What’s that all about? “We’ll get there 8-8.30” – and they do! Quick cup of coffee and then off to work.
(Well, apart from the electrician, whose van was broken into and who then had to buy new tools. But even he came at the promised time to explain why he’d be late.)
The good ones are very busy, so that “08H30” might be a few months down the road, but they do show up on time.
That’s what I’d thought, but I wonder if it’s more complicated than that.
Our kitchen fitters found a problem with pipework; asked if we knew any plumbers; when we said yes, they rang them and arranged for the problem to be resolved when it suited the fitters, two days later. Likewise the loo problem.
So I think it helps if you know the artisans – and, perhaps more importantly, they know you as a prompt payer!
There’s a couple of guys we’ve used in Cussy who are absolutely spot-on with punctuality. Other aspects aren’t always as good, but if they have an RDV at 4pm, they are there.
Don’t forget they can only work 35hrs if they are employed, self employed can work as much as they want. I remember registering with URSSAF so that our employees could do a 39 hour week for which they got paid but it cost us a lot of money in social charges as against getting a job finished on time swings and roundabouts
There is an epidemic of tool theft from vans in the UK. My garage mechanic says they are very easy to break into (a small drill in be right spot can disable the locking system) and for that reason he never bothers locking his.
All that you can do is unload the vehicle every night. I did this throughout my working life, but to recover this extra work (at least 30 minutes a day) by putting it on a bill wouldn’t go down well at all….
I never lost my tools. For me this would have been tragic as some of the hand tools I have had all my life. I know a few tradesmen however, who have lost them all, several times.
I always had workshop premises. That helps, but it’s another overhead…..
People here seem to be fairly punctual.
I once had an interesting conversation with the man who came to measure up after we accepted a quote to replace some windows. He said he would be here between 9am and 10am. Eventually he rang at 10h20 to say he was on his way.
When he arrived I mentioned that I had expected him by 10h and he explained that (to him) between 9h and 10h meant any time up to 10h20 and only after that was he late. I in turn explained to him that to a Brit (this one at least) it meant arriving before the later time in ‘between x and y’. He did apologise and we parted on good terms. 
Having a former military father, I know that on time is being at least 15 minutes early.
Being somewhere in the Army exactly on time apparently featured some angry man with 3 stripes (or heaven preserve you, 3 stripes and a crown) on his sleeve shouting “Get him away!” at which instant 2 corporals formed of pure evil would magically appear and double time the poor unfortunate to the Guard House for a day of moving heavy things between 2 locations.
Most times they should have had their coffee before arriving, so we ask if/when they would like one which frequently is around 10.45.
French productivity is great. Yes you’ll be lucky to see anyone on later on Friday afternoon but most artisans start early and work solidly. Even if some take 90mins for lunch, others will just have something on site and take 30 mins.
The ideal is to get into a network of artisans as if a small’ish place they’ll all know each other and will pass you around if you’re a good client. And are often related. Our painter came via the plumber, but when the maçon came to discuss next steps he asked who was doing painting and turns out it’s his cousin
Not in the countryside round here. I’m beginning to understand we’re rather looked down on by the few other Viennese 
who’ve heard of the town, as one rung below bumpkins.
We offered it automatically, and later mentioned it to a friend (who’d recommended all of them, has a few businesses, husband likewise …) and she told us first coffee on arrival, then a couple of hours later.
Of course, they may all have been conditioned by her!
The artisan who has carried out the ‘routine’ 140 year ‘first service’ on my grand piano returned today to re-install it. He arrived at 10.15, and worked without any break whatsoever until 17.15..He refused all offers of coffee or a suggestion that he took a break for lunch/offers of a nice place to sit and eat something. He was obviously a perfectionist and would definitely have carried on until late in the evening if we hadn’t been 100% happy with what he’s done (we were!).
It looks great, George. I suppose you don’t have a Before photo to remind us?
There is a story, possibly apocryphal, of the probationer PC arriving a bit late for early turn. “Sorry I’m late sarge”. “You’re not late, son, you’re early for late turn.”
Thank you. All the work was on the internal mechanisms (updating roughly 6 items linked to each of the 84 keys) so unfortunately nothing to see externally, but it already sounds richer and warmer in tone from previously.
Here are two photos showing the exterior for completeness.
Extremely useful to have room for a grand piano, because then you know where to put the dog bed. I’m impressed they have a piss pot alongside, if they need to go in the night.
I’m not an envious person - but if I was, I would envy those who can play a musical instrument. What a wonderful gift to have. Sorry for the off topic comment . . . .
When my French grandma married my English grandpa in 1915, he was a widower with 6 kids already and a fully-furnished home in London.
Seems one of the first things she did on “taking over” was chuck out the “white” baby grand in the entrance hall (and presumably other stuff) to install her own beautiful French furniture.
Whilst I loved her French stuff… I really wish she’d kept that piano 
(or any piano and not necessarily white 
)
I watch people playing the organ and cannot believe how you can organise all your fingers and both feet to work in harmony with each other. I am in awe.
With a lot of these things, muscle memory takes over and they don’t require conscious thought most of the time. Often we learn patterns, and produce those as required. Not that I’m an organ player or even keyboard player, but there are many things musicians do to create music unconsciously, and it has to be that way because we couldn’t keep up if it had to be conscious.
I saw what you did there 
