The first time I heard this, I was buying a caf? con leche at a small coffee stand by my apartment. I realized with excitement that I had learned this phrase through a language learning app I was using before the trip.? Admittedly, it caught me off guard, and I awkwardly produced a half-Spanish reply. However, it struck me how personable of a greeting it was. In the following days and transactions, I began to notice how frequently this phrase, and others like ?Buenas,? were used in a business setting. It seemed different from what I was used to in the U.S. There, most employees more often skip straight to asking what I would like to order or whether I found everything I wanted. Usually, it is not that they are being rude, but rather that they aren?t looking for a relationship with the customer.? Conversely, in Spain, it seemed that most business interactions were based on mutual goodwill and respect. I especially noticed this in small businesses. After a while, the baristas at the local coffee shops I frequented would welcome me with a smile of familiarity. I would have exact change ready and even learned to incorporate new vocabulary into my order so that they wouldn?t have to ask.? In addition, I learned the importance of soft skills like greeting store owners and workers and thanking them as I left, even if I did not end up buying anything.
Aside from the relationship aspect of business in Spain, it was also interesting to observe the monetary infrastructure differences. For example, I was surprised by how often I needed cash to make purchases. In the U.S., I rarely (if ever) use cash or carry it with me. Many times, when I started to take out my credit card, the employee would apologetically ask if I could use cash instead. It made sense that a small business would need quick access to cash, but it also seemed that they were riddled with fees any time a credit card was used at their business.
At the same time, Spain feels advanced compared to the U.S. in its widespread adoption of contactless credit card readers. I believe this is due in part to differences in covid-19 precautions.? While things were loosening up restriction-wise in the states when I left, it seemed the opposite in Spain. The vast majority of businesses still had plexiglass screens up and required hand sanitization and masks. Larger restaurants and businesses I visited would usually assume I was using contactless and hold the card reader for me to do so. It was not until coming to Spain, however, that I realized my credit card did not even have the contactless feature. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how covid impacts the use of something so tactile and germ-transferring as cash. I would not be surprised if physical cash is done away with in the future with a complete switch to contactless payment.? The fiscal impact of this on small businesses in Spain could be tremendous.? It is my hope that the relational spirit of business in Spain will continue to thrive despite covid-19 and regulatory difficulties.