Ma?ana attitude in business

[beeza]

My experiences have lead to frustrations in a slightly different manner. It's not so much the manana (don't know how to do enya on my laptop!) as I have accepted that and adapted to it accordingly.

I get frustrated when I go to an establishment or business to talk to someone face to face. When in the middle of the conversation, the phone rings. They answer it and keep you waiting whilst they now give their full attention to that person on the phone.

Unfortunately, I have been forced to act in extreme measures sometimes. I would lean forward and put my finger on the hook of their telephone. They look very surprised! I then had to explain that I made the effort to come and see them, but person on the end of phone didn't!

Customer service is a new concept in the DR. I wonder if it will ever catch on?

 

[J D Sauser]

The "tomorrow" attitude IS prevalent... no political correctness can cover that up.
It's worse in trades which depend on suppliers and vendors which may likely have the same attitude... construction would be a typical example. You can't build much if you don't get your sand and cement delivered, and the one who eventually would have it ready to you, can't deliver it on time if the transport company decides to have a jolly little "meeting" in Navarete again instead, now can you?

I remember, and I kid you not... in Spain, the first house I build as a general contractor... the FIRST material I GOT delivered on the building site were the ROOF TILES. After that, I bought a truck and formed my own building company. After 6 months, I had fired ALL Spaniards and replaced them with an Austrian, a German and half a dozen Romanians I legalized. I did EVERYTHING, from planing, to choosing materials on site and pick them up, oversight, running the company, etc.... EVERYTHING.

Many people in sales and small manufacturing HERE also suffer from the fact that they have not being taught the simplest principles of business... like the fact that gross income is NOT ALL profit. Drinking and making too much "whuepah-whuepah" with the colmado ballenas also accelerates the ensuing problems further. The next day, they can't do business because they can't buy the raw materials or what ever they are supposed to sell. :bored:

Others are only eager to work, please and comply until they have "made" enough money to fall off the band wagon again until they are broke again.

Warehousing... stock keeping??? Apparently only few cultures in the world NOW how. In most countries with a "Latin" based language that "art" seems not part of the culture. Regularly, the ONE item which sells most is ordered in the same quantities and only when the other items have eventually sold out. Orders are only placed when there is NOTHING left to sell... If THAT alone seems bad -HA!- surprise, surprise- the wholesaler/distributor often operates in the same fashion! CRASH. :ninja:
Nuts and bolts (fasteners) stores from Italy, Spain on Westward are a typical example of that "practice"!

Lack of basic imagination... often "we" don't sell related items... like a paint store which sells buckets of paint, but not masking tape! When asked, they DON'T know where they'd sell it either... it's "NOT THEIR BUSINESS", so they proudly can state! :ermm:

All that can make it very difficult for most anyone -even most well formed and dedicated and disciplined- coming here to do business as soon as he or she depends on local suppliers and vendors.


... J-D.

 

[johnny]

Been here way too long I guess, I can never get accustomed to the Dominican "Ma?ana" attitude; what is it with these people.. don't they want to do business??
I sometimes feel that they are doing ME a favor by serving my needs.

Does anyone feel the same?

Do not agree at all.

here you call an electrician, plumber, etc and he will be there in a moment. in US , you need to make an appointment
here you take your car to a mechanic, and you have your diagnostic in few mins, repair in few hours. in US you have diagnostic next day, repair in few days.
here you buy appliances and you get deliver in few hours, in US 3-5 working days.
here if urgent, you need any technician at 9-10pm, just call him and tell you have a couple of FRIAS and he will be there in few mins. forget that in US
if you need some FRIAS at midnight, take you phone and call the colmado, in 5 mins you have your beer delivered. in US you have to take your car, to see if you can find any open place.
So, I think the ma?ana attitude is in US, not here.

 

[DRob]

My take on the manana problem is that people in this country are cultured to be extremely selfish - and they think it's tigre to get away with what we would call "f % *cking the dog" back home. This manana work ethic comes from the same root place that makes them think it's:

a) okay to cut in front of others in line or a queue - at the airport or at a movie

b) okay to go into a public toilet, urinate on the toilet seat, and not clean up before leaving

c) okay to throw your plastic coke bottle out the window while driving your car

d) okay to speed up and honk when someone is trying to get into a lane in front of you


The bottom line? It's always 'ME ME ME' and never ever 'WE'.

That's my 2 cents.

Actually, I've seen that in virtually every city I've visited in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, as well. People are nasty everywhere.

Come to think of it, I've seen most of that in the past 24 hours....

 

[el forastero]

Yes and no johnny. The service people might show up in a moment, but most just come to take a look at the job. Then, a price and they need to go get parts. Then they ask for money for the materials.

Then the struggle starts. The guy won't show up when he said he would come back (or they just walked off with a couple of hundred pesos with no intention of ever doing the job) Then after 6 phone calls, they show up, but won't have all of the tools to do the job. I would lend my own tools. Then, check at the end to make sure they weren't walking off with my tools. Several times, the repair failed a day or two later, and they have to come back.

