French LBS Customer Service

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Comments

  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    hipshot wrote:
    I know the OP doesnt do this but It amuses me when some people breezily write off entire nationalities as being rude or lazy.

    It usually says more about the complainant and their personality than anything about the population of the country in question.

    And what's this rubbish about the French having had it too cushy for 20+ years? Perhaps we could do with a bit of cushiness here for a change instead of 30 years of increased working hours for reduced pay and conditions and worsening public services. They certainly aren't perfect, but at least the French can get the basics right like a functioning road and rail system.

    Unfortunately the national pastime is France is striking so said wonderful rail system rarely functions. ;)
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    Grill wrote:

    Unfortunately the national pastime is France is striking so said wonderful rail system rarely functions. ;)

    Indeed. I think there is currently a French port strike so watch out if you're taking a ferry into NE France.

    It's kind of like tag team wrestling, when the dockers finish they tag in the airport staff, then it's the trains, then the farmers.

    (All this despite them having the best pay and conditions anywhere in Europe....)
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    I expect that any country has good and bad LBSs in it as the way each one runs comes down to the attitude of the individual owner. There are tons of posts on here about good and bad UK LBSs and it seems about 50/50 in this thread about French ones too.
  • teisetrotter
    teisetrotter Posts: 342
    It's funny really. Most French think we are insufferably arrogant and we think the French are insufferably rude. The French are parochial and amazingly proud of what they produce. They drive French cars, drink French wine ...... in fact I can't think of a country more proud of what they make and they cannot understand why anyone would disagree with the fact that they make the best things that are important i.e. food and wine and a cheap car to go and get them.

    We on the other hand couldn't give a stuff about what we make ...... most people eschew british beer for the worst tasting beer plonk (there is no such beer as lager by the way) ever with a Danish or Australian name, will go out of their way to buy a car made in Bavaria and will refuse to buy any of the best quality food we can grow and produce. However it is what we do, what we have done and what we would do that we are incredibly proud of, the fact that we have stood up and fought every despot that has come Europe's way (and won thanks to that country we invented called America) and would do it again, is something we cannot understand why these Europeans aren't forever respectful to us Brit's for. After all who needs a good brie when you have a continent to conquer and a European despot to put in his place.

    ........... ergo cultural clash.
  • hipshot
    hipshot Posts: 371
    bernithebiker wrote:

    (All this despite them having the best pay and conditions anywhere in Europe....)

    Sounds fantastic, I think we could put up with the odd strike if we could have that. Wonder if it's a coincidence? :roll:
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    hipshot wrote:
    bernithebiker wrote:

    (All this despite them having the best pay and conditions anywhere in Europe....)

    Sounds fantastic, I think we could put up with the odd strike if we could have that, don't you? Wonder if it's a coincidence? :roll:

    I admire their willingness to stand up for what they want, but the problem is that France cannot afford to pay any higher; they are almost bust.

    The world is now a free market and the simple fact is that the Koreans, etc. make better, cheaper cars, phones, etc.etc. France has one of the very highest costs of labour in the world, so what they make needs to be the best in the world or it won't sell, and the worker will lose his job.

    If you push the better pay/conditions thing too far, someone else will simply come in and pinch your job.

    Hollande's policies are disasterous, the very opposite of what is needed. The party is only just getting started, there will be blood on the floor before too long. PIGS? F**** PIGS more like.
  • hipshot
    hipshot Posts: 371
    bernithebiker wrote:
    If you push the better pay/conditions thing too far, someone else will simply come in and pinch your job.

    That is a very common arguement and is constantly pushed by business and the media (guess who benefits?). Thing is for 30years we've had freemarket policies, unregulated finance, wage suppression, a crackdown on unions, reduced conditions, few strikes and we're bankrupt too.

    So the French may or may not lose their pay and conditions, I don't think they will, but at least have them in the first place.

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