| This article may sound like a business or cultural | | | | year it drops to $8.00 and so on. |
| discussion, but it leads to a very valuable personal | | | | What can the manufacturer do? He buys components |
| growth lesson at the end. | | | | such as buckles and zippers. He makes leather bags, |
| The general consensus is that 'made in China' means | | | | not zippers. He can cut down his profits only so far, |
| garbage quality, as if everything made in China is going | | | | and then he has to get cheaper zippers that will not |
| to be rubbish. | | | | last so long, or cheaper buckles that do not have as |
| In one of my business ventures, my business partner | | | | good a plating and so wear off in a year instead of |
| and I have spent years working with several factories | | | | ten years. |
| in China manufacturing a wide range of products and | | | | In China, you can get anything you want at any price, |
| have come to a clear realization of the truth about the | | | | but you get what you pay for, and the Chinese |
| skills and abilities of Chinese workmanship that I would | | | | factories are happy to deliver whatever you want. |
| like to share. | | | | The Chinese are not stupid, they are there to make |
| In my travels around the world, it is clear that each | | | | business and deliver what the customer wants. Going |
| culture has its own tendencies and skills, however they | | | | back to my friend with the leather factory, he refuses |
| may be known globally for something quite different. | | | | to make the poor quality, he is rather unique though. He |
| The first world view of China is that they make cheap | | | | will drop his price only so far and then simply say no to |
| poor quality products. However the question also | | | | a sale if it means that the products will be inferior |
| comes up as to why they do that, why can't they | | | | because he knows that they will be trouble down the |
| improve their quality and make better stuff? They | | | | line in returns and frustration from the customer |
| exhibit exceptional artisan skill unlike other cultures. For | | | | complaints about the poor quality. |
| example when I was in the crystal and mineral | | | | Made in China products are poor NOT because the |
| business, Hong Kong have the best stone figure | | | | Chinese are incapable of making good quality, but in |
| carvers in the world. They have skill, but it does not | | | | fact because the companies who buy their products |
| seem to show. | | | | insist on perpetually lowering the prices they are willing |
| The answer is very simple, they can, but this is not | | | | to pay. The worst part is that even if a factory drops |
| their fault. | | | | their price to the minimum, on the next order the client |
| The first cause is that being a communist country for | | | | pushes to make it cheaper again. This insatiable greed |
| so long, there was no reward for better quality or | | | | is what is behind the diminishing quality of our world. |
| higher production, you got the same pay no matter | | | | The good news is that there are more and more |
| what the quality of your work, and so that developed | | | | consumers who are frustrated with this and willing to |
| an apathetic attitude towards quality. | | | | pay a higher price for better quality, and this is the key |
| The next cause is the western world using China as a | | | | to your success. If you can deliver a superior product |
| source of cheap labour while it was still very | | | | or service, and you charge a fair price, your business |
| communistic in its control of companies back in the | | | | will succeed because you are part of a minority. |
| 1970's and 80's. Production and factories grew to | | | | Another complaint that westerners have when they |
| make products for western countries, but the attitude | | | | visit China is the interruption of services such as power |
| was still communist in respect to 'better quality did not | | | | or internet. This does not happen all that often, but |
| change your pay, so why care.' | | | | more frequently than in the west. This is true, but again |
| In the last 20 years, China has gone from pull carts to | | | | I refer to the incredible speed that this country is |
| Mercedes, BMW and Porches as very common | | | | growing at. If a child was born and in 2 years his body |
| vehicles. The cities are large with 4 lane well paved | | | | reached the full size of a 20 year old on the outside, |
| roads and superhighways. I have spent this past month | | | | but the internal organs developed at a natural rate, |
| in Dongguan. Ten years ago there was less than one | | | | then there would be interruptions in his bodily services |
| million people, today estimates are closer to ten million. | | | | as well. This is normal. |
| There are so many high-rise apartments, office | | | | China has grown externally, meaning the buildings, |
