Small Yet Influential; Quality Control.
Being a strong supporter of globalization, free trade, and international monetary management organizations, I don’t often express the small yet influential things that may change one’s mind on the subject matter to a more protectionist, pro-centrally governed side. We all reap the benefits of outsourcing everyday; simply, we enjoy low prices and a high supply of goods so that there are little to no shortages, and efficient service with respectably relatively low prices. That’s all great and wonderful, so my question is, are you (if so, how) negatively effected by outsourcing (and only outsourcing)? I’m trying to get a feel for what all of you folks, in whatever fields you comprehend most, feel about individual items on a personal level.
I have had a problem that occurs just about thrice a week for the last six months. I’m a master mechanic at a bike shop and once outsourcing boomed, all bicycles from every major manufacturer in the world is now made in China and Taiwan (with an exception of Bianchi, specific Trek bikes, and Cannondale). I have to deal with angry customers and poorly made bikes day after day because they are all made in China, and the more expensive junk machines are made in Taiwan. The problem is hiring people for whatever minimum they will work for, and the fact that they have poor machinery to work with; the living conditions don’t provide the incentive to do quality work. Even though I do understand that the companies are out to maximize profits, which in that motive of greed alone does maximum efficiency reside, and the citizens of China and Taiwan just want to maximize their earnings and take whatever jobs are offered, but I’m still negatively effected by outsourcing due to lack of quality control and since this negativity is abundant in my present line of work, it’s pretty aggravating. I might get a retort saying that American bikes are only good because the only ones available now-a-days runs for a minimum of $1500, but trust me when I say that the quality is relatively poor to the price and I think in any specialize field where quality control is a true issue, outsourcing may run into some serious bugs and problems in the future. Allow me to reiterate that this isn't just bicycles, cyclery is just an example and that this is a problem in many markets in many economies globally.