Mind you Zoe, you live in a more expensive part of the world - we moved to Burgundy from Chamonix and couldn't believe how much cheaper it was here,although that is one of the reasons we moved, we couldn't afford a studio in Chamonix let alone a house for 4 of us to live in.
When we lived in Chamonix, its true the market and the butcher was cheaper than the supermarket but here although there are 3 butchers in town, plus the market butchers, they are all very expensive. Strange?
SFN encompasses all. I am delighted John that you moved to France and found no difficulty in fitting in and taking on the local ways. Not everyone finds it so easy. Would you think it better to voice all these 'whinges' as you put it, out there, in the stores, everyday? Must say with the problems we had initially we did just that with France Telecom, SFN was the site that kept me sane during a period where I was dealing with what seemed like a company made up of time wasting nutters intent on not providing a service no matter what!
SFN is a sharing site...you can come for information, to have a moan and compare experiences, what you shouldnt do is come along and have personal digs or be truly unpleasant....as is stated frequently, dinner party rules. I guess if one doesnt like what is perceived as whinging threads, then just follow the info threads...simples.
You're joking, you don't look old enough !!!
Cradle snatcher or what ?
er...havent been to that one! first time I went to go to visit, it was flooded!
Better than Piegut Pluviers ?
Peter...perfectly put and my point exactly. If by nature someone is mardy and a miserable person, increasing their salary will only make them a better off miserable mardy person. There are some who are driven by money to the point of giving exactly what they think of as reasonable service for the money paid. I wouldnt employ anyone of that persuation.
Interesting point Carol. I’m not sure I would agree with your definition of SFN. I have long thought that there should be two distinct threads to this forum. One for useful information and one for whinging. I find the former very valuable and the latter hilarious but deserving of a health warning.
Great to see the photo Sara, welcome to the 'dinner party'. Your comments above are spot on....and I think you have managed to wrap up some attitudes very neatly in a paragraph or two. We should absolutely not, ever, put up and shut up.
As a Brit who has worked in London hospitals alongside all nationalities who have chosen to make the UK their home, I would be hugely saddened to think they felt they had no voice as they were not born in the UK. We all live in a country together and should aim to make it the best that we can for everyones benefit. This attitude of 'you may come and live here...but don't you dare suggest any changes as that is sacrilege...France is perfect' is rubbish. No where is perfect and every country can improve life for everyone who lives there.
As a matter of interest Heather....what did Lerclerc say to you in answer to your letter? I was amazed when we first moved here. We had a shocking experience with France Telecom....6 months, no phone, no broadband, over £130 spent on mobile calls to them...in the end I wrote to the CEO, Customer Service Manager (of France Telecom) registered letters...and to the minister in charge of communications. Not a reply from one of them, ever. Before anyone commens, the letters were in French not English.
In the UK I have, because of my work, written to MPs CEO's, uncle Tom Cobbley and all....hand on heart of dozens of letters and emails...maybe two or three didnt reply...first time...but they all replied. Same with MPs I have written complaining about building in green areas etc as an ordinary citizen...always a prompt reply.
I am incredulous that a country made up of citizens willing to strike, march, protest etc etc. puts up with such totally shoddy treatment.
There was a scam on our local markets concerning cheese. Always made the knife slip and before you knew it you'd paid 30euros for 2 pieces of cheese. Think they got pulled over by the authorities.
Agree with all your sentiments Simon. As someone who worked in management for years, and thereby had the job of hiring and if required, firing, my expectations are that if you take a job and accept the salary, then you give it your all. If you dont like how you are treated by your bosses or you are not really someone cut out for customer facing jobs...then find something else.
Before coming to France my initial aim was to start a business...within a year I knew I wouldnt do that, not just because of the difficulties of starting up and running any business in France, but because of the draconian laws of employment, if I employ someone who is rubbish at what they do and not willing to work hard, I want to be able to dispense with their services, not be required to keep them for ever no matter how difficult/lazy/useless they are.
What is the big deal about the smic. Every job round here pays it and in a tourist area if you don't smile cos you are on the smic you are smiling cos you have a cdd of 4 or 6 months to keep you in the health system!
Blimey...now we have the fashion police to worry about!
No, Le Buisson, small and the one with the low local prices and more than enough local produce, especially organic vegetables at just about 'normal' price.
Before we moved to this area (far South West Dordogne) we had a holiday here, one day we were visiting the local market in a very picturesqe town. It was around the time that France had adopted the Euro, and we were not terribly au fait with the Euro.
We visited a cheese stall run by a very large French chap with the most amazing handlebar moustache. He was trying to get people to taste the cheese and my husband stopped and tried it, agreed the Brebis was delicious. Eventually we bought a piece, about half a pound in weight...no a big piece at all.
Later, working out what we spent, we realised it had cost us 11 euros. I have been sceptical about buying in markets since then.
The customers in not very well off Newmarket never had particularly different service to the Cambridge branch where people 'with money' prefer to go but then Tesco service was always brilliant in Newmarket and the one on the edge of Cambridge far too crowded for comfort most of the time. I think it differs place to place and local people in smaller towns are far more personable than those in cities. Simply that rather than anything else. M&S, well I have seen the inside of a factory in Bangladesh making clothes for them around 30 years ago that employed child labour for a few pennies a day. I have never used M&S since and know they still source from countries where working conditions and pay are disgraceful. I know full well that other companies are the same but have never been in a place making for any of them. Ultimately, if I lived up to what I see and believe I imagine I would never use any of them. Problem is, where would I get my knickers?
Hope you don't bqng your head against the wall but no I am still a black square.... just wanted to say that our local supermarkets are great but enter the large leclerc in Perigueux is to accept to be treated like a thief (the security bloke even calls them voyoux). However it was explained to me when I tried to go through the tills with an empty cardboard box, that the girl who gave it to me had no right to do so and I got the feeling that this was a disciplinary offence - so poor staff having to put up with cameras in their toilets etc...
I was lucky enough to go to Paris and we stopped in M&S. What lovely treatment. The staff all said hello (it was a Sunday so not too many customers!) It didn't.seem. forced like the 'have a nice day' (which strangely comes across as rude and patronising). I know which service I prefer.
But does anyone actually do that Giesela? SFN is a site where expats can voice their difficulties, talk about lack of customer service, poor food in restaurants etc. complain, whinge whatever, a portal for disgruntlement. I live in an area which is very British...my town wouldnt exist without ex pats living here..shopping locally, using the restaurants etc. I dont know anyone who says to a French person that they shouldnt do this or that.....they say it here...but thats what SFN is for.
We had a golf course project in the St Foy area a few years ago up at le Chateau in Le Fleix.
Never came to anything - the investor went bust :-(
Ste Foy La Grande....best market in the Dordogne.