What's Really Different for Americans in the UK

Today I'm going to share 3 big differences between the American way of doing things and the English way. Some British customs are very different to life in the US and it's good to be prepared if you're considering traveling or moving to the UK from the US in the future.

In this video I focus on the differences between DRIVING IN THE UK, CUSTOMER SERVICE and attitude and buying and renting PROPERTY. Hopefully being aware of these differences will help you decide if moving to the UK is right for you or at least understand some of the challenges Americans may face when relocating or moving abroad to the UK!

6 MONTH GUIDE TO LIVING IN THE UK:

ABOUT: I’m Tessa, British born but dual citizen who grew up in the US and Canada and now back in England finding out what life is like for an “American” living in the UK. I started my blog at HIPOVERFIFTY.COM to share my travels, thoughts and ideas!

Hope this channel helps you live your best life over fifty!

#howtomovetoengland #overfifty #movingtoengland #movetotheuk

[maryr]

I was stationed in England for 4yrs. I shipped my car from the US and the day I picked it up from the port I learned to drive on opposite side immediately and learned what a roundabout is real quick. For my military job I had to drive a big supply truck on narrow roads and I survived

[Yo-ItsYo]

The customer service thing.. as a Brit I will say, we don't want to be constantly greeted etc .. we much prefer employees to just leave us alone to do our thing. And we will leave the employee alone to do their thing. They're human. They don't need to pretend to be a robot with a fake smile here. I hate that fake smile fake customer service weird stuff that happens in the US. Really bothers me. It's like what you see in North Korea.

[Bob]

In America, the customer is always right …..but the staff want to kick them out as soon as possible to get the next customer onto the conveyor belt.

[scrappystocks]

In the UK we don't drive on the "wrong" side of the road we drive on the "correct" side of the road for the UK, as do many other countries in the world, which happens to be on the left. We were using the left long before European settlers even landed in North America. It dates from the times of knights on horseback. You can get cars with automatic transmission in the UK and Europe it's just that most drivers here, tend to prefer manual gear changes. I have an American wife and lived for a time in California and experienced service there. There is always the extra charge, you. Sales tax is never included in the price. As for servers, or waiters, in the US being so welcoming they are also so irritating with their insincerety, always trying to con customers into giving them a larger tip. No one expects a tip in the UK, whereas if your tip is not as much as expected in the US you're likely to be served by a stream of abuse by the server who so welcomed you when you entered the premises. Staff should be paid a proper salary and not have to subsidise their income from tips. The price on the menu is the price you pay in the UK, including tax, without any additions. Even if the check includes a "service charge" it's not compulsory to pay that and if you do pay it usually goes to all staff equally including those who actually prepared the food and not just to those who served it. Only today, my wife met her friend in the pub and they were talking about old times for over 4 hours and in that time ate a light lunch and a couple of drinks with no one hassling them to move on or order more food or drinks. She would say "So different to back home" (in LA).

[frogandspanner]

3:43 It is perhaps ironic here in UK - the land of class and servants, that when we go out for a meal, or go to a shop or pub, we do not treat the server as a servant. When I go to the pub I'll return my glass to the bar when I leave. I get a nice "thank you" from my equal behind the bar.

It astonishes me that the US has preserved the master-servant distinction.

[facelessnomore]

As a Brit who lived in the US for just over ten years I do feel qualified to comment on your points. Firstly the driving test; the UK driving test is much more involved than the US but it has paid real dividends in terms of road safety (I have taken both tests) the deaths on the road rate in the US per 100, 000 people is five or six times higher in the US than the UK and that is a lot of lives lost that really don't need to be lost. I think that a lot of problems on the road in the US is caused by the fact that there is no 'road worthiness' checks on older vehicles along the lines of the annual MOT test in the UK, I have seen many vehicles in the US frankly held together by gaffa tape and prayers! Buying a house? My goodness in the US that is a costly business, whatever the merits of the two systems the charges in the US are just mind blowing. Customer service? Yes in restaurants the service is very attentive probably more so than the UK, in shops I sometimes found that the customer service could be a little 'invasive' for my taste. I was surprised by your comments on consumer protection; I know in the US they can very from state to state but I think the Consumer Protection laws in the UK are much stronger over all (do all US states have a 'lemon' law yet?). I did enjoy your video.

