# Using local Spanish services



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

I wondered if it was common place to use local services. The reason for my post cropped up as my husband has a much needed haircut in our village hairdressers this morning. Good old fashioned haircut , eyebrows and ears tended too and all for 8 euros. He has been paying £25 quid for a haircut in an upmarket salon in the UK for the last god knows how many years. It is equally as good. I have booked an appointment for me on Saturday as I haven't had my haircut since arriving in Nov 2015, so will be joining the Spanish ladies in the salon on Saturday morning. Its seems right to use these local services and support our village.

We do most of our shopping in the village for food and some other goods and only go elsewhere if we can't find what we need or the quality is not so good.

The salon was very nice and in the front of the owners house , his little Westie popped in now and again to see what was going on and I got an opportunity to practice my Spanish , it was a lovely experience and they certainly now have my husband as a regular , I will let you know about me after Saturday ! ;-)


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

maureen47 said:


> I wondered if it was common place to use local services. The reason for my post cropped up as my husband has a much needed haircut in our village hairdressers this morning. Good old fashioned haircut , eyebrows and ears tended too and all for 8 euros. He has been paying £25 quid for a haircut in an upmarket salon in the UK for the last god knows how many years. It is equally as good. I have booked an appointment for me on Saturday as I haven't had my haircut since arriving in Nov 2015, so will be joining the Spanish ladies in the salon on Saturday morning. Its seems right to use these local services and support our village.
> 
> We do most of our shopping in the village for food and some other goods and only go elsewhere if we can't find what we need or the quality is not so good.
> 
> The salon was very nice and in the front of the owners house , his little Westie popped in now and again to see what was going on and I got an opportunity to practice my Spanish , it was a lovely experience and they certainly now have my husband as a regular , I will let you know about me after Saturday ! ;-)


Well, where I am there are no English this and that and I use the local services. I could go to Madrid where I could shop in places that have English food. When Marks and Sparks was in Madrid I used to go every once in a while to get crumpets and brown bread which at the time was not easily available, oh and some biscuits, but they closed down years ago (there are now some smaller Marks and Sparks in some shopping centres in the south), but I would never go anywhere specifically to get British food. I did buy English books in bookshops in Madrid, but they were Spanish shops with (large selections of) English books. I still do buy some sometimes, but usually get books through Amazon and the like.
As for other things like gardening services/ goods, builders, hairdressers, vets... I don't know... If they were available in an English speaking form I doubt if I would go to them, especially as my husband and daughter are Spanish so they would think it was a bit strange probably!
I might have gone to English speaking service providers when I first came, but I'm glad I didn't have the opportunity because it certainly improves your language skills if you don't. The town where I live is pretty big, but there aren't that many shops and the butcher, the "chicken" man, the people in the stationery shop, my hairdresser (same one for 20 years) all know exactly who I am, and that's nice.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Where I live there's a choice of services from all sorts of nationalities, though if you looked on one local facebook group you'd have the impression that only British people provide all the services in the town 

I use whichever gives me the best service. I buy my underwear in a shop run by an English woman. She measures properly & her prices are competitive. The Spanish woman in the underwear shop next to her doesn't measure, & her prices are scary!

I use a printer & stationery delivery service run by Brits - but I only use them because I get good service & they deliver, which is what I need. No other local printer or stationery service does that. They have a lot of Spanish clients too.

I've used hairdressers run by English people, some by Spanish. For mother's day my daughter is treating me to a mani & pedi in a Spanish salon. I've previously used a mobile English lady, and a salon run by filipinas.

I can't remember the last time I set foot in a business aimed specifically at Brits. I went to Iceland the xmas before last for a tin of Cadbury Heroes to take to a party where I was the only non-Spanish person. My Spanish friends LOVE them!. I think that might be it.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Can't comment on barbers, for me it's DIY as it has been for nearly 30 years!
The present Mrs R took the plunge (with much trepidation!) and visited a Spanish hairdresser armed with various translations. She was delighted! Said it was the best haircut (?) she'd ever had, I was delighted because it cost about one third of what she paid in the U.K. One of her friends has lived here for 10 years and never visited a hairdresser - she gets it done when she returns to the U.K. twice a year.
I use local and Spanish services wherever and whenever I can. two exceptions were, removing trees as I couldn't find any local to do it and a repair to the car when the price quoted was extortionate (I think that they didn't want the job)


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Relyat said:


> One of her friends has lived here for 10 years and never visited a hairdresser - she gets it done when she returns to the U.K. twice a year.


