For example:
A customer called a consultant
several times because he had problems opening a bank account
which was not part of the consulting contract about company
formation.
The consultant wrote a letter the same day to the bank manager
responsible in China and the bank account was opened soon
afterwards.
This service was not part of our contract,
however the customer was also not charged for this service.
2)
We only accept projects in which the customer
is able to succeed.
For example: A customer wanted
to sell a product in China, which we did not consider suitable
through our comprehensive knowledge of the Chinese market.
When we rejected the project the customer was angry.
However, the customer called us gratefully
a few weeks later as his competitor who had asked another
China consultant for a similar project made a huge loss, because
they told him they could "try" to help him.
3)
If the opinion or the idea of the customer
is flawedwe will tell him directly. We prefer to lose a
customer instead of keep the customer by helping them to
lose money.
For example:
A managing director of an electronics
company inquired for marketing consulting with
regard to a planned brand sale in China. Because
he was a very experienced marketing manager
in Germany he started the meeting by explaining
his idea for marketing in China and ignored
the advice of the China consultants because
he was thinking that the marketing which worked
in Germany could also work in China. Our China
consultants told him that he was wrong. The
customer was quite angry and changed to another
China consulting company. After 2 years the
customer called us again and apologized because the other
China consulting company which followed the wishes of the
customer has made him pay a lot of money for not being able
to sell a brand in China within 2 years.
4)
Less theory, more practical advice.
For example:
A managing director of a medium-sized
enterprise called us and showed great distrust
since he had previously had rather bad experiences
with management consultancies.
He complained that consulting sessions in the
larger consulting companies he asked for help
usually ended with long discussions and PowerPoint
presentations but without any real help for
his problems. However, he still had to pay
the high consulting fee.
After he had finally found China Expert Consulting he was
very satisfied with the practical advice he had been seeking
for a long time.
5)
Our prices are market prices; however for
good service we also ask for reasonable prices.
For example:
One project manager of an international
large company called us and asked for an intercultural
China seminar since a very important Chinese delegation would
soon arrive in Germany. After our consultant mentioned the
price, the project manager started to haggle over every cent
and then had the idea that the China seminar could also be
held over the phone for half an hour. We declined the order,
with the argument nobody can learn Chinese culture within
half an hour on the phone and such mean behaviour could result
in China in the termination of any business.
The customer felt insulted and hung up. PS: Nowadays, this
company is owned by Chinese people and the business is running
much better than before.
6)
Our prices are reasonable.
For
example: After the story mentioned under number
5 perhaps somebody could get the wrong impression
and think that our prices are too expensive. A
market analysis of other competitors in the
China consulting, however, showed other results.
By comparing some prices in Germany and China
someone could think what for the money paid
China Expert Consulting offer reasonable prices for good services;
however we don't support the way of business
of some competitors who charge unreasonably high prices for
an average service.
7)
We also help the customer at any time,
even if the problem is not directly connected
to our project with them.
For example: A new customer
called us. He faced the bankruptcy of his
company and he could only save his company
if we could help him find a special kind of product for a
cheaper price in China. He had already asked many China consultants
but had always received the same answer: if he cannot pay
then it would not be the problem of the consulting company
anyway. We accepted the order by asking only for payment of
a commission in the case of success. 2 months later the customer’s
company was saved and we had earned a good
commission.
8)
The friendship between Western people and
Chinese is the foundation of all our actions.
For example:
A German managing director of
a medium-sized enterprise wanted to set up
a company in China. In the meeting he told
us that he wanted to employ Chinese almost
for nothing under the pretext of paying us a good salary
if we could find such staff for him in China. In addition
he had the opinion that his Chinese workers had to adapt
to German culture and that Chinese culture does not need
to be considered.
On hearing this our Managing Director left
the meeting without saying a word and the customer left half
an hour later when he finally understood the message.
9)
Our customers are all treated in the same
way regardless of company size or volume of
orders.
For example: The owner of a small business had a meeting.
Suddenly we heard some strange noises coming from behind the
door to the waiting room. Outside stood the project manager
of a larger company which had an appointment 10 minutes later
and was complaining that the problem of the small company
could be dealt with later and that he wanted to be served
immediately and not wait 10 minutes. Naturally we helped the
manager of the large company to find the exit.
10)
Chinese consultants have the same rights
and duties as Western consultants and are also
paid at the same level.
For example: A young Chinese
woman with a very good diploma in law wrote an application
to different German companies in Beijing for a consultant
position. She received many job offers and accepted a job
with a large German consulting company in Beijing, but was
only paid 400 euros/month, the normal salary for a Chinese
lawyer.
At the same time in Germany in a large German firm of solicitors:
The German lawyer, a specialist in China Law (but not able
to speak Chinese?!) spoke to his customer: "We will carry
out the law consulting for you, but of course you must pay
us only 20 ,000 euros for the legal draft of the documents,
which is not that expensive"
The German customer who thought a German lawyer has a more
expensive price signed the contract. However, the lawyer forwarded
the law consulting to China. The 400 -euro/month China lawyer
did the job and just transferred the papers back to Germany.
We ask:
Why does the Chinese lawyer/ consultant only get 10% of
the salary of a Western lawyer even though she finished 90%
of the project by herself?
