An on-going friendship

[J&J]

We are due to catch the ferry to France tomorrow. The boot of the car is packed full with 35 M&S pillows. You might wonder? - well they are for the people to whom we sold our properties last month. They happened to mention they were having trouble finding English pillows and we offered. I was just thinking isn't it nice we can remain friends with our buyers and call in from time to time. So often a sale turns sour, especially where business is involved and either the seller or the purchaser feels resentful about the outcome, whereas we have made new friends and are happy to see our gites are in good hands.
Judith

[la vache!]

It must be a relief they are nice, especially for your repeat customers! I can buy English pillows in France, the Carrefour ones are OK. How did they cope with their first guest? I was so nervous when I my first ones arrived that when I went into the gite to say hello I tripped over and sprained my ankle. Then when the last guests of the first season left I tripped over a spare bit of washing line and broke both my arms. Things got better after the first year. It's not easy finding out how everything works so your buyers are very lucky to have you to call on.

[Giddy Goat]

OMG LV - that's a serious case of nerves you had way back then!!

On my first experience of being present when guests arrived (there've been very few) I kept mislaying various sets of keys as we were chatting. The guests were involved in the hunt for them!

[Hells Bells]

I got my English pillows in Geant .

[Giddy Goat]

I was just thinking isn't it nice we can remain friends with our buyers and call in from time to time. So often a sale turns sour, especially where business is involved and either the seller or the purchaser feels resentful about the outcome, whereas we have made new friends and are happy to see our gites are in good hands.

On the subject of friendships with vendors and purchasers, we've had a real mixed bag of experiences, ranging from very cordial years on to the potential for daggers to be drawn were we ever to bump into them again! I'm tempted to relate a few of them, but I suspect you've all been there too!