ANOTHER YEAR OF MISERY?

While most Sightholders have undoubtedly done very well out of the DTC system, and arguably in a few cases far too well, there are others who seem to have been sentenced by an inflexible and unresponsive system which seems to be completely at odds with the concept of relationships which has so often been extolled as a cornerstone of DTC policy (Partnerships in Excellence).

Business continuity has also failed to live up to the expectations that were raised when it was introduced as a response to the worldwide crisis and its effects on our industry. Explan as usual seems to benefit mainly those whose ranking was established over 3 years ago and which hasn’t been revised or reviewed. A lot has happened since the rankings were established and yet it seems to be very much a case of ‘plus ça change’ and the rigidities of the system remain firmly in place, despite the fact that the DTC acknowledge that lessons have been learned.

Systems are designed to provide a structure which supports relationships and doesn’t undermine them. They shouldn’t be placed above the outcomes and seen to be infallible when clearly they are not.

Ours is a love driven industry, completely dependent on the consumer relationships which are the motor of everything we do. It is time to do a better job with the relationships that really count upstream and a little love and understanding would surely be ‘living up to diamonds’.

The fact that the contract has been extended by a year should provide an opportunity to address and correct some of the most obvious failures of the system and give hope to some of those Sightholders who are recognised by the trade as one of ‘the world’s leading diamantaires’ but apparently are not recognised as such by the company who coined that phrase in relation to its own partners.

Three years of frustration and disappointment is more than enough but a fourth year would be just unbearable for those in this situation. Instead we propose that the DTC introduces a measure of flexibility in allocating Explan which would address the shortcomings of the current system and manage those client relationships that are under considerable strain into the next contract period.