We know that trust is built over years. It so happens that supports are already bought from us by three generations: the founder of the plant nursery, his son and grandson, who together look after the business
From the article you will learn:
– How did KOKOS select its first business partners in China?
– What is the quality control process for bamboo poles at KOKOS?
– Does the company respond to problems with the quality of goods?
– How does KOKOS build decades-long relationships with customers?
Editor: We recently touched on the subject of your company’s beginnings in the 1990s. Could you tell us what the process of selecting your first business partners was like?
Richard Zuckerman: Today it’s hard to imagine, but when we started, we didn’t have access to the Internet. We couldn’t type the right phrase into a search engine and simply look up the suppliers we were interested in on the other side of the world. My wife Izabela, who co-founded the company with us, wrote to the Chinese embassy in Poland asking for a list of companies exporting bamboo. We received a reply with several suggestions.
How did you decide which bamboo manufacturer to choose?
Zbigniew Frymus: Actually, we didn’t have any tools to verify these companies, so we decided to start with the first one on the list. It turned out to be a hit; we worked with the selected supplier for many years.
Please tell us about your first dealings with a Chinese supplier.
Richard: We corresponded mostly by fax. Those were very different times. Of course we went to the site, we learned everything. We managed to establish a long-term cooperation.
What is most important when you evaluate suppliers?
Richard: First of all, quality. This is an absolute priority.
Zbigniew: When it comes to bamboo, you need to be able to distinguish between a good pole and one without value. Over the years, we have gained experience, so we are able to do this even at a glance. It is difficult to ensure the perfect quality of every single piece. It happens that among hundreds or thousands of poles there may be a few young or less durable ones. When we go to trade fairs, we do not make a selection – we take poles straight from the warehouse. A young pole hits, I say to the customer: Pay attention, this pole is not suitable, because it is young. The customer asks: Then why is it in the package? We answer: Because it gets hit, no one is able to sort it. We are transparent.
What exactly is the quality control of the delivered goods?
Zbigniew: The first inspection already takes place at the unloading stage. The goods are usually viewed by Richard or our employees, who unload the containers, and then report any irregularities. If something is wrong, we take pictures and send them to the agent. Often it turns out that the problem is in the transport conditions, such as high humidity, which can cause mold on the bamboo.
Richard: Today our Chinese supplier visits us more often than we visit him, which is convenient. He loves Poland,he especially liked Karpacz, Kazimierz Dolny and the Pulawy area. Face-to-face meetings allow us to discuss problems and solve them on an ongoing basis. We work out relationships and processes. Over the years we have explained what to look out for, what our expectations are.
Have you changed bamboo suppliers during these almost 30 years?
Zbigniew: Of course, such situations have happened. In the beginning, we worked with one company for several years, but when the quality of their bamboo began to decline, we had to look for a new supplier. The same thing happened with another company, which over time began to deliver inferior goods. In such cases, we do not hesitate to make the decision to change.
Richard: We have been working with our current main supplier for more than 10 years. The principle we follow is that cheaper does not mean better. We have a very good deal with this partner – they recognize our complaints, which is not the norm in relations with Chinese companies.
Have customers also been with you as long as suppliers?
Ryszard: Definitely yes. We could enumerate for a very long time the companies, plant nurseries, orchard owners with whom we have been associated since the 1990s. There are situations like with a friendly nursery: the supports are bought from us by three generations: the founder, his son and grandson, who now look after the business together. And the next generation is already growing up!
Zbigniew: We know that trust is built over years, so we make sure we deliver exactly what customers need. We respond quickly to changing needs and are always ready to help. As a result, many of these relationships have turned into long-term, even partnerships, which we are proud of.