Week 6, 2018
Turku, Finland

This weekend Finland showed me what it is made of.  This is a new perspective. I already recognize its SISU, as I have talked even at events (example here).  

In this weekend I learn about  values and trust. Here are the specific examples.

*** Saturday

At the K-market , which is a chain of supermakets, I bought an electrical house appliance because it had 30% of discount for store affiliates.  My companion to the store holds the store’s card, so we bought this machine. Once at the cashier I paid my bill with a debit card. When I got my receipt, I notice the system did not reflect the 30% off my purchase. This discount should appear automatically on the bill and it did not. So, as soon as I notice the discount was missing  we told that to the cashier.  Then, the cashier made a phone call, apparently to check what happen, and once she hang up, the following happen:

1. The cashier clicked something at its “computer” and gave me a new “ticket”.
2. I signed this new “ticket”, as the cashier informed she was returning me the money of all my shopping to my card.  Note: I did not put my card on the card-reader to proceed with this step. 
3. After signing, the cashier printed a new receipt with the total of my shopping, now showing the 30% off (note: this was done based based on what the cashier’s “computer”  has recorded because the items were not registered again). 
4. I paid this new ticket by adding my card into the card-reader. 
5. We left the store as nothing had happened. The cashier did not give me any paper proving what has happened (the return of the money at least). 

I was anxious, to be honest. My companion, who is Finnish, was certain that everything will be ok. Myself, honestly, I was not trusting the system 100% and I was concern what would happen if they charge me both amounts.  24hrs later, I can confirm that my bank account only shows the second payment. The first one was, indeed eliminated.

Still, I feel strange that all this process is done without a hard-copy proof of the event, with the cashier and without “supervision”. It is amazing the trust on the system.  Also the values of everybody to make the system work.

*** Sunday

We went to play bowling, and the shoes were without surveillance.

I have never seen this, and I have been in different countries playing bowling. The shoes are always behind someone who is controlling them.  If you think it is because is a small city, well, I think with 182k inhabitants (as it is registered by 2014) it is evident that the trust on people is present.  Customer behave and respect the property of this business.

I only can say, Finland, I take my hat off as a sign of respect to you. You have incredible values and trust. 

— CAIS