With our credit insurance products, we insure risks associated with export transactions of capital goods and service contracts, mostly contracting. Bike lights don't exactly fall into the category of capital goods, even if you pay nice prices for the most sophisticated ones. And yet I am going to talk about it, to illustrate why we are so eager to talk to you as users of our products. We think we can figure out what you need from our ivory, pardon the pun, glass tower on David Ricardo Street, but obviously, you know much better.
People who get to know me will usually soon learn two things about me: that I am a fan of Fortuna Sittard and that I am an avid cyclist. My main challenge is cycling long distances. For that you have to train all year long, and not only long tours but also short intensive training sessions with high power blocks. Of course, if you want to do that at this time of year you need lights. Good lights.
Two years ago I bought an innovative lighting kit from a big American brand that is the market leader in bike computers and sports watches. Superb products. The tail light is also a radar: your bike computer warns you of the sound of traffic coming behind, and with dots, on the side of your screen you can see how many vehicles are coming behind and how fast they are approaching. Especially if you don't hear anything with a strong headwind, this makes you feel very safe.
If possible, the accompanying head light is even more innovative. Namely, it adjusts the intensity and inclination of the light according to your speed. If you go faster, the lamp shines brighter and further ahead. Fantastic! There's just one problem. If you use this option, the lamp is empty within an hour. I have regularly had to cycle home with an energy-saving lamp mode and sometimes even without any light. Life-threatening. For me the lamp is practically useless: if you are not sure you will get home safely, it is of no use.
So last winter I bought another head light from a, yes, Chinese brand. First cool feature: it has a mega battery that lasts a few hours, even in the highest setting. But the second cool feature is even more important, however simple: an LCD display that shows how long the battery will last in the chosen brightness setting. So you can always be sure that the battery will last the rest of the workout, and if necessary, you can choose a lower setting in time so you can get home safely.
Perhaps less technologically advanced, but exactly what the user needs. So this is why we are so keen to talk to you as an exporter or bank about our products. In the past, we have sometimes put a lot of time into developing products that were used once or, even worse, not used at all. We can put our time to better use. It doesn't have to be rocket science either, at its core we always ensure payment and performance risk, as long as it fits the needs of our customers. And for that, as I said, we need your experiences, so you can shine your light on our products. Preferably, you understand, with an indicator of remaining battery capacity.