Locals Are Begging Americans To Stop Saying These Absolutely Mortifying Things While Traveling

"I was in London last week, somebody was arguing with the front desk of the hotel, and they were saying, 'Well, the customer is always right,' and it's sort of like, that's actually a very American approach to customer service," said Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and host of the Were You Raised by Wolves? podcast. It's not a globally-shared thought pattern. "And very often, the customer is not right," Leighton added."

"'You sometimes hear stories [where] somebody's in a restaurant in Italy and they ask for Parmesan cheese to put on their fish, and the restaurant's like, 'No, we're not gonna let you do that,'" he said. This often results in an upset customer who utters a phrase like "the customer is always right" or "I'm the customer" only to be met with further refusal from the restaurant."

Traveling abroad often causes stress and increases likelihood of unintentionally rude statements. Certain American assumptions, such as 'the customer is always right,' do not hold universally and can provoke pushback from businesses. Requests that alter traditional preparations, like asking for Parmesan on fish in Italy, may be refused and escalate tensions. Using outdated or derogatory labels, such as 'Third World,' is inappropriate and insensitive; 'developing country' is a better term. Cultural norms around service and language vary widely, so assuming American customer-service expectations or employing imprecise terminology can offend hosts and create negative interactions.

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