Me ranting about the locations of vendor events is nothing new. The latest hit: one of our vendors is inviting its Eastern European customers to a partner conference. Correct: the important event where products, markets and sales strategies for the year are meant to be discussed.
But where are they inviting them to? Sicily! A beautiful island, but there is not a single scheduled flight going there from Eastern Europe even during the summer. Each customer therefore has to change at least once. Why Sicily? Every Eastern European capital or major city has direct flights to Vienna, Frankfurt, London and Paris, every day, all year around. It could be so easy ...
Or why not plan a business meeting right where a lot of customers already are, like Budapest, Prague or Warsaw in this case. That would be more efficient, cheaper for most, and many would not even need to travel at all. An especially important point for corporate groups: mind the CO2 footprint!
A trip to a meeting in a metropolis also never is an issue with taxes. A holiday destination topped off with an entertainment programme that is even advertised in the invitation, on the other hand, is a feast for any tax auditor. Strangely enough, it's the American companies who don't understand this, while usually trying to coerce the rest of the world to follow their compliance rules. Especially when this vendor, apart from providing barcode-related products, also provides plenty of parts for American nuclear weapons. Someone posting a funny picture of the beach barbecue on Facebook is hardly avoidable ... and if anybody is laughing at a meeting, the tax office immediately perceives a private background.
At least this time the meeting is taking place before the flight plan changes to winter schedule. Vendors usually like to hold their island meetings after the winter schedule takes effect, because as there are almost no flights then, at least hotel prices drop. What's funny is that there usually is a super cheap flight with Ryanair or Easyjet from the vendor's headquarters to the conference location. Thus their own employees are already cared for. When the customer was king, those were the days :)
The road to success: do we really have to get worse at everything?
Last week I had a conversation with a customer that left me speechless....
Last week I had a conversation with a customer that left me speechless. Our sales department asked me to speak to a customer on the phone who doesn’t buy from us because we supposedly supply end customers.
No problem, I thought. I called and explained that this is exactly what we don’t do, and that this is a key promise to our dealers. There are extremely rare exceptions – only if a vendor forces us to or a retailer explicitly asks us to. But that almost never happens.
Then it turned out that there was a misunderstanding: the customer said that we also supply small retailers. My answer: »Yes, we do and we have to, based on our contracts with the vendors. Our competitors do that too.«
»All correct«, I hear, but then it got exciting: »Your large competitors are not interested in small customers, so they are poorly served. At Jarltech, small dealers feel comfortable because you provide great service.«
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry ... A customer doesn’t buy from us because our service is too good? I hadn’t expected that.
But don’t worry, contrary to the headline: We will continue to endeavour to offer every customer the best service we can!
Why is good service so important again?
I'm writing to you today from China. Here I have learnt once again why good service is so important....
I'm writing to you today from China. Here I have learnt once again why good service is so important. If you want a customer to pay more than elsewhere, then you have to make the difference! You have to know what they like and anticipate their wishes.
Here in Shenzhen is the Grand Hyatt Hotel – I was here at least six times a year before Corona – and even stored some luggage in Shenzhen, so that I only had to fly with hand luggage. Liquids and such ... that was difficult on the plane.
It’s been over three years since I was last here, and I arrived to be greeted by an armada of hotel staff. My beloved Coke Zero was waiting for me in the car outside the airport. My luggage, which I hadn’t expected to see again, had been stored for three years and completely cleaned for my new stay. Everything was hanging in the wardrobe and the bathroom was neat and tidy. My razor was charged and my chargers stood on the desk. Of course, the fridge was full of Coke Zero and the white wine I had last drunk three years ago. Even the room service knew what I liked to eat.
That’s what hospitality really is. And we have to do the same at Jarltech. Always write down what our customers want and like. And when I go out to dine with a customer, I need to know whether they are vegan or if they don’t like pork, for example. Some customers want to be called and courted on a weekly basis, whereas others find this rather annoying. Some still prefer paper catalogues, others believe it’s environmental pollution. And all the better if a customer returns after three years, and I still have it all written down somewhere. Jarltech may not be a hotel, but we are a service provider that has to differentiate itself The difference is always in the details.
The world's smallest chef gives a guest performance in Usingen
It's finally back on: Our 3D projection dinner show »Le Petit Chef« will be back in our restaurant »Uwe and Uli« (www.uwe-uli.de) from the 11th of October...
It's finally back on: Our 3D projection dinner show »Le Petit Chef« will be back in our restaurant »Uwe and Uli« (www.uwe-uli.de) from the 11th of October 2023 to the 30th of April 2024. Personally, I always have fun enjoying delicious food with a bit of a show. Come by sometime – it's also great for Christmas parties with up to 20 people. And if you're a customer of ours, why not have your sales contact invite you next time you visit Jarltech? 😊
Have fun with the little chef!
Use our know-how power for yourself – free of charge!
We have the largest showroom in the AIDC industry in Europe, plus plenty of training rooms and an event location....
We have the largest showroom in the AIDC industry in Europe, plus plenty of training rooms and an event location. If you like, we will be happy to train your new employees or your customers’ employees here. You will find an overview and a virtual tour of the showroom on our website (Link einfügen). We built these facilities for you – but apparently this is not sufficiently known yet. We can work together to make your staff better, or we can make our facilities available to you, and you can organise your own training for your staff or customers. Just as you wish. We are also happy to take care of airport or train station transfers. Just get in touch with your sales representative and we will do something for you!