Sixty-one percent of the expats living in the Netherlands find the Dutch impolite when compared to people of other nationalities. This is the most important conclusion that can be drawn from a detailed poll carried out by Expatica.com, a website for expats living in the Netherlands. Almost 300 expats filled in the website's poll. They were also asked whether they found certain groups in the Netherlands polite or impolite.
 

People who work in the service industry, like waiters and shop employees, did not get high marks when it comes to politeness. Civil servants - with whom expats have a lot of contact especially when they first move to the country - also get low marks. One respondent observes that the Dutch are more polite in their homes than in public.

"I think that is due to their Calvinist background. They believe everyone is equal and thus are not comfortable serving others."
 
Groups of people that are considered polite in the Netherlands are receptionists, doctors, nurses and policemen. Even though these groups are thought to be polite, the expats indicated that all the types of people mentioned in the poll are actually more polite in their homelands than in the Netherlands. The only group they find to be really rude back home are teenagers.
 
The longer expats reside in the Netherlands, the more rude they find certain groups of people to be. One respondent who has lived in the Netherlands for more than ten years comments:

"I don't think the Dutch will accept criticism. Since I have been here the Dutch have become quite intolerant. Sadly, the wonderful country I came to love in 1995 no longer exists."
 
Forms of politeness
In one respect, all the expats agree with one another: courtesy is an important element of civilisation.

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