Description
Michael Schneider, founder of Service, an app that solves customer service problems using a combination of humans and software, tells the story of a man whose wife had been in hospital and was being asked to pay eight or nine thousand dollars for bills that did not look right: his team looked into it, helped him fill out the forms correctly, filed a complaint with the insurance company, and saved him close to eight thousand dollars. In Chinese, question is 問題 (wèn tí): 問 (wèn) is to ask, a mouth inside a door, because knocking on a door and asking if anyone is home is the original act of questioning, and 題 (tí) is the question as a noun, the kind you answer in a test. Together 問題 means both question and problem, because most of the time when you ask a question it is because something has gone wrong. 大問題 (dà wèn tí) is a big problem, 小問題 (xiǎo wèn tí) is a small problem, 我有問題 (wǒ yǒu wèn tí) is I have questions, and 沒問題 (méi wèn tí) is no problem, the goal of every customer service interaction and, as Michael points out, the ideal title for this episode.
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*⏰ TIMESTAMPS:*
0:00 - Introducing Michael Schneider and the word for question
1:00 - 問題 (wèn tí): a mouth inside a door, and why question also means problem
1:45 - 大問題 and 小問題: big problem and small problem, and how context decides which
2:30 - In ancient China, businesspeople ranked lowest in the social hierarchy
3:15 - 沒問題 (méi wèn tí): no problem, and why Michael says this is the real title
4:00 - How Michael’s team saved a customer close to $8,000 on a hospital bill
In Chinese, 問 is a mouth inside a door. To ask is to knock and wonder if anyone is home. The character is the oldest image of curiosity.
*📖 KEY VOCABULARY:*
Question: 問題 / 问题 (wèn tí)
To ask: 問 / 问 (wèn)
Question as a noun: 題 / 题 (tí)
Big problem: 大問題 / 大问题 (dà wèn tí)
Small problem: 小問題 / 小问题 (xiǎo wèn tí)
Wisdom: 智慧 (zhì huì)
I have questions: 我有問題 / 我有问题 (wǒ yǒu wèn tí)
Customer: 客户 (kè hù)
No question, no problem: 沒問題 / 沒问题 (méi wèn tí)
*👤 ABOUT THE GUEST:*
Michael Schneider is the founder and CEO of Service and previously founded Mobile Roadie. He is a prolific entrepreneur who has worked with clients like Disney, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones. Michael is a recipient of the SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and is a regular advisor at USC.
📱 Connect with Michael:
🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/schneider
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaschneider/
👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moquito
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelschneider/
*🎙️ ABOUT TALK CHINEASY:*
Talk Chineasy is a daily podcast hosted by ShaoLan, creator of the award-winning Chineasy method featured on TED. In each 7-minute episode, ShaoLan and a guest explore Chinese characters, culture, and language through stories that make Mandarin unforgettable. 300+ episodes available.
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