The buyer is not the enemy! Keeping buyers informed
usually means that most if not all of a problem can be resolved amicably! Hiding
'bad news' on the other hand guarantees trouble. Knowingly shipping sub-standard
quality demonstrates disregard for contract integrity, or a lack of quality
knowledge, or both! Not reporting that a shipment may be delayed can cause much
greater damage than may immediately be obvious.
Buyer and seller are partners in a transaction: both
are obliged to play their role to ensure the successful completion and to
minimize the impact of potentially harmful situations. Keeping the buyer
informed of any problems enables timely corrective action to be taken, thereby
saving costs and damages. Arbitrators will take this into account when it comes
to making an award. And if a claim is received, deal with it! Promptly and
efficiently! Do not ignore a claim in the belief that it will 'go away'. And if
a claim does result in arbitration proceedings being initiated, co-operate fully
because otherwise the exercise will proceed without your input.
Remember also that those
who see the coffee trade from only one side, such as exporters, do not always
appreciate why and how certain actions or lack of actions can cause their
counterpart to suffer loss or damage, and it is not uncommon for some to feel
subsequently that they have been treated unfairly in the arbitration
proceedings. Look for local assistance therefore because local representatives
usually have more experience with the arbitration system and can guide an
exporter through some of the details. A local representative might not know
exactly how an arbitration award was decided, but he or she should clearly
understand the proceedings and be able to explain more or less how the outcome
was determined. This is very helpful for an exporter in deciding whether or not
to appeal against an award.