Business cultural differences, yes. I am familiar with the chinese business model - knowing about it may help to understand how this happens (though it won’t make you any happier)
Those of us over 35 or so remember when we use to joke about the sticker found on some products, “Made in China”. This became universally known in the US as something that was cheaply made, wouldn’t work well, and would break before too long, lol. While that is certainly giving Chinese manufacturers a hard time, it was based on reality, in large part because of the business model, which is simply based on the culture.
China has had over a billion people since almost 4 decades ago. The median income for a chinese family would be considered below the “poverty level” in the US. In other words, not a lot of money to spend. Competition for that small amount of Yen is fierce, and manufacturers are constantly striving to stay ahead of the curve and sell their product.
However, the method in doing that is very different from the US - here, a product maker often tries to have the BEST product on the market, hoping that reputation and track record will equal sales and profit. China, like many Asian cultures, is very fast moving, and more importantly very trend-conscious. Cultural trends in fashion, hobbies, restaurants, entertainment come and go with amazing speed (think Fidgit Spinners, Pokemon Go, etc). As a manufacturer, your task is to stay ahead of the trend wave, getting a product market as quickly and cost effectively as possible. If you are lucky, you will catch that wave and ride it till it fizzles shortly thereafter. However, before the wave fades, you must be on to the next product to stay afloat. So the idea is NOT to spend time and develop a great product, but to get it on the market as quickly as possible, sell a million units, then invest that into the next “wave”. It exhaust me just to think about it!
The implications for buyers are obvious -
- Products are rushed to market before their time, with huge promotional efforts (and often inflated claims).
- Products are often hastily made, with the cheapest products available, and the techn ology may not be completely refined
- Once its produced and sales happen, the manufacturer has “moved on” to the next rush-to-market product, basically ignoring “the past”.
- After-sales “care” and “service” are almost non-existent terms in this environment - they simply don’t have room in their culturally adjusted business model to offer it.
The Chinese population is used to this. They understand their product may have been a flash in the pan, may have been rushed to market, and may break. But, “it is what it is”, and they are on to the next thing anyway.
This culture is paying dividends in the technological age - the drive to innovate and get something “new” out before anyone else has caused china to become, as of this year, the largest producer of new technology on the planet, which is awesome, especially for them!
The downside? All that new tech coming out, with all the fanfare and hoopla, will still arrive with a “Made in China” sticker on it…
