The Global Phoenix - Issue 2 April - June 2017 | Page 35

called ‘light weapons’ (handguns and shotguns). Finally, we
cannot help but mention the Mafia and its contribution to
the economy. According to European statistics institutes and
‘Transcrime’ (Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime),
criminal and illegal activities account for 1% of the GDP in Italy,
compared to 0.9% and 0.7% in Spain and the UK respectively.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Aside from all the data, figures and statistics, when you move
to any foreign country, especially if you take your family with
you, it is only normal that you have fears and worries. In the
case of Italy, these are sometimes exaggerated. Biases and
clichés, which often prove ridiculous, unjustified, or at least
outdated, as well as poor individual capacity to adapt and
interact appropriately in a different social and cultural sphere
may dampen enthusiasm about ‘Made in Italy’ and fuel a
‘resistance’, which not even VIP relocation packages can
overcome!
‘Managing Expectations’ has become a mantra for
all involved with relocation. To DSP operating in Italy
this means listening to and understanding clients’
expectations in order to translate them into the
Italian reality’. Everybody’s needs should surface and
be taken into the utmost consideration, provided
that they are then adjusted to the real situation, to
avoid arousing false expectations and generating
those ‘Dantean circles’ that we all have experienced
at least once and that are synonymous with a huge
amount of stress, frustration and disappointment.
At times, to the assignees, the phrase ‘managing expectations’
translates into ‘This is what I expect from you, and it is part
of your job to turn it into a bricks and mortar reality. YOU are
the professional and should fill my expectations’. Hence a
relocation company is deemed efficient only when it has the
powers of a magician, who, instead of producing rabbits out
of top hats can deliver huge houses where none exist and
residence permits within a couple of days, humble,devoted
landlords who would do anything to make their tenants happy
and guarantee promptly returned deposits that are untouched
despite property damage caused by tenants!
Assignee requests are sometimes so unreasonable that they
even prove funny. This was the case, with a customer who
asked their DSP to check, before they proposed any house,that
the distance to the nearest children’s park would not exceed
200 steps, and that this could be covered by always walking
on one side of the road, on a pavement with pushchair ramps!
(non-existent in most of Italy). Another client wanted the
master bedroom to measure exactly 3.58 metres by 4.82, and
yet another could not understand why many landlords looked
somewhat puzzled or fearful when they learnt that he had 4
dogs! The list of other examples is endless...
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