Of all the service people I used over the years, only my inverter guy would show up on time, with all the necessary tools and materials, do the work at a fair price in a short time and hit the road.

Whenever I needed the telephone guy or the cable guy, no calls to their office. I got in my truck and cruised the area looking for one of their techs on the street. I would tell them about my problem, and that I needed it done right now, offered a nice propina, and they followed me home. Done for a few hundred pesos.

Eventually, I came to the realization that I had to do most repairs myself. Que vaina!

 

[johnny]

I dont think it is fair to compare business companies in US vs. street technician in DR.
Give a 100 bucks in advance to a street guy in NY or Chicago to do some work in your house, and I bet you will have more problems than the street technician in DR.
Hire the right company here and they will be on time.

 

[PeterInBrat]

Saw a guy open a small bar in Sosua once. Basically rebuilt the entire building, installed all new lighting and flooring, constructed a custom bar and put in and a newly thatched roof. He was about a week away from opening when all the construction crews let him know that they didn't work in December. He finally got it open by the end of January but it cost him thousands in lost sales. Foreign-run contractors are very pricey, but they can usually meet deadlines.

I did a start up once in the Pacific Islands where I needed an electrical hook-up. They said I was on a waiting list and it would be two months minimum. I said there was a case of beer waiting for the crew when the job got done. They were there the next day. Funny thing is, I don't think a money bribe would have worked.

 

[Acira]

We had our share of manana workmen but if you are persistent and look further you find eventually the right guy's to do the jobs you want them to do around your house.

But we never count on any, even the "good" ones seem to disappear some times or change phones so we learned to have alway's a good backup.

 

[Acira]

My experiences have lead to frustrations in a slightly different manner. It's not so much the manana (don't know how to do enya on my laptop!) as I have accepted that and adapted to it accordingly.

I get frustrated when I go to an establishment or business to talk to someone face to face. When in the middle of the conversation, the phone rings. They answer it and keep you waiting whilst they now give their full attention to that person on the phone.

Unfortunately, I have been forced to act in extreme measures sometimes. I would lean forward and put my finger on the hook of their telephone. They look very surprised! I then had to explain that I made the effort to come and see them, but person on the end of phone didn't!

Customer service is a new concept in the DR. I wonder if it will ever catch on?

I know the feeling but as with us they are the customers, I can hardly snatch that cellphone out of their hands...I just wait, clock is ticking and a training hour IS a training hour including the countless minutes the customer is hanging on the phone, I just relax and get me a coke :bunny:

 

[MikeFisher]

Yep you're right and he'll just need to adjust and find ways to counteract that attitude, but you don't have to call him pu$$y straight on :bunny::bunny:

why not?
facts are facts
Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

DR, Love it or leave it.

that's the same for every country on the Globe,
including the 1st world countries.
Love it or look for a better place,
If you are capable to do so, lol
Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

Do not agree at all.

here you call an electrician, plumber, etc and he will be there in a moment. in US , you need to make an appointment
here you take your car to a mechanic, and you have your diagnostic in few mins, repair in few hours. in US you have diagnostic next day, repair in few days.
here you buy appliances and you get deliver in few hours, in US 3-5 working days.
here if urgent, you need any technician at 9-10pm, just call him and tell you have a couple of FRIAS and he will be there in few mins. forget that in US
if you need some FRIAS at midnight, take you phone and call the colmado, in 5 mins you have your beer delivered. in US you have to take your car, to see if you can find any open place.
So, I think the ma?ana attitude is in US, not here.

completely agreement,
its fact.
but most who posted above simply would not ave the number of teir tecnician to pass by in the late evening, they would often not even know his Name to approach him on the phone properly, nor would have the brain to switch to locals acustoms and offer the cable Guy a cold beer if he fixes the connection by midnight and not manana or pasado manana.
many foreigners who live here simply live in a different world and never ever get into local life, they could be here for 30 years, but they still have absolutely no Clue.
Mike

 

[cobraboy]

Yep you're right and he'll just need to adjust and find ways to counteract that attitude, but you don't have to call him pu$$y straight on :bunny::bunny:

:bunny::bunny:

That's funn nee, George. Touche...

THIS is the toto DOG I was referring to...

 

[MikeFisher]

Saw a guy open a small bar in Sosua once. Basically rebuilt the entire building, installed all new lighting and flooring, constructed a custom bar and put in and a newly thatched roof. He was about a week away from opening when all the construction crews let him know that they didn't work in December. He finally got it open by the end of January but it cost him thousands in lost sales. Foreign-run contractors are very pricey, but they can usually meet deadlines.

