I used the anecdote not as a means of proof but rather as a point of illustration. This is the sort of thing that seems "exceptional" to many in the U.S. but is de rigueur in many near, middle, and far east cultures.
Is there variation in the quality of service you receive from one place to the next? Sure! It'll vary from one cafe to the next. The point I was trying to make, however, is somewhat deeper. I'm not just saying that service is better in Turkey than in the U.S. I'm saying that the expectation of service is part of the culture in Turkey, not just a nice "perk" like it is in the U.S. and many European nations.
This also has to do a lot with the western ideas of efficiency, and with high labor costs. But maybe there will be a split between efficient self-service done online, and more experience-oriented services handled personally
Is there variation in the quality of service you receive from one place to the next? Sure! It'll vary from one cafe to the next. The point I was trying to make, however, is somewhat deeper. I'm not just saying that service is better in Turkey than in the U.S. I'm saying that the expectation of service is part of the culture in Turkey, not just a nice "perk" like it is in the U.S. and many European nations.