In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In the UK, some workmen put a sandwich board, advetising their services, outside the property they are working on. In his case this wouldn't be a clever idea. :Dancing_unhappy: :no:
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=turtle;80693]Well I am nearing the end of my visit to Italy and almost at the end of my tether with The Domani Syndrome. The guy doing my windows and doors five months on still has not finished yet . He is not even respondding to my pleas face to face.
I sent him an sms yesterday saying that if he does not finish by today then I shall put all his tools and jam jars full of stale water and dirty paint brushes outside. Oh and the 95 euros outstanding??? It is now mine.
I am sure this will strike a chord with many!!![/quote]
Or......phone his wife and tell her that the last time he came round for sex he left all this crap outside your house ............
Pain!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 05:03In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I can feel your pain!! It's beyond me how this bloody country functions (well TBH it doesn't).
I've given up trying to understand it or care about it.
I had a toe to toe shouting match with my boss last week about a computer problem. I think the conversation included the phrase "just f**king do it by tomorrow". I'd been waiting for IT to get their fingers out for almost 3 weeks. And that's in, probably, one of the most famous company's in the world.
I would love to be put in charge, there would be so many people looking for jobs the follwing day.
I've decided to head back to my own planet before I explode.
Al.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
...Actually Turtle, where is your house? I'll go and do it for the price of the fuel and pizza. I love painting and DIY.
Al.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Early June last year we ordered mosquito blinds for every window of our house and a new balcony door. We were told 2 weeks for the blinds and 3 weeks for the door.
June came and went after multiple phone calls and face to face visits.
July came and went after multiple phone calls and face to face visit.
August came and went - he was on holiday. "Sorry first job when I return".
September we got just over half the blinds fitted. I said I would pay for them when they were all fitted.
October was about to disappear but we spoke to him saying we were leaving for the UK within the next three days and wouldn't be back until at least May 2008. Two days later we had the remaining blinds fitted, new patio door and other small jobs done.
The eventual trick to get it done? We hadn't paid a Euro up front.
Mind you, that applies in the UK as well.
Have to say they were beautifully fitted, not a fault with them.
Looking forward to seeing this summer with no flies or mozzies in the house.
Maralyn
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I'm with you, Sally, but don't let it get you down. All these little jobs will get done, one day. I'm in the same boat. I have a small, small bit of restoration that needs to be done at the rear of the house. They started. Then they stopped. They started again. They stopped again. They promised me Christmas (2006). They promised me Pasqua. June. Definitely September, signora. I gave up at that point thinking so long as it's finished by Christmas (2007). But it wasn't. And now I don't even bother going out looking for the workmen and pleading with them to put my job first. It'll happen when it happens.
Interestingly, I tell myself they're not interested in my job as it's a small one. Then I meet people with major rebuilds and they say their workmen disappear in order to slip in smaller, easier, quicker to complete (and get paid for) contracts. Can't win. V
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
My Maxim for living in Italy...
Just enough, just in time.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Aretina;80864]My Maxim for living in Italy...
Just enough, just in time.[/quote]
Surely the full maxim should be:-
Just enough, just in time.
Have another glass of wine
.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I have to say that, down here in Puglia at least, we don`t really see much of the `domani, domani` problem. In fact it really annoys me when ex-pats seem to think that people down here (I speak only for this area) have a `relaxed` attitude to work - I think it`s probably the ex-pats who are `relaxed` and don`t actually notice the hard work going on around them! We find that everybody is very hard working - probably because they`re pleased to have work. The only problem can be that those who are good take on too many jobs which might give the impression that they never finish a job, but they start work at the crack of dawn and rarely take much in the way of a lunch break. They even work on Sundays to get jobs done. In fact I think people here work a darn site harder than they do in the UK. I agree, though, that there can be a problem if you live in the UK and are trying to oversee work long distance but that`s just because others who are local take precendence.
The only people who seem to me to have a `domani, domani` attitude here are those in bureaucratic positions where they earn their money whatever happens (and a nice pension to boot!) - and they have the attitude in abundance! However, we don`t really have big companies here so can`t comment on your experience Alan T. Down here things seem to function reasonably well but following a different set of rules maybe!
Hazel
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=alan h;80866]Surely the full maxim should be:-
Just enough, just in time.
Have another glass of wine
.[/quote]
Just enough, just in time.
Have another glass of wine.
Rosso o bianco.
Non importa, lavorare dopo.
Ma non troppo.
#1
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hi Alan
I LOVE IT!
My new improved 'mind-bite' to undertand life here..
Thank you
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hi Numerouno
I love it even more...
Thanks
Agree with Hazel though, the quality of work when they do is fantastic, the only work that has caused us any grief was done by Brits!!!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I have just returned to this thread albeit in the local library. I love all your replie.! Well he's not married alas as he's only around thirty years old!!! I did hear a few male voices around 10pm outside my door and wondered if it was Mauro and co checking to see if I had carried out my threat ..... but next time when I return I will for sure turf the whole lot out
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
We usually pay a deposit, give a time frame to finish, remind them that we are coming three or four weeks later and that we are ready to pay them immediately if the job is done and well finished.... It usually works...
try english chocolate or christmas cake or arrange a party and tell him you are inviting his wife and all his relatives to see the unfinished windows!!!!