As an American living in London, I couldn't agree more. Sky took two months to get installed. The technicians just didn't show up FOUR times. A leaky roof that took more than a dozen phone calls and two weeks to get fixed, missing mail,cancelled trains, and bad restaurant service: the norm in London

Scott, London,

Britain is the only third world country where you can drink the tap-water without getting sick.

- ehr, not too sick i mean.

Miklas Njor, Copenhagen, Denmark

I couldn't really comment whether having something repaired in Britain is worthy of celebration as I've never managed to achieve it.

Jo, UK,

Did it occur to your grin-and-bear-it beefeater that quite possibly two people were inconvenienced if another diner ended up with the chicken and also chose not to complain?

David, Manchester, USA

As a US landlord, I can be fined substantially or have occupancy permits revoked if I fail to provide safe heat for my tenants in winter. We have 24/7 plumbers & heating services numbers on hand because it's crucial. Telling someone to "buy a space heater" and wait a week is unconscionable!

Allyn, Clairton, PA, USA

I wouldn't have sent the beef back either. Not sure if that has anything to do with being British. What I do know is being content with what life throws you and not letting small things upset you makes for a much more pleasant life.

DW, Beijing, China

As a Brit now living in New York, all I can say is what are these hot line numbers? Most service numbers are manned by recorded messages. Even if you manage to connect to a human being it is not unusual to be on hold for up to an hour waiting for someone to answer the phone. Locals joke about it.

Julie, New York, USA

Maybe some truth in this, however, on the other side, Europeans have much more holidays...
At the end of the day, Europeans (even the British) value more leisure time to more money...
Europeans work on average 30% less and that's why they're approx. 30% less financially well-off in PPP terms

Rob, Paris, France

No - you are not pushy - just utterly bemused at the atrocious levels of service in the UK

Peter, London,

Old-fashioned it may be, but when we see the exemplary behaviour, the courtesy and respect and the excellent organisation at Wimbledon, we realise what we have lost as a society and can make a good case for the Lawn Tennis Association becoming the next government of this country.

Dr John Elliott, Southampton, England

"No internet, no TV – there is a feeling of being cut off from the world"

Now that's sad.

Graham, Warrington, UK

Some of the worst service I've received has been in America. I can cope with the accents, the patently false good will, but actually producing action is rarely possible.
The major issues in the UK are staff who neither speak nor understand English properly, and IT 'systems' that simply don't work!

Chrisc, St Leonards, UK

What has happened to the access for the free preview The most advanced robot in the world WALL.E
Unable to find any ref in screen online? Require 2 tickets Cheshire Oaks for sun july 13th
code no 7276

mike seabrook, Runcorn cheshire,

The reason is America really is germanic at heart, not English. The shared language confuse a lot of English as to why America can feel so foreign while seeming like it should be familiar. I'm an adopted American. I feel much more at ease in a Germanic country because you can expect things to work.

jack Jones, Interlaken, Switzerland

The people here talk slower, they move slower and after being on the phone for hours to get an appointment for house repairs, they don't bother showing up. I just feel like shouting at these people but they have such kind, soft voices, I think I might hurt their feelings?

Dopi Agachunga, exeter, UK

I think us Brits envy your ability to get things done. Mind you, I can't imagine how this has evolved as the Brits have been historically so pushy and bossy.

Annie, Hampshire,

They are like this because they are insecure and need constant reassurance that they count. No matter how confident they seem, insecurity about everything eats away at Americans - the culture dictates that someone is out to get you and the only way to survive is to be richer, louder or better armed.

Jasper Reed-Spencer, London, England