Is
it just me or is the world somehow falling apart? Why is it that I feel
that my percentage of success in dealing with the business world
continues to diminish?
Decades ago my experience in the art world was that businesses were run by humans and pretty much did what they said they would do; any mistake was quickly rectified. Then over the years my success with honest galleries diminished to the point where I finally abandoned the prospect of working in the art business because the chances of honesty had become so small. Case in point: just this year the one gallery that is not actively screwed me over (after selling quite well for several years) seems to be dark most of the time and the owner has been arrested for breaking and entering. This is not a comment on the state of the whole world perhaps. But I do find it extremely curious. (Am I a fool or a tolerant Christian for not storming in with the police to seize my work?)
Furthermore,
it seems my regular business transactions that I initiate grow less successful over time, from computer
printers to internet service to health insurance to just about anything
that is not dealt with systematically. I have grown increasingly wary. Now when I order something–from the
rental car to the phone service, I'm on my guard. So listen to this strange story of the simple act of shipping a package from here to Germany:
I
did my research and found the company that would ship the package for
much cheaper than the three monopolies of international
shipment: DHL FedEx and UPS. It's called XS Baggage and when I shipped
my stuff to Europe with them eight years ago–though not without complications–my experience was they were easy to work with. So I
got my quote, they said it could be delivered in a week, I scheduled
the shipment, enclosed all the requested documents, paid and went for a watermellon.But a string of bad incidents then unfolded. XS contracted with DHL, and regretted that I needed to reaffirm some of the information I'd supplied, questions that weren't relevant before. Rather than being delivered as promised it was held at customs, subject to commercial duties and taxes that XS knew nothing about (despite my preparatory paperwork in this regard). For 2 weeks the box sat in customs while the two companies repeatedly requested the same info I'd supplied. When I called for clarification inevitably it was the other company at fault and I found myself in response to endless questions saying, "call this person at this number in this other company" as if I'm on staff. At one point my friend Olivia (playing the recipient in this drama) had to provide her (German version) personal SS number! (What? Germans need an SS number to receive mail?) She and I give all the info we had. No action. So I called customer service, only to be told that our info was wrong, including that Olivia's SS number is "not valid"! How do you confirm something like that? It's like being told your face is the wrong one!!
So of course I called the number given with the direct 5-digit extension (and not only reach yet another person but am told, I'm not making this up: "we don't use extension numbers any more" (!!!!) Who writies this stuff??) I explained that I'd happily pay immediately any new charges, if only the package is delivered! The promised delivery date had long passed, and now they need a "letter of authorization". "Yes, say I, that's me and I authorize!" "No, it has to be from the shipper." "I AM the shipper!" "No, we have a contract with someone else." Well after an extra fee the package finally got delivered, a month late, followed the next day by–get this–a letter to Olivia announcing the upcoming package delivery!... Mr. Kafka, we will see you now!
This
fiasco makes me very curious about the state of civilization. I'm just one guy who
ships one such package every perhaps 3 to 5 years and this is how much
trouble I have to go through? What's the frustration level of a normal person who has many such transactions to do and is not in fact starting a new civilization? If a business such
as an international shipper cannot deliver what they
are apparently in business to do, how can they stay afloat?? Do other
people have these problems or am I stuck in some kind of Orwellian House
of Morons?
It's
almost like I have to have the State consumer affairs division on speed
dial. Every time I make a simple transaction I have to contact them
because I feel like that I've been dealt with fraudulently. Am I the one
guy that always picks the single carton of spoiled milk? As with my ex-galleries, eventually I begin to think the fault is my own because other people don't
seem to complain. But am I being unfair? We make a contract, I accept and I expect the other party will deliver. Why is that
so hard for me to achieve? Is this some kind of karmic payback from the
capitalist gods because I live so simply? I think of a person like
Garrett who does international business with one hand before breakfast, responding to
30 emails every day, solving problems, dealing with clients, dead
tenants, international customers, an array of cultures. And HE's not
suicidal! How is it that I am finding such an unfriendly world outside
of my own circle? How is it that other artists survive without even
making contracts with galleries?
I'm not used to dealing with machined responses to unusual circumstances, like individual preferences. I can feel the tug of conformity, knowing it'd be much easier to simply shut up and take whatever is offered on the Sale table (that apparently makes every other customer blissfully happy.) Conform, and your life will be easy. Insist on your own way and you will pay an unknown price. All alone. And you WILL BE HAPPY about it!
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing this, Tim.
The world you describe is the only one I’ve known.
Like you, I’m not forced to interact with it in the same capacity as someone like Garrett, instead choosing to lock myself away in a studio, but my experience is much like yours. I feel it the most not in the film and music industry, although; it’s there, but in dealing with modern necessities: telecom, cable, insurance, logistics, car repairs, taxes, etc.
While working a design job in corporate a few years back (a positive experience), I observed that the more levels between an employee and the CEO, the more rules that employee had to follow. It made sense to me. As a company grows, the leaders can’t be in the trenches, so they hire people and give them marching orders to ensure a cohesive brand. As companies have consolidated and globalization has taken root, more layers have been added. The people interacting with customers and those making decisions are farther apart and the conversation between the two is largely one-way.
There is a direct correlation here: rational thought is diminished as more rules are added. A proper balance is necessary for any employee, as too much of either is probably not in the best interest of a company. The issue is that most employees today, especially in customer relations; fall too far on the “rules” side – forced to conform to corporate protocol. This is why nobody at AT&T customer support could return your product and give you $5 for the inconvenience; which is sad to me. Employees are incentivized to do only their task and to push you through the machine – treating you like you are “on staff,” and anything more is not encouraged – probably punishable.
The issue is built in. Systematic.
Anyway, this theory has been floating around my head for a while and felt this was a good opportunity to try to collect my thoughts and get some other people’s opinions. I can go on a much longer rant, but I'll save that for the next time I see you in person. My approach has been to try to support local, but that is nearly impossible with certain products like cell phones, internet or international shipping.
Also, everything stated about corporations, applies four-fold with government.
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