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Complaints, courtesy and the older Spanish client
Don Ramón is a recognizable type: a long-serving mayor of a small municipality, formal in his usted, direct in his anger, and more offended by being kept in the dark than by the delay itself. Spanish complaints from people of his generation often combine strong words with careful courtesy. Esto ya es el colmo and una falta de seriedad inadmisible are serious, but con todo el respeto is meant sincerely, and the address joven is not an insult but a mark of age and rank. What he wants is recognition that he is right where he is right, a concrete remedy, and evidence of good faith, la buena fe. Arguing with him, or defending the company, would lose him; agreeing with everything would not be believed. Alex's handling follows the pattern experienced Spanish professionals use with such clients. Name the feeling, comprendo su malestar. Grant the true part plainly, tiene usted toda la razón. Separate what you did not know from what you are responsible for, without blaming colleagues to the client: eso no es asunto suyo, sino nuestro. Divide the remaining responsibility honestly, with en cierto modo and hasta cierto punto. Offer remedies as questions that give the client control, ¿le importaría que …? And end with specific dates and a promise of regular contact, because what Don Ramón objects to above all is not knowing. That last point reflects something common in Spanish public life. A mayor answers personally to his neighbors at the next pleno. A consultant's delay becomes his embarrassment in front of the whole village, which is why dejar mal a alguien, to make someone look bad, is one of the worst things a professional can do to a client in Spain.