I mostly agree with that. But e-mails (and FAX) put things in writing. A record that can be saved for later reference. A phone call is less formal.
Amazingly poor customer service
- Thread starter Coppersmith
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gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I should point out that we were largely a service company. Urgent requests were fairly ephemeral, dealt with and then gone, memorialized, if at all, on a service ticket. Now that I'm at an MEP firm, it's CYA all the way. If it's not written down, it didn't happen.
MAC702
Senior Member
- Location
- Clark County, NV
I recently dealt with the same thing in two very different industries. I needed an automatic gate operator. Not my usual job, but I've worked on a few before, so I wanted to buy one of the same type I had experience in maintaining, a DoorKing. I went to their websites and e-mailed four different companies that sell them directly. Only two responded. One of those didn't address my questions at all and just linked me back to the page that caused me to ask specific questions. Guess who got the $1400 order?
And being right-handed, I was pretty ignorant of how the left-handed upper receivers fit onto standard AR15 rifles. So I started my research for a friend, and e-mailed four different sellers, directly from their websites where they advertise these left-handed parts. Same exact thing. Only two responded, and only one of those actually answered my question, and easily got my $600 order. And the email was sent from my licensed firearms training company letterhead.
I'm still tempted to email back and let them know why, but since these were fairly one-off deals, I'm not really getting out of training them to compete for my business.
And being right-handed, I was pretty ignorant of how the left-handed upper receivers fit onto standard AR15 rifles. So I started my research for a friend, and e-mailed four different sellers, directly from their websites where they advertise these left-handed parts. Same exact thing. Only two responded, and only one of those actually answered my question, and easily got my $600 order. And the email was sent from my licensed firearms training company letterhead.
I'm still tempted to email back and let them know why, but since these were fairly one-off deals, I'm not really getting out of training them to compete for my business.
I don't know guys, I would send my list by email with a deadline to all my suppliers and the one that was on time with best price got the package, of course I did write large orders at times so I'm sure that played a part in the responses.
Roger
Roger
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I have a bad habit of doing this. Bad customer service annoys me so much I feel compelled to point out what people/companies are doing wrong. When restaurant managers make the rounds of tables and ask if everything was alright, I tell them exactly why it wasn't and usually refuse any compensation so they don't think I'm just making up a story. I'll write a letter to a company and explain why I bought at their competitor. I'm always surprised by how oblivious to the bad conditions they are. (I also tell them if things were good.)
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
I've had good luck sending material lists over for quotes on an Excel spreadsheet via email.
I don't think I've used the fax machine in 9 years.
I don't think I've used the fax machine in 9 years.
I retired five years ago, but we quit using fax in the mid 2000's
Do you not have a sales rep assigned to your company? If so, he has an inside sales person assigned to him.
I EMAIL fixture counts/schedules/specs, switchgear BOM/riser diagrams/specs, Misc bills of material, etc.....all cropped off of pdf plans and spec books, or typed and saved as pdf's ....EMAIL direct to the inside salesman.
There is a bid date and deadline...if you don't care to respond, you get nothing if I win the bid....period
NOBODY USES FAX ANYMORE !! They didn't respond because they never saw it....because your quote request is curled up on the floor behind the fax machine.
Or they didn't respond because fax is a pain in the ass. Or they didn't respond because they don't take you seriously because you still use a FAX.....lol
Do you not have a sales rep assigned to your company? If so, he has an inside sales person assigned to him.
I EMAIL fixture counts/schedules/specs, switchgear BOM/riser diagrams/specs, Misc bills of material, etc.....all cropped off of pdf plans and spec books, or typed and saved as pdf's ....EMAIL direct to the inside salesman.
There is a bid date and deadline...if you don't care to respond, you get nothing if I win the bid....period
NOBODY USES FAX ANYMORE !! They didn't respond because they never saw it....because your quote request is curled up on the floor behind the fax machine.
Or they didn't respond because fax is a pain in the ass. Or they didn't respond because they don't take you seriously because you still use a FAX.....lol
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We also did service and trouble shooting. Much of this was for industrial customers with 24/7 process lines. There was a written contract specifying response times for call outs and hourly rates to be charged. It worked well for us.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
We had similar service contracts. All the exempt employees had a turn as the emergency service supervisor, responsible for fielding calls during off hours. Some times folks would call in with an urgent request to service their fire extinguishers. We didn't consider that an emergency; we'd open a service ticket for dispatch to process first thing in the morning. Water pouring out of an open sprinkler was another matter. We tried to have a tech on site within 2 hours of the initial call.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I meant for this thread to discuss poor customer service. Whether or not you think fax is a good technology to use is not the point. If a supply house advertises a fax number then they are making an implicit contract with their customers that they will check the fax machine routinely and respond to faxes. To do anything less than that is poor customer service plain and simple. If they do not want to respond to faxes, they should not advertise a fax machine's number nor have one plugged in to receive faxes. This is exactly the same thing as advertising a voice line # and never answering your phone. Potential customers will go elsewhere. Again, this would be poor customer service.
Yes, poor service. But sometimes you have to lead the suppliers by the nose, help them make the decisions that they should be making.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
In another life I was an automotive/heavy equipment electrician and owned my own business. The local car parts stores at the time always had a rough go of finding parts they actually had for me. They used about 10 suppliers, each with their own catalogs, and the help wan't good at looking stuff up in them.
