tiistaina, lokakuuta 31, 2006

TIE: 1 year, 2 year, 3 year

The German companies always try to bind you to an agreement of a fixed period. Every agreement you make has a fixed term. I find this horrible. Even in business to business sales, the companies are bound to even three year agreements. How, in todays world, are you going to know where or what you are in three years?!

To consumers, this is also a pain in the bottom. To get internet access, you make an annual agreement. What happens when you change your job and your new employee offers one for free? How about when you move, and the provider is no longer available in your area? What if you know you are moving in six months, are you going to just give up the internet, since you know, you risk wasting money? I might be totally wrong here, let me know if German law or companies understand that people might not be able to plan their life a year, let alone two years ahead.

In business to business the worst case scenario is when an employee makes a few of these long-term agreements. Then he goes on to another company, and his follower will be basically helpless in doing anything new... How do the sales people pull this through? If I'd go to a Finnish CEO and propose a deal where you are bound in for even a year, I'd get some weird looks and a probable no. Anything over four months is too much...


As I'm writing this South Park is on tv. I think I'll never get used to "Oh mein Gott, Sie haben Kenny getötet" "Die Schweine!" Dubbing is not cool.

4 kommenttia:

Anonyymi kirjoitti...

Dear Mr Jokine

This is the future also in your homecountry. For example telecom services are more and more sold with fixed term contracts nowadays.

Maybe someday we have night club where you can drink and dance every weekeng for "free" by paying 500 EUR per month. Think the business possibilities...always crowded and quaranteed cash flow. And of course the beer is extremely cold.

And what happens if you move or get sick? That's a customer's problem. Agreement is a agreement.

Juho kirjoitti...

Dear Mr. Loc,

Thanks for your comment. The telecom business also gives you a phone for which it'll take you x years to pay. However, the video-rentiong places give you nothing but a plastic card. And even this comes with a date.

But the idea of a monthly paid bar is good... If you want to see how realistic it is, ask Keskustapuolue.

Osakeyhtiö Huovinen kirjoitti...

I just can't stand any year-or-more agreements. For example, I've never changed my private mobile operator.

If my operator would give me a fancy mobile for free but ask me to sign a two-year contract, I would fuck them of and change the operator.

In this case I don't want anyone to say what I have to do.

I hope this bureaucratic way is not coming to Finland as well. We have enough social democrats who are trying to control our lives.

Ugh.

Osakeyhtiö Huovinen kirjoitti...

Actually.. What do the Indians say auf Deutsch? Ugh? ;)