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Not So Random China Complaints

By Dan Harris and Steve Dickinson

Funny, yet informative post up on Matt Schiavenza Blog, entitled, "Random Complaining." Methinks it is not so random. Schiavenza lists five rants and I focus on the following two:

-- If for whatever reason I don?t answer my phone, it means (a) I have it on silent mode because I am busy (b) I don?t want to talk to you for some reason or (c) I don?t like having phone conversations at 8am on Saturdays. It doesn?t mean that if you keep calling, over and over, eventually on the 44th ring I?ll decide to pick up. I realize this problem exists because few people here have voice mail, but could you wait for one hour at least before trying again? -- Waitresses: please remember what dishes are unavailable. Twice recently (at a Western-owned restaurant no less) I?ve ordered a meal only to have a waitress come back 20 minutes later to inform me that they?ve run out, and that I would have to order something else. This really is a management issue but it isn?t very pleasant when your table-mate is able to finish his whole meal before yours even arrives.

The phone one. Everyone who does business in or with China has dealt with this one, but I have to say it drives me absolutely nuts and it is just one of the reasons why my firm is so reluctant to represent Chinese companies here in the United States. One of my firm's mantras is to make each client feel as though it is our only client, but I am sorry, that cannot include those clients who call AND email every hour to ask when we will be getting them a pleading that has no urgency. The waitress one. One cannot be in China a week without this happening and I know more than one person who views this as indicative of China's larger quality control issues. On the flip side, however, I just read a very interesting post on how Haier's rigorous enforcement of quality control is helping them build a strong brand name.

Full post as published by China Law Blog on February 22, 2008 (boomark / email).