Had a good chat with a friend over a smoothie and shee-sha this afternoon. Sometimes I have to admire him for his mental resilience when it comes to being patient and living in a wholesome manner. His move to Hong Kong was held in limbo longer than mine, and his job scope is also less visible, yet he hangs in there all well and good, and even manages to entertain himself and others around him in such conditions.
Patience is one thing I admittedly suck at. When I have something on my mind, it won’t rest till it is completed. Back home where most factors were still within one’s grasp, it was easy. In the current ball game where players take far longer to pass the ball, I find myself running wild hatching 10 ideas a week but completing only one every 3 months. Patience, I must learn…
Will be working with some Americans over the next 3 weeks. Pleasure to have some professionals of the IT field around, and there will sure be a lot to pick up from them. I also realized that Asian hospitality does not go well with these people, for they prefer some solitude and spiritual peace to the Asian’s daily dose of wine and women. I like them, they make me live healthier!
I have recently revived my tag-board and comments box, and have sure received some overwhelming response from a certain “You knoe who”. For those who read this blog, do pay special attention to the tag-board, which I believe will be populated by this clown for as long as he lives. For those who do not have the whole story, I shall illustrate a little, since I am still too awake.
- Start of Story -
Sometime last year, I ordered a bunch of corporate gifts for my company’s key client – Merrill Lynch, from this supplier called “Rooks”, a sole proprietorship owned by Ryan Goh. I did not transact the deals with Ryan personally, but through his partner; Kevin, whom I met over a networking session and had a few drinks with.
Despite them being untested, I gave them 3 deals – 900 polo tees, 1000 plush bulls and 800 balloons, all delivered as part of a corporate branding project for ML. Admittedly, the deals were scheduled on tight timelines, but I was assured by Kevin, who represented Rooks, that the items will be delivered on the dates stipulated on the quotations, which I signed and they countersigned.
The first bulk of 100 polo tees arrived, late due to some car-breakdown, so basically delivery was already 1 day late. To make things worse, a good percentage of the t-shirts’ colours ran, and red became pink in a single wash. Major screw-up… nevermind, I managed to pacify ML and gave the suppliers notice to rectify the following points:
- Printing error
- Change of fabric for colours that ran
- Increase in quantity (50 pieces for compensation)
Again, I was assured that the second bulk would not see anymore problems, and I got an extension of 10 days from ML for the supplier to rectify the situation. Of course, the second bulk arrived with the same errors, nothing was rectified. Imagine the damages for an event where all the staff of a major bank wore discoloured shirts! Not forgetting the fact that ML was my company’s largest and most supportive client.
Over a phone conversation with Ryan prior to the delivery of goods, I mentioned in passing the need to share damages, and was threatened with a NIL-Delivery of the remaining plush bulls and balloons. Being stuck in the situation, I had little choice but to play along. At this point it was pretty much the nail in the coffin already, for who would have supplied faulty goods and yet so shamelessly ask for the full payment? Even taxi-drivers know how to give discounts for taking the wrong route.
In the end, the balloons were delivered ok, but the plush bulls came in 2 days late, and some of the mouths did not open properly. Paid the full amount for the balloons and the 50% deposit for the plush bulls by then. Having decided that there will be no way my company is paying the full amount for the discoloured shirts, I had expected Rooks to contest the case at court, where a decent judgment would be passed (normally the supplier would have to bear the loss of profit, if it were deemed their fault, had previous cases and all were settled in such a fashion).
Instead, Ryan decided to take the law into his own hands, and seemingly he did not understand the difference between a business deal and a personal matter. While I don’t particularly fault him for calling, to call persons totally not involved in the matter (my friends and family, and even the family of my partner), on a close-to-hourly basis is simply harassment (he probably still doesn’t understand this).
He also took the effort to send a fax, to a Hong Kong Company which I DO NOT WORK FOR. Wonder where he got his intel… even got the wrong company.
As we exchanged a chain of emails (since I was in HK), he insistently wanted to settle out of court, but his offer sucked so there was no way we could agree. When we finally agreed on an amount of 5k (remainder payment is written by him on my tag-board), he backed out again for whatever reason.
News from rooks vanished since then, and now that I have revived my tag-board, apparently new developments have sprung up. Rooks have won the court case (which I have not even heard of, nor received notification to attend). They have also not provided any evidence of the court’s ruling. SMS threats have also been sent to my partner in Singapore, suggesting he move away from his home and so on. The police are currently working on this case.
- End of Story -
Till date, Ryan remains headstrong and proud, almost as if he is willing to perish with his belief that he deserves the full payment. He regularly visits this blog to vandalise my tag-board, under the mask of “You knoe who”. He fondly believes that in doing so, he will destroy my reputation in Singapore (and maybe worldwide, since it’s called the World-Wide-Web).
While I do not have anything close to a “reputation” in Singapore, I know for a fact that I do not keep friends randomly, and those that know me will not be swayed by words of a clown. Neither will my long time suppliers (whom I have known for longer than he has been in business), break contact for such a case. In fact, prior to my departure, they were still kind enough to pass me whatever they could (from their inventory), to fill my needs in a foreign land, and still continue referring clients.
To Ryan, who would definitely be reading this, you can expect an upcoming case with the police / state, with a non-compoundable charge. What little legal knowledge I have tells me the minimum penalty is a 5k fine. I believe you get to keep your beddings at the worst case.
