I was the only customer. It was 2 p.m. I told the guys I’d be back by 5 p.m. They said no problem. “We’ll do your car right away,” they reassured me.
I returned to the car wash at 5.20 p.m. – 20 minutes later than I said I would. And guess what? The car wasn’t ready. They had just started washing it. One car in three hours and 20 minutes and they still couldn’t finish it. Worse than that, they hadn’t done a great job either.
The Poles, Kosovars and Romanians would have washed and cleaned 10-15 cars in the same time. And, judging by my previous experience with them, they would have done a brilliant job.
Nowadays, you will often hear native Britons complaining about Poles and other citizens of new members of the European Union taking their jobs. The natives argue that the only advantage the Poles and others have over them is that they are prepared to accept lower wages.
I would argue that the problem is far more fundamental than that. As the above examples seeks to demonstrate, the continental Europeans also have the advantage of working hard and working with a conscience. They still care about service, quality and giving value for money. They don’t take their jobs and their income for granted and so will do their best to please their customers.
I have given just one example but I could recount numerous others. The native Britons had better wake up before it’s too late. In an open Europe-wide marketplace, shoddiness, poor service and a rip-off culture will only consign them to the garbage bin of history. Unless, of course, their government intervenes with legislation that discriminates against other Europeans.
