Quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Carrera
You know what I love about ordering from Pelican? They know exactly what 'it' is that I ordered, what the cost is, when it ships, and when it should arrive.
I refuse to deal with companies and people that rely on me to keep them straight. If you want my money, act like you want it.
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It's nice that they have an automated ordering system that fills in all the blanks for them, I'm sure. That is something I don't have, and don't have the knowlegde to construct something like that.
Besides that...I have gotten checks in the mail from people I have no clue who are, and the only note being something like "pickup" or, I have even gotten cash in the mail, with no explanation at all. I get money orders with no names.
To me, it's like going to a car dealer, handing them some money, and saying "gimmie a car" and not telling them what options you want...but expecting them to read your mind.
I *personally* answer in the neighborhood of
six hundred emails each week, and it's growing weekly. A typical conversation between between me and one of my customers can span 20 or more exchanges before reaching a conclusion. I've had them up to 100 emails before reaching a desicion. When someone doesn't quote previous email, extra hard because I have to jump from inbox to oubox and try to re-read the conversations in order.
It's extra difficult when people email using multiple accounts, and the conversation jumps from account to account, and the accounts have different names.
Try to keep track of something like that. It ain't easy.
I'm spending almost 40 hours a week, just doing email hunts to track people down, read, reply, etc. Time I could spend doing production, instead of delaying other people's orders while I search through email for what it is YOU want.
To give you an idea, my inbox currently has 8843 mesages, with 531 that still need to be answered becasue were were at a trade show recently, and fell behind.
I back up my email and clean out the box once every couple months, by the way.
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All I ask is that people tell me what they want when they pay for it, and I don't see why that's so hard.
Quote:
Originally posted by Owain
Yeah, I guess if you're selling something that customers can only get from you it's ok to treat them badly.
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Thanks, but I actually treat my customers very well. I'll bend over backwards to satisfy them and get what they want, and I do, to the point of taking a HUGE loss on one of the components I use because it's in high demand, and I'm the only builder to offer them on my product. They can go elsewhere, but they won't get the same kind of quality or workmanship.
Quote:
Originally posted by Chocaholic
Way rude. Perhaps you don't have any competition (and that's why you don't want to tell us your line of work). But, that day will come and your arrogance will either subside or you'll go toes up.
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I do have competition - most of it came from my teaching and helping other people get started in the same business I'm in, and I'm above most of the others in terms of customer relations, customer service, and satisfaction.
My message may be rude. It's the second draft, and I'm trying to re-word it so it's not so harsh. However, the ordering instructions were previously posted on my website, and people still ignore them.
One of my main competitors has very similar ordering instructions. Most of us have similar ordering policies: tell us what you want, when you order it.
To order ***, be sure to provide and read the following information:
List the pickup model
Specifications (ohm reading or number of turns)
Any options..
I've already mentioned here what I do for a living, in
one of my recent posts
For what it's worth, I've posted about this on a few forums, and the people there agree that it needs to be said.
And also, for what it's worth, one of my favourite people's - and a highly respected and well liked amplifier builder, had a policy of: "After you place your order, do not contact me asking where it is. If you ask, your order will be cancelled. You'll get it when it's done, and not before then"."
I like that policy.
Jeff...see you at XXX dude.
