Watch out! Unfortunately, we recently fell for a ploy that is not entirely unknown in the IT mail order business. Because we thought that our specialised hardware is not that easy to fence in large quantities, we maybe were a little too careless.
A big international auditing company - one of the "big Four" - and more precisely their technologies department in England won a project for Panasonic hardware and entrusted us with the delivery. Of course, a credit limit was available within three minutes.
After several weeks of negotiations, our English sales team accepted the order, which came on genuine letterhead with the correct VAT ID and signed by an authorised representative. The delivery address was of course not the main office in London, but a warehouse in the outskirts where software was to be installed on the devices. The goods were delivered and the receipt was even signed.
When dunning letters were sent later on, the auditing company was quite taken aback: the employee with whom we e-mailed does not exist. Neither does the delivery address. We then learned from Scotland Yard that goods worth millions were delivered to this address within a couple of days and are untraceable until now.
There is no sign whatsoever of our Panasonic Toughbooks, which seem to be easier to fence than cash drawers. Our credit insurance will not pay, because there was no payment default, but a fraud. The auditing company is upset, but that does not help me.
Leads will appear later. Some laptop is bound to break down at some point and the unsuspecting customer will send his laptop to Panasonic for repair. This means either that the customer was so credulous to buy such goods - my goods -, or I win and get a broken laptop, which will probably not even be up to date by then.
Fortunately, the financial damage is bearable. But we did rethink some of our processes. We deliver to different addresses all the time for our resellers. This is our daily business. However, with first orders and before payment was received, Jarltech will verify delivery addresses much more strictly with the purchaser, and especially: the order itself.
In fact the scheme was well done: even in its demeanour, the auditing company's pretend subcompany was so confusing and complicated as one would expect from one of the "big four". :) At first, even the auditing company itself said it was their order, but that the employee had left the company in the meantime. It took them weeks to find out that the fraud not only did not work for them "any longer" but rather never did ...
All the time while corresponding with the frauds, their e-mail address just was not "auditing-company.com", for example, like the parent company's, but rather "auditing-company-technologies.com". At first glance, this seems logical, but it nevertheless is a completely different domain and probably registered on Bert and Ernie in the Caribbean.
I can therefore give this advice: check which of your products might be on the line. And concerning first orders with differing delivery addresses: hands off! Or check closely. Finally, do not ask for confirmation at the phone number stated on the falsified letterhead ...
Well, let us hope Sherlock Holmes is doing a good job at Scotland Yard and puts the frauds behind bars. Or I will go and get them!
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!
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!
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!