Wednesday, December 08, 2010

It will be ready when?


There use to be a story that was probably true, it was about a Shoe Repair Shop. Seems this person dropped of a pair of shoes to be repaired, got his tag and left. He lost the tag and found it about 6 months later. He goes to the shoe shop and hands the man the tag, the owner looks at the tag, looks at the man and says they will be ready next week......


Mexican businessmen always seem to complain of how little business there is or how hard it us to run a business, not enough business, on and on and on...

Yes I am sure there are hassles, just like NOB, just different.

Our insurance was up for renewal on the 22nd of November. Simple, we called the insurance man, who happens to be a local Patzcuaro business man.

He was recommended by a friend a few years ago, with some reservations.

When you ask anyone for recommendation for almost anything in Mexico there is always a pause and a disclaimer to the actual quality or validation to the actual service one is asking about.

In other words the recommendation always comes with " use them at your own risk"

So after calling him and telling him that we wanted to have the policy renewed, I was told that 'No problem, I'll have it ready by the end of the week"

I should have asked him which week.


I drove by his office on Thursday and it was closed.
I drove by his office on Friday and it was closed. Ok, no big problem other than I didn't want to drive around without insurance. After al, everyone know how important insurance is? At least to the policy holder...

I then called him on the on Tuesday, someone else in the office answered and informed me he would be there later...., I gave him my cell phone number and waited.

Called him on Wednesday, voice mail answered and I left him a message. Well, I'll give him a few more days and this way be sure that it will be ready and what's the rush anyway.

On Thursday I called and his voice mail box was full and would not take any more messages.
(Not a good sign)
On Friday I called and was able to leave him a message.
On Monday I had my wife call, just in case I was having bad phone karma.

She called, talked to him again told him all the info and he said, " No problem, it will be ready tomorrow. Tomorrow being Tuesday.

No problem, I would give him an extra day. Called on Thursday and had to leave a message again.
I drove by the office on Friday several times and it was closed.

Monday I found another agent in Morelia that returned my call within 30 minutes. Sent me a quote via email later on that night, around 10 PM.

On Friday of that week, I saw that he called but didn't leave a message on the cell phone. But it was too late, since on Friday I also had in my hands a new policy from a new agent.

Sorry Patzuaro, tried to do business locally, but.......

Talked to a Mexican businessman friend about the situation and was told that a lot of Mexicans only live for the day and if they really have foresight, live for the next day, but never for the future.
That is why so many are just happy with today and the attitude that "It's enough" And that " God will Provide"
Well I hope God does provide, I won't help.
I see that kind of attitude in lots of other places that deal with customers on a day to day basis.
We will go to a restaurant (this is usually only at small family run ones), where we get served and other patrons will get ignored.....Or worse yet, everybody gets ignored.
I was at the hardware store downtown about two weeks ago, they waited on everybody except the guys standing next to me until he finally made himself know by saying something I didn't understand..
Should have asked him what he said......
So, things are not as bad down here as you are led to believe. No business, No jobs, No hope.....No nothing.
Just lots of lackadaisical attitude when it comes to insurance agents. Or maybe it was just me, not defining what reasonable time was.
Yep it was my fault....
Just what my wife says all the time anyway.
Just kidding.

8 comments:

JerryL said...

Obviously doesn't have a few kids in college.

Michael Dickson said...

Oh, for crissakes. Quit trying to get insurance over the phone. Go to the office of Qualitas or Mapfre, or any office of a major national company, in Morelia, and you´ll get your policy on the spot. I´ve been doing it for years. No problem whatsoever. And the one time I did have a fender bender, not my fault, the adjuster showed up within 20 minutes, and made everything right. And we were in Mexico City.

Or just walk into a bank here in Pátzcuaro where, I am sure, you´ll have the same experience. There are lots of headaches living here, but getting your car insurance ain't one of them.

I imagine the next thing you'll say is you have Gringo plates and you cannot do what I recommend.

You shouldn't have Gringo plates. When in Rome, etc., etc.

Tancho said...

I knew you would have a solution, so now we now, we did go to Morelia anyway, so next year should be no issue, I hope, and of course they are on Michoacan plates, wouldn't have it any other way!
Oh, and we bank in Santa Clara where I get instant service, and parking too!

Anonymous said...

That's pretty funny Mexicans having insurance.
They don't when they have cars in the states.
A few might, but not the ones that get into accidents. The insurance they buy, is cheap walkaway vehicles.

HD Fla.

Anonymous said...

Aw for Chrissake! I was born too late too. I'm the customer! I'm too irritable and impatient for non-exixtant customer service here NOB. What I used to appreciate about Mexico was what I percieved to be "finas atenciones". Nothing can ever be the same.

Tancho said...

HD in Fla, you have me confused, I have never heard of a walkaway car.

Glenn said...

I made the mistake of telling the the repairman "no hay prisa", and he certainly took me at my word....

Tancho said...

Well Glen, if you live in Mexico you are not suppose to be in any rush....unless you are concerned that someone else may run into your car...lots of drivers down here, staggering to make it home.......
Actually with repairmen here in Mexico I have been pleasantly surprised. First of all they will fix stuff that is normally tossed in the trash NOB, and will do it fairly fast, and very reasonably.