Vendor feedback/issues

[MagicMtnDan]

Ice Cobra and Squatting Dog (sounds like a bunch of Indians - Native American Indians not guys from India) make very good points about the value and benefits of forums.

My rant was an attempt to address 1 issue and that's of customers calling out companies online and in social media, etc., and gave my opinion on how I think people should address the issues (both customers and vendors) to avoid posting negative comments.

You guys made very good points

 

[dataustin]

I'm confused....

 

[Labraptor]

Hell, I am confused reading this thread too. What happened, how did a reasonable discussion break out without name calling and insults? Yes I am being sarcastic. There are very good points being made in this thread. Would be awesome if more threads worked out this way. They used to and that is why most of the info I gathered before buying my Raptor came from here.

Now I realized I derailed the thread from it's original topic. Sorry about that.

I can appreciate both sides of this since I own my own business too. Mine is a brick and mortar business but still subject to people going postal online and having their rants spread like wildfire. As a consumer I also find it helpful to see feedback on a vendor. Especially if you can't check them out in person. If all of us did our best to follow the advice of the above posters then the reviews on this forum and the atmosphere here in general would be much improved.

 

[Fred]

I own a business as well. Lets just say if it was that easy everyone would be doing it, right?

I don't sell a product, but a service. With everything today being a commodity the only real way, IMO, for a business to lend itself a competitive advantage is through, offering excellent service, along with a fair price.

What I have also learned is that communication is key...you must understand the customers expectations, and manage those expeditions, or direct the customer some place else. Believe me there is nothing wrong with not doing business with a customer...

And when a problem arises, customers want solutions not excuses...

Again, communicate, communicate and communicate....

 

[GoMuscles]

Fact:

Stainless Works has failed to ship my Exhaust now for two weeks. I tried every extension and left a message in the middle of the day yesterday and no return phone call. Trucks been in the shop for three weeks now. They told us it would be here last Tuesday/ Wed at the latest. That was a week ago yesterday at best. Called 5 times and out of the 4 sales extensions no one was available to pick up or call back. That puts us two weeks and a couple days behind schedule. Going to cost me 12hrs one way (24hr trip) to come home and bring my trade back all while I have to have the shop reassemble my truck with out ( paid for) headers and exhaust that I have been waiting for over two weeks.

Opinion:
Pissed these people are going to cause the poor mook at the dealership his job as they gave me my trade to use for work until my truck is complete. Everything would have worked out if we would have know they didn't ship when they told us they did. Now Im getting harassed by the dealer and the sales guy bc as per company policy they will not have a chance to sell my trade due to the length of time my trade has been in inventory.

Feel terrible for the sales guy who stuck his neck out for me. Sorry Mike!

 

[bstoner59]

I have a large base of customers that I do everything in my power to keep happy. Sometimes shit happens and bad product gets out there. Sometimes people are ********* and need an expiration of the product and how to use it. Sometimes their head is so far up their ass they can't see daylight let alone the product. Very seldom one of my employees screws the pooch.

All of these problems can be addressed if the customer comes to me. If there was a forum, and they decided to air their dirty laundry there before calling me they are prolonging the suffering. No matter how smart any of us are on here, the only people that really know their products are the ones that manufacture said products. In my professional opinion, every attempt to resolve the issue needs to be made with the vendor before putting them in blast in an Internet forum. These threads never go away. Who knows how many random people read the start of a horrible review only to leave without reading the resolution to the issue? I think it's wrong to take potential business away from anyone in this manner without giving them the opportunity to make things right. I also think it's important for us to remember these vendors aren't huge and a lot of the time the guy looking at the forums is doing 8 other jobs and won't see something for some time. And 1 phone call with a message to call you back doesn't count as "making contact."

A company shows their service level not with the ability to get you product but their ability to resolve your issues. Anyone can sell you something and make some cash but not too many people are willing to suck it up and pay for mistakes.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Fact:

Stainless Works has failed to ship my Exhaust now for two weeks. I tried every extension and left a message in the middle of the day yesterday and no return phone call. Trucks been in the shop for three weeks now. They told us it would be here last Tuesday/ Wed at the latest. That was a week ago yesterday at best. Called 5 times and out of the 4 sales extensions no one was available to pick up or call back. That puts us two weeks and a couple days behind schedule. Going to cost me 12hrs one way (24hr trip) to come home and bring my trade back all while I have to have the shop reassemble my truck with out ( paid for) headers and exhaust that I have been waiting for over two weeks.

Opinion:
Pissed these people are going to cause the poor mook at the dealership his job as they gave me my trade to use for work until my truck is complete. Everything would have worked out if we would have know they didn't ship when they told us they did. Now Im getting harassed by the dealer and the sales guy bc as per company policy they will not have a chance to sell my trade due to the length of time my trade has been in inventory.

Feel terrible for the sales guy who stuck his neck out for me. Sorry Mike!

Have you tried to get someone who is local to Stainless Works in Chagrin Falls, OH to go there for you and get some answers? I just emailed them and gave them a link to this thread...I hope they address this ASAP.

 

[GoMuscles]

This is old news all is good.

 

[dataustin]

Whether working for a Fortune 500 company or starting a business with my son, the success or failure of any effort is dependent on the customer facing personnel. Unfortunately, when businesses get stretched, they tend to focus on the obvious....manufacturing (got to build the product, right?), accounting (got to pay our bills, right?) and marketing (got to find new customers, right?). What tends to fall by the wayside is the funding of the customer facing agent, the person that communicates with him/her keeping them connected and pleased with the company.

We always reminded ourselves that it costs x10 more to get a new customer than it does to keep one. Also, you need to always remember that without customers there is no need to turn the lights on each morning....

 

[GoMuscles]

Ok Got a call from George and I want to thank him for taking the time to call me back. Looks like my Headers and Exhaust is due to arrive tomorrow. Ill ask the mods to please remove my thread so not to harm their reputation. It was nice talking to them. Thanks to everyone for the comments and concern.