For me, the thing that sets Taiwanese businesses apart from the rest of the world is that they don’t seem to want my money. Not sure if it is because I’m a foreigner, or they just really suck at customer service
My hypothesis is that Taiwan is just very laid back and takes a lot of inspiration from Japan. Taiwanese don’t often want that small money, they want the big money because it, rightly or wrongly, is perceived as the same effort for more. It shows with the, for example, citizenship stuff, where they only give it to big wigs. An electronics store wouldn’t sell me the connectors that I wanted unless I bought the bulk pack of 100. They’re a customer-facing business. I even offered more than what they’re worth but wouldn’t budge.
Whereas China, IMO is the opposite, they come across as if they’ll sell their mothers for a buck. You can get anything and everything and they’ll sell it to you. Might not always be the lowest price but I’ll get it if I want it. Ethics and other impedences go out the window. Just cold hard efficiency.
Hong Kong always felt…familiar. My hypothesis is that English countries all kind of base their business attitudes from the UK. Commonwealth countries and the US all kinda…feel the same when it comes to commerce.
5 Likes
Like that dude who called the cops on you?
1 Like
In terms of attitudes towards business I mean. Like. There really isn’t much hustle.
Restaurants that I’ve never heard of will spring up and sit there thinking customers will show up. They will do absolutely no advertising.
9 Likes
I live near a place. They opened, covid meant they could only do take out. They didn’t bother. When they could take customers again, they opened. Place looked nice but it wasn’t easy to see what kind of food it was. After a month, they cut down the days they were open. After another month, there was a table tennis table inside and now I sporadically see people playing. I guess it is a rich kid’s project so they can pretend they aren’t living off Dad.
1 Like
A business near work opened up in 2020. In Level 3. They just closed. Shut the doors for 8 months. And then reopened as if nothing happened. First with a reduced menu and then restored menu. Like…wut?
Like… I know a few people on this forum that complained about how Level 3 was killing businesses, but… the actions of some of these business owners make no sense.
1 Like
From small scale retail right up to wholesale purchases. it is quite odd how often this can happen. I wonder why?
1 Like
There are a lot of people here with deep pockets. or in close relation to people with deep pockets. I bet it explains a lot of the small retail business enigma we see.
a great business to be in is setting up restaurants. being the construction company that sets them up, tea shops etc. it’s a never ending business cycle.
6 Likes
I like interactions where I ask, “You don’t have the exact part or material I’m looking for because your business doesn’t deal in that thing so, could you tell me where I might find something like that?” the answer without fail is, “no.”. I used to think that it was a competition thing but have come to the realization that a lot of businesses are islands of “this is what we have. Why would we need to know anything else?”. I’m used to retail where if you are looking for something specific and if I can’t offer it to you, I know where you can get it and will direct you there. Often, the customer will come back and buy something because they appreciate the help. Here? Nah.
7 Likes
I’ve never had this problem with screw stores. They will sell whatever screws I need in the quantity I need. Sometimes it might be more than they are worth but it’s better than buying big boxes of screws that I will never need any other time. There are sometimes where if the screw I need is worth too little they’ll just give it to me for free.
2 Likes
On that note. I know like a dozen places that closed off their seating area for covid and kept it closed to this day. Annoys the shit out of me. Loved the food at a bunch of them too.
I met a school owner today and he is Taiwanese. He complained that he was having to teach an English class because the American he hired with a teaching certificate couldn’t read middle school English. She had a degree and teaching license yet couldn’t read middle school English level text - couldn’t understand teacher’s guide, curriculum etc - yet kept her employed for 2 months. He said his class is below reading level of other kids the same age. NSS.
Go to the bank with the money the parents paid for miserable results.
This place is horrid
They generally suck at customer service, and they think if they open shop some rich benefactor will just waltz in one day and drop loads of cash on products before one day buying the place. They apparently just have bigger fish to fry lol
3 Likes
Never rule out money laundering or tax fraud haha. or etc.
7 Likes
A lot of these places are rich kid
projects.
As for how many old school factories operate here,they seem to NOT want to do any new business quite often. Really hard work dealing with them.
3 Likes
Could not agree more. one of the few places the customer needs to wine and dine the supplier sometimes 
Pleeeeeeaaaase take my money!!!
Seems the oem and export only guys seem a little more on the ball though. Although more than a few times I have contacted big companies, that sell mostly abroad, and tell them delivery is to be in Taiwan for our domestic market, the fuggers ghost me. it is so weird.
Had that happen to me today. Needed a locksmith to make a key for me for a scooter key that was lost. Guy goes no I don’t do that. I asked if he knew someone who did and he just goes no and waved me off.
The attitude seemed to be that if it doesn’t make him money why should he care to help.
3 Likes
To be fair, he may possibly get in trouble for such a request. I would think the risk of a stollen scooter in his eyes makes him not want to bother. any of my newer scooters (past decade) they said need the registration, ID and the company might do a new key. SYM told me need to buy new ignition set one time. my older scooters I just bought blank keys or metal files and they worked usually.
A little of both it seems. There’s some variation of this on seemingly every message board that I’m on. One board has two threads on this - one regarding contractors never showing up to give you a quote, the other regarding trying to shop at locally owned motorcycle shops, which seem to practically beg you to spend your money online.
Surely they couldnt be into laundering and frauding, could they?
It does seem weird businesses do this. but I bet they have some reason they wish not to be public knowledge. I find it hard to believe laziness or lack of greed would be the cause. it always puzzles me.