Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
'You need to take it to Agnostini Garage in Poil de Vache,' he yelled. 'He will fix it for
you. He's our
service après vente
. It's near the road to Sarlat about ten minutes from here.
Look, I'll draw a map so you can find it.'
Too dumbfounded to reply I took the scruffy map and set off. About ten minutes later, a
tiny laneway announced the hamlet of Poil de Vache. Having explored the entire hamlet in
half a second and found nothing, I was about to give up my quest when I saw a faded sign
half hidden by a tree, saying 'Agnostini 500 m'. The road led to a car garage in the backyard
of a house. Monsieur Agnostini, an unkempt version of Monsieur Bonny, came out of the
dingy interior.
'Ah, another brush cutter. Don't tell me, it's the starter motor,' he said, waving his arm into
the darkness where fifteen brush cutters of the same brand were lined up.
'When will it be ready?' I asked. 'I need it by the weekend.'
'
Pas possible
. It will take ten days to order the part then a few days to do it.
Une quinzaine
de jours minimum
.'
That little
'quinzaine de jours',
nominally fifteen days, normally meant infinity. I did not
have the time to argue as I knew that Sean and the two girls would be wondering if I was in
Bergerac Hospital, having taken two hours to return the faulty machine. When I got back
to the shopping centre, the two girls were happily playing on the toys near the entrance and
Sean appeared relaxed. They were getting onto French time.
Fifteen days later I phoned to see what had happened to the brush cutter.
'The part still hasn't arrived,' said Monsieur Agnostini. 'I apologise for the manufacturer.
Normalement
it should be here by Monday.'
The little word
'normalement'
meant 'not a chance'.
On Monday Agnostini was fiercely apologetic but the part still had not arrived. 'It will be
ready in a few days. I will call you. Don't worry to call back. As soon as it's ready I will
call you.'
He didn't call. By the following Monday my French was remarkably good. He remained
calm, apologising for the manufacturer's tardiness and promising the same promise I got
on the last call. I hung up before he finished and called the shop. I explained to the store
representative that I wanted a new brush cutter.
'Madame,' he said imperiously, 'if I gave everyone with a problem machine a new one I
would have no margin.'
Iofferedtocontact theEuropean director ofconsumer affairstodiscuss thisstatement and
he promised that Agnostini would have the machine fixed by the following afternoon. I felt
like he had done me a huge favour and thanked him profusely.
When I picked up the machine Agnostini was so affable I couldn't be furious. I left think-
ing how great it was that a nationwide DIY chain supported a tiny garage like Agnostini
operating in a backwater like Poil de Vache. I was succumbing to the frustrating but won-
derful eccentricities of France.
