In Italy, you don’t hire a firm—you hire a person. The quality of a service is evaluated through the specific individual who delivers it. Italians want to know who will personally handle their matter, and they judge the service through that person’s competence, character, and attentiveness.
This is why Italians ask “who do you know there?” when looking for a lawyer, a doctor, or a consultant—the institution is secondary to the individual. If the person they trust leaves the firm, their loyalty often follows that person.
When working with Italians, understand that you personally are the service in their eyes. Your knowledge, your engagement, your follow-through—these define the quality of what you’re offering, regardless of the organization behind you.
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