You see, I think that's a little silly.
If I was going to Greece say, for a month, I wouldn't go to a Greek hairdresser , but if I was going to _live_ there I would. Living in a place is taking part in that place, for me anyway.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I went to a hairdresser in Spain. Came out with a 1980's Dallas look, only needed the padded shoulders there are good Spanish hairdressers but tend to be in larger cities. OH pays £10 for haircut in UK. I pay around £38 for cut and blow but could get it cheaper if willing to take the risk.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

We almost always use local services. I used to have my hair cut and coloured by a young woman who was half English/half Spanish, but when she went back to the UK I started going to a Spanish salon in the town centre and have been delighted with them. Their price has just gone up from €30 for colour, cut and blow dry to €31 (after 5 years!). I am often asked by people, both here and when I am back in the UK, where I get my hair done as they say it looks good, so they must do a good job. Many of the people who ask me that here, though, are put off trying the salon as nobody there speaks English and they don't speak Spanish, which is a shame as they miss out.

When I left England in 2006 I was paying 55 pounds for colour, cut and blow dry in a salon in a small town close to where I lived, and had previously paid up to 85 pounds in Manchester city centre "famous names" salons. The job my present hairdresser does is every bit as good.

We have just had the whole of our house painted inside, which cost me €100. The chap askd for €40 per day but I didn't think that was enough so insisted he take a bit extra. The whole job was done in 2 days. He arrived at 9.00 am on the dot, only went home for a 20 minute lunch break and left about 5.45 pm, and never stopped in between.

He was amazed that we'd taken the curtains and pictures down and moved furniture out of the rooms as he said the Spanish people expect him to do all of that, it's regarded as part of the job!


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## ccm472 (Jan 6, 2016)

Short answer yes. Otherwise nothing would get done. Lol.
When we first got our flat my OH would go to the ferreteria armed with a Screwfix catalogue, thus he could point to what he wanted. The Spanish assistant told him what it was (free vocab lesson) and disappeared off round the back to get it. Some long established foreign residents were well impressed by his purchases as they were under the impression that such items were not sold in Spain. Our old Screwfix catalogues became welcome gifts!

The vets are brilliant e.g. twin GSDs aged 9, dog 1 got ill in UK, vets hmmd and ahhed , no real idea and after a short course of treatment had to be put to sleep. Within 10 days of arrival in Spain dog 2 shows same symptoms, Spanish vet immediately said "water retention on the brain" here's some tablets. They worked and we all had a Happy Xmas etc. Have used vets since and been really pleased with their attitude and skills.

Local hairdressers are attuned to Austrian/German customers as their foreign clientele ( Brits are few and far between in winter months especially ) but they do a decent cut.

I prefer to do food shopping from a large store in whichever country I am in, so Mercadona in Spain, Leclerc in France, Sainsbury in the UK. All of them once in the week and then let me forget about it please.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

ccm472 said:


> Short answer yes. Otherwise nothing would get done. Lol.
> When we first got our flat my OH would go to the ferreteria armed with a Screwfix catalogue, thus he could point to what he wanted. The Spanish assistant told him what it was (free vocab lesson) and disappeared off round the back to get it. Some long established foreign residents were well impressed by his purchases as they were under the impression that such items were not sold in Spain. Our old Screwfix catalogues became welcome gifts!


My husband was a very regular customer at our nearest ferreteria when we first arrived, and the assistant just used to tell him to go down to the basement and have a look for what he wanted!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

ccm472 said:


> Short answer yes. Otherwise nothing would get done. Lol.
> When we first got our flat my OH would go to the ferreteria armed with a Screwfix catalogue, thus he could point to what he wanted. The Spanish assistant told him what it was (free vocab lesson) and disappeared off round the back to get it. Some long established foreign residents were well impressed by his purchases as they were under the impression that such items were not sold in Spain. Our old Screwfix catalogues became welcome gifts!
> 
> The vets are brilliant e.g. twin GSDs aged 9, dog 1 got ill in UK, vets hmmd and ahhed , no real idea and after a short course of treatment had to be put to sleep. Within 10 days of arrival in Spain dog 2 shows same symptoms, Spanish vet immediately said "water retention on the brain" here's some tablets. They worked and we all had a Happy Xmas etc. Have used vets since and been really pleased with their attitude and skills.
> ...


