These conversations continued for three weeks…
I was fairly certain our container had arrived at the docks in Dublin and was in storage, but I had no idea of the cost of keeping it there.
For me, this situation was mildly disconcerting but also charming. Clearly, my new friend with the ailing wife in Dublin was in the driver's seat. When we were ready, finally, to take delivery of our stuff, he could present us with a bill for any amount. Thousands of pounds. We'd have no choice, really, but to pay.
Still, he was such a sweet, friendly fellow. Surely, it would all work out in the end.
For my husband Lief, on the other hand, the situation was maddening... intolerable. You don't engage a service without knowing the cost up front. “People don't do business like this.”
I had to agree with him that, right, people back home didn't do business like this…
But the longer my association with the gentleman in Dublin continued, the more I came to suspect that, here in the Auld Sod, well, maybe business was done a bit differently.
It was nearly a year until we were ready for our goods to be delivered to our new home in Waterford.
In all that time, I never did succeed in getting the kindly Dubliner to quote the cost of storage…
Finally, I took a leap of faith and told him when and where to deliver our things. Lief had washed his hands of the situation long ago, and, even I, after 12 months, was nervous to see the bill.
Everything was sorted in the end, though, just as I'd been assured all along that it would be...
The invoice, when it eventually arrived, weeks after our belongings were unpacked in our new home, was modest. Much less than either Lief or I ever would have guessed.
I'm telling you this story because it shows you how the Irish think…
In the U.S., business matters are easier, simpler, and more convenient…
You ask a question, you get a direct answer…
You make an appointment, you expect the other parties to show up... and on time.
Time is money in America… and businesses compete to be the most efficient. Customers in, customers out.
The Irish prioritize things differently.
At first, you may see this as a downside—a lack of respect even. But, over time, you’ll realize it’s just the way things are done here. And, I bet, you’ll come to appreciate it.