If it's Chilean, is it good?

During this pandemic I’ve made a series of purchases to improve my work setup at home. Fortunately I have the space and the means to invest in the ergonomics of my little “digital factory”. So I started investing in assorted gadgets and accessories.

Over time I realized that buying outside Chile was faster and safer for me. The delays and the uncertainty in product deliveries, along with some unpleasant moments, pushed me down that road. Even on cost, including the higher price of fast shipping, it works out better. It seems the only thing Chilean retail is good at is charging you.

So I started buying on Amazon, electronics mostly. And delivery is often faster than going through a local supplier. On several occasions I compared delivery times and Amazon beat them comfortably.

But not everything is perfect. I’ve noticed that delivery on Amazon depends on the carrier it picks for the shipment. You notice it most depending on whether the shipment goes by DHL, UPS or Chilexpress. When it comes through the first two, the dates are met; packages even arrive early. But if I get the last one, I’m likely to be completely in the dark about whether the date will be met, and what’s worse, even Amazon loses track of them!

That has been my experience at least, after several purchases.

When I was a kid I remember people used the expression “if it’s Chilean, it’s good!” It was a phrase said with a certain pride, perhaps born of some campaign to promote domestic industry¹.

I’m writing this rant to question that claim, because it isn’t true. My point is that maybe the phrase was a guide, a legitimate aspiration that steered the conduct of Chilean companies, professionals and workers, but it seems that’s no longer the case in a lot of places.

In retail, at least, it really shows. Far too much, and the same goes for the logistics industry. If you go through the complaints of internet users in Chile, the gripe is almost always aimed at these two kinds of operators.

On the other hand, there are young companies that take a different attitude, like Cornershop, which treats the customer with respect and kindness, on top of great efficiency and a high degree of delivering on what it promised, which is what you expect as a customer. Young companies that are clear on how much the customer experience matters.

It seems mediocrity is the norm in Chile these days: poor product quality, poor treatment of customers and dismal job performance seem to be on the rise. To the point that “if it’s Chilean, it’s good” is more the exception these days.

We have to banish mediocrity from our jobs, from our cultures. We have to demand more, of others and of ourselves. The world has changed a lot, and even more in these past months. We have less patience, and we don’t forgive mistakes, delays, sloppy work. No more, and those who don’t get that are going to lose.

It’s a matter of survival, all the more so for a country as small and economically fragile as Chile. We have to be good again, to be able to recover, to be able to get out of the crises we’re going through. And that change starts with each one of us: we have to demand more of others and of ourselves too. That way we’ll once again say with pride: “if it’s Chilean, it’s good!”