We have maids here. I feel ridiculous and slightly embarrassed to say that. Once a week, they change the sheets, clean the bathroom and the kitchen, mop the floors, and bring us new bath towels. Last week they cleaned my espresso pot for me. I knew we would have sheets provided for us in the flats, but didn’t realize the sheets would be accompanied by all the rest.
So last week I bought an antique coffee pot, sugar and creamer from the antique market in Brick Lane. It’s a really cool set: orange ceramic from the mid 1960s. I know nothing about antiques but as soon as I saw the set I knew I wanted it to be the one thing I would take home with me and keep forever, and when people would come to my house and ask me about it, I would say, “Oh, that? I got it in London” and feel really swanky. Anyways, it was marked £20 for the set, but the dealer gave it to me for £15.
I went out for a few hours this morning, knowing the cleaning people would be in while I was gone. I came back to a broken sugar bowl and a note on the table saying “Sorry I broke your Object, it was accident I apologize. Cleaning service.” I almost started crying (but didn’t—aren’t you proud of me Kyle?), but instead went down the hall to talk to the maids. And then I was amazed at what happened next: within five minutes, the girl who cleaned my apartment had called the building supervisor, who came up immediately, inspected the breakage, and asked me how much it had cost. I said that it was about £4, and he shook his head and said, “Oh, no. We will have to do much better than that. Give yourself a £20 budget for the inconvenience and see if you can find another on eBay, and then just bring me a receipt and we will get your money to you straight away.” Twenty pounds?! Would this have ever happened at home? Then he apologized up and down and left with the maid, who had pulled out her own wallet to try to give me money. I was stunned and so surprised at how generous they had both been, and it made me feel a little silly for saying anything—it’s just a sugar bowl, after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment