Service
 

I know that I have praised my electric shop on here before but I have just had another example of their good natured service.

My washing machine door would not open after the normal 3 minute delay so I kept on trying for another 10 minutes with no joy so off I trot with the receipt in hand and informed the shop which is part of the TIEN 21 group. She explained that she would ring the technical support people but that they would not come until Monday or Tuesday. Obviously my face dropped but I said that I understood and went home. Within 5 minutes the bell rang, it was the woman from the shop complete with the manual for the washing machine and showed me something that it said about waiting, trying without the plug in, trying with the plug in again and generally fiddling around. So I invited her to have a go herself which she did, what she had not realised was that the washing machine is at the top of the house 57 stairs from the street, she is about 20 years younger than me but it was her out of breath not me.

That is what you call service, she knew that I would want to get my washing out and tried to do this for me, I appreciate helpful people like this.

Rosemary

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Thats brilliant, what an excellent service.:thumbsup:

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Egg on face time now, I am so glad that she came to the house and fiddled with everything because I decided about an hour later to have another go myself and I put it on the spin in the hope that this would help. The door opened with no difficulty at all afterwards so now I am wondering whether it was on the cycle that leaves it to you to put it on spin when you are ready to deal with it. I never ever use this cycle but maybe the button got knocked. Oh well I will have to pop to the shop this afternoon and beg forgiveness for bothering them.

Rosemary

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oops!

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I don't know if you could really call this service, but we called into the drycleaners' shop this morning to collect a quilt we'd had washed. The owner, who likes to practice his English on us, was having a conversation with my OH about how hot it is today, dashed into the back room and came back with a can of cold beer which he presented my OH with! I'd like to know why I didn't get any, though.:lol:

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Love it, typical friendly gesture and also typical to not give one to you.

Rosemary

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I have to admit that as early as just a few years ago, service here was pathetic in almost every way. Few things were done on time or at the price promised, and whatever you're paying for was rarely what you got. And when the results were not what you were promised and you paid for, the response was usually a version of "bugger off", or they'd try to get you to pay a lot more for making up their negligence and/or blatent mistakes.

But in just the past few years, I've seen remarkable improvement in customer services across the board. I'm often surprised to have similar experiences to Rosemary's.

Still room for improvement, but things aren't all bad, are they? Perhaps people are just a bit hungrier?

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I find that service depends entirely on how well you communicate with that person. And I do work with people all across the world

Maybe your Spanish is better now so you get better service? Just a thought...

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Spanish is not much better than a few years ago, but it works.

Just an observation, but you've exhibited all the characteristics of someone who's never been anywhere, as you have consistently demonstrated your limited knowledge of everywhere else.

In fact, it occurs to me that you often demonstrate limited knowledge about Spain, too..(or perhaps simply prefer to live in an alternate reality)

Hmm...

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I obviously live in an alternative reality to you. I have been to many places both in and out of Spain for work and pleasure. I just see the world with different eyes ;)

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A and CM please do not start arguing about who has done what and who is the better person etc on here it is so annoying to others.

Rosemary

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That's abundantly clear.

I actually envy you; I wish I were living in the same dream. But in my case, I am forced to wake up every morning and deal with reality.

Dirty job, but I reckon somebody's gotta do it. I and millions of others would like to believe you'd appreciate what's been facilitated for you by some of us taking responsibility and facing reality, but I realise that's a lot to ask from those living in a deep trance.

Anyway, I can only wish someone would make it possible for me to live in a fantasy world like you, lucky dog! Ignorance is bliss...

Edit: Sorry Rosemary, didn't see your post. I'll be a good little girl from now on....

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I have had the same thing happen myself, not able to open the door until I put the machine on an extra spin. Also don't know why it happened. Very nice for the girl from the shop to call round to offer to help, you don't usually get service like that anywhere :thumbup:

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On the topic of service we've had good and not so good both here in Spain and in Scotland.

If you are looking for generalisations I would say the big corporations are the worst eg Roca (which of course is british owned now) Telefonica, BT, British Gas etc. Big exception in the UK is John Lewis. The staff there bend over backwards but maybe thats because they are all shareholders in the company.

The best service comes from the smaller 'own businesses'. In our case both here and in the UK - best of all the plumber. Paco our local plumber here in Spain could not be more helpful. He comes out exactly when he says he will, exchanges pleasantries, does the job and charges peanuts. One time he came all the way out here at my request and then my husband decided we shouldn't have the work done at that time. I was mortified but he was really sweet and refused to charge anything for coming out.
Our plumber in Scotland was similar - but charged a lot more and a call out charge as you would expect in the UK.

Oh and I think it makes a huge difference how you talk to people. Our neighbours also use Paco and don't get anything like as good a service but they are some of the rudest people I have ever met. :thumbdown:

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When I went back to the electrical shop to cancel the call out they were thrilled to bits that I no longer had a problem and not concerned at all about the hassle that this had caused. As I have said before, they are genuinely lovely people. Although they are a Tien 21 shop it is run by a family, two woman run the shop, one of their husbands is my brilliant electrician and brother to the other woman and her husband is the general labourer on electrical jobs deliveries and in the shop.

Rosemary