Hamburg Germany Intercultural Guide

AUTOWORKS

Created by Global Contexts, Inc.

10/21/2015

Know Before You Go

Tab 1

The Basics

IN THIS SECTION:

Passport—Visa —Customs

Transportation

Money

Language

Electronics

Passport—Visa—Customs: You probably have a Passport, and are wondering if you need a visa or vaccinations?

No Visa is required if you are staying under 90 days.

Your passport’s expiration date should be at least six weeks past the date you plan to return home.

Before you pack, make sure you know the latest security requirements and what US Customs advise travelers.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provide brochures and online information about customs duties, money limits, alcohol limits and other matters.

Transportation: Public transportation in Germany is excellent, practical and inexpensive.

Taxis are available but not like in the United States, you will usually need to call ahead for a service and book a pick-up time and location.

GET THERE

AND BACK

Buses, trams and

urban/suburban rail lines

move people around.

Transportation systems in

Germany are usually

regional.

A ticket for the S-Bahn is

also valid for streetcar or

bus.

Tickets are available at

multilingual ticket

machines on platforms

and sales points in major

stations.

Money Matters: Many German banks, in

characteristic German compartmentalization, only allow you to do certain things at certain windows. So watch for these signs:

Geldwechsel —Money exchange

Kasse —Cashier’s window, Teller

Geldautomat —ATM

You can exchange your dollars or other currency for euros at almost any full-service bank in Germany.

You will also usually get the most favorable exchange rate at a bank, compared to a hotel, shop or money exchange.

THE EURO

Walk by any bank in

Germany, and you will

see the latest exchange

rates, displayed by

colorful national flag

symbols.

Most tourists do their

foreign exchange

transactions at an ATM

with a credit card.

Language: Finding a translation tool

Basic Phrases

Thank you. Danke. Thank you very much. Vielen Dank. You're welcome. Bitteschön. Please. Bitte. Yes. Ja. No. Nein. Excuse me. Entschuldigen Sie bitte. Pardon me. Entschuldigung. I'm sorry. Es tut mir leid. I don't understand. Das verstehe ich nicht. I don't speak German. Ich spreche kein Deutsch. I don't speak German very well. Ich spreche nicht sehr gut Deutsch. Do you speak English? Sprechen Sie Englisch? Speak more slowly, please. Bitte, sprechen Sie langsam. Repeat, please. Bitte wiederholen. What's your name? Wie heißen Sie? How are you? Wie geht es Ihnen? Do you speak English? Sprechen Sie Englisch? Where is the subway? Wo ist die U-Bahn? Is the tip included? Ist das Trinkgeld inbegriffen? How much does that cost? Wieviel kostet das? Is there a public phone here? Gibt es hier eine öffentliche Telefonzelle? Can I get on the internet? Kann ich ins Internet gehen? Can you help me? Können Sie mir helfen? Where is the bathroom? Wo ist das WC?

Travel Phrases on the Go at

Fodor’s Travel

Downloads available for

iPad and iPhone and nook.

http://www.fodors.com/

language/german/basic-

phrases/

SPRECHEN

SIE

DEUTSCH

In Germanic-culture

business situations, you

should never use a

person’s first name.

Cell Phones and Electronics:

Most of AT&T and T-Mobile’s phones are multi-band and have the necessary bands for use in Germany. Some Sprint and Verizon handsets have the GSM bands as well. Your options are to “roam” in Germany with your current provider and pay their roaming rates. (Unlike most other US carriers, T-Mobile offers very reasonable international roaming.) The advantage is that you will retain your US phone number. The disadvantage is that anyone who has your number and (unknowingly) calls you overseas will increase your cell phone bill by over a $1.00 per minute. A better solution may be to ask your carrier to unlock your cell phone to be able to accept a German SIM. There are several German SIM card options available.

Anything that runs on battery power will not be a problem. Most standard US batteries are readily available in Europe.

A rechargeable battery, such as those used in laptop computers or video cameras, is called an Akkumulator in German, usually shortened to der Akku.

You may want to bring along a backup if you have an unusual type.

Chargers that come with or are built into most modern video cameras, shavers, and other electronic devices are designed to sense the voltage automatically. But read the user’s manual or labels carefully first.

CELL

PHONES

AND

LAPTOPS

A mobile phone In

Germany is called

“ein Handy”

If your computer, shaver,

video camera, iron, or

what-have-you is a multi-

voltage model, most

newer ones are, all you’ll

need for Europe are plug

adapters. If not, you’ll

also need to buy a

voltage transformer or

converter.

Tab 2

The Boardroom

Business Etiquette

IN THIS SECTION:

Attire

Relationships

Meetings

Negotiations

Business Attire: Understated Formal and conservative Men should wear dark conservative business suits. Women wear business suits or conservative dresses.

Avoid pretentious jewelry or showy accessories.

Relationships: Germans display regard to people in authority

They will be interested in your credentials and the amount of time your company has been in business.

It will be important they understand your level relative to their own.

Expect a great deal of written communication, both to back up decisions and to maintain a record of decisions and discussions.

Following the established protocol is critical to building and maintaining business relationships.

GERMAN COMMUNICATION

IS FORMAL

Germans do not need a

personal relationship in

order to do business.

Germans will be direct to

the point of bluntness.

Germans do not have an

open-door policy. People

often work with their

office door closed. Knock

and wait to be invited in

before entering.

Business Meeting Etiquette: Generally formal and protocol is

followed

The eldest or highest ranking person enters the room first; men enter before women, if their age and status are roughly equivalent.

Although English may be spoken, it is a good idea to hire an interpreter so as to avoid any misunderstandings.

Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times. Maintain direct eye contact while speaking with your German colleagues.

Business Negotiations: Treat the process with the formality

that it deserves

Germany is heavily regulated and extremely bureaucratic.

Contracts are strictly followed.

Germans prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small talk.

Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German.

You must be patient and not appear ruffled by the strict adherence to protocol. Germans are detail- oriented and want to understand every suggestion before coming to an agreement.

PROTOCOL

Initial meetings are used

to get to know each

other. They allow your

German colleagues to

determine if you are

trustworthy.

Letters should be

addressed to the top

person in the functional

area, including the

person's name as well as

their proper business

title.

The letter should be

written in German.

Tab 3

Facts and Maps

Demographics

IN THIS SECTION:

Statistics

Culture

Customs

Maps

Statistical Knowledge Location: Central Europe, bordering Austria 784 km,

Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

Capital: Berlin

Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Population: 82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)

Ethnic Make-up: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)

Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%

German Society Work and personal lives are rigidly

divided. This is a culture that prizes forward thinking and knowing what they will be doing at a specific time on a specific day.

Once the proper way to perform a task is discovered, there is no need to think of doing it any other way.

There is a proper time for every activity. When the business day ends, you are expected to leave the office. If you must remain after normal closing, it indicates that you did not plan your day properly.

Customs If you are invited to a German's house,

bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers. Yellow roses or tea roses are always well received.

Avoid red roses; a symbolization of romantic intentions, and carnations as they symbolize mourning. Do not give lilies or chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals.

Send a handwritten thank you note the following day to thank your hostess for her hospitality.

MASTERS

OF

PLANNING

Careful planning, in one's

business and personal

life, provides a sense of

security.

Rules and regulations

allow people to know

what is expected and

plan their life accordingly.

Maps

Works of Reference

"The German Way and More." Language and Culture in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. H.

Flippo & Sons Publishing Co. LLC. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.<http://www.german-way.com/>.

"Germany - Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette." Germany.

Kwintessential.co.UK. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/germany-country-

profile.html>.