Rich B1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2017
- Messages
- 1,122
- Location
- Stone Creek, OH
- Tractor
- NH TC21D, 3 Craftsman GT’s…..old but tough, AGT Industrial QH 12
Good morning! 20 now, high of 31 today. Not sure about that prediction.
Frits will appreciate this one….
I never could grasp Turkish. I dealt with a steel mill a lot in SW Turkey. I knew the people and their lack of maintenance. I also knew the broker who sold machines there. He had an interpreter that I took a dislike to and didn’t trust what he was telling me. The broker had a service company that was very good and I had become friends with the owner. Sadik was smart, learned I could trust him. He understood English, but could barely speak English. But he let me know I was right about interpreter.
Near the end of a long visit to the mill, we had a meeting with their equipment people. I was tired and was really irritated with our broker as I felt his company was not being supportive. The meeting started off poorly when I told our broker and his interpreter that the only thing wrong with the machines was “the mill has no f@#$ing maintenance program”. Being in Turkey for a first thing in the morning meeting, they served Turkish coffee. I drank my first cup straight, no milk, no sugar. I asked for another as the meeting was really testy. I ended up drinking 5 cups of Turkish coffee. I noticed the meeting started going vastly better and the mill people even admitted they had “no f@#$ing maintenance program”. After it was over, Sadik, owner of the service company, had one of his technicians (who did speak good English) tell me the tone of the meeting changed because the mill people decided that anyone who could drink 5 cups of Turkish coffee straight was to mean to argue with.
Shortly afterwards, Sadik was awarded a contract to do all of the service and maintenance on their mobile equipment.
That wasn’t the only interpreter that I had trust issues with. One in Greece convinced me to try to pick up some of the language.
Everyone stay safe out there!
Frits will appreciate this one….
I never could grasp Turkish. I dealt with a steel mill a lot in SW Turkey. I knew the people and their lack of maintenance. I also knew the broker who sold machines there. He had an interpreter that I took a dislike to and didn’t trust what he was telling me. The broker had a service company that was very good and I had become friends with the owner. Sadik was smart, learned I could trust him. He understood English, but could barely speak English. But he let me know I was right about interpreter.
Near the end of a long visit to the mill, we had a meeting with their equipment people. I was tired and was really irritated with our broker as I felt his company was not being supportive. The meeting started off poorly when I told our broker and his interpreter that the only thing wrong with the machines was “the mill has no f@#$ing maintenance program”. Being in Turkey for a first thing in the morning meeting, they served Turkish coffee. I drank my first cup straight, no milk, no sugar. I asked for another as the meeting was really testy. I ended up drinking 5 cups of Turkish coffee. I noticed the meeting started going vastly better and the mill people even admitted they had “no f@#$ing maintenance program”. After it was over, Sadik, owner of the service company, had one of his technicians (who did speak good English) tell me the tone of the meeting changed because the mill people decided that anyone who could drink 5 cups of Turkish coffee straight was to mean to argue with.
Shortly afterwards, Sadik was awarded a contract to do all of the service and maintenance on their mobile equipment.
That wasn’t the only interpreter that I had trust issues with. One in Greece convinced me to try to pick up some of the language.
Everyone stay safe out there!