[canaryseasider]

I’d prefer you to say “drive on the left” not “the wrong side”

[bull]

It is NOT the wrong side of the road in the UK !!! Maybe different not wrong.

[graceygrumble]

In many pubs, in Britain, you go to the bar to get your drinks and go to the bar to order your food. The waiting staff bring you food, but a pub is not a restaurant. If you want another drink, go back to the bar. If you want a dessert, go back to the bar and order it. Although some pubs behave like restaurants, it's not the norm.
I was once in a bar down in Nottingham and overheard the dissatisfaction of some Americans who thought the service was awful! They thought they were being ignored, which of course they were, but not for the reasons they thought.
Once I explained 'the rules', they were so relieved. They were lovely - we had a good laugh. They left a HUGE tip! (Not for me, but for the waitress).

[lindieb]

I don't think I've ever driven on the wrong side of the road! I have driven on the other or right hand side whilst in Europe and the States.

[tonycasey]

If you're driving "on the wrong side of the road" you're going to get arrested or cause an accident. Don't do that.

[andypandy]

No Tessa, you will be driving on the left hand side of the road, not the "wrong" side of the road. It does rather tick off us Brits when we hear that. 30% of the cars in the world are driven on the left.
Also, it is most certainly not legal to park on the pavement. If you do so you could end up with a hefty fine. Also, it is selfish as you are obstructing pedestrians, some of whom may be disabled or with children.
Property sales in Scotland are different to the rest of the UK. There is no gazumping there. Once you have agreed a sale you cannot change that.

[deborahneale]

I'm pretty sure it is technically illegal to park on the pavement in U.K. It is just that it is often overlooked.

[paulwilliams]

My brother failed his UK driving test 5 times back in the seventies. Went to Canada to live (age 22 with no licence) and got a Canadian licence almost on arrival.

[juliebrooke]

I’m British and I don’t mind if shop staff greet me when I go in ( although it always seems artificial so I’d rather they didn’t) but I can’t stand when staff keep approaching me to ask if they can help. It just makes me leave quickly. If I want any help I will ask for it.

[JP-ttxq]

Years ago I ran sales training courses for an upmarket clothing brand and the first thing I taught was never to start with "Can I help you?" Because the standard automatic response is "No thank you", even when the customer actually does want some help. I also used to teach that the customer is not always right, but it always helps if they feel like they are.

[lewistaylor]

I was never keen as a Brit travelling around the US that waiters and staff may be being super nice to me because of the tip I was going to give...That felt insincere to me...I remember a female bar girl in Fort Lauderdale in 1990 the first time we went going from super nice to loudly aggressive to us because we weren't aware of the tipping tradition and we went to walk away after being served, so we tipped her even though she was vile to us...That really stayed with me...As for restaurants and cafe's, Brits don't usually make a fuss if something isn't to their liking...they just don't go back

[sarahowen]

Another major difference in service is your customer is very unlikely to be carrying a gun...

[Neverforget]

British people don’t want to be greeted in shops, we rather be left alone. UL laws on consumer services are much stronger than the US.

[MrLbeazley]

The point about acquiring a UK licence is really important. As a driving instructor in London, I work with a lot of people needing a UK licence conversion and the biggest thing that is misunderstood is the time scale needed, particularly now after CoVID as there is a massive backlog of tests. Start early in your preparation, do a UK familiarisation course and get assessed on how many hours you need to get used to UK driving as soon as you can. It is a hard test but not impossible and majority of my clients have passed first time, but only because they are well prepared! As mentioned in the video the biggest difference is that are roads are more constricted and narrower, which requires a different cultural style of driving, we cant just push through as everything gets jammed up, there needs to be a considered approach and more defensive driving styles.