SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

here is one thing in             True, one has to queue sometimes,
particular which Italy does     and everything is done equally
extremely well. Not pizza,      painstakingly for everyone.
not tiramisu even, but the small      Showing impatience in these parts
shop.                                 would be extremely bad manners.
                                      And there is no favouritism. Once
Our village is a medieval             a White Cross van pulled up
hill-top village surrounded by        outside the bank and the driver
vineyards and olive groves, and       came in just as it came to my
yet it has two banks. (I'm using      turn to be served. He expected to
the word 'shop' here in the           be allowed to push in ahead of
widest sense.) The bank which I       me, but the bank man very
use is run, with no security          politely pointed out that I was
measures other than a double          there first and served me
push-button door, by one young        instead.
man all on his own. He is
immensely knowledgeable,              In the heart of our village is a
intensely serious and infinitely      baker's shop where one young lady
good-tempered. He offers a full       serves on her own. She knows
banking service with a telephone      everybody but treats them all
link to head office as a back-up.     equally. Her unfailing
As one would expect in Italy, the     cheerfulness is accompanied by a
simplest of transactions requires     polished professionalism that
several signatures, but somehow       never lets her lose her poise for
this doesn't matter when you can      a second.
see everything that is being done
for you just a hand's breadth         I take my photocopying to be done
away and with no intervening          in a nearby city, in a stationery
barrier.                              and toy shop run by two sisters.
                                      Sometimes there is a queue of

people and the two of them are        having. Too often the refrain is:
forced to weave round each other
like a pair of amorous seabirds.
Their patience and good grace         "If it's not on the shelf we
never flag. The care with which       don't have it."
they copy and collate the
documents does not suffer. Even       In the Ferramenta, however, the
the man who wants to see every        incumbent will disappear down
ink cartridge in the shop on the      aisles piled to the ceiling with
off-chance that one of them will      boxes and bins, and go straight
be compatible with his biro is        to the one gadget they think is
served with diligence and             the answer for you. They will
politeness.                           sell individual screws or
                                      fittings rather than insisting
The brightest jewel of all in the     you buy the whole packet, and
crown of Italy's small shops is       will match as best they can an
the Ferramenta. These shops are a     item that you've brought to show
frequent occurrence, often run by     them. If they don't have
families, and exist to serve the      something they will suggest where
same customers year after year.       you might get it. But usually
Here it is possible to ask advice     they do have it.
about anything from how to hang a
mirror, to how to unblock a pipe,     Of course, this is how things
and be answered intelligently and     used to be once upon a time in
expertly. The nearest equivalent      Britain. To an extent it is a
in Britain is the DIY store, but      throw-back. But don't think that
there sadly it is an achievement      here is the land that time
to get any of the staff to            forgot. Mobile phones are
actually attend the Help Desk let     possessed and used constantly by
alone give any advice worth           all but the elderly; everything

is EC compliant. The small shops      customer feel wanted and
in Italy are special because of       appreciated:
the people who serve in them.
They have found a balance between     "Thank you," you say at the end
formality and friendliness,           of a transaction.
pro-activity and passivity which
no training could impart. With no     "Thank you to you," they rejoin.
trace of unction, they make the

About the Author:

Damaris West is Managing Director of worldwide tutor agency Anysubject Ltd which she runs from the Italian office. Anysubject provides tutoring in all academic subjects, musical instruments and foreign languages. Visit the Anysubject website - http://www.anysubject.com or see the free guides section - http://www.anysubject.com/helpful-guides.asp

Small Is Beautiful