While at Harding Signals we used to supply the 'blank' tickets required by car parking machines, Twice a year we required our customers to order their requirements, we then amalgamated them, placed a big order (to get the best possible price) and supplied them.
From the customers point of view this was, however not ideal.
While at NZWTA I had discovered a really good, flexible, and easy to work with printer (Cliff Press Ltd) from whom we obtained the 'blank' tickets we then printed our OCR on with the IBM golf ball typewriter.
So on becoming self employed, I approached them about printing blank car park tickets – I still had pretty much all my Traffic Engineering contacts of course.
I sold an initial run and managed to price them a bit under what Hardings were then charging, but with the flexibility of not having to order and pay 6 months in advance Although we did encourage forward orders the tickets were only charged for once delivered.
This found tremendous favour with customers and over the next few years I estimate we probably gained well over 60% of the NZ market.
At one stage the printers had almost a year's worth of orders stacked up, but was still small enough to be able to cope with urgent requests, even as short as a week.
I became known as 'the ferret'.
Any time I drove or walked past a car park (with a machine) that I did not recognise as one of our customers I stopped, found out who in their organisation ordered the tickets, his/her contact details and then I followed up – personally.
This shows how I operated (and in reality still do). I much prefer to sit in front of customers and discuss things – email and ph calls are fine but in my view you can't beat face to face meetings.
In some cases this was also an entree into another computer system sale!
In 1997 newer car park machines were coming into the market which required a magnetic strip to be included., we were not (then) able to do this in NZ, even Aust was not really able to do so economically.
We did however manage to find a Hong Kong supplier who claimed to be able to do so, using a factory in China to actually make them.
Whilst a bit suspicious about this we planned a week long trip to Hong Kong, with a visit to the actual Chinese factory as part of the trip to see for ourselves.
I found Hong Kong to be hot and dirty, but strangely enough quite mesmerising. The pavements were, in fact, so hot that the soles of my feet blistered even through proper business shoes, socks etc. Once back in New Zealand it was still hobbling quite badly – having got these hot feet the day before we left to come home.
After several meetings with the Sales Rep (in Hong Kong itself) we then all got visas to visit China. We went up on the train – to Shenzen I think it was, where we were met by representatives of the actual factory.
They took us out to lunch, then a tour of their factory – the whole works!
We were staying at a golf resort – complete with armed guards at the entrance gate, notices warning not to drink the water (or even brush teeth) but very pleasant nonetheless.
We had arranged a formal meeting for the morning of the next day, but for the evening 'we are going to entertain you! Yeah Right again!
There were about 20 or 30 people altogether we sat around an oval table for a Chinese banquet.
Behind each of us was a waiter with red wine in one hand and white wine in the other.
We each had two glasses in front of us (one for red and the other for white) and as soon as one was 'not full' even if just by a mouthful it was instantly topped up.
By the end of the meal, I and most of our party had had our fill of both food and booze and were keen to get home to bed when the limousines arrived to take us back.
But wait there is more (much more in fact)!!
“Now we are going to entertain you” and how!
They took us to an entertainment centre, we walked in past a row of BEAUTIFUL young girls - it must have been after midnight by now – up to the VIP room which overlooked the dance floor.
A short time later there was a bit of murmuring among our gathering and I caught a whisper of ' the ferret is usually up for anything, ask him'.
Shortly our host approached me and said that one of the girls had asked if I could go down and dance with her.
There was lot of raucous laughter and comments like 'go get her Warwick'. I could hardly back out - even if I had wanted to.
So I was escorted down to this table of 4 lovely girls the 'forward' one had a smile on her face just like the cat that got the cream!
There was something of a language barrier ( but remember I had been drinking all night).
So we danced – well sort of – and then the band started playing something slow (I don't think it was a waltz, but who knows) and I insisted that she joined me on the dance floor.
I then 'taught' her to dance properly!! She actually did very well – and gradually, very gradually,
everyone else on the dance floor just melted away and left us to it.
I could see my supposed 'friends' up in the VIP room who seemed to think this was hilarious.
Whilst I could not hear them I could certainly see them through the glass.
For the rest of the evening the dance floor remained empty unless we took to the floor whereupon the floor gradually filled up.
Eventually I managed to break away and go back upstairs to my so called 'friends'.
Raucous comments again, of course.
By this time I was really happy (if you know what I mean) so I suggested to our host that perhaps my new friend would like to spend the rest of the night with me back at the golf club.
He set off to organise it!
BUT he subsequently advised that this was not possible tonight, it has to be prearranged, she has school in the morning!! I make no further comment. Needless to say I had no idea she was only 18 !!!
So back to the golf club, formal meeting in the morning – a bit bleary eyed of course – back to Hong Kong by train then heading home (via Australia) by plane.
It was whilst in Australia on our way home that we learned of the death of Princess Diana.
James
Auntie Bea And James
