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It is not title fetishism, it is quality control and it is very good. This means that when you want to have someone working for you, you can be ensured the pers

by Loic 14y ago

It is not title fetishism, it is quality control and it is very good. This means that when you want to have someone working for you, you can be ensured the person as the adequate formation. I am French, having spent a couple of years now in Germany, some in Denmark and before some times in the US, I can tell you this is wonderful. If you need someone to fix something in your house, you can be sure he knows about it. Not like in the US where the guy was turning steaks at McDo before and just happen to now do plumbing for a small company because "He did well at the interview". This level of "quality control" is everywhere in the German society. For the titles themselves, this comes from the general German culture, I heavily recommend "The German Genius" by Peter Watson to understand it a bit more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/books/review/Ladd-t.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/books/review/Ladd-t.html?p... http://www.amazon.de/German-Genius-Renaissance-Scientific-Revolution/dp/1416526153/ http://www.amazon.de/German-Genius-Renaissance-Scientific-Re...

maayank 14y ago
As a customer, sometimes I need the guy who can do a cheap job on an easy task. Sometimes I'll spend more to get someone with a more proven record (i.e. from a rating service or an agency or recommendations) for the more critical tasks. As a worker, I would like the opportunity to switch careers/find my way without having to take multi-year training courses for every possible job. Same about products: sometimes all I need is a cheap drill from Walmart and not an expensive Bosch one that would last me a lifetime. I can't read the articles right now, but I've seen the book in Germany and it did look interesting! :-)
- derda 14y ago
  Well if you need real cheap plumbing, you can still hire some eastern European guy and pay him cash. But quality control is your problem then and god forbid if you house is flooded after you come back from a weekend trip...

by Loic 14y ago

maayank 14y ago

As a customer, sometimes I need the guy who can do a cheap job on an easy task. Sometimes I'll spend more to get someone with a more proven record (i.e. from a rating service or an agency or recommendations) for the more critical tasks. As a worker, I would like the opportunity to switch careers/find my way without having to take multi-year training courses for every possible job. Same about products: sometimes all I need is a cheap drill from Walmart and not an expensive Bosch one that would last me a lifetime. I can't read the articles right now, but I've seen the book in Germany and it did look interesting! :-)

derda 14y ago
Well if you need real cheap plumbing, you can still hire some eastern European guy and pay him cash. But quality control is your problem then and god forbid if you house is flooded after you come back from a weekend trip...