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15/11/2024

Complaining – the national pastime of the Germans

Let’s be honest, we Germans love to complain – about the weather, football, the economy, politics, etc....

Let’s be honest, we Germans love to complain – about the weather, football, the economy, politics, etc. This unites us all – regardless of our social class or political affiliation. Complaining is a national pastime in Germany. We love to grumble about high prices, the shortage of skilled workers and the weakening economy, while at the same time discussing our next holiday or the four-day week. Please don’t get me wrong, I am all for everyone taking a lot of time off and having a good rest – the only thing that bothers me is the fact that we love to see everything in such a gloomy light! We have to start working together to find solutions, because what we forget amidst all the moaning are our own abilities.

No, Germany is not falling apart! Germany still has a lot of untapped potential. We have people with great ideas, curious and inquisitive people (yes, even among Gen Z), a high average level of education, a high degree of legal certainty, a consistently strong industry, very good research ... and yes, we also have the capital. But we have to stop complaining and focus on our strengths. We are capable of innovation, we can be or remain market leaders in many areas, but, at the same time, we have to be open-minded. Even if one area collapses, we can successfully develop and expand a subsequent one. These are our strengths. However, we have to accept the challenge – be it in society, in politics or in the economy. Burying our heads in the sand won’t help us.

We are once again facing enormous opportunities for our future – whether in medical research, industry, the energy sector or, of course, across the board in the field of AI. And that’s just what comes to mind. There is, of course, much more. Let’s work together to develop new ideas that will advance us not only as a society, but also as a business location. There is potential out there, it just needs to be tapped! And by the way, we’ll have less reason to complain!

24/05/2024

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, the small dealers feel comfortable because you provide a 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!

02/02/2024

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.

28/09/2023

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!

28/07/2023

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. 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!

14/07/2023

Pure delight

I am proud of my team! This time I don’t mean the team from Jarltech, but the team from our restaurant »Uwe & Uli – Zuhause bei uns«....

I am proud of my team! This time I don’t mean the team from Jarltech, but the team from our restaurant »Uwe & Uli – Zuhause bei uns«. The gastronomic guide »Frankfurt geht aus« from the Journal Frankfurt and the Genussakademie awarded us first place in the category »Rhein-Main – feine Küche (exquisite cuisine)«. The joke is that we were not even mentioned there before, but achieved first place right from the start, which really doesn’t happen very often. A two-page article was published about us, a pure hymn of praise. For the kitchen, the service, the atmosphere. We awaited the awards ceremony like toddlers, and now we finally hold it in our hands. Years of work, sweat and tears have paid off – finally, the recognition we always strived for. A warm shower on the soul. I am very proud and equally overjoyed to have made this project possible. Initially a necessity, then later a hobby – I am there every day. I am delighted about every comment, and also about the fact that the team constantly works towards providing an even better experience for the guests. Thank you, thank you, thank you – it needed to be said. Feel free to drop by: www.uwe-uli.de

20/06/2023

Checkout innovation at the burger joint!

We are delighted to have opened our burger joint »Uwe & Uli – Nebenan bei Freunden« today....

We are delighted to have opened our burger joint »Uwe & Uli – Nebenan bei Freunden« today. The goal is to create a lower-priced offering in Usingen alongside our fine dining restaurant. And apart from that: we just wanted to open a burger place. However, since there is already a shortage of staff in the restaurant and the job market seems to have been swept clean, it was clear that no more than one person should work there.

However, since we also want to serve many students, we have to accept cash. Therefore, we needed an ordering terminal where the customer can order and also pay in cash. This was not easy to find. We had to put a lot of brainpower into it, together with partners, and now the system works. And it works so well and so fast (unlike some fast food restaurants where it takes forever to order) that we are really proud of our system. Of course, there is a kitchen monitor, a pick-up monitor and everything else that is needed. Anyone who wants to have a look at it is welcome to do so at any time. 

Let's hope that we will sell enough burgers now.

To find out more visit www.uwe-uli.de and then click on »Next door with friends«.

25/05/2023

Website dilemma :) and the future

It had to be done: We have a new webshop. Completely self-built and with a functioning search function, and it’s also much prettier....

It had to be done: We have a new webshop. Completely self-built and with a functioning search function, and it’s also much prettier. However, the reactions were split: some of the customers cheered us, others wanted the old shop back. 

But, first of all, why did we do this? Our old webshop was certainly the greatest webshop of the 90s, but unfortunately it was also based on old technology, and spaghetti code had crept in. In addition, we could no longer ensure the new requirements for security and data protection. Also, the website did not run satisfactorily on mobile phones either. 

What we have now is not yet the final word, but it is certainly a real secret weapon within the competition. A shop in a state-of-the-art framework where we can control every bit. And I promise: we will soon have the best website in the industry again. We have a list of features lined up in the next few months that will amaze you. 

A not-quite-so-funny aspect was that, on the day of the launch, parts of the hardware went into strike-mode – Murphy’s Law. By the way, it was also interesting to hear some complaints that certain features no longer worked that didn’t even exist in the old webshop. But that doesn’t matter, we are taking note of all the suggestions for improvement and sorting them out at the moment. 

Jarltech has been using its own ERP system since the very beginning. I remember writing the first version myself in dBase II and the second version under dBase III Plus. It was madness, but it also worked and was sorely missed by some when we started using the much better modern version. 

I am left with the hope that with further improvements, we can make all our business partners happy. Now we have to take a breather, because at least it’s working. :) 

Remember my promise, we will continue to tackle the issue.

21/03/2023

Career guidance at Jarltech

We were honoured to host a career guidance session for Rotary yesterday for a local high school at our Event & Training Centre....

We were honoured to host a career guidance session for Rotary yesterday for a local high school at our Event & Training Centre. I didn't think it would be so much fun to answer questions and give advice, together with a panel from other sectors. The students asked very good questions indeed. Apart from the most common question about whether our Event & Training Centre can be hired for graduation parties (no), it was very interesting to hear what the teenagers are interested in. They indeed not only care about money, but also about issues such as equality, teamwork and which social skills are needed. The largest group of students – 21% – want to work in a corporation (oh dear), and 48% want to study after graduating from high school. As the only person on the panel who has never seen the inside of a university, I could certainly add some perspective here. All in all, for me it was a very nice look back at 34 years of Jarltech, with all its ups and downs. I'll be happy to join in again next year! Find photos in our Instagram story and soon also on LinkedIn.

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