For my 44th birthday my wife gave me tennis equipment, and since "suggestions" from the best wife should be implemented as fast as the hints come, I succumbed to tennis fever. Training sessions in the morning before work, and even in China I found a ventilated indoor tennis court, in which you can really learn tennis despite 40 degree temperature outdoors and a typhoon warning.
A side effect of all of this is that I now suddenly like to watch tennis on TV: Wimbledon since I want to participate next year at the latest. I used to find it aloof and boring, but now I am even more captivated by an exciting match than I am from a three-hour presentation about new mobile printers.
During Wimbledon I am in Shenzen, and thanks to my many visits there and the many bookings for employees, my favorite hotel (the Grand Hyatt) always has a large suite reserved for me, with a large bathtub. I fill it up right away when I arrive. Foolish though, to forget about the bathtub during the match between Serena Williams and Marija Scharapowa.
After the match is over I think, hey, a bath would be great! Crap, its already running. On my way to the bathroom the water rushes out to greet me. Lots of water! Of course such a bathtub has an overflow, but it does not need to forcibly work. The bathroom itself is a centimeter lower than the rest of the rooms and also has a drain in the floor. But even it goes on break now and again. Since the recessed bathroom is now completely flooded, it is not just water, but a LOT of water we are talking about.
Ok, not my mistake, I think to myself. So, in the late evening the hotel cleaning crew had to come up with the heavy-duty equipment. The chic, super-slim scale in the bathroom also was a victim of the flood: electronic damage. The carpet in the bedroom (thankfully one you can pull up and exchange) also needs to be taken out to dry. So far, so good. The entire process cost me an hour though. I could have been more careful, since I already have enough experience with Chinese installation companies (they worked on our Chinese office). I should have known better.
The next evening I called my wife: "It happened again!". I got belly laughs instead of sympathy. Who was to blame? Not me, but Roger Federer, of course, who simply could not finish his match. He should beware, in case I can ever really play tennis.
Back to Sea World Luckily, only the bathroom was affected this time. What to do? Call reception? Better not, thats too embarrassing. Ok then: towels, bath robe, anything that can possibly soak up water comes into play. I thought the hotel had fixed the problem, but it was apparently only an excuse. Well then, Spranger has to spring into action and clean for two hours. A punishment is in order. Oh, and remember to leave housekeeping a nice tip, since they will certainly wonder why there are so many wet towels hanging up to dry the following morning.
How crazy do you think you will be taken for when you casually ask for a new scale again the next day? They must be thinking: is he really so fat so that the scales wont work? Or will I receive a manual stating that scales should not be used in the shower? Thankfully, everything was taken care of with a friendly smile.
Tonight is the womens final match in Wimbledon. My solution: set the alarm after turning on the faucet. And connect the video camera of the iPhone to the iWatch, in order to keep a visual on the liquid level. And to be on the safe side, this time I will put the scale on the bed. :)
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!
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!