The Veggie Connection

Role of Michael Berger – Berger Transport

You are owner of the company “Berger Transport AG”, a small Swiss company you started. In the beginning you had only one Volkswagen transporter that you drove yourself. Your wife and your brother also support you in the office and with customers.

Things were looking up, so you could expand, you first purchased a second transporter and hired an employee. Business has continued going well with your small transports, and you now have grown to four employees! Then you decided to dare a bigger step: You bought a 20-ton truck!

The bank lent you the money and you got a contract with a large furniture company for regular transports. All seemed fine – quite a profitable affair.

Three months ago, the bad luck started. The furniture company did not renew the orders and one your employees fell ill. On top of it all, your bank informed you that the interest rate on your payments for the loan have increased.

Your regular customers prefer small transports, since access to their small shops is easier, and you can flexibly drive to different locations at the same time…  thus your 20-ton truck is gathering dust in the garage. How will it pay for itself? The situation is becoming increasingly precarious; loan payments are heavy on your balance sheet, and you do not know yet, how you will pay salaries at end of week! You must absolutely find orders for your truck.

Sometimes luck strikes when the need is heavy! Ten minutes ago, a Mr. Brusco called: he needs a transport from Budapest to Zurich of approx. 20 tons. It seems to be urgent: the truck must leave in the afternoon for Hungary, and within two days the merchandise, fruit, and vegetables from Hungary, must be in Switzerland.

Normally, such a transport costs between 8’000 and 14’000 CHF. But you must get this order if you want to survive…

Mr. Brusco will arrive in a quarter of an hour – how will you negotiate with him?

Notes:

• Zurich – Budapest 999km (958 km expressway)
• Travel time about 15 hours

The negotiations should not exceed 20 minutes.