| buildings and shopping centers already up and more on | | | | roads, communications and general infrastructure at |
| the way, it is amazing to see the speed of | | | | such a rapid pace that it will take some time for the |
| construction that is unmatched even in the most | | | | people to adapt and learn how to drive between the |
| modern of countries. | | | | lines on the road. The external form, the buildings, must |
| When I first came to China in 1985, compared to today, | | | | be filled with the internal form, the people. And they do |
| I feel that I have gone from the stone age to the | | | | not develop at the same rate because the technology |
| space age, and they achieved this in less than 20 | | | | to build a building or airport is easy to instantly acquire |
| years. This astounding growth and modernization could | | | | from a western country, whereas you cannot implant |
| not be done by a country run and filled with people | | | | the essence of a culture, manners and customs so |
| who are incapable of making the simplest products in | | | | easily. |
| a decent quality. | | | | A very amusing example of this is a sign I saw in the |
| True the quality of workmanship in general is very | | | | toilet of a fine restaurant in Asia many years ago, |
| poor, however, the Sofitel Hotel in Dongguan rivals | | | | which had a western toilet. In case you do not know, |
| even the best of five star hotels anywhere in the | | | | Asians use a different type of toilet in which one |
| world. They can do it well if conditions are correct. | | | | squats over a porcelain fixture set in the floor rather |
| Now the question is what are the conditions that | | | | than a seat. The sign showed the wrong way, a |
| separate high quality from poor quality. If Mercedes | | | | person standing on the seat and squatting, and the |
| Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and virtually every | | | | right way, sitting properly. |
| major car manufacturer in the world has a factory in | | | | I have not seen a sign like that in my recent trips to |
| China, they must be able to do it right. Have you ever | | | | Asia and there are a lot more western toilets even |
| thought about that when you get into your fancy | | | | though many places still have Asian ones. So the |
| BMW, or drool over one on the road and then think, | | | | people are learning, they can change, be that right or |
| made in China! | | | | wrong to the western ways. The onus of improving or |
| I have been perplexed by the extremes of quality and | | | | deteriorating quality lies in the customers hands, the |
| now believe that I have found the answer to why the | | | | retailers who want to increase their profits at the |
| Chinese make such rubbish. The artisan in China can | | | | expense of the consumers. |
| make such astounding works of furniture or art, or | | | | Can the entire Western population stop buying the |
| other products, that the skills are clearly here. One | | | | cheapest of stuff and move towards higher quality |
| friend owns a leather bag factory. He makes purses, | | | | products? I do not see that as possible, too many poor |
| handbags, wallets and that sort of product. The quality | | | | people need to buy things as cheaply as possible. And |
| he produces matches made in Italy, in fact, some | | | | so we are faced with a future of diminishing quality |
| european companies put their labels on his products. | | | | products. |
| I bought some underwear in China, made here for | | | | In closing I can only say that although this article will not |
| export, an American brand name, with the tag saying, | | | | present a solution to the problem, at least it explains |
| "Made in USA" and the quality made it very believable, | | | | the true cause. My quest in life is to find the underlying |
| along with the price. And here is the answer. | | | | reality and true cause of all things, and I hope this |
| Price. It is the corporations of the west who are buying | | | | article will help you realize that the true cause of the |
| their products from Chinese factories who are | | | | result may be far different than you assume. |
| squeezing every penny out of the manufacturers in | | | | Apply this knowledge to all things, all arguments, |
| pursuit of higher profits. The old saying, you get what | | | | conflicts, problems, opinions and any negative issues |
| you pay for, is very true. | | | | you face regardless of what it may be or who with, |
| If you make good bags for example, and you quote a | | | | and you will find that your life runs a lot smoother and |
| cost of $10.00 to the retailer, if the price is acceptable, | | | | with so much more wisdom and understanding that |
| that bag will sell in the high end stores as European or | | | | the changes in time will be far more than you dream |
| american products. However the problem is that the | | | | possible. |
| retailers want the bag of $9.00 this year, then next | | | | |