Travel to Vietnam - Day 2

Well, today is the 12th Oct 2009, Monday. This morning started early. We met up for breakfast at about 0700 and left the hotel at 0730 for the customer's place.

1st customer is Sumitomo Vietnam. The thing I notice here in Hanoi, Vietnam is that there were really a big plot of land where they house all the foreign companies / factories. The first one we went was at Noi An. The first company that came into view is the very familiar company Panasonic.

In the industrial zone, there were at least 100 + factories located inside. The place was covering a very large area. As we drove towards the first customer, I came across some Malaysian companies have also invested here in Vietnam and have really big production factories here. It seems the labour rate here is really low. A typical production operator cost only about USD200 per month. A technician will be about USD400, an engineer will be about USD600 and a manager will only be about USD1,200. That is the reason lots of companies actually invested here in Hanoi, Vietnam.

According to my colleague, which is the manager in-charge of Vietnam, Mr. Lion from Singapore, there were about 42 industrial park here in Vietnam. Just imagine, in every industrial park there were 100+ companies, multiply by 42, there is approx 4,200 companies here in Vietnam in the listed industrial area alone, not counting the smaller clusters.

After spending about an hour or so with the first customer, we proceeded to the second customer ACP. This customer is also a customer to my company back in my home country. This is the main purpose I am here in Hanoi. They have some issues and I am here to try to resolve it.

After meeting the customer's Production Manager, we went for lunch at about 1200 and a typical lunch in Vietnam is not much difference. There were pork, chicken, some rice, vegetable. The appetizer is cut cucumber for dipping with salt and lime sauce. Cooling. Talking about the chicken, my fellow local colleague ordered a steam chicken. It is a "kampung" chicken, hence the tough meat. That is ok with my. However, I was surprise to see that the chicken is not very well cleaned. You still can see feathers sticking to the skin of the chicken. Disgusting!! Normally I enjoy eating chicken skin a fair bit, but this I have to pass.

After lunch we proceed back to ACP and continue to look at the plant and discussed some possible solution. Then, at 1430, we drove for another 30 minutes to meet another customer Enkei, a car sports rim manufacturer. The meeting was short because the Japanese Production Manager could not speak English. This appointment was suppose to be attended together with our Japanese Manager, however, due to some reason, he is only coming in next week. Hence, the meeting was not fruitful.

After that we proceed to another customer to collect some outstanding payment that they have not been paying since 8 months ago. No luck as well. It seems the financial controller have being playing 'tai-chi' with us. She pass us to their Purchasing Manager, which have no idea that we were there to collect payment. Shamefully this is another Malaysian investment company. Alas..

In one day we manage to cover 4 customers thanks to their industrial zone. All the companies are nearby each other.

We called it a day at 1630 and drove another hour back to hotel. Reached hotel approx 1730. Took our shower and went out for another round of typical Vietnamese meal. For the very first time I have tasted a real Vietnamese spring rolls to be dipped in fish sauce.

Called it a day at about 2100 as tomorrow I have a flight to catch early in the morning. Have to leave the hotel at 0630 to the airport.

There were report that some storm in coming into Hanoi. Hopefully it will only reach after my flight have left for home. Touch Wood.

Basically my trip here was fruitful for me as I manage to do what I suppose to do here. Hopefully, the local manager here is able to follow my instructions given and resolve the problem.