Have you had an unrealised dream your whole life? Step up Him indoors. In the very year we were born, a certain Maurice Wilks came up with an idea that's plagued us our whole lives. It didn't help that, growing up, the young Him indoors would wipe his sleeve against the misted-up bus windows and stare longingly at the factory on his doorstep. Dad, please can I have one? No; wait until you're older! The dream? A brand-new Land Rover.
At last, 60+ years later, the chance has arrived. So, my French being better, I looked up the nearest dealership and tried and tried to arrange a test drive. Sounds simple enough doesn't it? And, surely when they realise here's a customer interested in a brand new model, they'll be all over us? Well, no. I rang about 3 times in all, each time being fobbed off by the dealer's promise to ring me back. And, you know what? He never did! Can you believe it? Problem was that when I looked for a different dealership in this area, it had the same man's email address. Clearly someone too itinerant to be much use. Yet again, c'est la France. Can any Americans reading this please teach the French some customer-service?
Good news, at last. I found another dealer further away (and not the same man, hurrah), and we've now fixed un essaye de voiture for tomorrow! Tune in next week to see how we got on....
Showing posts with label French customer service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French customer service. Show all posts
11th December 2008
Ever since the French engineer took our old dishwasher away, we've been waiting for the repair estimate. I knew it would mean a decision was needed, and I hate decisions. In Esther Rantzen's latest book about oldies like us, she says you need to spend money now - because if not now, when? But I've always been a 'but on the other hand...' kind of person. Well, we received the estimate yesterday and the bill was a dreadful 270 euros. So, do we get it repaired and hope the problem doesn't reappear, or do we take Esther Rantzen's advice and buy a new one?
Soon after we first arrived in France, an Englishman who'd been here for years and years told me 'you need your French head on', and I wasn't sure then what he meant, but I do now. There's definitely a different way of thinking between the English and the French. If the English need to buy something, they search around for the cheapest and best deal around. So, bearing this in mind, I did do a search on the internet and found several new dishwashers that I could possibly order. But what do I do if something goes wrong? I would be buying from some nameless internet co. I've never heard of. And, have I understood the French internet instructions correctly? How do the French around here deal with purchases? Cast your mind back to the 1950s and you'll get a better idea.
So yesterday I did as the French did. Yes, I know it wasn't the cheapest and best deal around, but I went to a local shop in Caussade where I already know the owner, spoke at length about our plumbing problem, he reassured me on several points and agreed to take a look when he delivered our new machine chez-nous. What it means is that I have a definite point of apres-vente that I can locate in the future. The price may well have been more than on the internet, but for my peace of mind in this new strange land........
Soon after we first arrived in France, an Englishman who'd been here for years and years told me 'you need your French head on', and I wasn't sure then what he meant, but I do now. There's definitely a different way of thinking between the English and the French. If the English need to buy something, they search around for the cheapest and best deal around. So, bearing this in mind, I did do a search on the internet and found several new dishwashers that I could possibly order. But what do I do if something goes wrong? I would be buying from some nameless internet co. I've never heard of. And, have I understood the French internet instructions correctly? How do the French around here deal with purchases? Cast your mind back to the 1950s and you'll get a better idea.
So yesterday I did as the French did. Yes, I know it wasn't the cheapest and best deal around, but I went to a local shop in Caussade where I already know the owner, spoke at length about our plumbing problem, he reassured me on several points and agreed to take a look when he delivered our new machine chez-nous. What it means is that I have a definite point of apres-vente that I can locate in the future. The price may well have been more than on the internet, but for my peace of mind in this new strange land........
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