Keep looking, Bruce, you'll eventually find exactly what you need in an employee, though the search may take awhile. You could set your clock by my Spanish teacher, not so my maid. Planes fly on time here, but dinner guests may never show up at all. Promises are made to please the listener, as often as not, and are freely disregarded. When the goal is efficiency, it's hard to hit the mark for many, having grown up in a more foregiving culture than we became accustomed to.
This exactly. Here, they tell you they will do something by a certain time, but in most cases it's just because that's "the right thing to say". What is actually said: "I'll be at your house around 9 am to fix your plumbing." What an American hears: "I'll be at your house between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. to fix your plumbing." What another Mexican hears: "I'll stop by in the morning to look at your plumbing unless my family makes breakfast plans. Don't wait around, just leave your cell phone on. Or maybe I'll look at it when I go to your BBQ next weekend." It would be rude for him to say "I don't know, I'll do it eventually", even when it's the truth. The speaker assumes you understand he's just being polite because that's just how it's done here, so to him it's not "lying". Illogical? Yes. Incredibly confusing? Yes. Do my frustration and opinion make any difference whatsoever? Nope. Don't even ask about how the RSVPs went with our Mexican wedding guests... makes me want to punch a wall. But, as V points out, there are workers and suppliers out there who understand our mindset. Hard to find, but I've met a few!
What they don't get is I would PREFER to know the truth, rude or not, so I can make other arrangements. Let me give you a real life example that happened, because it does not fit your story: Me: "Fransisco, I have clients arriving at 9am tomorrow. I need you to deliver 2 more motorcycles BEFORE 9am. If you do not do that, I will have paying clients here with nothing to ride. Do you understand? Can you do it?" Francisco: "Not a problem. I will be here before 9am." Me (repeating because I've dealt with him before): "You understand I will lose money and have pissed off clients if you are NOT here by 9am, right?" Francisco: "I understand. No te preocupes, Bruce. I will be here." He arrived at 11:30, smiling and acting like he saved the day.
Bruce: I agree with a lot of what you wrote. I have an example regarding being "polite"(aka lying in this case) rather than going straight to the point: When I first arrived here, INM lost all of my paperwork. It took some 70 days(daily visits) to get them to confess. More than 2 months lost, due to them lacking the ability to get to the point and tell it like it is. As a bonus, I was accused of, better sit down for this one, entering their office after closing time and stealing my very own file.
Bruce: I think your example proves my point. You said "before 9 am" and Francisco heard "tomorrow morning"... which explains why he was so pleased with himself. It seems he genuinely thinks he did what you asked, and I doubt you can convince him otherwise. This is neither right nor wrong (except for maybe Rawkus' above example haha), it's just a very, very annoying cultural clash. I think you have 2 options in this particular situation, if you want to keep from pulling your hair out: 1. Replace Francisco with someone more like-minded (might take awhile to find, but they're out there) 2. Go with the flow and improvise! When he's late, tell your customers they're on "Mexican Time" and have them do another activity while they wait, share motorcycles if possible, etc etc. I realize neither of these 2 options is particularly appealing, but you ain't in Kansas anymore When I first moved here, I isolated people and almost ruined several good friendships over my stubborness on this exact issue. You can't change the culture, you have to work with it or work around it.
I think there are actually plenty of Mexican people who can easily adapt to a strict accounting of time and perfomance: some can't, and they get left behind in a competitive race for the better jobs. I require on time attendance at my classes, something rare in the university; yet, the students adapt, or fail.
I think Mexicans tend not to plan or wait in like us for trades people / deliveries etc to show up. I've seen the other way where the plumber will show up at a house and the owner will be out "oh wait there I'm in Las Americas I'll be back in five minutes"..... an hour later of waiting for the plumber the owner shows up. I guess the key is don't plan your day around others. (something I can't do). I've got a guy now who does any work on my house for me who is always early which is a godsend, all the rest I won't use and they lost out on good money. If someone turns up late, I just tell them no thanks I don't need you to work anymore, and I'll try someone else. Francisco with his motorbikes at 11:30 would have got an f*in ear full if it was me as well and I'd find someone else to use next time. There are reliable people out there, you just have to sift through a lot of crap time keepers first!
Elaborating a little on what Bruce, Gringation and Matkirk have been talking about, I had to change the schedule of my maid's visit today from morning, to afternoon (my boss asked me to come in today). I called yesterday to tell her about the change, and got her daughter, with whom I left the message. Today, early, I called again to be sure the daughter had passed on the message and the maid didn't show up just as I was leaving for work. The maid didn't acknowledge getting the message (first clue); then, while agreeing to come this afternoon, commented that it wasn't very convenient for her to come on Sat afternoons (second clue). Now, I'm sitting all alone in my apt, reflecting on what happened! Here's what I think Gringation would have told me. "At the first sign of hesitation, you should have stopped and said, "It sounds like it may not be the best time for you to come. When would be a better day and time?"" Instead, I did the American thing and pressured her to come this afternoon, to which she agreed, but didn't show up! I'd have been free to go to Isla Mujeres now, if I hadn't pushed the matter. Who's the loser? I think listening for clues that may suggest they will have reasons not to do what they promised could serve us well, and avoid disappointments. If we really want them to be at our beck and call, I think we'll have to pay more, or find people who have no life outside of work, like me (my boss called, I answered)!
At the end of the day, it's our responsibility as ex-pats to adapt to the cultural norms of our adopted country. Except in the case of V.. where he is able to dictate the terms. If that is not possible, Gringation offers a great suggestion of continuing to look for someone more like-minded.