I did a start up once in the Pacific Islands where I needed an electrical hook-up. They said I was on a waiting list and it would be two months minimum. I said there was a case of beer waiting for the crew when the job got done. They were there the next day. Funny thing is, I don't think a money bribe would have worked.

the Idiot should have done his homework firstly,
so he would have known that his contracted guys will sure not work during x-mas/new years, mostly not before Jan 10th, to pass Los Reyes.
most Tourists who visited the country more than once during that time period know about such basics.
he could have made a contract with a Deadline written, and he could have taken the business bucks from x-mas business that way, but failed to use his brain first, just complaining afterwards.
I don't name such very educated
Mike

 

[RacerX]

I think Extreme and Sauser are the most correct. The guy who does what you need as a job wont be reliable as the one who does what you need as a living. The guy who is an electrician knows that his betterment comes from being reliable and attentive. The guy who works for an electrical company will just do what he needs to do to get his check every 15 days. Independent thought, work planning, detail? You re ass out on that one.

I think the OPs problem is that he spends too much time trying to deal with employees when he should go straight to employers. Get the boss man on it and offer incentives for quick production/completion of work like they do in NY. You finish replacing railroad trussels for the MTA and they pay bonuses on the cost of the job. Thats what you need to do. That cold beer sentiment wouldnt work on me, and I dont know why it works on them. All it does is instill the notion that you re a lush AND unprofessional. Even still, for the responsible family man who has this business, and extra 300-500-1000 pesos for the job tells him that you re one dude not to reckoned with and that you can make major moves in his fortune, should you want to. Plus, he could buy his daughter a new dress or his son a nice leather baseball glove with the money.

But I dont know how to get around Sauser s comment on the Brokeback Pipeline. Maybe a Kmart or Walmart should come here and show them how to order inventory, stock it, price it accordingly and resupply? Like a lightning bolt you ll see the uncompetitive fold over night...but then they will take themselves to Kmart and ask for a job and then ruin their business plan.

 

[cobraboy]

But I dont know how to get around Sauser s comment on the Brokeback Pipeline. Maybe a Kmart or Walmart should come here and show them how to order inventory, stock it, price it accordingly and resupply? Like a lightning bolt you ll see the uncompetitive fold over night...but then they will take themselves to Kmart and ask for a job and then ruin their business plan.

Inventory takes capital, and that is one balance sheet item most businesses here just don't have.

That is why you often see empty shelves.

Even furniture stores have little decent furniture in stock, what you see is for display. If you want that living room set, it'll have to be made.

The reason the WalMarts, IKEAs, Home Depots, etc., do well is because their distribution system allows for every item to be in stock "JIT". Just In Time. But that takes huge investment-I mean HUGE-in highly refined, hi-tech distribution and logistics, and guns to the heads of vendors to pruduce cheaply and on time...or else.

It's interesting how many folks complain about lack of inventory, product selection and customer service, but when a Bog Box moves in also complain about how eeeeevil corporations are destroying local businesses and the jobs they've created.

Very rare when both exist: a highly capitalised local business with breath and depth of inventory, low prices, great customer service, a clean and modern physical plant with well-paid and benefitted employees. I can only think of Ochoa, Americana, Grupo Ramos, the Supermercado Nacional group and some auto importers that might fit that model. There may be more, however, possibly Bon?

 

[jrhartley]

the most annoying people are europeans and americans who have caught manana fever - you expect them to be on time but actually they are worse at time keeping in my experience and often have to be reminded at least three times to keep an appointment. - Dominicans on the other hand often turn up early

 

[J D Sauser]

One BIG old business man, putting his heavy hand on my shoulders, once said with a big wise smile:
Son, not going bankrupt is EASY, just never spend more than you rake in.

Simple!

Sadly, most here have not had the privilege to be confronted with that basic wisdom.

Similarly, keeping STOCK, is just as easy, IF you follow the rule above AND understand the principle of type cases.

As "we" all know, the larger spaces are obviously NOT for the larger letters, they are for the ones one uses most (depending on the language).

Keeping stock follows the exact same principle. If you sell screws, you will most likely sell a LOT of 1/4" x 1" and very few 1/8" x 8" screws. Hence, while the later are larger, you'd still want to keep the larger box full of the smaller screws, as they will be in demand EVERY day. It's your bread and butter item.

Secondly, you need to record how many you sell a day of each and order new ones as many days BEFORE you will inevitably run out of them, taking the equal number of days into account it will take for that order to be delivered.

It's just three simple rules (well, I'll accept... the third one... it takes some calculating... I know).


​

 

[dv8]

to some extend i embrace this ma?ana thing. possibly because i am naturally lazy myself. i am relaxed as a client because i know no one will arrive at the time stated so i can go shopping, take a nap and just go about my life as usual. i totally approve of not doing today what can be done tomorrow and possibly not doing it tomorrow either.
it is no wonder that my school days idol was a girl named iza. iza would promise she'd study a day before the test. but then, a day before we would always go out and get drunk. so she'd promise she'd wake up early and set alarm clock at 5am. then at 5am she'd smack it off and say to herself: "f**k, i'd rather flunk".
i am afraid i would totally fail as a business owner so i leave negocio to miesposo who is reliable and hard working.
so yes, i do understand ma?ana attitude. you westerners always want things done now.. and really, unless it is a really bad diarrhea it usually can wait. no sweat. .