So, setting up a little business idea. And the bloke I need for one minor part of this. He wants to negotiate by phone. I want to do this by email. The bit that really gets me. The guy’s English isn’t good enough to capture the subtleties of negotiation in a live conversation. But he’s the one who insists upon doing it live.
Sheesh.
You could tell him that you’ll record his conversation, and think it over.
Or am I being too impolitely paranoid?
Follow up email confirming your understanding of the points agreed. Make it explicitly clear.
I hate it when people phone me and try and negotiate things with me *on* *my* *mobile*. Dammit, I DON’T KNOW! I’m by definition NOT AT HOME where my information is. I’m in a supermarket/walking down the road/driving somewhere/pulling cables through a floor/at the top of a ladder. SEND ME A DAMN TEXT OR EMAIL!!!! so I can read and respond in my own time with access to the info I need to reply to you.
You sure this isn’t a tactic, Tim? How sure are you about the competence of his english?
It’s a tactic I’ve been known to use. My competence in certain languages may better than I let on. Let’s me misunderstand & be very hard going to bargain with. Maybe obtain concessions wouldn’t otherwise be given. And ignorance equals stupidity in some people’s minds & it’s never wrong to be perceived as stupid.
@jgh
Trying for the spur of the moment commitment.
A dago preference is doing business via Whatsapp. I use the spanish equivalent of fuck off. And have the conversation containing the commitments made deleted when convenient? They think I’m some sort of idiot?
Yeah, happens here too. Got it a few days ago.
Me still waking up supping tea.
Knock on door. Hi! Remember me? That dead tree needs taking down, doesn’t it?
Yeah it does…
I can take it down for you
You can?… Oh… waitwaitwaitWAKEUP!!!!!whatsgoingon
I can fit you in this afternoon
No, yes, it needs taking down, but not yet, I’ll be sorting out something this year.
When shall I come then
No, give me your card, I’ll contact you sotto voche bugger off, let me WAKE UP!
Bloody people take polite agreement with facts as permission to perform actions, or discussion while close to unconscious as active participation. Your lawn needs mowing. Yes it does. bzzzzzz. Fifty quid please. Yerwot????
You haven’t even started the work yet and already, the person is cumbersome to interact with.
You’ll be using the phone all the time this way, with no record of what either you your wanted/did, and plenty of scope for mishaps and annoyances.
I would recommend to find someone else.