I am soon celebrating my 6th anniversary of running a business in Pakistan. Before I started on this journey, one of the main professional worries I had was whether clients would actually pay for services. Till now, my worry had proven to be completely misguided. In all these years I have not once had a situation in which I had to write off a bad debt.
Companies that I have partnered with have displayed immaculate ethics. Yes, maybe once or twice, they paid later than originally agreed, but at the end the fees for the services and value rendered always came through. As a result I have let go of my worries and have built client relationships on trust, which made me relaxed about my invoicing policy and asking clients to pay upfront.
But of course it had to happen! I probably became a bit too gullible or trusting but I was recently confronted with a client who refused to pay.
6 months ago we partnered with a new NGO entering Pakistan by helping them to identify and recruit a number of senior staff members. The NGO in question is DKT International, whose published and proclaimed purpose is to be an innovative and adventurous social marketing enterprise that improves people’s lives. Their country director, Juan Garcia, truly believes in wanting to do good in Pakistan by providing couples with affordable and safe options for family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention through dynamic social marketing.
What goes way above my head is that someone with the motivation to come from Mexico to Pakistan, wanting to help the Pakistani people, turns around and (6 months after the service has been delivered) tells a supplier that they didn’t do a good enough job and now no longer want to pay you. Mind you, the person that we identified and Mr. Garcia selected is doing an excellent job with DKT International.
How is it possible that you proclaim to live by certain standards and then try to rob your suppliers of their income? Is that how you improve the world? How does an organization, promoting positive changes to a society, live with such a breach of trust?
Anyway… it’s his conscious, not mine! I wish the organization and the team that is working for DKT International well.
– Paul Keijzer
Dear Paul,
That’s extremely sad and as a Pakistani its even hurts more. I don’t know why they did that but hope you will get your dues sooner or later.
If your are extremely right in your case than go one step ahead and write letter to authorities and to media as well.
And last but not least thanks for working here for past 6 years and I hope one bad experience will not hinder you doing what you are doing. We need lots of people like you and good and bad people are everywhere.
Best Regards
Qazi Hammad
Pakistan is safe for good people. M attached with an organization that is dealing 90% with Americans , no issue at all even they oftenly visit us.
There’re always two sides to such stories
Well. There’s always two sides to such stories.
I agreed with Sadaf and Sara…. Keep doing good work Paul, there are stones, speed breakers and dangerous curves but if you know the destination and having good driving techniques (as u have) then these obstacles are just like a lesson … God bless you…. 🙂
I hope this comment gets published, because it would be incredibly sad if it did not.
I must say we’re missing out on a lot of genuine information when we exclude the alternative narratives on some incident. I agree with Sara. It would be nice if one could also have the other side of the story to add more balance to the one published here.
Dear Farhan,
Thank you for your comment. Firstly i would like to tell you, we publish all our comments, positive or negative. The reason we wait to approve them is to avoid any use of inappropriate language, disclosure of personal information and/or other company promotion.
Of course you are only getting my side of the story, as my blogs are based on personal experiences and not third person perspectives. We are not hiding our opinion from anyone, if the organization in question would like to state their argument and add in their thoughts on the events that passed, we are open to hear what they have to say.
Keep reading! =) -Paul
Dear Paul
Being a common Pakistani your comments for Pakistani Business community have really improved my morale. The era Pakistan is passing through really needs such remarks. It’s good of you.
Regards
Syed Shoaib
That’s extremely sad and as a Pakistani its even hurts more. I don’t know why they did that but hope you will get your dues sooner or later.
If your are extremely right in your case than go one step ahead and write letter to authorities and to media as well.
And last but not least thanks for working here for past 6 years and I hope one bad experience will not hinder you doing what you are doing. We need lots of people like you and good and bad people are everywhere.
There’s learning every step of the way – May it be business or ones personal life. I hope you’ve learnt your lesson 🙂
cheers, Hashim
Paul, This is not fair. Trust is all that we all have… and that must spread for the good of the community values. Suggest Re negotiate with them (if possible) and bring them to the court if they don’t listen…They can not turn away like this and should pay your company for the services that you have rendered.
Warm Regards,
Ayaz Mahmood