Another area in which Wal-Mart failed to obtain a true understanding on the German market was in the handling of their customers and employees. While in the U.S. it is very common for customers to be greeted in a store by a smile or a wave from a waiting employee or at the checkout counter, this is not the normal practice in German retailers. In spite of this, Wal-Mart expected this same demeanor in its German stores. They did not consider that in Germany, many people felt very uncomfortable being greeted by someone that they did not know.