You’re blissfully asleep in your comfy bed when suddenly your dreams are shattered by the buzz of your entry phone. Who could it be?
The most likely answer is the postperson: “Sono il postino/la postina, mi faccia entrare per cortesia?” – a routine occurrence. Just buzz them in – they will leave everyone’s post in the respective letter boxes.
But what if they say: “Sono il postino/la postina, ho una raccomandata per lei”? This means they’ve got something you need to sign for. Buzz them in and tell them your floor. They might ask you to come down to the lobby to save time: “Può scendere per cortesia?” You can oblige, or, if you’re on the ground floor, say: “è piano terra”, or if you’re physically unable to come down: “mi dispiace ma non sono in grado, lei potrebbe salire?”
Couriers: unless it’s Amazon or the postperson, they’ll probably just say “Corriere”. Here too, they will probably ask you to come down, to save time. If they’ve got a parcel for someone else? “Ho un pacco per la Sig.ra Rossi, posso lasciarlo da lei?” You can oblige (“Sì, certo”) or refuse (“Mi dispiace, non la conosco“), as you prefer.
If you have door-to-door rubbish collection, you might hear someone say: “L’Ama”. Again, just buzz them in and they will pick up the rubbish from the communal bins.
Others with legitimate reasons to enter include the building administrator: l’amministratore, and maintenance workers: l’elettricista, l’idraulico, il tecnico… if you don’t feel comfortable then just hang up. They’ll try someone else.
Here’s where things gets tricky: representatives of electricity suppliers on a mission to woo (or trick) you into switching. You have the power to say “No grazie“; you’re not obliged to let them in (and I strongly suggest that you don’t!). Don’t hesitate to shut the door in their face if they catch you off guard.
Then come the door-to-door sales people: from Folletto vacuum cleaner reps and real estate agents trying to drum up business, to leafleteers saying: “Devo lasciare dei volantini”. It’s up to you if you let them in or not. The beauty of the entry phone system is that you can effortlessly ward off persistent sales reps with a firm but courteous “No grazie” without even having to make eye contact. Life’s too short for unwanted interruptions – so buzz wisely and carry on with your day!