Love the Screwfix catalogue idea. My Dad used to love going to the ferreterias here and on more than one occasion went back with some kind of tool in his luggage cos it was cheaper, better or just not available in the UK. There used to be (unfortunately is no more) a good old fashioned ferreteria here run by an old bloke and his son and Dad loved coming and seeing his daughter ask for something in Spanish and Lo and Behold a paintbrush would appear or a screwdriver. It was like magic to him. I said something nonsensical and Tatrara! The magician would pull out said item from a drawer somewhere in the shop. To finish off the show, the old man would bang it down on the counter top dead serious and would ask the inevitable "Algo Más!?" And off we'd go again.
Dad loved it, Happy times


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

It really depends, the hard part is finding someone who does the job right in the first place and wants your money to begin with. Problem is it may take two or three cracks of the whip before you find the right person or place and by that time they may as well be from Mars.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

maureen47 said:


> *his little Westie popped in now and again to see what was going on and I got an opportunity to practice my Spanish* , it was a lovely experience and they certainly now have my husband as a regular , I will let you know about me after Saturday ! ;-)


Now *that* is really interesting - a little Westy that speaks fluent Spanish! Those Pesky animals are really quite clever.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I have always used a barber in the village and his salon was in the front-room. cost 7€. Then he retired and closed the salon (if they draw their pension, they have to stop working). So now I and his old regular clients just give him ring and he is round to our house within about ten minutes. For most things we shop locally either in the village or in the nearby town (for those things are not available in the village.) Shop people very quickly come to know you and once you have been in a few times, you will be recognised and welcomed. What amazes me is, if the item you go in for is small/inexpensive, then quite often it will be free of charge and rounding down of prices is very common.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Always shop within a ten minute drive which means Spanish but use an English hair stylist as I'm not impressed by the appearance of the clients I've seen emerging from the village shop.
The prices are cheap, yes, but then it could reflect the quality of products used so I play it safe.
For electrician, plumber...all local Spanish.
For car maintenance a local Anglo- Spanish LR specialist. The Brit owner spends most of his time on his boat or trekking in Morocco so it'susually Juanito who sorts us out, very capably.
Local dentista, rejoices in the name of Jorge Dodds, I'm off there in twenty minutes for root canal.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Isobella said:


> I went to a hairdresser in Spain. Came out with a 1980's Dallas look, only needed the padded shoulders there are good Spanish hairdressers but tend to be in larger cities. OH pays £10 for haircut in UK. I pay around £38 for cut and blow but could get it cheaper if willing to take the risk.


Good hairdressers can be found anywhere. Why would you only find them in big cities?
Unfortunately bad ones can be found everywhere too! Same with builders, window cleaners, waiters, plumbers, mechanics, painters, shopkeepers, repair men, donkey drivers...


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> Now *that* is really interesting - a little Westy that speaks fluent Spanish! Those Pesky animals are really quite clever.


Being Scottish I did try a bit of Och aye the noo with the westie too ;-)


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## Gazeebo (Jan 23, 2015)

Whilst in Spain for 6 months I tried 3 hairdressers, all British, and I wasn't really impressed with any of them. Should have gone to a Spanish one. I used a Spanish butchers and they were great, I used to practise what I wanted in Spanish, but one day in the shop decided I would like some duck breasts. Not having prepared for this one, I had to improvise my request for 'duck breast' which contained a "quack quack" - and I will leave the rest to your imagination.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

There is no choice where I live, but I've never had a problem using Spanish services. The only time we hired an expat (to change a TV aerial) he made a right pig's ear of it.

I suspect a lot of the problems with hairdressers is down to communication, and accurately describing what you want, especially in a foreign language. Though it used to happen to me in the UK frequently, because I never really knew what I wanted! I just trusted them to work miracles.

When I started using a hairdresser here, I took a photo of what I wanted so she could copy it, which she did meticulously. It cost €14 I think, for a cut and blow-dry.

My friend from London has her highlights done here while she's over on holiday. The difference in cost pays for the flight!


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## GreenGreen88 (Apr 22, 2016)

I love telling people back in the states that I pay 4 euros for my barber! Here in Barcelona most of the male barbershops are run by Pakistanis and Indians.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

GreenGreen88 said:


> I love telling people back in the states that I pay 4 euros for my barber! Here in Barcelona most of the male barbershops are run by Pakistanis and Indians.


Really, most of the barber shops in Barcelona?
I have seen a rise in our town of barber shops run by non Spaniards. A couple of years ago there was a huge rise in the number of muslim owned fruit and veg shops. About 6 shops doing the same open up and inevitably 5 will close down.
It it some kind of cover up, money laundering ...???


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Fruit and veg shops are the same around here, all with the same background to the sign just a different name


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

My cut and blow dry is great , really good cut and all for 14 euros ! Glad I have found a good hairdresser in the village. I had a bit of radical cut for me (my choice) and he checked 3 times that I wanted so much cut off and did exactly what I asked for and showed me how to dry it a home too


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