DHL Vietnam’s latest email says the file “falls entirely under Customs,” that DHL can’t remove items—even with my authorisation—and that Customs may prefer full seizure. Then they suggested I could try to meet Customs.
Fine. Here’s what I asked them to do—today:
- File my written instruction for a proportional remedy: open the box, remove the disputed items, document their destruction, release the rest.
- Confirm the submission—time, reference number, and the exact text DHL sent.
- File my July-25 re-entry stamp and current visa as proof—and get a written decision from Customs that cites the law if they refuse.
- If a meeting is granted, I’ll attend. If not, DHL must still submit my statement and return with an official decision—not a paraphrase.
This is how accountability works: you file the request, you show the paper trail, and you put the decision on the record. No more hand-waving. No more “we’ve been told.” Either Customs accepts a proportional solution—or Customs issues a written refusal we can examine.
The LinkedIn twist: templates vs. decisions
On LinkedIn I’ll be making a simple point: there’s a world of difference between “we’ve been told” emails and verifiable decisions on letterhead. Templates and talking points are reputational kindling—reference numbers, submission receipts, and written decisions are the only firebreaks that work when scrutiny arrives. Leaders—inside DHL and out—take note.
Lesson for DHL
Leadership isn’t tested when things run smoothly — it’s revealed in how you respond to failure, contradiction, and scrutiny. Proportionality matters. Silence and evasion don’t erase the problem; they magnify it.
Even the smallest words matter. A single “we” in correspondence can cut two ways: it can mean collaboration between customer and carrier — or it can signal that the customer is no longer standing alone, and scrutiny will follow. Leaders who dismiss such signals often discover too late that “we” means lawyers, regulators, and the press are already in the room.
The post DHL’s latest: “It’s all Customs now.” Good—so file my fix and show the decision. appeared first on vietnam leadership coach.
