What Germans think they are good at

YouTube comments:

“After having lived for 4 years in the US I learned to appreciate some German traits. What comes to mind is efficiency, being detail oriented, having a long attention span, being direct and mostly honest, and – very surprising for me – compared to the US the relation to your superior is much more on an equal footing (okay not everywhere), despite calling your boss by their firstname in the US, work life balance, time for your family Politically, trying to find a balance between economic growth, workers rights, social security and sustainability (trying is the word here). On a material level, certainly bread (in all variations), beer, engineering of course, Sahnetorte (cream cake), Wurst (sausages as well as cold cuts); plumbing, online-banking, … Examples of what we still have to learn: seeing the good things (we are perfect in looking for “das Haar in der Suppe”, finding fault in everything); sometimes letting go of safety in favor of taking risks.”

“My sister lives in Munich and, although I’ve never lived there, I’ve visited Germany multiple times. Germans do many things very well. The towns are clean, safe, and well run. People are polite and civilized. Food is delicious and the beer is out-of-this-world. The women are so good-looking! My sister enjoys a high quality of life over there – she says that social services are comprehensive and stress-free to deal with. And all this without mentioning German achievements in science, medicine, engineering, commerce, and the arts. It’s a fine country. p.s. John Kampfner’s book on Germany is excellent.”

“As an Italian, I can say that Germans are the best when it comes to public facilities, infrastructure, punctuality and public order.. they also make the best beer you can find.. They need to improve fashion and social attitude perhaps (Not all of them are “cold” though) I would love to live in München one day!”

Ten Principles of Design – Dieter Rams

Innovative. Useful. Aesthetic. Understandable. Honest. Unobtrusive. Long lasting. Consequent to the last detail. Environmentally friendly. As little as possible.

“Konsequent bis ins letzte Detail.” Translated as thorough down to the last detail. That’s a lousy translation. Rams says literally consequent/consistent to the last detail. Meaning, integrated in each and every aspect.

Very proud of their automobiles

German cars vs. American cars. Germans are very proud of their automobiles.

Comments in YouTube: “Telling Germans how to make cars is like telling Italians how to make pizza.” … “To anyone saying that we Germans don‘t have any humour: We do actually! We laugh at French and American cars!”

“German: Uses the most advanced tech known to mankind to build the fastest, safest and over all best cars ever. American: slaps wheels and v8 on coffin.” … “Built in USA: Can do cool stunts in Hollywood movies. Built in Germany: Can do the same but on a real autobahn.”

German Brands 2018

These are the BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Germany Brands in 2018. Many are known only to Germans. But the top 20 are known worldwide.

What do the top German brands have in common: efficiency, reliability, and quality. Made in Germany.

Pimp My Ride

DIY or Do it Yourself projects are very common in the United States. Rather than buying reliable products, many Americans prefer to buy unreliable products and then, using DIY, turn them into reliable (or at least different) products. This can be anything from salvaging a broken toaster to buying old houses and refurbishing them. 

According to a recent survey, 3 out of 4 Americans who make changes to their houses will include some form of DIY. Additionally, there has also been a recent surge of DIY websites explaining to Americans how to go about fixing and upgrading products on their own.

There have been several American television shows that showcase DIY, including Pimp my Ride, which restored rundown vehicles, This Old House, which restored old houses, and even Home Improvement, a sitcom which centered around the antics of a DIY presenter, Tim Allen, as he routinely made mistakes showing people how to fix appliances and redesign their houses.

It turns out that Pimp my Ride was a bit deceptive. Oops!

New car shoppers

In 2013 J.D. Power and Associates conducted a study to determine what factors influence Americans when purchasing vehicles. According to the report, the primary reason why shoppers avoid hybrids and electric vehicles is cost/price. Furthermore, gas mileage is the most influential factor in the decision process, and has been since a rise in gas prices in 2008.

One of the less important factors that Americans consider is reliability, with only 17% of new vehicle shoppers avoiding models with poor reputations for reliability. In fact, Americans put more importance on things like design and appearance than on reliability, with 33% of new vehicle shoppers avoiding models based on their exterior design.

Adverse conditions

Reliable: To be dependent; to have confidence based on experience; dependable, giving the same result on successive trials.

Convenient: Suited to personal comfort or to easy performance; suited to a particular situation; affording accommodation or advantage; being near at hand. From Latin convenire to assemble, come together, be suitable.

Some products are designed for use in adverse conditions. These include batteries, automobiles, tires, outdoor work clothing, footwear. These products enable people to accomplish tasks like living in extreme climates, driving to work in adverse weather, and staying comfortable while working outside. American made products in these categories are designed to be reliable, as this prevents surprises and gives the user a sense of security about using the product.

General Motors often uses the tagline Longestlasting, most dependable truck on the roadto describe its Chevy truck line. Other major truck companies like Ford or Dodge also use words like reliable and dependable to describe their trucks. Another famous series of commercials from battery maker Energizer involved a battery-powered rabbit playing the drums as if in a marching band. This rabbit was known as The Energizer Bunny, and his characteristic was that he „kept going and going and going.“

Warranty

Warranty: A real covenant binding the grantor of an estate and the grantor’s heirs; a collateral undertaking that a fact regarding the subject of a contract is or will be as it is expressly or by implication declared or promised to be; something that authorizes, sanctions, supports, or justifies; a usually written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker’s responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts. Middle English warantie, garantie, to warrant.

U.S. federal law establishes minimum legal standards for warranties on products. Some companies, however, offer warranties (for purchase or for free) that exceed the legal minimum by covering a broader array of problems the buyer might face.

For example, Apple’s standard iPhone warranty includes one year of hardware repairs and 90 days of telephone support. However, an extended warranty can be added that provides full hardware and phone support coverage for two years. Private companies also offer warranties on electronics and other high value goods.

Every Toyota vehicle is supported by a 36-month/36,000-mile limited warranty coverage. In addition, most individual Toyota parts have 12-month coverage, a fairly standard warranty for new vehicles.

Most manufacturer warranties for electronics, appliances, etc. cover only products that fail due to defects in construction or malfunctions of the item’s hardware. Some consumers want more protection, so retailers like Best Buy offer protection plans that go beyond the manufacturer’s warranty. Best Buy‘s Geek Squad Protection Plan, for example, covers normal wear and tear, no lemon policy, accidental, and damage from handling. Since these plans cover a much wider spectrum of potential problems, they tend to be quite expensive.

In order to remain competitive, American retailers offer generous return and exchange policies. Most companies print their policy directly on the receipt and use phrases like „easy returns and exchanges,“ „no hassle returns“ or „100% satisfaction guarantee.“ Some companies, like outdoor supplier REI, allow customers to return products for a full refund or exchange at any time for any reason.

Many retailers (WalMart, Target) do not require a receipt for returns or exchanges. If no receipt is available, stores generally refund the credit on gift cards that can only be used at the store.

These generous policies highlight the importance that American consumers assign to customer-centered policies that are clearly communicated and executed in a friendly manner. Retailers, on the other hand, encourage buyers to spend first and think later. They give consumers confidence that satisfaction with a particular product or brand is guaranteed.