Japanese CookPosted on 2006/10/06 20:37:00 (October 2006). [5th October 2006]
The day was enlightened by a massive number of work related problems, mostly linked to the fact that some of the suppliers are late with deliveries and we need to find a way to work around the issue.
Some of the delays are totally the supplier's fault, but some of them are actually originating from our requests that in some cases are totally crazy.
I have been trying to explain these issues to the Japanese colleagues, unfortunately I cannot concentrate 100% on the work as I still have to sort out the house, car and company related documents.
The good news is that I might have found the first two the next days are going to be important to close those deals.
The car buying technique that I have employed is a new one to me. I have decided to act totally Japanese.
I go to see the dealer, get them to do their bit of talking (I am immune to sales techniques now, I use them too!!!), I show myself totally interested in what they say, but of course prices are high maybe we need a little effort. I leave the place almost giving the impression that I am about to buy.
The second time I go to see them is to say hello, and I tell them that their competitors made a good offer on a similar car, of course they are the same brand but different in terms of optionals, I show a lot of indecisiveness and leave with a further discount/bundle thrown in the deal.
After a week I go back, this time is the good one, I almost sign the contract but hey, I am going to pay cash, so I need a couple of days to get the money transferred you see, then I start asking stupid questions like “is this car imported”, “do you offer repair service” and so on.
The forth time is a phone call, where I say that we really need some more effort on their side, taxes are high, I am going to pay cash in one shot, the colour is ok but not quite what I needed... More promises of little discounts and finally the car is mine...
This technique at the moment granted me an hefty 10% discount on the retail price, which is NOT what everyone pays, but considering that their margins are around 15/20% it's not too bad...
In the evening I went with my friends to a place that Francesco has found out, called “ACCADI”. There is a Japanese cook who is specialized in typical Tuscan recipes. We decided to give it a go, it sounded interesting, as a matter of fact it was good, but not a place where I would go back normally, as for that kind of food there is much offer in Florence, of course....
All in all a busy day!
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