So, after a couple years of frustration, I finally talked the stores into giving me their year old catalogs so I could look up my own parts. It worked great.
I went from 'do you have a door pin wigimatic pigtail for a 63 1/2 Ford Galaxy with a 390 4bbl, power disc blah blah blah', to ' do you have a Doorman PT-7769?'
Sometimes you do have to do part of your suppliers work if you want supplies and want them yesterday.
And, if that work involves ordering on the Internet, that's just contributing to their demise.
So, after a couple years of frustration, I finally talked the stores into giving me their year old catalogs so I could look up my own parts. It worked great.
I went from 'do you have a door pin wigimatic pigtail for a 63 1/2 Ford Galaxy with a 390 4bbl, power disc blah blah blah', to ' do you have a Doorman PT-7769?'
Sometimes you do have to do part of your suppliers work if you want supplies and want them yesterday.
And, if that work involves ordering on the Internet, that's just contributing to their demise.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Poor customer service, actual incident.
I need a pneumatic valve for a prototype. I chose Asco because I have used them before. I narrowed my choices down to a couple variants and called my local (supposed) Asco dealer. They said they didn't stock the valves but I could order all the kinds I want (and pay for them) and then pay a 10% restocking fee to send back the valves I didn't like, even if I didn't take them off the counter. This place is one of our local electrical supply houses that call their selves an Asco dealer. I was kind of miffed, because I can order the valves off the Internet, too. I don't think they should be calling themselves a dealer, JMHO.
Good customer service, same project.
I called an Asco dealer in Grand Rapids, told them what I was after and the guy bent over backwards to help me out. Since they actually stock Asco valves, he said they may have what I want in stock if I can be flexible on some of the parameters. I told him what I was needing for my project and he told me he would call Asco tech support and try to come up with a solution that may involve fewer valves, less cost, and may be something I can actually look at before I pay for it.
So I will be buying the valves from a business 35 miles away, and not buying from my local 'dealer' which is about 6 miles away.
I need a pneumatic valve for a prototype. I chose Asco because I have used them before. I narrowed my choices down to a couple variants and called my local (supposed) Asco dealer. They said they didn't stock the valves but I could order all the kinds I want (and pay for them) and then pay a 10% restocking fee to send back the valves I didn't like, even if I didn't take them off the counter. This place is one of our local electrical supply houses that call their selves an Asco dealer. I was kind of miffed, because I can order the valves off the Internet, too. I don't think they should be calling themselves a dealer, JMHO.
Good customer service, same project.
I called an Asco dealer in Grand Rapids, told them what I was after and the guy bent over backwards to help me out. Since they actually stock Asco valves, he said they may have what I want in stock if I can be flexible on some of the parameters. I told him what I was needing for my project and he told me he would call Asco tech support and try to come up with a solution that may involve fewer valves, less cost, and may be something I can actually look at before I pay for it.
So I will be buying the valves from a business 35 miles away, and not buying from my local 'dealer' which is about 6 miles away.
thekeymurphy
Member
- Location
- Bristol
Yes poor customer service, but sometimes mistakes happen. If there are other means of contact, definitely pursue those too.
Another example of poor or even misleading service. I'm reluctant to say dishonest but....
My dear wife's desktop computer failed - totally failed. Nothing ran, not even the fans.
It's three and a few days old. So we took it back to the store we bought it from. It's a huge place and has branches all over and sells mostly PCs and consumer electronics. Our nearest has a "knowledge centre" which offers, and I use that word loosely, servicing and repairs.
So we left the computer there (and a £60 deposit!) and told we would get a call in a few days. We got the call the next day.
"We can't repair it."
OK, so went back to get it - and our £60.....
Our next door neighbour happened to be in the store at the same time.
"Would you like me to have a look at it?"
"Sure."
"He did. And fixed it. It was a failed 820pF capacitor in the PSU. Cost less than a buck for a replacement.
The real kicker? The store hadn't even taken the cover off. Their stance seems to be "don't fix, can't fix " and they'll buy a new one. We didn't - at least not from there.
Amazingly poor customer service? I'd call it unethical if I was being nice.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Three years and a few days? Or several days?
Yes, three years and a few days. I was changing the order of the words and screwed it up..........
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
No, I think you're missing the point. It accomplishes nothing to start a thread to have everyone jump in and just complain about something. Who wants to do that in our off time when I can do that at work all day?:lol:
You complain about faxes and poor customer service being the issue. Well, here's my issue with one particular popular supply house. They hire and employ untrained idiots who only know how to enter part numbers that I often have to look up for them. Or they have one of their more senior sales counter folks call me back to ask me exactly what I wanted because the untrained idiot can't even explain it well enough for the trained idiot to find it in their system.
Yes, it's poor customer service. Yes, I could sit here and complain about it on this thread(like I just did!). But, it'd make more sense on an ongoing basis for me to just use a different supply house.
No sense complaining, change your methods. Use email. It's almost 2018.
Mark A.
Member
- Location
- Napa, CA, US
It's hard being a perfectionist and knowing what good customer service is supposed to look like.
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