One of the strangest quirks of doing business here is the "call back." The "call back" is defined as anyone or any company who promises to phone you back and then never actually does or intended to do so. It happens daily and can pose a certain hurdle to getting things done. What makes this even more quirky is the fact that 90% of the time a "call back" is promised but not delivered even when an agreement of purchase has already been agreed upon. Sometimes it seems that the company is in fact going out of their way to not make a sale rather than simply accepting the money and delivering said product/service. The icing on this not-so-tasty cake is that it is just as common among big foreign companies that have branches within China as it is with local companies.I have also included a translation guide for commonly used phrases or answers:
不可能 (lit. impossible)
true meaning- its possible but I have no interest in really trying
马上 (lit. immediately)
true meaning- could be a few hours, maybe today, and possibly tomorrow
今天 (lit. today)
true meaning- i have high aspirations for getting this done but I might be busy today so probably early tomorrow morning
明天 (lit. tomorrow)
true meaning- actual time is unknown but I am not doing it today and don't plan to remember it if you ask tomorrow
后天 (lit. day after tomorrow)
true meaning- it's never going to happen and don't bother calling me about it
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