Consult vs. Serve
Germany
The Germans prefer consulting over serving. To consult the customer is to work auf Augenhöhe, at eye-level. The German people instinctively reject any form of master-slave business relationship.
And the German customer prefers a supplier, consultant, vendor who insists on a business relationship auf Augenhöhe. Germans don’t want to be served, they want to be consulted, by an expert, at eye-level. Patterns
United States
Americans do not make a clear distinction between serving and consulting. They go hand-in-hand. They are two sides of the same coin. Consulting is a service to the customer.
Serving should include bringing into play ones subject matter expertise. However, an American consultant, supplier, vendor, seldom sees themselves at eye-level with the customer. The customer is always in charge. Patterns
Expectations
Germany
The German customer expects the supplier to complete the requested task correctly and expertly, within schedule and budget. The boundary conditions are negotiated and held to as precisely as possible. Germans, however, will sacrifice schedule and budget in order to receive what they ordered. Patterns
United States
The American customer expects the supplier to deliver a product or service as defined by the customer. The customer expects the supplier to orient himself fully towards their individual needs and to respond as quickly as possible. And the supplier is expected to adapt to any change in scope. Patterns
Collaboration
Germany
In Germany two parties enter into a dialogue about matching a customer’s problem with a supplier’s solution. Once the what has been agreed upon, there is limited customer input about the how. Patterns
United States
Collaboration in the American business context is defined first und foremostly by the customer. They not only define what they want, but also to a significant extent how they want it. Patterns