Made in Taiwan

Most of the things we buy are, naturally, “made in Taiwan.”  And much of it really sucks.  We have bought MP3 players, phones, electric kettles, tumble driers and blenders, and they all broke down within weeks of coming into our house.  In contrast to Japan, it seems Taiwanese companies are spending very little time on quality control.  So we’ve started buying foreign-made goods whenever we can — preferably, “made in Germany,” — like our oil-filled heater — what a beauty! and it keeps us warm and happy on the coldest winter day.

Taiwanese people know about the poor quality of the goods and they always save the paperwork that goes with the purchase.  When something goes wrong, they bring the appliance in and get it repaired for free.  All supermarkets are full of people lining up to have their gear fixed.  Although Taiwanese products are shoddy, their customer service is first-rate.

Two years ago we got an Asus laptop.  The hinges broke almost immediately and the screen part was separated from the keyboard part.  Only last week did I finally get around to returning it to the shop.  And much to my amazement, the Asus man apologized — “The hinges were made in China.  I’m sorry” — and then the computer was completely refitted and for free!  I had entered the shop with a growl, but left it with a big smile.  I’m now a great Asus fan.  It’s amazing what an apology and a free repair can do for your impression of a product.

Made in Taiwan

Most of the things we buy are, naturally, “made in Taiwan.”  And much of it really sucks.  We have bought MP3 players, phones, electric kettles, tumble driers and blenders, and they all broke down within weeks of coming into our house.  In contrast to Japan, it seems Taiwanese companies are spending very little time on quality control.  So we’ve started buying foreign-made goods whenever we can — preferably, “made in Germany,” — like our oil-filled heater — what a beauty! and it keeps us warm and happy on the coldest winter day.

Taiwanese people know about the poor quality of the goods and they always save the paperwork that goes with the purchase.  When something goes wrong, they bring the appliance in and get it repaired for free.  All supermarkets are full of people lining up to have their gear fixed.  Although Taiwanese products are shoddy, their customer service is first-rate.

Two years ago we got an Asus laptop.  The hinges broke almost immediately and the screen part was separated from the keyboard part.  Only last week did I finally get around to returning it to the shop.  And much to my amazement, the Asus man apologized — “The hinges were made in China.  I’m sorry” — and then the computer was completely refitted and for free!  I had entered the shop with a growl, but left it with a big smile.  I’m now a great Asus fan.  It’s amazing what an apology and a free repair can do for your impression of a product.