Newcomer Argentine was sooo mean to me! Is this normal?

[ArielVanch]

I am supposed to come to Argentina for work in about 1 month.

I called the work visa woman at the Argentine embassy to ask her some questions and she was SO mean, impatient, and downright hostile and rude on the phone! She kept cutting me off on my questions and yelling "Next!" She also did some other extraordinarily rude things on the phone. I am kind of in a state of shock.

I have lived in other countries where outsiders view the locals as rude (Israel being one of them), but I have never experienced anything like this.

At this point I am second-guessing my decision to come to Argentina. I have never met an Argentine, she is actually the first one I have ever spoken with and I was treated in such a disrespectful manner.

Is this kind of behavior normal in Argentina? I understand that "everyone is different, you cannot generalize a country," my opinion differs slightly. During my time living in 5 different countries, I did notice that there were national trends and general attitudes and ways of doing things in each country.

I really want to hear from you guys, particularly people from the US/English speaking nations: have you noticed that Argentines are more rude than people in your country? Is it normal to be treated this way?

Thank you

 

[ScotTay]

Based on your use of "generalize," I assume you're located in North America. I can't speak for the Argentinian embassy there, but my experience with the one in London wasn't very positive. The staff, particularly some women, were consistently rude, often emphasizing that any issues were "not their fault" while clearly making mistakes repeatedly.
I'm part of a group of around 10 people, each applying for visas at different times through that embassy, and we all share a common sentiment about their unprofessionalism, rudeness, and overall ineptitude.
However, it's crucial to note that our experience at the embassy doesn't reflect the behavior of most Argentinian people we've encountered. In general, people here are friendly, intelligent, polite, and have a good sense of humor. Like anywhere, you might encounter a few unpleasant individuals, but it's not more prevalent than in any other country.
There could be various stressors at work in an Argentinian embassy, but this is just speculation. I hope this information helps, and I'm sure others will share their experiences dealing with administration in Argentina.

 

[ArielVanch]

Thank you so much Scottylon! I am relieved to hear that in your experience, Argentines have not met the height of rudeness that this woman exhibited on the phone today.

Yes, I am from the USA. It seems that the diplomats are not so diplomatic after all...

 

[KobyBerts]

I've been in Buenos Aires for about ten months now, and my experience has been quite different from what I expected based on my upbringing in a bilingual environment with one parent from Venezuela. After several visits to Venezuela and growing up with that warm Latino culture, coming to Buenos Aires was a bit of a shock, especially in the Capital.

One significant observation is the vast difference between Porteños and the rest of Argentinos. In my opinion, a majority of Porteños come off as rude, apathetic, and unkind to outsiders. While they may exhibit a different demeanor within their families, friends, and romantic relationships, breaking into their social circles as an outsider can be challenging. I've heard some Porteños express that they don't feel the need for new friends because they already have their established circles. The lack of courtesy, such as people bumping into you on the street or pushing past on public transportation without a second thought, is a common occurrence. I've always made a habit of saying "permiso," but the response is not always reciprocated. Personally, I haven't developed a fondness for Porteños, and it seems that many other Argentinos (non-Porteños) share this sentiment.

On the flip side, my experience with Argentinos from other regions has been much more positive. One of my closest friends is from Corrientes, and she's one of the nicest people I've ever met. I've also made great friends from Provincia de Bs As, La Plata, Entre Rios, among other places. Traveling around Argentina has further reinforced the notion that people outside of Buenos Aires tend to be friendly, caring, and helpful. Among my travels, the Salteños stand out as the friendliest, and being around them was an absolute pleasure.

Despite my personal opinions, I would still recommend coming here. Many people have shared their thoughts, providing you with a realistic perspective. It will undoubtedly be an amazing experience, and I'm sure you'll encounter some genuinely lovable Argentinos throughout your journey. However, if you happen to meet a random Argentine who is exceptionally nice, chances are they're not from the capital.

 

[earlyretirement]

I've been in Buenos Aires for about ten months now, and my experience has been quite different from what I expected based on my upbringing in a bilingual environment with one parent from Venezuela. After several visits to Venezuela and growing up with that warm Latino culture, coming to Buenos Aires was a bit of a shock, especially in the Capital.

One significant observation is the vast difference between Porteños and the rest of Argentinos. In my opinion, a majority of Porteños come off as rude, apathetic, and unkind to outsiders. While they may exhibit a different demeanor within their families, friends, and romantic relationships, breaking into their social circles as an outsider can be challenging. I've heard some Porteños express that they don't feel the need for new friends because they already have their established circles. The lack of courtesy, such as people bumping into you on the street or pushing past on public transportation without a second thought, is a common occurrence. I've always made a habit of saying "permiso," but the response is not always reciprocated. Personally, I haven't developed a fondness for Porteños, and it seems that many other Argentinos (non-Porteños) share this sentiment.

On the flip side, my experience with Argentinos from other regions has been much more positive. One of my closest friends is from Corrientes, and she's one of the nicest people I've ever met. I've also made great friends from Provincia de Bs As, La Plata, Entre Rios, among other places. Traveling around Argentina has further reinforced the notion that people outside of Buenos Aires tend to be friendly, caring, and helpful. Among my travels, the Salteños stand out as the friendliest, and being around them was an absolute pleasure.

Despite my personal opinions, I would still recommend coming here. Many people have shared their thoughts, providing you with a realistic perspective. It will undoubtedly be an amazing experience, and I'm sure you'll encounter some genuinely lovable Argentinos throughout your journey. However, if you happen to meet a random Argentine who is exceptionally nice, chances are they're not from the capital.

Definitely employees at governmental agencies in Argentina totally are HORRIBLE, inefficient, many times rude and just un knowledgable about most things.

Customer service in most stores sucks. I mean really bad. Even when you're buying a 15,000 peso TV or some other major item the employees mostly are indifferent and just horrible. Of course there are a few exceptions but the vast majority of store employees are horrible.

I didn't have problems with people being rude to me at all. That being said, I don't find Porteños to be a particularly warm group of people. I've traveled all over South America and you will find the people of pretty much most other countries to be genuinely warm and friendly. "Warm and friendly" aren't how I'd describe the vast majority of Porteños.

I also have many friends and acquaintances from other Latin countries in South America that live and work in Buenos Aires and they all agree about how cold Porteños are compared to other countries in South America. Even just going outside of Buenos Aires you will find the people to be much warmer and friendlier than the locals.

It's much easier once you make a core group of friends and from those friends you easily meet other friends.

 

[RichardOne]

My 200 peso recommendation to the OP is "Stay where you are" you'll be much happier .