Tiles

We did our trip to look at the tiles - they are absolutely fine, thankfully!

But we got another example of how the French 'work'...

We explained to the lady in the tile shop that we were doing up a second home, and could they request a sample of the wall tiles to replace the ones we'd chosen before [that were now discontinued]; she'd pointed them out to us in a catalogue as the nearest equivalent.
Having had previous experience of trying to get a free sample of tiles taking six months, we said that if the company wouldn't send a freebie, please order us the minimum quantity and we would pay for them; we just really needed to check they were right for us.

We told her we lived in London, so it would be an English mobile number we gave her when she asked for a number to call when the tiles had arrived...

No problem!

What we heard was: "I've got to chase the manufacturer up as another customer has requested those same tile samples, I'll order a set for you, too".

What we should have heard was: "Oh, I completely forgot those other people wanted to see the tiles several weeks ago, I know, I'll order one set from the manufacturer, then I'll call you in London so you can make a 700-mile round trip just to check the tiles so as not to delay your job, and then whichever customer arrives first can take the tiles home for several days to check they are what they wanted", with a subtext of "and tough on the other customer if they arrive before the first customer has returned the tiles [if they ever do so]"!

Thankfully, we were the first customer to get there, and after some persuading we were allowed to take the tiles home to look at them in situ [originally, a colleague of the first lady said we couldn't take them to the house to see them against the floor tiles].

And as I say, they're fine!!
I'm practising my zen and focusing on "that all turned out OK, phew!", but I can tell you that this post would be very different if we'd driven 350 miles and found that the one set of tiles had been given to the other couple, and 'oops you'll have to come back next weekend'!

Given that the manufacturer happily & quickly sent a sample of tiles, I find it really difficult to believe they couldn't have sent two of each tile for little extra hassle/cost?

The French bit is the not asking for a second set, and just not caring if a [potential!] customer has to travel from London to see something that you might have given to someone else!