A Dutch entrepreneur, had had trouble with his deliveries in the USA – up to his brother a Trick to come up with.
Interview of Hannes Vollmuth
One of the most pressing questions in the life of a post-modern people: To give the mediated reality of the media is satisfied (the dream ship, Facebook, cat videos), or it is out there, maybe much more? Which one would be the Dutch Taco Carlier, 41 years old and the founder of the bike company Vanmoof. Who just ordered at Vanmoof, in Amsterdam, a Bicycle, get a carton delivered to a television. Why?
SZ: Mr Carlier, your company actually makes bikes. Nevertheless, they print television on their packaging.
Taco Carlier: you need to know, we also export to the USA. And as we have noticed that an incredible number of bicycles arrive broken and defective customer. American courier drivers are not exactly squeamish, what applies to bicycles. Eventually, we had to view Each of the fourth wheel is broken at the customer.
And that is why you have printed a television on the packaging?
We had no other choice. Shipping and transportation in the USA are incredibly expensive. In case of a Defect we have to leave the bike back to Europe, then again a new bike send, which is handled by the transport company with security as well. We had actually decided to almost, business in the United States. But then my brother …
suddenly said … “Let us make a television on the packaging to print?”
Exactly.
And then?
That was the solution. Our boxes are very large, more precisely, they have the same dimensions as the packaging of an incredibly large and expensive TV. Within a very short time the complaints in the United States decreased to 80 percent.
80%?
It sounds harsh, but the truth is: In the United States a television is much more important and valuable than any bike. Therefore, it is a packaged TV much more than a packaged bike./p>
Taco Carlier, 41, the low countries, learned to ride a Bicycle on the farm of his grandfather. In 2009, he founded with his brother Ties Carlier, the bike company Vanmoof. The United States shipping he has presented more easily.
(photo: VanMoof)
And now you see on each of their bike boxes in a TV?
Exactly. In Europe, the complaint rate was never so blatant as in the USA, but here, too, we feel the TV effect. The probability that one of our bikes is, with a television on the packaging just the greatest.
There are no exceptions?
I can think of only Japan. Japanese to go fast with all care. No matter what you print on the packaging.
you Have a TV at home?
no.
My philosophy is more likely to Come in contact with the world, by putting you on the bike. If I’m in a city, I hire me as a first bike. Since then I get a much better impression of it all, as if I U-Bahn
What, in your opinion, the best bike city?
In Europe, definitely Berlin: wide roads, flat, lots of space.
And worst?
London.
Why?
To many cars that drive much too fast, and no rules. I have cycled in more than 100 cities in the world. In London, I have surrendered after an hour. Too dangerous.
What can you from Sitting in front of a TV not a claim.
Ha! Of the was good. If you disregard the lack of movement and the things that are shown there, and other times, you are right.